Citrus Growers Forum

mrtexas · Posted: Wed 05 Jan, 2011 2:15 am

I've asked for:

501 USDA 88-2: Lee x Nova supposed to be a seedless early mandarin
I asked for this last September and didn't get it.

693 Sudachi hybrid: similar to yuzu

734 New Zealand Lemonade: supposed to be a tasty tart sweet lemon
I didn't like the fruit on my first crop of Pomona acidless eureka lemon.

691 USDA 15-150 Mandarin: another newly available early mandarin early release budwood

Mark_T · Posted: Wed 05 Jan, 2011 2:46 am

How has your Valentine done? I've been waiting to get some photos and reports on it from forum members, haven't heard a peep yet.

I wonder what the 2010 accessions will be?

Have you tried Ugli down there yet?

mrtexas · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 2:39 am

My valentines are still buds waiting to be forced in the spring.

Millet · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 3:58 am

It seems that mandarin varieties are becoming never ending. In my opinion, with the exception of a few varieties such as Xie Shan and a few others, many of the mandarins varieties don't have enough difference in taste to make it worth all the effort to grow them. - Millet (740-)

Mark_T · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 4:34 am

Millet wrote:

It seems that mandarin varieties are becoming never ending. In my opinion, with the exception of a few varieties such as Xie Shan and a few others, many of the mandarins varieties don't have enough difference in taste to make it worth all the effort to grow them. - Millet (740-)

So do think oranges offer more variety of flavor? Maybe tangelo's?

mrtexas wrote:

My valentines are still buds waiting to be forced in the spring.

Ok, so it will be a while.

mrtexas · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 6:41 pm

Millet wrote:

It seems that mandarin varieties are becoming never ending. In my opinion, with the exception of a few varieties such as Xie Shan and a few others, many of the mandarins varieties don't have enough difference in taste to make it worth all the effort to grow them. - Millet (740-)

Oh, I don't know. My satsumas, clementine, fairchild, and page each have a distinctive taste to me. I can't tell much difference between any satsumas though as I haven't yet tasted a Xie Shan. I'll get a chance on the Xie Shan next fall as I topworked a mature sour orange with it last spring.

Mark_T · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 7:06 pm

I have question related to the CCPP budwood choices. I was hoping to get some Seville Sour Orange budwood, but they only seem to offer something called "Standard Sour". Does anyone know if these are the same type of orange?

jrb · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 8:42 pm

Yes, they are the same. My understanding is that "Seville Sour Orange" is not really a specific cultivar but, instead, a synonym for sour orange itself that covers a large range of sour oranges with somewhat variable characteristics. "Standard Sour Orange" is a selection of "Seville Sour Orange" that appears to have the most typical sour orange characteristics.

_________________
Jim

Mark_T · Posted: Thu 06 Jan, 2011 10:24 pm

Thanks jrb

Millet · Posted: Fri 07 Jan, 2011 12:34 am

Phil, in my post above when I wrote "Xie Shan and a few others", Page Mandarin would be one of the others (I have 4 Page Mandarin trees). Ponkan would also be one (manly because of it size, its taste is good but sort of a me too). Personally, Fairchild would be a variety that I would not grow, as it has way to many seeds, and I would put its taste into the "me too" category, besides if I wanted a Fairchild, I could just buy them in the store. I put Clemintine's taste as OK+. I have 4 Clementine trees (Fina Sodea Clementine, Marisol Clementine, and two seedling "Clementines"). One of my seedling "Clementines" has just become mature, and has produced it first fruit this year. It is now ready to pick, but I am leaving it on the tree to build up it sugars. I was surprised to read that you have not tasted a Xie Shan. I believe the two Xie Shan trees that I have, I purchased from you some years back, while you could still ship to Colorado. In my opinion, Xie Shan is absolutely the best mandarin available. Bonnie's BC-1 is also a good mandarin. - Millet (739-)

citrusCharlie · Posted: Sun 09 Jan, 2011 4:23 am

jrb
It appears by your post that you are familiar with Sour Orange. Does the name Flathead Seville ring with you as a rootstock? I think Flat seville I have seen. I am hearing that Flathead Seville produces citrus with great flavor. Have you heard that
Charlie

mrtexas · Posted: Sun 09 Jan, 2011 2:48 pm

Millet wrote:

I was surprised to read that you have not tasted a Xie Shan. I believe the two Xie Shan trees that I have, I purchased from you some years back, while you could still ship to Colorado. In my opinion, Xie Shan is absolutely the best mandarin available. Millet (739-)

I let my satsumas grow a few years before fruiting. When they are young, they produce puffy, dry fruit. Less than 5 years old and the fruit quality is not too good. 10 years + and the fruit is very good except for years like last year. Last year I budded a few Xie Shan buds on the top branches of one satsuma tree and topworked a friend's mature sour orange tree. Next fall I hope to taste the elusive Xie Shan.

Can you tell the difference between the clementines? I have a mature Algerian on flying dragon and have budded a few branches of de Nules on it.

The tangerines we get in the store here are unmarked as to variety and of very poor quality. I find fairchild to have lots of seeds but then again, all my mandarins except satsuma have lots of seeds, clementines included. I juice most of my citrus so the seeds don't bother me.

Millet · Posted: Sun 09 Jan, 2011 4:51 pm

There is little difference in the taste of the Clementines. Fortunately I have very few seeds in any of my mandarin varieties for two reasons. First, as I live in Colorado (a cold state) all of my trees must be grown inside my greenhouse, therefore there are few bees/insects to cross pollinate. Second, when my trees are in bloom, I "pollinate" them by spraying the flowers with gibberellic acid, which sets fruit without producing seeds. - Millet (736-)

Mark_T · Posted: Mon 10 Jan, 2011 4:56 pm

For those of you that have ordered budwood from the CCPP in the past, what sort of varieties are in the Foundation Budwood section that's been unavailable for over a year now? Anyone know why it's unavailable?

TRI · Posted: Mon 10 Jan, 2011 11:16 pm

The fruit from satsumas I grow have seeds sometimes more than 10 seeds in one satsuma fruit. Very few of the satsumas have no seeds. The Meyer lemons have at least 10 to 15 seeds in each fruit. I do not eat Meyer lemons because they have too much acid but the juice is extracted and frozen.

If you eat citrus fruits high in acid you could end up with dental erosion mouth pain and acid reflux disease! Lemons and limes have the most acid with very low pH and could damage your teeth! Soft drinks also have lots of citric acid and have no nutritional benefit. At least citrus has nutrition benefit but you should dilute your citrus juice with water to reduce dental erosion problems.