Author Topic: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now  (Read 7321 times)

plantrant

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Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« on: February 09, 2015, 07:25:35 PM »
At some local Krogers big box grocery stores there are Satsuma-sized "Sumo" fruit available at the temporary sale price of 2/$1. At one Whole Foods store there were MUCH LARGER fruit available for $3.99/#....not that I would buy any at that price. After eating several of Krogers' Sumo fruit I only found one seed, which will get the germinator treatment. The fruit taste ranged from "A" to "B-". Good...but not super. Page mandarin is more enjoyable to me. (Sounds like Mr Texas-kind of comments, does it not?) QUESTION: Anyone with Dekopon experience out there with knowledge about it's cold hardiness or lack thereof?

bsbullie

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2015, 08:08:30 AM »
I have never heard of a small/satsuna sized Sumo.  They should be rather lar g e sized, bigger than the satsuma.  I am wondering if the small ones were just nis-named.  The Sumos i have had this year have not been as good as in past years.
- Rob

plantrant

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2015, 08:46:09 AM »
Same shape. Same color. Same neck. Same www.sumocitrus.com sticker on each fruit. But smaller and MUCH cheaper. Just like the various satsumas here can range from 2" diameter to 4" diameter on the same tree, but normally are about 3". Krogers got the "grade B" fruit for their customers with the "value buying" orientation, and Whole Foods got the whoppers with the whopper pricing for their customers who use more discretionary  $$ to buy what pleases them. By the way, the whoppers look like they consist of about $1.50 of heavy duty peeling and $2.50 of edible fruit interior.

fyliu

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2015, 10:32:37 AM »
I never had a good Sumo fruit even though I buy some each year at $2.5 or $2 a piece. In some places they come in packages of 3. Always high acid overpowering the sugars, and been stored too long. They taste like decomposing mandarins after I removed the acid component with miracle fruit.

The company should really do something to control the quality of the fruits. Mandate the stores to toss them out after some number of weeks so the quality of the brand stays high. This is a relatively new fruit and it could really hurt.

Jani

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2015, 10:46:22 AM »
I've had some great ones from the new wholefoods in downtown Miami.
Actually I'm going to get some more today.
always longing for a JA Julie

gunnar429

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2015, 12:36:03 PM »
I've had some great ones from the new wholefoods in downtown Miami.
Actually I'm going to get some more today.

Are you referring to the one on Biscayne in N. Miami?  I am on the hunt for these, but publix didn't seem to have them when I was there last night.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

Millet

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2015, 12:55:19 PM »
Dekopon trees (Sumo) are not grown like the common orange tree.  To get the large /sweet fruit the tree gets a special pruning.  For those interest you can find how this pruning is done on the internet.- Millet

nullzero

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2015, 03:31:41 PM »
I had some Sumo this year from whole foods, quality was excellent. Unfortunately, I got no seeds! It was pretty pricey was like $12 for 3 large fruit.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

gunnar429

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2015, 10:35:56 PM »
I had some Sumo this year from whole foods, quality was excellent. Unfortunately, I got no seeds! It was pretty pricey was like $12 for 3 large fruit.

ditto.  I got 4 today for about $10.50 but only to taste the potential.  I won't buy any more at that price, but I have to say it was marvelous.  Like sweetened orange juice, but naturally sweet.  Plump and juicy, and easy to peel.  No seeds as of yet.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

bsbullie

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2015, 11:10:45 PM »
I have eaten an extreme amount of the large/true Sumos from Whole Foods over the last 2 years and have found absolutely no seeds whatsoever.
- Rob

JustJoshinya

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2015, 11:26:49 PM »
I purchased 14 sumos from my local whole foods and out of the 14 fruit i found 1 seed which germinated into 3 seedlings, the seed came from a smaller fruit than the average the seed itself was large and plump.



Jani

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2015, 08:16:22 AM »
No this is a new wholefoods that opened in downtown Miami proper (where I work) on SE 2nd street. They've been carrying the sumo brand since they opened about 3 weeks ago, and they've been delicious
I've had some great ones from the new wholefoods in downtown Miami.
Actually I'm going to get some more today.

Are you referring to the one on Biscayne in N. Miami?  I am on the hunt for these, but publix didn't seem to have them when I was there last night.
always longing for a JA Julie

gunnar429

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2015, 09:30:22 AM »
No this is a new wholefoods that opened in downtown Miami proper (where I work) on SE 2nd street. They've been carrying the sumo brand since they opened about 3 weeks ago, and they've been delicious
I've had some great ones from the new wholefoods in downtown Miami.
Actually I'm going to get some more today.

Are you referring to the one on Biscayne in N. Miami?  I am on the hunt for these, but publix didn't seem to have them when I was there last night.

Thanks, just figured that out after googling.  Went to the NM store yesterday and they were delicious...and expensive.  I may have to try my hand at growing this tree.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

Jani

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #13 on: February 11, 2015, 10:25:38 AM »
I got a tree from Harris citrus it's growing great. Also I found a few seeds from the whole food fruit (I've been informed seeds are pretty rare in the sumos) maybe I might plant them just for the fun of it.
always longing for a JA Julie

gunnar429

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #14 on: February 11, 2015, 10:39:38 AM »
I got a tree from Harris citrus it's growing great. Also I found a few seeds from the whole food fruit (I've been informed seeds are pretty rare in the sumos) maybe I might plant them just for the fun of it.

or distribute them to others.  I also plan on getting a tree from Harris.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

gunnar429

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #15 on: February 11, 2015, 10:40:24 AM »
Just ate one for breakfast and now I am craving more.  I feel like I could eat 5 or 6 of them at once.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

Jani

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2015, 11:15:32 AM »
No porblem, let me know...
I got a tree from Harris citrus it's growing great. Also I found a few seeds from the whole food fruit (I've been informed seeds are pretty rare in the sumos) maybe I might plant them just for the fun of it.

or distribute them to others.  I also plan on getting a tree from Harris.
always longing for a JA Julie

Tropicaliste

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2015, 02:07:11 PM »
I've yet to find a good one that matches the first batch back that first year. I was able to get them locally at my Whole Foods, but it wasn't as sweet as from the Asian store the introduction year. Either way, I never got seeds. If I could find them 6 for $10 again, I'd buy them, otherwise prefer to grow.

bangkok

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2015, 01:45:41 AM »
Now (for chinese new year) there are huge mandarins for sale here at the markets. I  saw some the size of a pomelo yesterday but since there was no price shown i didn't buy it.

I will try to buy one today if not too expensive.

plantrant

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #19 on: February 25, 2015, 06:20:09 PM »
I just finished the last of the approx. 30 Sumo fruit purchased from Houston-area big box grocer Kroger's when on sale, and they all had similar  diameter (3"), appearance, shape, smell, flavor, peeling, and only a couple had lost their sumocitrus.com stickers with the #3632 code. There were only 4 fruit that had any seeds. Three fruit had only one seed each, and one very ambitious fruit had SEVEN seeds. The seeds have a scheduled date involving moist paper towel, a one quart freezer bag, and the top of a water heater.

Millet

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2015, 11:07:13 PM »
Best of success with your seeds.  Please get back with your results. - Millet

mksmth

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Re: Dekopon/Sumo fruit available in Houston area stores now
« Reply #21 on: February 26, 2015, 03:37:43 PM »
Well i was a lucky one about 2 years ago this May.  I found 1 seed in a Dekopon and was able to germinate it.  Sadly it isnt very vigorous.  It gets treated just like all my other citrus that are doing well.  It just doesnt want to grow.  This the first winter I put in the house under my lights. 


« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:39:48 PM by mksmth »