I grafted, planted(4 or 5 years ago), and fruited these 3 trees at the same time, clementine, fairchild mandarin, and page mandarin. The page is about twice as big as the other two. I really like the clementine and fairchild. Supposedly clementines don't get as high of quality here on the Gulf coast as in California. However, what I get here in the grocery store from Ca are lousy clementines. Mine are much better tasting, although full of seeds. I haven't so far been impressed with the page yet. Time will tell. The fruit from clementine and fairchild so far have been much better quality than the satsumas I'm growing which have been puffy and inedible so far on 5 year old trees. Perhaps this year!

I don't understand why your Satsumas are puffy unless they were left on the tree too long. They do become puffy if over ripe, but mine have been excellent every year. I start harvesting mine well before they are completely orange.

What variety of satsuma do you have? My sister's Owari has great tasting satsumas in Lower Alabama after Thanksgiving until Christmas.

Are yours insipid or tart?

Oh, I have frost owari, armstrong early, big early, miho, seto, brown select. little sweetie, and xia shan.

Of those, the only ones I have tasted are the Early Armstrong and Brown Select which I tasted at the Experiment Station in Fairhope Al, last Oct--they had Owari as well, but it was a little early for them and they were a little tart. The Armstrong was pretty good in Oct.

The early varieties are ripe around the end of Sept. early Oct... If they are left on the tree until Nov - Dec they are not going to be any good & will be puffy. From my experience the early varieties are not as good as the late varieties...

Phil, of the satsuma varieties that you have growing, the Xia Shan should definitely produce a very sweet fruit. As I know you are aware, now that your satsumas are reaching the 5 year old mark, the fruit's taste quality should improve rather quickly with every crop. You should bud up a bunch of Xia Shan on FD. There would be a high demand for that variety. - Millet

I budded as many as I could last spring! I've heard it is a low acid satsuma, maybe not super sweet and may be insipid like other low acid citrus. I'll be 4 or 5 years to fruit!

Xia Shan is a super sweet. The SS/Acid ratio in October is 16.2 and by December is can reach 21.2. If one likes more acid eat the fruit early. I have heard Xia Shan referred to as the candy orange. - Millet