I bark grafted this two inch branch to 88-2 lee x nova usda new seedless release 2 years ago. Main stump is around 4 inches:



Branches are quite thorny with some 2 inches long.



Last year it had a bunch of flowers but only one fruit. Can't make much of an evaluation with one fruit. Both lee and nova are very good and I've tasted each and grown the very good nova. Looks like I'll get a lot more fruit this year as the tree is covered with blooms:



This stump is one of the first rootstocks I planted in 2000 and was originally armstrong early. It has been several varieties over the years.

Hopefully this will turn out to be a good seedless tangerine hybrid. I've had little success growing good quality satsumas as they seem to take a long time to make good fruit.

I've got high hopes for mine too as I grafted a few out in my yard also. No fruit for me yet but it is handling our winters pretty well. Good luck with your fruit set this year.

I am watching flowers on mine too. Hopefully, one or two fruits will stay.

eyeckr, thanks for the hardiness info - good to know it should be ok.

The 88-2 does look promising. Another one to look out for is the 6-15-150 mandarin. This also might do well for you GT. It is as hardy as satsuma, easy to peel, does have some seeds but ripens early. I have a recent graft out back but it has held up well so far with two 19 degree events.

eyeckr,

thank you very much! This is great to know about 6-15-150 (another cultivar that needs a name badly ). I will definitely grab one if happen to come across... somewhere.

mrtexas, just saw your photos. I just picked up a Lee x Nova mandarin from Walter Andersen (Citrus Tree Source is budding them, and Luen at Monterey Bay Wholesale Nursery is growing them). I enjoyed my Lee x Nova taste test so much at the UC Citrus Collection Citrus Day last year, that when I saw Walter Andersen had these, just had to grab one. I would rank the Lee x Nova in the top 5 best mandarins I've tasted. Hope yours does well for you in Texas. I have a Nova mandarin, which I like very much, and the Lee x Nova has the best qualities of two excellent cultivars. Seedless, easy to peel, very sweet and complex, holds well on the tree. So, for those of you in the San Diego county area, and are interested in picking up this exceptionally good cultivar that's very hard to find here in California, Walter Andersen Nursery has them. I picked mine up at their Poway store, but they could certainly get one down to their San Diego store if needed.

I need to make more room!

Hah, Juan! Always room to squeeze in one or two more That, and 'Powell' Lave Navel. That was so incredibly good at Citrus Day, plus it's later than Lane Late, not so much crossover time between 'Powell' and 'Washington'. February to June for 'Powell', so right after Washington has peaked. Lane Late ripeness time here runs from about February to June, too, but I'm hearing from the UC folks, that 'Powell' is better later, and Lane Later better earlier. So, we'll see how they both do in my yard.

Patty, at which Walter Andersen nursery did you find them?

Sorry, I just saw that it was in Poway.

Lots of flowering on the 88-2 this year but don't see a lot of fruit set!

Well Juan, you'll just have to find an excuse for a little "road trip"!! Well worth the drive, this cultivar was as good as Seedless Kishu. And, that is saying a lot. Mrtexas, this cultivar is vigorous and I would not be surprised if you get a fruit or two this season. The tree at the Collection was as large as trees a year or two older. So, for those planting in your yard, give it some room. Mrtexas, let us know how this cultivar does for you. My tree will not have fruit this next season, so I'll have to wait another season to report back.

Oh, darn, maybe you'll be let out of your seminar early, and you can scoot over and snag one.

Ha ha. We did get out early. But we didnt have time to get to the Poway nursery. So we just went to the San Diego one. They didnt have the Lee X Nova. Maybe Next time. At least I got a Fuchsia plant.