Author Topic: Last year for my xie shan  (Read 4834 times)

joeb

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Last year for my xie shan
« on: April 05, 2017, 06:38:49 AM »
Large, puffy, grandular,dry fruit that's what I get off my xie shan. Planted 4 years ago along with brown select, miho, okitsu and owari,  all in ground and all received the same treatment and fertilizer. Great fruit from all but the xie shan, I am not going to fertilizer the xie shan this year and see if that helps, if not it's going to the burn pile. Would not recommend the xie shan.

SonnyCrockett

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2017, 07:51:10 AM »
If you decide you don't want it, I'll come get it for you.  Would be a shame to burn it.

mrtexas

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2017, 09:35:10 AM »
Large, puffy, grandular,dry fruit that's what I get off my xie shan. Planted 4 years ago along with brown select, miho, okitsu and owari,  all in ground and all received the same treatment and fertilizer. Great fruit from all but the xie shan, I am not going to fertilizer the xie shan this year and see if that helps, if not it's going to the burn pile. Would not recommend the xie shan.

That is typical for a satsuma. It take many years before getting good fruit. Fertilizer and water are key to satsuma fruit quality especially in February-May. http://mrtexascitrus.weebly.com/citrusfruitquality.html
Best fruit I ever had from a satsuma was from a 25 year old tree grown in sandy soil. I took budwood from it and grew my own "little sweetie". Fruit quality was awful
for several years. I would wait at least 6-8 years before making a pronouncement on satsuma fruit quality.

I have 12 xie shan planted 4 years ago and this year is the first year for fruit. I'm letting the 2 largest ones fruit. I have my fingers crossed but don't expect good fruit yet.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2017, 10:42:30 PM by mrtexas »

Millet

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2017, 04:56:12 PM »
Satsumas get puffy and dry if left hanging on the tree too long.  Xie Shan is one of the earliest satsuma varieties to ripen, in some cases as early as the last part of September or the first part of October.  Don't let them hang on the tree.  My Xie Shans were delicious this year.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2017, 11:57:40 AM by Millet »

robbyhernz

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2017, 05:26:25 PM »
I finally found bud wood that is being shipped to me from the University of AZ Corp Extension. Funny thing is that the professor in charge of the program was kind of surprised that I had been chasing one for so long! He asked, "have you every tasted one?" he said his was not impressive at all and he was actually going to reduce the amount of fertilizer he gives it.

I'm expecting my buds any day now and will plant them to unknown rootstock where my kumquat was grafted to but died! What i know about this rootstock is that it very aggressive! I never had to clip growth below the graft on any of my trees like i did on my dead kumquat!


joeb

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2017, 06:29:07 PM »
How many years old are your trees Millet??

Citradia

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2017, 07:54:28 PM »
I had more owari and Kimbrough than I could harvest and eat myself this winter and some lasted on trees into late January. I definitely noticed a reduction in sweetness and increase in puffiness and dryness in the older fruit. If another variety matures sooner, I imagine it would be pretty dry and puffy by late January.

joeb

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2017, 08:03:20 PM »
Indeed , they donot last long on the tree. I filled up my two refrigerators veggie bins and had good fruit till the end of March, the skin was dried up and brown but still tasted good.

mrtexas

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2017, 10:39:01 PM »
Satsumas get puffy and dry if left hanging on the tree too long.  Xie Shan is one of the earliest satsuma varieties to ripen, in some cases as early as the last part of September or the first part of October.  Don't let them hand on the tree.  My Xie Shans were delicious this year.

Satsuma fruit are also puffy and dry on young in ground trees at least up until 5+ years. Read the link above on how to get good quality fruit on in ground satsumas. The older the tree the better the fruit is also not mentioned but so true. A heavy fruit set, ample irrigation,heavy fertilizer, and small fruit make for the highest quality on satsumas. I've grown satsuma and other citrus in the ground for 17 years. I seldom if ever had a problem with fruit quality on any round orange, blood orange, meyer lemon, or grapefruit no matter how young the tree, even potted trees, nearly always with satsumas less than 10 years old. And I've often had problems with most mandarins. The best satsumas I've eaten have been on 20+ year old trees. I often get dry granulated fruit from grocery store mandarins. Sandy soil also seems to be a positive factor for fruit quality as well.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2017, 10:40:54 PM by mrtexas »

BajaJohn

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2017, 11:30:54 AM »
This is a relatively common problem that has been mentioned in a couple of other threads here. My mandarins are the only citrus that have had the problem. I have a couple of mature mandarins that some years produce good fruit and in other years the dry fruit you describe. The research on the web that I've done hasn't revealed any specific cause. Both under- and overstating have been suggested. Young trees and poor rootstock seem to be two common causes. Maybe try a transplant to another rootstock rather than toss the tree out if you have the room for another tree. Some mandarins can be at their best when still green.
This is a link that Millet provided in another thread http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/gardening/why-some-citrus-become-dry-and-pithy-t3755.html and this is another I found with similar comments http://www.gardenguides.com/130175-dry-fruit-citrus-trees.html

Millet

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2017, 12:03:31 PM »
Joeb, my xie Shan satsuma is 5 years old. growing on Flying Dragon root stock.

luak

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2017, 12:36:07 PM »
I bought a xie-shan from Harris and is going in the 4th season.Last summer i had to prop-up this little guy because it had way too many fruits. How does it taste, well it is a keeper for sure. Friends who had tasted, rave about it,ofcourse me too.
My grafted Decopon tree look almost the same as the X/S in size and it has a lot of small fruits now. Page is hard to beat.

joeb

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2017, 05:53:34 PM »
Hey guys thanks for all the great info, the xie shans will be spared! They are to many folks bragging on the xs for it not to be a good cultivar. I know from experience that fd rootstock will produce superior quality satsuma fruit, at least on brown select and owari that are on trifoliate,  probably any mandarin. Wow can you imagine what a kishu would taste like on fd! I have some kishus on sour and 16-6 and the ones on 16-6 are at 13 brix or better at thanksgiving the ones on sour have to hang about two more weeks to get 13, and are not quite as rich tasting,  but my gosh they outgrow the 16-6 by 2 to 1. I'm going to order some kishus  on fd to try ,and do the same with xs, again thanks for the info.  Quality is everything.

EricSC

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2021, 07:05:09 PM »
joeb,


How is your Xie Shan doing?

joeb

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2021, 05:15:56 AM »
So glad I didn't trash my Xie Shan, 7 yrs old and and has wonderful fruit. I started a commercial grove in 2010 and planted 200 xie shan in 2014 they are very productive and taste great, just takes a long time to get quality fruit.  Planted 400 more in 2018 so it's going to be a while before going to market. Keep in mind satsumas don't require as much nitrogen as most citrus.

EricSC

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2021, 07:39:49 PM »
joeb,

Great news, Congratulation.   It is great to hear your good news.

sc4001992

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Re: Last year for my xie shan
« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2021, 11:30:39 AM »
joeb, if you have time, can you take a photo of your Xie Shan fruits. I liked to see if your fruits have the smooth skin or the rougher texture and also the shape of the fruits.