Author Topic: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California  (Read 4842 times)

BestDay

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Hi all, I know there is a post about growing Luc's Garcinia around the world but I thought it would be a good idea to start a post about growing it in Southern California.  I figure it is common enough now that we can gather information specific to our location.  Information like growth, cold tolerance, heat tolerance, disease problems, fruiting characteristics etc. can vary from location to location.  Hopefully gathering information in one place will be useful.

I'll start by telling you guys my experience so far.  I obtained my one year old seedling in April of 2015.  If I remember correctly it was about six inches tall.  I grew it in a pot until spring of 2018 when I put it in the ground.  At that time it was about two feet tall.  That summer it had three growth flushes.  It grew to three feet tall and started to branch out laterally.  This summer it is always in a constant state of growth.  It doesn't have growth flushes where the whole plant grows at once, anymore.  It now is always growing somewhere on the plant but not all at once.  It is currently over 4.5' tall and sill growing strong.

My house is in Long Beach and I live about two miles from the beach.  Because of this I have mild summers and winters.  I have the Limoncillo planted in dappled shade with about two inches of mulch.  I fertilize it several times a summer.  The only disease problem I have had so far is scale attacking the new growth. 

I'm hoping it will fruit at about 6-8 feet tall?  I really have no idea.

Here are some pictures.








Bill

BonsaiBeast

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2019, 12:34:57 AM »
I bought 4 lucs Garcinias last winter from Ongs nursery. I dug an obscenely large trench for the deep Taproot. I backfilled with a mix of native soil, wood chips, and chicken manure. I dumped a bunch of warms into the top of the soil for good measure and planted beans to boost the soil nitrogen.


Here are the trees as of today. Still a looooong ways to go, but they're alive and slowly growing. I'm inland Carlsbad, about 15 drive from the beach.












shaneatwell

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2019, 01:27:27 PM »
Seeds in May 2015. Germinated and in pots for couple years. In the ground (4 different locations) for a couple years. The one i planted under my mandarin tree seems to be the happiest. From two others i get one set of leaves every year, but the 'understory' one split this year and i got a set of leaves on each of 3 branches. Nothing compared to what you're getting, but I'm content.
Shane

spaugh

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2019, 03:43:18 PM »
I bought 4 lucs Garcinias last winter from Ongs nursery. I dug an obscenely large trench for the deep Taproot. I backfilled with a mix of native soil, wood chips, and chicken manure. I dumped a bunch of warms into the top of the soil for good measure and planted beans to boost the soil nitrogen.


Here are the trees as of today. Still a looooong ways to go, but they're alive and slowly growing. I'm inland Carlsbad, about 15 drive from the beach.












Dude did you dig that hole by yourself?  Its huge!

The lucs look like they need a little shade. 
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2019, 10:59:22 PM »
I bought 4 lucs Garcinias last winter from Ongs nursery. I dug an obscenely large trench for the deep Taproot. I backfilled with a mix of native soil, wood chips, and chicken manure. I dumped a bunch of warms into the top of the soil for good measure and planted beans to boost the soil nitrogen.


Here are the trees as of today. Still a looooong ways to go, but they're alive and slowly growing. I'm inland Carlsbad, about 15 drive from the beach.












Dude did you dig that hole by yourself?  Its huge!

The lucs look like they need a little shade.

Haha ya me and my brother. Just one among many holes to be honest :P

I should give it more shade I've just been experimenting on its sun tolerance.

BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2019, 11:40:30 AM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill

boxturtle

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2019, 12:21:47 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill

i have two in ground and two in pot.  It's been 3 years now lol the one in pots are the happiest. They grow super slow one set of leaves a year, but the one in put got 3 sets already for this year. 

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2019, 11:15:42 PM »


Got this seedling in December 2018 when it had one or two sets of leaves. Since then it has grown two or three new sets of leaves, with the most recent set being huge compared to the other ones. I hope to get it in the ground this fall.
Nate

BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2019, 12:04:51 AM »
Bonsai Beast, those plant definitely need some shade.  A shade cloth or something that blocks the late afternoon sun will help them grow faster.

FV Fruit Freak, that is about the size mine was when I put it into the ground.  Next summer if you put it in the ground or a larger pot it should really take off.

Bill

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2019, 02:35:16 AM »
I'll build some shade structures this weekend

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2019, 02:41:38 AM »
Thanks Bill. I wonder if anyone has fruited one in Cali yet...
Nate
Nate

marklee

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2019, 01:05:04 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill
I grafted one on an Imbe that is in the ground a few years ago, the Luc's is now 6 feet.


FV Fruit Freak

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2019, 03:58:58 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill
I grafted one on an Imbe that is in the ground a few years ago, the Luc's is now 6 feet.

Hi Mark, would you please post a picture of your tree? I’m curious to see what it looks like at that size. Thank you, Nate.
Nate

BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2019, 10:03:58 AM »
Six feet!  Very nice. Is that the largest one you know of in SoCal?

Bill

marklee

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2019, 07:13:52 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill
I grafted one on an Imbe that is in the ground a few years ago, the Luc's is now 6 feet.

Hi Mark, would you please post a picture of your tree? I’m curious to see what it looks like at that size. Thank you, Nate.

Actually the tree is 7 feet, I just measured it. Here are a couple of photos.




BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2019, 12:39:50 PM »
Seven feet sounds like the largest one I know of in SoCal. So hopefully it will start fruiting in 2-3 years?  Mark, does it grow in flushes or is it always growing on some part of the tree like mine does?

Bill

marklee

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2019, 03:10:26 PM »
Seven feet sounds like the largest one I know of in SoCal. So hopefully it will start fruiting in 2-3 years?  Mark, does it grow in flushes or is it always growing on some part of the tree like mine does?

Bill
Bill it puts out new growth all year round, we don't get too cold so I'm always looking for buds, maybe a year or two.

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2019, 05:27:04 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill
I grafted one on an Imbe that is in the ground a few years ago, the Luc's is now 6 feet.

Hi Mark, would you please post a picture of your tree? I’m curious to see what it looks like at that size. Thank you, Nate.

Actually the tree is 7 feet, I just measured it. Here are a couple of photos.




Thanks for the pics Mark. Great looking tree my friend! Well done.
Nate

snowjunky

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #18 on: January 01, 2020, 04:14:35 PM »
Anyone else?  I would think that there has be larger Luc's growing in SoCal. 

Bill
I grafted one on an Imbe that is in the ground a few years ago, the Luc's is now 6 feet.

Thanks for saying that.  I've been waiting for someone to confirm in another thread that Luc's grafts on imbe.

snowjunky

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #19 on: January 01, 2020, 04:17:08 PM »
Is Luc's Mexican Garcinia more cold hardy than Imbe?  How about compared to other tropicals?

marklee

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Is Luc's Mexican Garcinia more cold hardy than Imbe?  How about compared to other tropicals?
Imbe is more cold tolerant, my Imbe leaves never seem to be affected by the cold, but the Luc's leaves bend and bit on newer leaves.

shaneatwell

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time to grow some imbe i guess. my luc's are super slow.
Shane

BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #22 on: September 03, 2020, 03:29:55 PM »
It has been almost a year exactly since I posted the first photos.  My Limoncillo is still growing strong.  It survived the winter fine.  We had about 350 hours of chill with a low of 38 degrees F.  The tree didn't mind that at all.  It is growing just like last summer.  It starts the growing season with one flush and then continues to grow through the summer.  It is now about 6.5 feet tall.  I expect it to be about 8 feet tall by the end of summer. 











Mark how big is yours?  Any flowers this summer?

Bill

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #23 on: September 04, 2020, 02:53:05 PM »
Bill, looking very good! What is the sun situation on that one growing so well?
I have been growing them for 8 years and have 4-5 but largest is maybe 2 feet :)

BestDay

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Re: Growing Luc's Garcinia or Garcinia sp. Limoncillo in Southern California
« Reply #24 on: September 05, 2020, 11:23:46 AM »
It is growing in dappled shade.  It has banana plants growing all around it.  They are about 6' away so the Limoncillo gets about 50% sun.

Bill