Satsuma - Worth All the Effort
Satsuma - Worth Every Effort The Satsuma “orange” (actually a type of mandarin) is generally considered to be the hardiest commercial citrus, and it generally lives up to its name. It has a reputation of being reliably cold-hardy to at least 15F, and perhaps a little lower, as long as the freeze is of relatively short duration. By short duration, I mean less than 36 hours of continuous temperatures below freezing. During freezes of longer duration, Satsuma appears to be only as hardy as other mainstream citrus, and temperatures of 10F or below OR freezes lasting longer than 48 hours will kill an unprotected Satsuma. Having said that, it’s only fair for me to admit that I live at the absolute northern limit of possible culture for Satsuma. My 20-year average winter minimum is about 15F, meaning that on average, I am pushing it. In February 2003, January 2014, and December 2022, temperatures in my area were around 10F and freeze duration was 48 hours or more, meaning that a