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Living in Louisiana has many advantages, including our subtropical climate that supports the growth of many different types of plants that require warm, humid temperatures. These include citrus trees, which are native to subtropical and tropical climates and are winter hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9a-11. Louisiana USDA hardiness zones cover 8a-10a.
In the southern part of the state — especially along the coast and in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes — citrus trees thrive outdoors with few problems when it comes to temperatures. However, citrus diseases have devastated the commercial industry. In central and northern Louisiana, which are in zones 8a and 8b, citrus must be grown in a greenhouse or brought indoors during cold months when there is a threat of frost. Growing citrus in containers can help with this.
Cold-hardy citrus such as satsuma, sweet oranges, grapefruit and kumquats can grow well outdoors in Louisiana. Less cold-hardy types such as lemons and limes can survive when protected during hard freezes outdoors once they are older, larger and established. Many home gardeners have lost more tender trees in extended freezes.
Some recommended citrus for containers are Improved Meyer lemon, Bearss lime and kumquats. These are naturally smaller trees that will last longer in containers.
One benefit of growing citrus in containers is being able to bring the plants indoors during extended freezing temperatures. Standard citrus is too big for indoors, but dwarf varieties grafted onto rootstocks that limit their size help make them easier to grow in containers and speed up the fruiting process.
Container size and material type is one of the most important factors for success of container-grown citrus. If you buy a 5-gallon-size plant and want to bump up the size, don’t go too large. A 5-gallon pot is 12 inches in diameter. You want to double that size to 24 inches for the next container and allow for growth of roots as well as the tree.
Light-colored plastic pots on wheels with drainage holes make great selections because they are lightweight, and the lighter colors do not heat up as much in the summertime. In addition, the wheels make moving the plant indoors in freezing temperatures much easier. Lightweight resin and fiberglass planters are an excellent choice, but good old-fashioned terra cotta and ceramic are beautiful. You may want to place them on plant dollies for easier movement because they are heavier.
Citrus are active year-round. They do not go dormant in wintertime but do slow their growth. Most citrus will go into active growth in late winter and early spring, followed by flower production that gives way to fruit in the fall and winter.
For the best fruit production, place in an area that gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Make sure the pots stay evenly watered. Use a potting mix that has both good water retention and drains well such as a lightweight potting mix with inorganic ingredients such as perlite, vermiculite, coconut coir and peat moss.
Citrus benefits from annual fertilizing that increases with each year of age. Young trees should be fertilized with light but frequent doses of 10-5-5 fertilizer or one specific for citrus throughout the growing season from spring to early fall. Apply fertilizer in a 3-foot-diameter circle around the tree directly under the tree canopy by spreading. Do not mound fertilizer around the trunk. Stop applying in late fall and winter.
Limit the size of your trees and promote bigger fruit by pruning after they have produced and you have harvested. Be sure to remove rootstock suckers that have thorns with pruners. Most importantly, protect citrus in freezing temperatures by moving them inside until the danger of frost passes.
Citrus offers interest year-round with evergreen foliage, highly fragrant flowers and, best of all, tasty, nutritious fruit that can be picked from the comfort of your home patio.

The region’s most persistent traffic headache may be nearing an end.

The expected reopening for all lanes of the U.S. 90 bridge is now 10 days away, a Department of Transportation and Development spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The expected reopening date for the bridge is Sept. 30, the DOTD’s Diedra Druilhet said. The work is regarded as 99% complete, and equipment is being removed from the bridge.

Sept. 30 will be more than three years since traffic was restricted, and the westbound onramp at Federal Avenue and the eastbound onramp in Berwick were closed, to accommodate the $12 million refurbishing of the bridge. The original schedule called for the work to be complete in summer 2021, weather permitting.

The weather, and other setbacks, didn’t permit.

The contract with Tarpon Springs, Florida-based Seminole Equipment Inc. called for sandblasting and repainting the bridge. While work has been underway, traffic on the four-lane bridge was limited to one lane in either direction.

The work has been slowed recently by rain, and has been delayed over the course of the project by the active 2020 hurricane season, Hurricane Ida in 2021, the COVID-19 epidemic and a shortage of paint.

As of 2021, Druilhet said, an average of 32,000 vehicles a day use the bridge.

The restricted traffic has led to other problems, including traffic tie-ups and accidents on the aging Long-Allen bridge that carries La. 182 across Berwick Bay.

In July 2021, for example, a truck carrying a trailer full of concrete debris hit the old bridge’s guard rail, dumping concrete on a house below and closing the bridge for three days. Traffic over the bay was limited to the single eastbound and westbound lanes on the new bridge until the La. 182 structure was partially opened for rush-hour traffic.

September 4, 1950 — August 27, 2022

We are saddened to announce the passing of Roger Dale Thompson, 71 years young who lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. He was hospitalized for four months while making an heroic attempt at a double-lung transplant at St. Lukes Hospital in Houston, Texas. He was loved and surrounded by his wife, children and sister.

Roger was born on September 4, 1950 in Bremen, Indiana. He was the son of Marie Nixon of Reno, NV and Eldon Thompson of Plymouth, IN. At the age of 10, he moved with his family to Reno, Nevada where he graduated from Reno High School in 1968.
He joined the Army in 1969 where he was trained as a helicopter pilot. He served in the Republic of Vietnam where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medals (35) as well as other decorations in recognition of his service. The Distinguished Flying Cross is the fourth highest for heroism and the highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement. He was shot down twice.
He was honorably discharged in November 1974 at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer. To say that Roger was a patriot would be an understatement. He loved his Country.

Roger had a work ethic like no other. Being the grandson of Romanian immigrants who came and worked hard to provide a good life for their family had a lasting impact on him, informing his work ethic as well as strengthening his tight knit family connections.
Roger loved his family and family reunions. On the year it was his turn to host the famous Solomon reunion, he went all out, turning his home into a massive crawfish feed and providing bayou tours by Bubba Smith. He flew in the U.S. Gulf Coast in support of our energy industry since the 1970s, which is what brought him to Louisiana, including 25 years working for Air Logistics.

Whenever he was offered a position flying anywhere in the world, he took it. While employed with Air Logistics, he worked in Honduras, where he flew for the U.S. State Department, Chile, Kuwait during the massive fires, and many times in Alaska.

After retiring from flying, Roger and his wife Roberta, built a real estate and ship repair operation on the Bayou Teche.

Roger was a straight-forward guy who would lend a hand to anyone willing to meet him halfway, which is to say, he wasn’t about giving a hand-out to make life easy, but he was all in if one were willing to take the help and then help themselves. There are any number of people who can attest to this but you will not find the evidence anywhere as he was not one to bring attention to himself.

Roger is survived by his wife Jeannie, his first wife Sue and their children, Christina Allison (Crocker) of NC, Matthew VanThompson (Sarah) of Washington D.C., Dale Thompson of New Iberia, grandchildren Ashley Allison, Mabon and Gwendolyn VanThompson, sister Sharon Irvin and husband Larry of Reno, NV and their children Joseph, Lizzy and Rachel Irvin, cousins Cindy Edes (DeAnn) and Gentry Edes (Happy) of Orange Co., CA. and numerous cousins in Indiana.

He was preceded in death by his parents Marie and Eldon, second wife Roberta, niece Adrienne Irvin and cousins Ronald Solomon and Debra Edes (Michael).

There will be a Celebration of Life on October 1st, at 1:00 p.m. at his home in Patterson, LA. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in his name.

Paul Matthias Haeuber, 92, a resident of Patterson, Louisiana, passed away Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at The Suites at Sugar Mill Point in Houma.

He was born Oct. 31, 1929, in Mascoutah, Illinois, the son of George Haeuber Sr. and Catherine Herr Haeuber.

He is survived by his brothers-in-law, Bob Hunter and wife Carolyn of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and William “Bill” Hunter and wife Colleen of Patterson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Patsy Hunter Haeuber; and two brothers.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, at Twin City Funeral Home with Father Francis Kayaye officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 23, at Twin City Funeral Home from noon until the time of services. After services, he will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery Mausoleum, where military honors will be rendered by the East St. Mary Funeral Squad and Keesler Air Force Base.