I was up at Clausen's Nursery this weekend to pick up a little Bearss lime that I want to try to espalier in a large container, and I was able to find a very nice one that had several lateral branches. As I was walking back up to pay, I noticed a mandarin variety that I didn't have, nor did I even recognize the cultivar - Primosole mandarin. I did a quick Google search on my iPhone (handy thing that it is), and found almost no information about this interesting mandarin. Here is what I did find from a UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection article published a few years ago. This is the link to the article, and here is the excerpt about the Primosole mandarin. Oddly, it is not included on the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection, but the budwood is available via CCPP:

http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/documents/Siebert_etal_2010_CCPP_New_Varieties_CitrographMarchApril2010.pdf

Quote:

Primosole Mandarin (VI 777): First distribution of buds from the CCPP: September 2009 ‘Primosole’ mandarin is a hybrid of ‘Carvalhais’ mandarin and ‘Miho wase’ Satsuma produced at the University of Catania, Sicily, in 1980. It is described as being seedless in isolation and matures very early (at the beginning of October in southern Italy or early April in Australia). Coastal Fruitgrowers Newsletter (Australia, August 2005) reported, upon release of ‘Primosole’ from quarantine, that it reached maturity about 10 days before Okitsu satsuma. Fruits are oblate in shape and average 150 grams in weight in southern Italy. The trees are said to be vigorous and productive with an open growth habit. They do not exhibit alternate bearing tendencies. The branches do not have spines, and the lanceolate (long, wider in the middle or lance-shaped) leaves tend to fold as if under water stress. According to an article published in Plant Disease, December 2001, pg. 1291, called “Extreme Susceptibility of Primosole Mandarin to Alternaria Fruit Rot in Italy”, ‘Primosole’ is extremely susceptible to Alternaria fruit rot due to growth cracks at the stylar end (blossom end of fruit) and sensitivity to sunburn. Citrogold reports that this variety has orange rind color, a good to large fruit size, and a good to very good crop load. The peel separates easily. The flavor is said to be between satsuma and mandarin. The variety handles degreening well, stores well, handles cold sterilization well, and has a firm rind in comparison to satsumas. It tends to have a ricyness in the core of the fruit that lessens with tree age and characteristic leaf wilting. ‘Primosole’ is a self-incompatible variety, but will pollinize compatible varieties such as clementines. Cross pollination is managed by a buffer of 10 rows. It does not require a plant growth regulator to increase fruit set or size. It is very sensitive to strong winds and can defoliate under windy conditions. Swingle is reported to not be suitable as a rootstock for ‘Primosole’ mandarin, but it does well on C-35, Carrizo, and Troyer citranges. (Aznar and Fayos, Citricos. Variedades y tecnicas de cultivo. Mundi-Prensa Libros. 2006. pg 128

Sounds like it is from Italy, originally, and I think it's rather popular in Europe? I asked Ray at Clausen's about it, and he didn't know a thing about the cultivar, but told me it was from a grower out in the Imperial Valley that used to bud up trees. This grower was interested in rarer citrus trees, and Ray and Gordy used to buy up small quantities of his trees for us CRFG's here. They'd all go in a few weeks when they would do that. That grower has closed his doors, sadly, now that all trees must be propagated under screen now in California. So, we now down to just a handful of growers And, Clausen's has stopped budding their own trees, as they just don't have a couple of million bucks to put up their own screen house (nor do they have a flat enough spot of land to put one up, either.) So, I feel very lucky to have found this interesting variety. Has a spot of honor up in my back slope.

I know, I'm really pretty excited about this little tree. I thought I had exhausted Clausen's cultivars by now, but it was fun to find this little tree just sitting their with my name on it. I think they have a few more, so anyone in the S. California area that can drive to Vista, you could pick one up. Always good to have a very early mandarin in the line up. Between this tree, and my Gold Nugget, that stretches my mandarins now to nearly year 'round. And that's a good thing

The Primosole mandarin's ripening period is about the same as Xie Shan. On another topic, I have already harvested the grape vines growing inside the greenhouse. Greenhouse grown grapes yields are about 2-1/2 times greater that those growing outside. - Millet

I got excited about this one early this spring and got my budwood order from the CCPP about a month ago. Hopefully everything takes and I get to taste this fruit in a year or two and also see how well it does out in the yard.

Well, I still want a Xie Shan, Millet, but I'm going to have to graft that myself as I can't find it anywhere in the state of California. That would give me two very nice early mandarins. I do have a Miho Wase and an Okitsu Wase (I think, I may have lost one with our big freeze this winter, I need to go out and check), so I actually have more than just this one early mandarin, and I think the Primosole (and definitely the Xie Shan) are better tasting.

My grapes are not quite ready, yet, and shockingly, I still have grapes on the vine - birds haven't stripped them, yet. They are my "mystery" grapes, planted by the previous owner. One is a purple seedless that is decently sweet, and the other is a green seeded that was still (eweew) sour.

Patty, for a semi-vigorous, highly sweet grape, that sets a full crop with large bunches every year, plus seedless to boot, buy a grape variety called Vanessa. A truley wonderful table grape. - Millet

Thanks, Millet, I will put one in this season. I am always looking for great table grapes. The previous homeowners were not sophisticated gardeners, although they did love to garden. I suspect both cultivars are either common grapes (i.e., from Home Depot), or, being interior designers, and having a bit of a Tuscan theme, they may have bought something silly, like wine grapes