Bob Duncan: growing oranges in Canada

Bob Duncan is an entomologist by trade, but he is better known in Victoria, BC, Canada for being a pioneer in growing citrus in Canada. In this video Bob shows some navel oranges he has growing in an unheated greenhouse in his backyard. When Bob peeled an orange from right off the tree, the aroma was beyond belief! I have never seen oranges that looked as good as Bob's in a grocery store.

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• Bob Duncan
• Gardening
• Canada
• Oranges
• Fruit Trees and More

[ericthecyclist]

By my memory, Bob's greenhouse certainly looks like a home build: wood frame with plastic film stretched across it, not even twin wall polycarbonate. It should be mentioned that Victoria is as far south as you can get in Canada. There have been years when we haven't seen snow (just lots of rain).

Eric.

[Ccoach55]

how. . how can you grow it without heat?

[ericthecyclist]

Bob uses strings of Christmas lights on his trees controlled by a thermostat to keep them above -2C (the point at which citrus loses its fruit). They don't really like being that cold, but it doesn't kill them.

Other than that, greenhouses trap an amazing amount of heat from the sun. You have to try going into a greenouse during the day to really believe it.

[missanna208]

OH I LOVE how Canadians are always finding ways to grow tropicals up there! GO CANADA!

[ReticentBadger]

1) There are parts of Canada lower in latitude than Detroit. Heck, Reno Nevada is farther west than Los Angeles, but most people don't know it because geography is a lost subject.

2) It's no surprise that Canadians keep finding ways to cultivate in such regions. Northern Europeans have been doing it for a really long time. Adapt and overcome.

3) White people keep denigrating their vast accomplishments in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Some call it white guilt. I call it foolish modesty.

[BananaJSSI]

@missanna208 I have been growing Bananas in my garden since 1989

[BananaJSSI]

@ericthecyclist Victoria may be as far south as you'll get here on the B.C. south west coast, but Canada has areas that are at a much lower latitude if you go to southern Ontario. Pt. Pelee and Windsor would be the same lat. as Northern California

[brendahodgins]

@ve3tru Sometimes the best info is in the comments! Thank you! xoxo - a cold Canadian

[NewEnglandgardening]

Very interesting to see citrus growing in cold climates. I would like to see a video of the outside of the greenhouse. Is it a commercial greenhouse or home build?

[dhenion1]

WOW, thats amazing! Good for you. I live in North Carolina and would love to grow an avocado tree. I am very inspried. I am growing 3 banana trees in the yard uncovered and there thriving. People say you can't grow them here. I going to try growing citrus in a green house. Thank You for the video.

[amusingisthedawn]

@PolarExpress2

I live in the same area and I grow mine in a south facing window and they do great, but they dwarf to pot size and you won't get 100 lemons, more like 10-15.

[PolarExpress2]

**BIG TIP** I currently grow citrus in containers here in Pennsylvania and have spoken to Bob on the phone. I keep the citrus indoors in our very cold winters. If you grow citrus indoors during the winter months, you must use lightbulbs that produce heat for the plants such as 60watt bulbs. String them around the trees and mist the tree leaves twice a day with Miracle Grow Houseplant liquid mixed with water. Citrus plants absorb the spray through it's leaves. USE Osmocote (pink bottle).

[steve154life]

eh this is intriging my grandpa's first name is robert but we call him bob eh and thats not all my grandpa's last name is duncan FOR REALL my mums name was jerri l.duncan this is awwsom <3 canada