Author Topic: What is the best variety of loquat?  (Read 19066 times)

BonsaiBeast

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What is the best variety of loquat?
« on: January 13, 2018, 01:33:41 AM »
so far my options are big jim or golden nugget.

Which one produces more? Which tastes better?

Jose Spain

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2018, 04:19:12 AM »
In Spain the best variety is Tanaka, big fruits, delicious. It produces around 15 days later than most of cv. I don't know if you have this one in USA though.

simon_grow

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2018, 11:43:42 AM »
The late season Big Jim’s are the best tasting loquat I have tried out of about 10-15 varieties including a few seedling selections from Jim Neitzel’s yard. The early season Big Jims are bland, sort of on the tart side but the late season fruit are very sweet, almost no tart but with just the perfect acid balance. Some people may want to pick the late season Fruit slightly early so that there is more acidity. The large chicken egg sized fruit makes the fruit more worth the effort it takes to peel.
Simon

buddy roo

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2018, 11:52:57 AM »
you might talk to DAVE at Bonita Creek Nursery 422-2400 he has a lot of different varieties, he is only open on weekends.                           Patrick       

Luisport

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2018, 02:47:45 PM »
In Spain the best variety is Tanaka, big fruits, delicious. It produces around 15 days later than most of cv. I don't know if you have this one in USA though.
Hello my friend, do you know any Spanish nursery that sells them? Thank's!

Jose Spain

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2018, 03:11:28 PM »
Quote
Hello my friend, do you know any Spanish nursery that sells them? Thank's!


Si, eu comprei o meu Tanaka aqui: http://tienda.agrologica.es/comprar-planta-vivero-frutales/496-nispero-tanaka.html Boa planta e bom preço.

Anyway I'll prune mine several times this year (it's still in formation) so if anybody needs scions I should have by the end of this spring.

Golden Nugget is considered a middle quality variety here. Big Jim dind't appear at this side of the ocean as far as I know.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2018, 03:13:55 PM by Jose Spain »

Jose Spain

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2018, 03:12:21 PM »
.

Luisport

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2018, 06:06:49 PM »
Quote
Hello my friend, do you know any Spanish nursery that sells them? Thank's!


Si, eu comprei o meu Tanaka aqui: http://tienda.agrologica.es/comprar-planta-vivero-frutales/496-nispero-tanaka.html Boa planta e bom preço.

Anyway I'll prune mine several times this year (it's still in formation) so if anybody needs scions I should have by the end of this spring.

Golden Nugget is considered a middle quality variety here. Big Jim dind't appear at this side of the ocean as far as I know.
Thank you very much my friend! Do you think that Tanaka variety is best than Peluche? Thank's!
https://www.canarius.com/en/plants/eriobotrya-japonica-cv-peluche.html

joehewitt

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2018, 06:29:11 PM »
I'm not a Loquat expert but I have explored this question in the past. Some varieties that came highly recommended were Avri, Vista White, Macbeth, Sugar Crisp and Argelino. I haven't tasted any so I am just passing on others opinions here.

The best Loquat I've ever tasted came from an unidentified street tree in Berkeley, CA - I plan to propagate it this year.

Vernmented

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2018, 06:49:58 PM »
I hear good things about Strawberry but I haven't tasted it or found scion wood yet. Bradenton is one of the better ones I have tried. You always see the massive loquats in Japan but I wonder how the flavor is and if they thin the entire panicle to one fruit to maximize size.
-Josh

marklee

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2018, 08:22:11 PM »
Ben Poirer in San Diego county has what he calls a "strawberry". I grafted one a few year ago but haven't had the fruit yet.

Guanabanus

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2018, 10:02:53 PM »
'Yehuda' and 'Bradenton' are excellent ones available here in Florida.
Har

venturabananas

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2018, 11:26:46 PM »
Both Big Jim and MacBeth were mentioned.  Those are the only two I'm growing, and they are both excellent, though I'd choose MacBeth if I could only have one.  It is a much smaller, more manageable tree than the Big Jim tree, which is a beast that requires multiple rounds of pruning each year to keep the fruit within harvestable height.  The other knocks against Big Jim for me are (1) it is inconsistent in fruit set from year to year and (2) it took years from planting until it flowered and set its first crop.  MacBeth has been very consistent and produced fruit the first year in ground from a 5 gallon pot.  As for flavor, which one I prefer varies from year to year, I presume based on that year's weather or how I've treated them.  Both can make very large fruit if they are thinned.  Personally, I'm removing Big Jim from my yard because it is too much work for too little reward compared to MacBeth.  Keep in mind, that experience is based on only a single tree of each variety.

Jose Spain

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2018, 04:22:03 AM »
Quote
Hello my friend, do you know any Spanish nursery that sells them? Thank's!


Si, eu comprei o meu Tanaka aqui: http://tienda.agrologica.es/comprar-planta-vivero-frutales/496-nispero-tanaka.html Boa planta e bom preço.

Anyway I'll prune mine several times this year (it's still in formation) so if anybody needs scions I should have by the end of this spring.

Golden Nugget is considered a middle quality variety here. Big Jim dind't appear at this side of the ocean as far as I know.
Thank you very much my friend! Do you think that Tanaka variety is best than Peluche? Thank's!
https://www.canarius.com/en/plants/eriobotrya-japonica-cv-peluche.html

Peluches is an average one, far from Tanaka, it's closer to Argelino. All of them ripen in different weeks, so it's interesting to have that in mind. Better than Argelino and Peluches is your Portuguese variety Rolhao II, that ripens about the same time than the former. According to this pdf, it's excellent: http://www.publicacionescajamar.es/pdf/series-tematicas/centros-experimentales-las-palmerillas/innovacion-en-el-cultivo-del-nispero.pdf I'd like to find it to make the season longer with top tier varieties.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 07:49:34 AM by Jose Spain »

Luisport

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2018, 04:31:11 AM »
Quote
Hello my friend, do you know any Spanish nursery that sells them? Thank's!


Si, eu comprei o meu Tanaka aqui: http://tienda.agrologica.es/comprar-planta-vivero-frutales/496-nispero-tanaka.html Boa planta e bom preço.

Anyway I'll prune mine several times this year (it's still in formation) so if anybody needs scions I should have by the end of this spring.

Golden Nugget is considered a middle quality variety here. Big Jim dind't appear at this side of the ocean as far as I know.
Thank you very much my friend! Do you think that Tanaka variety is best than Peluche? Thank's!
https://www.canarius.com/en/plants/eriobotrya-japonica-cv-peluche.html

Peluches is a good one, but I think not as good as Tanaka, it's closer to Argelino. All of them ripen in different weeks, so it's interesting to have that in mind. Better than Argelino and Peluches is your Portuguese variety Rolhao II, that ripens about the same time than the former. According to this pdf, it's excellent: http://www.publicacionescajamar.es/pdf/series-tematicas/centros-experimentales-las-palmerillas/innovacion-en-el-cultivo-del-nispero.pdf I'd like to find it to make the season longer with top tier varieties.
Thank you very much my friend, i have to big loquaq trees but they are a bit acid. My wife don't like them and deman me to take them down!  ;D
So i will get two top variety trees...

Jose Spain

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2018, 04:43:41 AM »
Good luck with them. A good loquat in its point of ripeness for me is one of the best fruits. I found more info about Peluches, is an average variety regarding flavor. If you find Rolhao II let me know!
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 07:50:54 AM by Jose Spain »

Luisport

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2018, 08:15:51 AM »
Good luck with them. A good loquat in its point of ripeness for me is one of the best fruits. I found more info about Peluches, is an average variety regarding flavor. If you find Rolhao II let me know!
Ok i will tell you!  ;D

greenman62

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2018, 03:15:56 PM »
i have 4 trees
3 from seed, and 1 i found from a large tree in New Orleans French Quater,
 in front of an old antebellum (expensive) home.
i am hoping that one will be a superior fruit.
this is the first year they are all flowering.

i had grafted a couple of scions last year, but only 1 took
so, i have lots of room for more.

i will be looking for scions in a couple of months.
any cultivar would be helpful.

when is best to graft ?
just after danger of last frost is passed ??


this is the smallest one.


this one is the largest. pic is from August.


large one again.
Dec pic, after my Baobab lost its leaves.


behlgarden

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #18 on: April 19, 2019, 04:18:22 PM »
For the first time after 6 yrs my big Jim is producing big fruits. Crop is 50% of last year but huge nuggets.



achetadomestica

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #19 on: April 19, 2019, 05:44:42 PM »
For the first time after 6 yrs my big Jim is producing big fruits. Crop is 50% of last year but huge nuggets.


Do they taste different/better this year?

simon_grow

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #20 on: April 19, 2019, 05:45:45 PM »
Nice fruit Behl!

For those of you having trouble with Big Jim, are you watering and fertilizing properly giving your tree a dry period before flowering? My Big Jim produced when it was a small tree and has produced well every year, ever since. Due to its heavy fruiting, it has not grown much. It has been in the ground about 6-7 years and is about 6-7 feet tall at its highest point and has a similar width.

Most Loquat grow vigorously here in SoCal, I have not noticed that Big Jim is any more vigorous.

Simon

simon_grow

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #21 on: April 19, 2019, 05:47:24 PM »
This years Loquats have been very bland for most of SoCal because of the weekly rains.

Simon

behlgarden

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #22 on: April 19, 2019, 06:09:21 PM »
Mine are very flavorful. It has not rained in 6 plus weeks and this is where these sized up 50% and now ripening.

My tree is also 7 yrs in ground and about 7-8 feet tall. Very nice shape without pruning.

Johnny Redland

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #23 on: April 21, 2019, 01:02:22 PM »
How difficult is it to graft loquat? Would a standard cleft or veneer graft work? I have a golden nugget that I’d like to top work

behlgarden

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Re: What is the best variety of loquat?
« Reply #24 on: April 21, 2019, 02:36:47 PM »
I have done cleft and veneee