I'm interested in buying a Gold Nugget Mandarin from Four Winds, but I'm concerned that the chart on the website states that the Gold Nugget is not suited to indoor growing. My tree will be container grown and indoors for six months a year, so I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with one in a container and/or in a cold climate, or if anyone knows why Four Winds recommends not growing it indoors.


http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/solver/varietyinfo.html

what do you mean when you say indoor? 20°C and more? It is my opinion that no citrus likes such conditions. This is not special with Gold Nugget Mandarin.
Ciao
Roberto

Yeah, roughly 20 to 24 celsius. There are definitely varieties that are ok for indoor growing, I'm just curious why Four Winds would recommend not growing particular trees indoors.

> There are definitely varieties that are ok for indoor growing
No citrus like indoor growing. Only few can stand it, like calamondin.

The Gold Nugget that Four Winds sell is one of their "True Dwarf" varieties, grafted on their dwarfing rootstock (probably Flying Dragon). Personally, I would not be concerned growing the tree indoors if I had a good southern exposure. - Millet (1,179-)

Laaz, is the one you planted a dwarf variety? Can't indoor tree size be controlled through container size and root pruning?

Millet, I have a South facing window in the kitchen that gets alot of sunlight, that's where I keep my other citrus and they love it. Although right now I have them in the bedroom on a heat pad and under a grow light. It's the first time I've tried it and they seem to be growing better than when they were outside or in the window. I think the big difference is the heat pad though, since now the roots are at a constant 78 to 88 degrees.

No Mine is on swingle. What I meant was some varieties are naturally large and spreading and even though on a dwarf rootstock can become large.

Oh gotcha. How are the mandarins, are they fairly sweet?

[z

If it is not FD, then in order for it to be dwarfing, it must be some variety of Poncirus (Cuban?) - Millet (1,174-)

Ray, if that's the citrus you want then go ahead and get it. Your growing conditions are just fine. In the northern climates they grow slow anyway so don't worry. Besides, growing plants indoors is about experimenting and pushing the limits.

I have some citrus (Owari Satsuma, Kishu, Lisbon Lemon) that Four Winds doesn't recommend for indoor growing and they're doing just fine; and my growing conditions aren't as good as yours.

So get your mandarin and enjoy it.

Thanks citrusnut. I haven't bought the tree yet but I plan to. I may even ask for it for Christmas since there's really nothing else I want, and I know the inevitable question is coming. Besides it would be interesting to come out Christmas morning and see a tree sitting under the tree.

Ray, a citrus tree would make a very nice Christmas present, indeed. You will certainly enjoy for a long time to come.

I have given citrus as gifts one for Christmas and the other for a birthday gift. I think they both have enjoyed them. Though one has to be selective to whom to gift.