Citrus (forum)

Richard P starts with ...
Hi fruit lovers, does anyone have any tips on what you might give mandarin trees that could sweeten the fruit. I have a Japanese Seedless which has borne fruit the last 2 years. Nice large fruit, easy peel, but it needs to sweeten up or it will have to go.

Cheers, Richard

Time: 21st May 2012 11:58am

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About the Author Richard P
sydney
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MaryT says...
Hi Richard P; it''s a good idea to take out any trees that under perform for you. As to sweetening the fruit, I think members have offered lots of advice on that subject. Try https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/mandarin-tree/

Time: 21st May 2012 12:21pm

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About the Author MaryT
Sydney
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Richard P says...
Hi MaryT, yes I agree. I'm pretty harsh un under performers and replaced reveal over the years. Dad an Elberta peach which never got any sweeter than just plain sou. Got rid of it last year and replaced with a Mariposa plum. Thanks for the link on comments. One poster says the Japanese Seedless is very sweet so I won't move too quick and keep looking for a sweetener. Maybe I'll fertile it with a packet of CSR! LOL Cheers, Richard

Time: 21st May 2012 4:54pm

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About the Author Richard P
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Chris says...
Unfortunately Richard no amount of potash or anything else will change the nature of the variety.
Japanese seedless(satsumas)are bland. Nursery parlance--they have a mild taste. Commercially most of the crop here and the bulk in NZ is exported to Japan and the rest of Asia.
It's not a particularly sweet mandarin either. Brix at maturity is around 10-11. Other varieties like Daisy, Fremont, Nova etc. are nearer 15. The other problem for the home gardener is that they lose flavour rapidly if left for long on the tree.
As for Elberta, it's a fantastic peach grown in the right conditions. That's why it's still grown 150 years later. The issue is Sydney's weather.
Summers in Sydney tend to be wetter than the southern states and WA. This January my postcode recorded 194mm of rain. February wasn't much drier. Peaches and nectarines (and the bulk of stonefruit) prefer almost drought conditions around maturity to concentrate the sugars. Over-watering and the flavour suffers greatly. This tends to be more so in the older varieties in my experience.
Mariposa is a great plum, full of flavour. Mine had splitsville this season with all the rain.

Time: 21st May 2012 8:37pm

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About the Author Chris
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Richard P says...
Hi Chris, many thanks for the feedback on the Japanese Seedless.....mate, it's gone! I won't waste another year on it. I had a terrible year on my stone fruit as well. Brown rot ate my nectarine and peach, and I ended up picking them with colour but still very firm and preserved them for winter dessert. Got 4 large jars and better than nothing. It was a bugger because I'd also managed to keep them clean from fruit fly and had a bumper crop. Looking forward to a hot dry Spring/Summer this year, fingers crossed!

Time: 22nd May 2012 9:06am

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About the Author Richard P
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MaryT says...
My Freemont is a disappointment too. I ate a few slightly green and they were bland but juicy and slightly sweet then I waited till one's fully coloured and IT IS SOUR, REALLY REALLY SOUR!!

Time: 22nd May 2012 10:06am

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About the Author MaryT
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Chris says...
Still a bit too early Mary for Sydney. Those growing in the Sunraysia area are only just starting to be picked and they would have had far more warmth over the growing season. Plus you are growing yours in a pot right? That makes it a little more difficult in getting quality fruit.
If it's the first year you are letting it crop, don't judge the flavour by the first year's fruit.


Time: 22nd May 2012 11:41am

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About the Author Chris
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