Author Topic: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations  (Read 3455 times)

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« on: February 27, 2020, 11:54:17 AM »
Hello,
I'm looking to add a mandarin tree or multi graft to my collection. What are your recommendations for sweet seedless mandarins? Preferably with fairly high production.
I am also looking to try and graft my meyer lemon with another variety of lemon. What would you recommend?


Thanks,
-Kris

Bomand

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 564
    • LouisianaCFDFMY
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2020, 12:11:50 PM »
For the mandrin graft Kishu if you really like mandrin taste. For the lemon pull the Meyer up, throw it out and plant a good Eureka.....😁

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2020, 12:31:07 PM »
For the mandrin graft Kishu if you really like mandrin taste. For the lemon pull the Meyer up, throw it out and plant a good Eureka.....😁
I actually like my meyer in lemonade. I got 200+ lbs of fruit from my small tree. I just want to add variety and am enjoying grafting. :)
-Kris

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2020, 05:14:06 PM »
My favorite mandarin is Xie Shan (pronounced She Shan). Xie Shan is the largest winner at citrus taste contests. 

spaugh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5126
    • San Diego County California
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2020, 05:33:15 PM »
I like eureka lemons as well.  Lots and lots of good mandarins out there.  Get one that's seedless. 
Brad Spaugh

AndrewAZ

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 366
    • Scottsdale, AZ zone 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2020, 11:25:38 PM »
I am a big fan of Brown's select Mandarin.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3357
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2020, 09:50:25 AM »
I read that the seedless eureka is much less productive than a normal one, but that might be fine if you are growing a full size tree as you quickly end up with more lemons than you could ever use.

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2020, 10:58:33 AM »
For Eureka lemons CCPP has many varieties. Is there one that stands out above the rest? They have Frost, Allen, Allen-Utt, Taylor, old line and winters seedless. (And a variegated pink)
-Kris

Oolie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1282
    • San Diego
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #8 on: February 28, 2020, 03:38:55 PM »
If you haven't tried them, Femminello lemons are fantastic.

SoCal2warm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1554
    • zone 10 and zone 8a
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #9 on: February 28, 2020, 05:09:52 PM »
What are your recommendations for sweet seedless mandarins? Preferably with fairly high production.
Satsuma, Kishu, Shasta Gold, Page (has a similar sort of flavor to Minneola tangelo, although I slightly would prefer just eating a Minneola tangelo more than it), Dekopon (also known as "Shiranui" or "Sumo", very sweet and very rich, almost slight mango flavor), in that approximate order.
Lee x Nova is also not a bad mandarin, if you prefer the more "conventional" mandarin type of flavor.
You need to research all these varieties before you buy, because they all of their own sort of unique peculiar advantages and disadvantages, too complicated to get into here.

Xie Shan is just a sub variety of Satsuma. I am guessing it probably doesn't taste very different, although it might be slightly more sour and flavorful. Satsuma trees can take many years until the fruits coming from the tree develop maximum flavor, and the flavor can be very dependent on the growing conditions. Too many people taste a Satsuma fruit from their 2 or 3 year old tree and then (wrongly) decide that Satsuma does not really have much flavor. But in my opinion, the very best mandarins I've ever tasted came from very mature old Satsuma trees, the fruits freshly picked from the tree. The fruits start tasting worse after approximately 3 days after being picked from the tree. So this variety also seems to have a shorter shelf life than other mandarins.

Lisbon lemon is my favorite tasting of all the common variety lemons, it is the most standard lemon found in a supermarket. Ponderosa lemons are very ornamental and noticeable for their very large fruit size, a prolific fruiting of the tree, though the flavor is just a little subpar.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2020, 05:22:13 PM by SoCal2warm »

tve

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
    • Santa Barbara, CA
    • View Profile
    • Intro post
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2020, 12:51:11 PM »
I'm also looking for a new lemon... The difference between lemons is a bit of a mystery to me 'cause it's not like I can go somewhere and buy multiple varieties to try them side by side...

I have a Eureka (Frost, I believe) that has issues (half broke off due to wind) and a meyer, I have some Femminello Siracusano 2KR from CCPP that hasn't gotten to fruit yet. Is there a lemon that is smooth and thin-rind like the meyer but has regular lemon flavor? Oolje, what do you find fantastic about the Femminellos? SoCal2warm, do you find a flavor difference in the juice between Lisbon and Eureka or just appearance, or ?

Oolie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1282
    • San Diego
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2020, 12:55:18 AM »
I'm also looking for a new lemon... The difference between lemons is a bit of a mystery to me 'cause it's not like I can go somewhere and buy multiple varieties to try them side by side...

I have a Eureka (Frost, I believe) that has issues (half broke off due to wind) and a meyer, I have some Femminello Siracusano 2KR from CCPP that hasn't gotten to fruit yet. Is there a lemon that is smooth and thin-rind like the meyer but has regular lemon flavor? Oolje, what do you find fantastic about the Femminellos? SoCal2warm, do you find a flavor difference in the juice between Lisbon and Eureka or just appearance, or ?

Femminello have a thin skin, but it could be due to low nitrogen level. They are small, juicy, moderate acid, and have an excellent aroma. If you slice them really thin they make a fantastic Chicken Piccata. In Italy they get 4 crops a year.

Lovetoplant

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 291
    • Oxnard,ca
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2020, 07:16:20 PM »
My favorite mandarin is Xie Shan (pronounced She Shan). Xie Shan is the largest winner at citrus taste contests.
Never heard of it.  What makes it stands out?  Love my de nules, fruits as big as my fist(Asian's fist lol). Only downside is it very seedy.  I counted 30+ seeds I. A fruit

containerman

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 200
    • Modesto,CA Area 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2020, 09:52:31 PM »
Okitsu Wase Satsuma is a great tasting and productive mandarin.

Taste Test Results
In a November 2014 citrus taste test of 60 varieties from California's central valley, the Okitsu Wase Satsuma was the overall winner. Tasters reported Okitsu Wase to be sweet with excellent flavor and very juicy.

https://www.fruitmentor.com/okitsu-wase-satsuma


In the taste test, Owari came in fifth place among the 18 Satsuma varieties. Undoubtedly timing was a factor in the results. Owari is considered a mid-season Satsuma and some of the other varieties are earlier; had the test been later the Owari may have placed higher.

I currently have an Owari Satsuma tree in my garden. Based upon the taste test results, I am planning to graft Okitsu Wase Satsuma (first place) and Xie Shan Satsuma (third place) to my Owari tree.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2020, 09:55:48 PM by containerman »

lebmung

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1097
    • Romania, Bucharest,7b (inside city 8a)
    • View Profile
    • Plante tropicale
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2020, 08:17:25 AM »
Okitsu Wase Satsuma is a great tasting and productive mandarin.

Very productive and good taste, my favourite as well, too bad it's not so cold hardy as Xie Shan.

containerman

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 200
    • Modesto,CA Area 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2020, 08:58:53 AM »
My favorite mandarin is Xie Shan (pronounced She Shan). Xie Shan is the largest winner at citrus taste contests.

I've looked long and hard for this variety but no one has heard of them at my local nurseries and have no idea where to order one.

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2020, 04:32:52 PM »
I ended up getting the Xie Shan, Kishu, and early saint ann satsuma scions from CCPP. They came in last night. Hopefully will have my tree topworked by tonight.
Lemon tree will be getting some eureka grafts too.
-Kris

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2020, 04:36:36 PM »
Zephian, your new Xie Shan, Kishu, and early Saint Ann (named after the patron saint of Sailors),  all good trees.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2020, 10:58:17 AM by Millet »

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2020, 10:40:25 PM »
I wanted to graft alot lower but the sunburn on the trunk was too severe and the bark was lifting/flaky
Will see how these go.



-Kris

spaugh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5126
    • San Diego County California
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #19 on: March 15, 2020, 11:39:58 PM »
My favorite mandarin is Xie Shan (pronounced She Shan). Xie Shan is the largest winner at citrus taste contests.

I've looked long and hard for this variety but no one has heard of them at my local nurseries and have no idea where to order one.

I got one down here at a nursery.  If you are in san diegonarea they may have more. 
Brad Spaugh

spaugh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5126
    • San Diego County California
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2020, 11:40:40 PM »
I wanted to graft alot lower but the sunburn on the trunk was too severe and the bark was lifting/flaky
Will see how these go.




Nice, good luck
Brad Spaugh

zephian

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 432
    • USA, CA, Yuba City Zone 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2020, 03:36:40 PM »
I wanted to graft alot lower but the sunburn on the trunk was too severe and the bark was lifting/flaky
Will see how these go.




Nice, good luck
Thannks. Hopefully the weather clears up soon. I need to paint the trunk and i'm sure this rain isn't so great on it...
-Kris

spaugh

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5126
    • San Diego County California
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #22 on: March 16, 2020, 11:58:15 PM »
I wouldn't worry about painting it too much.  It's not that hot yet. 
Brad Spaugh

SoCal2warm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1554
    • zone 10 and zone 8a
    • View Profile
Re: Mandarin/Lemon recommendations
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2020, 12:12:11 AM »
SoCal2warm, do you find a flavor difference in the juice between Lisbon and Eureka or just appearance, or ?
Eureka is bigger and looks better, but in my personal opinion, Lisbon is a just a bit juicier and has a little bit better flavor.
But they're not that different, and it can sometimes be difficult to tell the two varieties of fruit apart.

Eureka also has thicker rind.