I just bought an Orlando Tangelo...then, decided to try to find out if it was a good purchase or not (nothing like starting backwards, huh? )...Anyway, internet remarks are not always in agreement...So, please tell me if my single Orlando Tangelo, loaded with blooms, was a good purchase or not...I live in Brandon, FL (east of the Tampa area) and the weather is beautiful and warm, so I put it in the ground immediately. Any info you can share with me will be greatly appreciated...

Great choice, one of my favorites, however you will need a pollinator like clementine to get the most fruit. It is one of the few citrus to need a pollinator. However, minneola tangelo will not pollinate it.

You can also get the tree to fruit by spraying it with Gibberellic Acid or GA3 as it is sometimes called. It is a plant hormone that makes the tree think the fruit has been pollinated-- it will produce fruit without seeds, but the spray concentration is critical and should be 10 ppm to be effective. It should be sprayed during the bloom.

Millet had a recent post about results he is getting after using it.

Just to add a little. The tree can use almost any Mandarin (with the exception of Satsuma) and even Grapefruit as a pollinator. Skeeter is correct, if you use another tree the fruit will have seeds. Using GA3 will be seedless but must be done correctly.

Rita, Orlando Tangelo is a wonderful fruit, but unfortunately Orlando is sexually incompatible, meaning the tree cannot pollinate it self. Like Laaz said, one means of overcoming self incompatibility is cross pollination with a COMPATIBLE pollen. This is the most common corrective measure used in Florida. However, this results in seedy fruit. If you or a neighbor do not have another compatible citrus variety you will need to purchase another tree, or spray the blooms with GA3 as Skeet mentioned. The variety used as a pollen source is the pollenizer and the honey bee, which carries the pollen between the two varieties, is the pollinator or vector. A good pollenizer tree for a self incompatible variety such as your Orlando, should have the following characteristics:
1. Sexually cross compatible with your Orlando Tangelo
2. overlapping bloom period
3. Produces large amounts of pollen
4. Produces flowers every year (not alternate bearing)
5. Be as cold tolerant as your Orlando.

At times one must accept a less than perfect pollenizer variety; however, the limiting factors (1,2 and 4 above) can't be compromised. Suggested pollenizer varieties are Robinson, Sunburst, Temple, Nova, Lee Osceola, Page.

Millet
Lewis Albert Hakes April 16, 1874

Thanks to all of you for your valuable information about my Orlando Tangelo tree...I guess I need to make sure I get one of the suggested pollenators soon, so I don't forget...I never thought about this particular problem!! The only orange tree I have in my yard at this point is a Valencia orange, so I'll make sure I get the right pollenator as soon as I can find one...I bought this one at Lowe's, so maybe they'll have one that I need there, as well. If not, I'll take Skeet's advice and go with the GA3...Right now, the tree that I have is loaded with blooms!!! Once again, thank you so much for the heads up! Rita