Author Topic: Shiikuwasha  (Read 7595 times)

lebmung

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Shiikuwasha
« on: November 22, 2019, 07:05:15 PM »
Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata)
A citrus distributed from the South-west of the Japanese archipelago Okinawa to Taiwan. It grows wild there and along with Tachibana they are very ancient mandarins.

My tree just started to have new growth and flowers at relatively low temperatures 10-15°C.
Very vigorous in growth habit. Not so hardy though. New growth started to melt at 2°C where satsuma didn't have a problem. However it recovered fast in a couple of days.

I will make same tests, with growth habit grafted on PT or on its on roots. See deficiency problems, resistance to alkaline soil and root rot. In spring will also try to remake a PT hybrid which might be a promising rootstock. Many applications with this tree, including shortening juvenile stage.

Who also grows it?

Millet

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2019, 09:39:12 PM »
I used to live on  Okinawa and never heard of this cultivar.  Let us know from time to time how your Shiikuwasha is doing, I would be interested.

CanadaGrower

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2019, 01:40:35 AM »
I'm quite surprised you have not heard of it Millet, it's been in vogue in Japan for the past decade or so. Typically speaking a lot of people use it to make a highball with Shochu or more authentically in Okinawa Awamori. A quick wikipedia search revealed that the people of Okinawa used to use Shiikuwasa juice as a form of detergent to wash bashofu a traditional fabric endemic to Okinawa made of leaves from the banana family tree.

mikkel

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2019, 03:59:55 AM »
Eisenhut in Switzerland has it.
Some fruit pictures:
https://www.eisenhut.ch/dyn/index.php?id=272791&onlyid=140268

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2019, 05:54:52 PM »
Its juice is used by Japanese women to burn fat. It's scientifically proven in several articles that it does so.
It's found in shops as 10% beverage. Harvest is done before it gets yellow.
In Japan there is a Fanta flavoured with Shiikuwasha.


Oolie

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2019, 09:30:51 PM »
I love the taste of it and would love to grow it, but as it's not in the CCPP, I don't think I get to.

Okinawan limes.

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2020, 03:49:47 PM »
These are my rooted cuttings, they even start to bloom.




Oolie

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2020, 03:24:47 PM »
Since it does exist in the quarantine collection, I will be aiming to acquire some this year.

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2020, 09:41:24 AM »
I am not planning to make soap, but concentrated juice.
My grafted plant started to bloom, I will probably get seeds this summer. They are quite vigorous in growth.
I grafted a few as well, so those in Europe who are interested I can sell some.
My main aim is to make a new rootstock, but they  flower at different times from PT

Sylvain

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2020, 10:46:32 AM »
Shekwasha is very common in Europe and we use to give budwoods for free.

eyeckr

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2020, 11:01:05 PM »
I have this tree and have had it for many years. In fact it has survived the coldest temperatures thrown at it along side my citranges, citrumelos, yuzu and other wacky trifoliate hybrids. I even forgot to mention it on my 2014 survivors list because no one ever seemed to be interested in this variety. Recently for some reason Shiikuwasha/Shekwasha/Citrus Depressa or whatever you want to call it has seemed to gain popularity and people want to get it.

Florian

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2020, 03:40:24 AM »
Very interesting. I didn't think it would be that coldhardy. Might have to get one after all.. :)

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2020, 04:00:06 PM »
I have this tree and have had it for many years. In fact it has survived the coldest temperatures thrown at it along side my citranges, citrumelos, yuzu and other wacky trifoliate hybrids. I even forgot to mention it on my 2014 survivors list because no one ever seemed to be interested in this variety. Recently for some reason Shiikuwasha/Shekwasha/Citrus Depressa or whatever you want to call it has seemed to gain popularity and people want to get it.

Not so sure what you have. Shiikuwasha is not supposed to be cold hardy as it comes form Okinawa, a subtropical climate. C. tachibana which looks similar and from the same area it's cold hardy to -8 to -10 C
I didn't test it because here we had a very warm winter.
What I can say that when it was -1C for a night new growth just died as compared to Keraji which didn't suffer anything. So I expect it to be similar to lemon.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2020, 04:29:36 PM by lebmung »

eyeckr

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2020, 07:40:14 PM »
I sourced my 'Shekwasha' (and Nasnaran) from JRozier around 15 years ago. He got his original start from Woodlanders as a seedling in the mid '90's. I can't find my pics of it but he has great pics of the fruit here:

http://citrusgrowersstatic.chez.com/web/viewtopic75c3-3.php

Millet

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2020, 10:38:58 PM »
I remember J.Rozier from the original old forum,   Nasnaran being the size of a US quarter, and having 16 seeds must not have much in the way of something to eat.

Laaz

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2020, 05:42:23 AM »
Haven't heard from Joe in years. He lives here in Charleston.

eyeckr

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2020, 12:56:21 PM »
Nice guy. He moved from that house so I'm not sure what all happened to his trees. He had a nice collection coming along back then.

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2020, 03:19:39 PM »
Flowers have a strong aromatic smell all over the greenhouse


lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2020, 06:13:49 AM »
Today I made a controlled hybridization of few yuzu flowers with pollen from shiikuwasha.
I am not aware of any hybrid in literature so far, if someone finds some reference please let me know.
The new hybrid will be Citrus junos x citrus depressa, if succesful I will give it a name. I expect to be a good rootstock candidate for high ph soils if the fruit will not be edible.









lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #20 on: March 30, 2020, 02:47:36 PM »
Other crosses today
C junos x C keraji
C keraji x C depressa
C latifolia x C junos

Soon C unshiu x C junos

Florian

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #21 on: March 30, 2020, 02:58:27 PM »
Yuzu x keraji certainly does sound promising. :)

PDXIan

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #22 on: March 30, 2020, 06:45:56 PM »
Over the next two weeks, I'm going to work on crosses with the following,  They are all just about to open their flowers.
Ponkan, Yuzu, red finger lime, Karaji, Prague Satsuma, Ichang Lemon, Xie Shan, Changsha, Sudachi, and Harvey Lemon.

lebmung

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #23 on: March 30, 2020, 06:59:21 PM »
Over the next two weeks, I'm going to work on crosses with the following,  They are all just about to open their flowers.
Ponkan, Yuzu, red finger lime, Karaji, Prague Satsuma, Ichang Lemon, Xie Shan, Changsha, Sudachi, and Harvey Lemon.

I don't about satsumas like xie shan, all seeds from my satsuma okitsu didn't germinate last year.
They have a high degree of parthenocarpy and have sterile pollen and ovules. Probably only embryo rescue would work.

Ilya11

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Re: Shiikuwasha
« Reply #24 on: March 31, 2020, 03:26:58 AM »
Other crosses today
C junos x C keraji
C keraji x C depressa
C latifolia x C junos

Soon C unshiu x C junos
Probably all these crosses were realized many times in Japan.
Best regards,
                       Ilya