A survey by 15 Extension agents showed Sugar Belle mandarin to be the most cold-hardy non-satsuma citrus variety following a major freeze in Georgia in December 2022. Sugar Belle was followed in order of cold hardiness by Tango, navel oranges, Kishu and grapefruit. Shiranui was the least cold hardy non-satsuma variety.
Observations of satsumas a few months after the freeze clearly showed they were the cold hardiest variety, so the focus was on non-satsuma varieties. The agents participating in the survey rated non-satsumas planted in 2020 and before. Newly planted trees are much more susceptible to freezes, so trees that have survived at least two winters were chosen for the survey since they would be well established.
Read the full article on citrusindustry.net.
