Hi folks,
Do any of you know of a source of budwood for the very large-fruited types of loquat that you see in produce markets in France and Spain? Some of them are as big as large pluots, whereas the loquats we normally grow in Florida are well under half that size. I do grow a very good variety ('Christmas'), which I'd be happy to trade budwood of. If not the huge European types, what other really good cultivars do y'all grow?

Thanks.

Malcolm

you may try to email John Panzarella and ask for some budwood

http://sites.google.com/site/johnpanza/thestoryofthegenoaloquat

thanks gdbanks.

one thing you can do with loquats to increase there size is to take all but a few of the fruit off of each bloom spike. but i did have a seedling that was from bigjim that was almost 12 feet tall and was hopefull for flowers and maybe some fruit this year but my loquate and the niebors that where more than 50 feet away from each other both died after we got rain this last year after a long drought one of the neibors lost an avacado also this sure has been a strange year for plants weather wise. i did get some seedlings from a unnamed variety that is suposed to be a sibling of bigjim they are good sized too so the wait is on for another 5 years or so. once my seedlings get bigger i may try to get a piece of budwood from the loquate my seedling came from deffenately worth having. i am still surprised more breeding work has not been done on loquats. bigjim is a good variety have not tried any of the others coming up in may there is a rare fruit sale at the manatee civic center but have rarely seen named varietys of loquat. usually just seedlings

I am finding loquats to be very frustrating. I had four young, but mature, trees on my place when we bought it. They blossom twice a year. The spring summer flush never sets fruit. The fall/winter set often does only to be frozen off. In nine year I have gotten a bare handful of ripe fruit. Yet in Gainesville I often trees loaded with fruit. Micro-climate in my area seems to be very important there.

.....Alan.

Alan,
We have quite a few Loquat trees in the Wilmington, NC area. They are used mostly for landscaping. The fruit is small and seldom does well. We do not have any “Named” loquats like I see from places like CA.
But ever so often I run into a tree that is loaded with fruit. None have been large fruited but they taste very good. For instance, “Alligator Adventure” Reptile Park at Myrtle Beach, NC has several large trees that product lots of tasty fruit each year. I have surmised that landscaping grade loquats seldom produce well.
I think “Named” loquats would be well worth the trouble. E-bay sells them but most are seedlings so they may take a while to fruit.
Terry

Alan, Yes, they seldom fruit in Gainesville, since that winter crop of flowers usually freezes. In the 5 years I lived in Gvl during grad school, there was only one good crop year.

I have a good story about that, which I can likely tell, many, many years after the statute of limitations has run out. While a grad student, I roomed with an extreme pot-head. The guy lived his life stoned. So one day he invited me to see his friend's greenhouse, since he knew I was a horticulture student. Naive me -- I agreed to go without asking about the crop. I should have been suspicious when I saw that the "greenhouse" had metal walls and an opaque roof... Well, it was a major production facility for Gainesville Green. I was mortified, and sure the FBI would descend on me at any second! I wanted out of there now! As we left, we walked under a loquat tree, loaded with big, beautiful fruit. I asked the proprietor if he ate them and did he like them? He replied (think in your most stoned-out voice here) "No man. But I've smoked the seeds and they ain't half bad!" I'm sure the cyanide had done interesting things to his brain cells!

Malcolm

TRI -- can you steer us to such a cultivar? I've never seen or heard of one. But such a variety would be very useful indeed.

Is there a preference is taste or size that you have dr manners.
We have tons of fruit here but they are regular size nothing like ponzorellas loquat. So if you need seeds if I have enough.
Btw all the fruit ATM is ripe and ready to be picked

David, I was mainly looking for very large size, with adequate flavor for fresh eating. I do grow 'Christmas' which is larger than average for a Florida loquat, and a very heavy bearer of excellent tasting fruit. So I don't expect to beat that for overall quality. Was just looking for some diversity, and have always been fascinated by those huge European loquats.

Sorry, David, I did not finish answering on that previous post. Thanks for the offer of seed, but I have plenty of those, for use as rootstocks.
Malcolm

What about the Japanese Biwa loquats, about the size of a hens egg, dark orange skin and pleasant flavor,( melon/mandarin ? ) probably not as sharp as the common types, and a good fruit to seed ratio. Sorry, not sure of the cultivar name of the large type.

Pagnr -- that sounds good! But I don't know of a source of budwood in the US. Do you?
Malcolm