How fun! Just got back from the UC Riverside Citrus Day tour. I didn't get to spend much time there to listen to speakers - should have arrived earlier. I will suggest to some of the organizers for next year to have their speaking and presentation schedule clearly listed, so I don't miss some of the really esteemed speakers that were there this year, and hopefully next year. Got to do some really cool taste-testing, here were some of the highlights:

1. Seedless Kishu mandarin: Wowie. If you're looking for an incredibly sweet and very early mandarin, this is it. It is very small, diminuitive, but it has every perk for a dooryard tree - easy to peel, completely seedless, and very high brix (In the mid-twenties, but great acid to sugar ratio). Will be picking one of these up tomorrow at my local nursery. This will be my early mandarin. Tops Xie Shan.

2. Ugli tangelo - Skip it. You really need to grow this in Jamaica to get it to taste even remotely decent. Ick. Doubtful even in the warmest parts of Florida, it's flavor must be dependent on soil conditions as well as climate. And neither of those things exist in my area.

3. Valtentine Pummelo - Was too early, but you could tell it was going to be yummy. Glad I planted it. Excited to pick mine in about a month.

3. USDA 88-2 mandarin - Recently released, and if you can find it, well worth adding to your collection. Seedless or nearly. Has a very complex and well-rounded flavor along with near-perfect acid to sugar ratio. Well done. It was technically past-season, but they obviously stay very well on the tree. Looked a wee bit baggy, which sometimes bodes insipit or icky flavor, but not for this mandarin. It's a cross between a Lee and a Nova (Nova's are excellent, btw). If I didn't have a Nova, this would be in my citrus collection for sure.

4. Gold Nugget - great, sweet, easy to peel, prolific, but not complex. Just sweet and juicy. Kind of straightforward, but worth having. I have one, so glad it's in my collection.

5. Navelina Navel orange - Interesting. Higher acid to sugar ratio than what most of us here in the US would expect from a navel (as we often eat our Washington's or Late Lanes too late, so they're actually starting to get rather insipid, especially if they're store-bought). This was much more sprightly. But very refreshing. Very tender pulp and membranes. Tiny, almost non-existent navel, and extremely prolific tree, the tree was just covered with lovely, perfect medium-small navel oranges. I'm pretty sure this is the navel orange my neighbor loved in Majorca.

6. Dekopan: Yup. Got to taste it, and it's just a fraction early for the Dekopan. You're not going to want to hear this, but it must be said - this was the best tasting, best all around mandarin I tasted. Everyone in my group said so. Our guide didn't say anything (she asked if anyone knew what a Dekopan was. She saw my eyes get really big, and then she put her finger to her lips). Everyone got to taste it, and then she asked for comments. Everyone loved it and agreed it was by far the best of all the mandarins we had tasted, it is very unique. Definitely gonna buy several cases when they hit the stores to try to find a seed. I have a seedling that is struggling from last season that probably won't make it. I'm going to try a LOT harder this year for sure. Won't see this variety available for at least 3 years in tree-form. And, it is nearly seedless, so getting a seed is rare, but I hope to get one again this year.

And, lastly, I encourage all of you in California to consider supporting the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection. They are trying to get it fully endowed, so there is never a chance that future budget cuts in the UC system could never jeopardize the existence of such a valuable resource to the citrus community.

Awesome. Makes me want to go next time. Gold nugget is the next tree that I want to get. Did you get yours at Clausens Nursery?

Probably. Either Clausen's or Four Winds. More likely Clausen's, since they're in my back yard, no shipping, and I usually prefer semi-dwarf versus dwarf (Fly Dragon rootstock).

hoosierquilt, it was great that they were able to add you to the variety collection tour. One can see just about every commercial citrus variety, plus some non-commercial varieties. A couple years ago Citrus Joe and I flew out to Riverside, and spent the day visiting the CCPP screen house, and variety collection with UCR's Dr. Kruger. In the greenhouses on the west side of the variety collection, is UCR's collection of citruses near related genera, such as Glycosmis, Clausena, Murraa etc. We were even able to get the budwood that we requested. Thanks for your post, thoughts, and variety recommendations. Glad for you. - Millet (359 ABO-)

Thanks, Millet, it was phenomenal. It was very interesting to go back there, after having been out of that area now for nearly 20 years. I used to live right down the road from the Citrus Collection (Moreno Valley) for about 10 years, back in the early 80's through early 90's. Back when Moreno Valley was just an area called Sunnymead and was wall to wall lemon and orange orchards. The smell driving through that valley during blossom time was simply intoxicating, unbelievable.

I am going to be attending a two-day class offered by UCR Extension this February:

UCR Extension Course: Citrus in the Garden and get to take another tour of the Collection, so I'm hoping I can get some budwood while I'm there, perhaps (Navelina for sure). My tour guide was actually Dr. Tracy Kahn, who is the Principal Museum Scientist and Curator for the UCR Citrus Variety Collection and she is co-teaching this two-day seminar as well. I felt very privileged to have such an esteemed tour guide! She encouraged me to pursue a Master's in Citrus Research, that a customized program could easily be developed. That would be a huge step for me, and at my "advanced" age, not sure if I'm up to studying with kids that are younger than MY kids, lol!! But, sure is tempting.

Thanks for posting. I wanted to go to this also, but recently lost my job so I've been spending all of my spare time looking and applying for another. I'm eager for budwood of the Dekopon since I already have most of the others. How did your Dekopon seedling turn out?

Phillip

Phillip, so sorry to hear about your job. It is so tough here in San Diego county. What do you do for a living? Hope you can find work soon, how scary. As to Depokan budwood, don't hold your breath. We have a several year wait ahead of us. And my little seedling is not growing well. I'm going to try transplanting it into better potting soil. I've not grown a seedling before, so not sure what is the best soil medium and growing environment, inside, outside, full sun, partial, etc. Going to do that today, in fact. And will try with another seedling this year, if I get a seed from a Depokan.

Hah! Well, I can tell you Dr. Kahn was watching me very closely. She did tell me that several attendees did not respect their rules. They had asked attendees not to take fruit with them, but she knew several people had, indeed, helped themselves. I think that's the risk they run in having these sorts of public tours. It was tempting, and when Dr. Kahn offered up the Depokan, I did tell her I wanted dibs on any seeds. She laughed and said, "they're seedless." I told her no, that they were nearly seedless and sure enough, there were two seeds in the Depokan she picked! Her eyes got so big! I told her not to worry, I'd buy a case or two, and plant the seeds Told her I already had a seedling going. She wanted to know if it looked like the Depokan, and I told her it was way too early to tell. Very, very interesting. The owners of the Depokan actually wanted UCR to destroy their tree. She then told them there would be not source budwood save their trees. Luckily, UCR did get to keep their tree or trees.