Non-fruiting Loquat

[Viking Guy]

Ok, so my Wolfe has been in the ground for a few years now.

This beautiful evergreen is bountiful.  Hot and humid summer, cold snaps in winter, sandy soils, floods, aphids, etc.  Nothing phased it.
The guy is growing 6+ feet per year, and is perfectly symmetrical in branching without having ever been touched by a pruning.  Stands about 16' as of now.

Problem is, it makes no flowers for fruit.

Are loquats supposed to be topped to force fruiting like some other trees?  I understand a seed grown loquat takes 10 years or better, but this is the Wolfe variety, so I would assume it was grafted to a rootstock and should have fruited by now.

It is a beautiful tree.  I don't want to cut him unless I got to.

Please advise.

[zands]

Double check for a graft line. Just to be sure.....

[gunnar429]

you might try getting scions from adam or others and grafted them onto your tree.  Loquats are supposed to be easy to graft

[SWRancher]

Somethings not right...My grafted Bradenton started fruiting the second year in the ground and has done so every year since. My best guess is thats a seedling.     

[socal10b]

I agree with guys something is not right, if it was a grafted tree u should get fruits now. All loquat I grafted on seedling producing fruits on the following year in pots. Can you post a pic of trunk?

[Viking Guy]

I just left the nursery where I bought it from shortly ago to check their baby loquats, and they all appear to be grafted.  Going to take a photo as soon as I get home of mine's trunk and post it up for your review.  I didn't think this was normal.  I will definitely be interested in some scions if this turns out to be a seedling.

[bsbullie]

I just left the nursery where I bought it from shortly ago to check their baby loquats, and they all appear to be grafted.  Going to take a photo as soon as I get home of mine's trunk and post it up for your review.  I didn't think this was normal.  I will definitely be interested in some scions if this turns out to be a seedling.

What do you feed it and how often?

[Viking Guy]

West side of trunk


East side of trunk--with a mini sucker forming.


Natural branching development evenly throughout tree.


Vegetative growth at all branch tips.


Unfortunately, I don't know how to make the pictures show vertically on this forum.  They always post sideways.

[Viking Guy]

I just left the nursery where I bought it from shortly ago to check their baby loquats, and they all appear to be grafted.  Going to take a photo as soon as I get home of mine's trunk and post it up for your review.  I didn't think this was normal.  I will definitely be interested in some scions if this turns out to be a seedling.

What do you feed it and how often?

I fed it 666 every couple of months after I planted it for about the first 18 months.  I've done very little to it since.

The monster seems vigorous and happily vegetative :/

I'm tempted to cut off his head to thicken the trunk.  He's growing very tall with wide branches--but it stays windy here and it feel pretty solid.

[socal10b]

i don't see any grafting union on the pictures you posted. Can you take a better pic of  the portion below the branches?

[Viking Guy]

i don't see any grafting union on the pictures you posted. Can you take a better pic of  the portion below the branches?

I'm not there at the moment, but I can tell you there's nothing but straight bark between those first branches and the base.

Well, what a bummer.  Looks like I'm buying scions from one of you.

Maybe in 10 years I'll have a new variety I can share.  lol

[Viking Guy]

Called the nursery supplier to get some more detailed info.  He said he thinks the the ones they sold then came from Century South Nursery and it is possible they were all seedlings.  He mentioned they may have shut down, and the ones they have now came from somewhere else.

Well, I bet I know why they shut down--selling inappropriately labelled trees.

Looks like I am in the market for some mount scions. 

I'm open for suggestions.  I like Wolfe, and not as recently familiar with other varieties.

[gunnar429]

Called the nursery supplier to get some more detailed info.  He said he thinks the the ones they sold then came from Century South Nursery and it is possible they were all seedlings.  He mentioned they may have shut down, and the ones they have now came from somewhere else.

Well, I bet I know why they shut down--selling inappropriately labelled trees.

Looks like I am in the market for some mount scions. 

I'm open for suggestions.  I like Wolfe, and not as recently familiar with other varieties.

Adam (Asaffron) has done a decent amount of cultivar reviews for loquat...haven't seen much from anyone else.  I would search the forum for Aiden, Torrey, Avri....should find some good stuff.

I presently have big jim, yehuda, and bradenton