Citrus Clinics 2013
Nothing is better than harvesting sweet, tree-ripened citrus from your own yard. Join the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Maricopa County Master Gardeners in two citrus clinics this January that will help you grow the juiciest, most flavorful citrus fruit in your neighborhood. These clinics feature the foremost experts in the state, including University of Arizona faculty and noted local professionals. Now in their seventeenth year, these half-day field days provide the opportunity for homeowners to learn and to ask questions about the care of citrus, apples, peaches, dates and other fruit crops.
Gates open at 8:15 a.m. at each event, with the clinics running from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Five half-hour presentations will be given concurrently and repeated during the morning. Taste-test many citrus varieties and learn how to select the best for your needs. Coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and light refreshments will be available for a nominal cost. Additionally, U-pick citrus will be available for an additional cost at the West Valley clinic. All presentations will be held outdoors, so dress accordingly. Wear walking shoes and bring a chair if you would like to sit, and please, no pets.
Topics at each clinic will include:
- Citrus Varieties Demonstration and Tasting
- Pruning Citrus and Deciduous Fruit Trees
- Low-Chill Deciduous Fruit Varieties
- Planting and Budding
- Irrigation and Fertilization Practices
- Insect Pests and Their Control
- Disease Management
Tickets are available for advance purchase for $8 and at the gate for $10. For either event, they may be purchased in advance from the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office located at 4341 E. Broadway Rd. in Phoenix, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays and between Christmas and New Years.
Tickets for the January 26th event can be purchased in person at the Master Gardener office at the P.O.R.A Building, 13815 W. Camino del Sol, Sun City West, AZ, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until noon.
Driving directions to East Valley Clinic
Greenfield Citrus Nursery is located at 2588 E. Lehi Rd. in Mesa.
From the West on Loop 202
- Take the 202 East to Gilbert Rd.
- Exit north 300 feet to McDowell Rd.
- East on McDowell Rd. to second stoplight (Lehi Rd.)
- Go north on Lehi Rd.
- Go to first orchard on the left.
From the SR 60 East
- Take the Gilbert Rd. exit.
- Go north on Gilbert Rd.
- Go east on McDowell Rd.
- Go north on Lehi Rd.
- Go to first orchard on the left.
From the East on Loop 202
- Take the McDowell Rd Exit 17.
- Turn east onto McDowell Rd.
- Go north on Lehi Rd., the first road on left.
- Go to first orchard on the left.
Driving directions to West Valley Clinic
Truman Ranch (formerly the UA Citrus Agriculture Center) is located west of Cotton Lane and the Loop 303, off of Greenway Road in Surprise, AZ.
From the I-10
- Take the 303 Cotton Lane off-ramp.
- Go north on 303 about 10 miles to Greenway Rd.
- Turn west onto Greenway Rd.
- Follow Greenway Rd. for about two and a half miles and follow the signs to the Center.
From the Sun City area
- Take Bell Rd. west to Cotton Lane, which is about four miles past Grand Avenue.
- Go south on Cotton Lane for one mile to Greenway Rd.
- Turn west onto Greenway Rd.
- Follow Greenway Rd. for about two miles and follow the signs to the Center.
The Mission of the Maricopa County Master Gardener Program is to teach people to select, place and care for plants in an environmentally responsible manner based on research specific to the low desert.
Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting 602-827-8200 and pressing 311. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.
