The Freezing Point of Detached Leaves as a Measure of Cold Hardiness of Young Budded Citrus Plants1

Abstract

The freezing point of detached leaves of young, budded, container-grown ‘Hamlin’ orange plants was an acceptable measure of cold hardiness. Controlled freezing established that the mean leaf freezing point (MLFP) of detached leaves estimated cold hardiness within 0.86°C and was useful to predict the degree of damage to plants exposed to subfreezing temperatures.