Citrus Show

The Golden Triangle Citrus Show Thursday was a success by all measures. More entries than ever before, big attendance and new people - all good things.

The variety of fruit was impressive.

I tasted kumquats, round oranges, satsumas, and a tasty little mandarin that seemed to be everyone's favorite. It was great way to see and taste varieties to see which one you might want to start growing. The show also had lemons, limes, loquats, grapefruit and a bunch of things I'd not seen before.

Dr. Monte Nesbitt gave a great lecture on citurs, followed by a Q&A that sent backyard growers home with new information to keep their citrus healthy and productive.

If you haven't been to a show, make plans for next year. If you have citrus, enter them.

Golden Triangle Citrus Show

Don't forget the Golden Triangle Citrus Show is tomorrow evening at the AgriLife Extension Auditorium downtown next to the courthouse. If you've ever wanted to taste different varieties of citrus that grow well here (like these kumquats), here's your chance. In addition to watching the judging and awarding of prizes for the best three examples of each variety, attendees get to taste the goods.

Your $5 entry fee also gets you into the talk by Dr. Monte Nesbitt, a Texas A&X Extension Program Specialist in pecans, fruit and citrus. The organizers also will give away some good gardening-related door prizes. For more info, call 409-835-8461 or 727-2191, ext. 8461. See you there.

Golden Triangle Citrus Show

For some of us, getting a new citrus tree to bloom, set fruit and grow to maturity is a blue-ribbon accomplishment. But for seasoned citrus lovers, a perfect globe of orange or a blemish-free Meyer lemon grown in a backyard is far more satisfying. If you have magazine-shot worthy citrus, the Texas AgriLife folks provide just the place to show it off.

The Golden Triangle Citrus Show will be from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 at the AgriLife Extension Service Auditorium (1225 Pearl St - downtown next to the courthouse). The show is open to anyone who wants to enter. All you have to do is pick three of your best citrus fruits - that's three of each entry, as in three lemons, three limes, three satsumas, etc. - clean them up, shine them and bring them down to show them off. You can enter as many as you like. Prizes are awarded, so you could earn bragging rights along with a blue ribbon. The show also offers door prizes and a talk by Dr. Monte Nesbitt, a Texas A&M Extension Program Specialist in pecans, fruit and citrus. He'll speak about "Growing Citrus on the Gulf Coast for Fun and Profit."

Admission is $5 and covers both the show and lecture. If you have questions, call the extension office at 835-8461 or 727-2191, ext. 8461. By the way, your citrus will need to be a whole lot bigger than this young lime on my tree - but it has promise, don't you think? Maybe next year.