Author Topic: Siamese Sweet Pomelo  (Read 4452 times)

Pancrazio

  • Off Tropic
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
  • Florence, Italy, USDA 8
    • Growing fruits in Florence, and Pratovecchio, Italy
    • View Profile
    • FruttAma.it
Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« on: May 28, 2019, 03:27:43 PM »
I read everywhere about this plant as a very common parent for a variety of citrus, but i never have seen it offered for sale or in a collection. It's very rare, unreleased, commonly sold with another name or what else?
Italian fruit forum

I want to buy/trade central asia apricots. Contact me in PM if interested.

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2019, 03:37:35 PM »
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Laaz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1142
    • Charleston, SC 9a
    • View Profile
    • Citrusgrowers forum
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2019, 03:37:51 PM »
There are three Siamese listed by UCR, none are available.

https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/pummelo.html

Laaz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1142
    • Charleston, SC 9a
    • View Profile
    • Citrusgrowers forum
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2019, 03:45:26 PM »
Quote
In the mid 20th century, scientists at UC Riverside performed numerous breeding experiments in an attempt to develop new pummelos and pummelo hybrids more suitable to our Mediterranean climate. As a parent they chose a pummelo called Siamese Sweet.  Siamese Sweet pummelos are insipid due to a lack of acid. Although Siamese Sweet tastes terrible, it made for the perfect breeding parent because its offspring often have an acidity level in-between it and the other parent. The breeding experiments were wonderfully successful and resulted in some of the finest citrus varieties which are now enjoyed all over the world.  Five of the varieties in the pummelo taste tests were products of these breeding experiments.

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2019, 05:24:25 PM »
" Five of the varieties in the pummelo taste tests were products of these breeding experiments."

Oroblanco (Sweety), Melogold, Cocktail, Valentine, Chandler
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Samodelkin

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 68
    • Simferopol 7b
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2019, 05:35:25 PM »
C.Siamensis


Pancrazio

  • Off Tropic
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
  • Florence, Italy, USDA 8
    • Growing fruits in Florence, and Pratovecchio, Italy
    • View Profile
    • FruttAma.it
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2019, 07:46:08 PM »
It's very interesting. I must admit, i don't know much about citrus breeding, the only thing i have understood is that citrus usually show some characteristics in the offspring wich are intermediate among the parents.
Given this, i was thinking, maybe if siamese sweet worked so nicely as parent tree, it would be interesting to attempt to cross it with one (or more) of the palatable hardy papeda (i was thinking to shangyuan lemons) in order to attempt to get some nice offspring from such cross, with valuable characteristics, what do you think?
Few years ago i also managed to get a corsican citron, which should be acidless, with the same idea in mind, to attempt to cross it with some other citrus (nagami kumquat was my original idea) in order to attempt to breed an interesting citrus.
I see that also maltese orage are acidless, but they are also not much interesting for breeding.
Italian fruit forum

I want to buy/trade central asia apricots. Contact me in PM if interested.

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2019, 04:18:25 AM »
Few years ago i also managed to get a corsican citron, which should be acidless, with the same idea in mind, to attempt to cross it with some other citrus (nagami kumquat was my original idea) in order to attempt to breed an interesting citrus.
I guess corsican citron is not acidless, but has a thick sweet albedo, giving an impression of fruit being sweet.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Walt

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
    • USA, Kansas, Kanopolis, zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2019, 01:49:18 PM »
Given this, i was thinking, maybe if siamese sweet worked so nicely as parent tree, it would be interesting to attempt to cross it with one (or more) of the palatable hardy papeda (i was thinking to shangyuan lemons) in order to attempt to get some nice offspring from such cross, with valuable characteristics, what do you think?


I think it should be crossed with Poncirus trifoliata.  Other flavors aside, all P. trifoliata hybrids I've tasted have been very sour.

Pancrazio

  • Off Tropic
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
  • Florence, Italy, USDA 8
    • Growing fruits in Florence, and Pratovecchio, Italy
    • View Profile
    • FruttAma.it
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2019, 04:00:23 PM »
But my point for avoiding P. trifoliata, is exactly the "other flavors". Apparently crossing with Siamese sweet can lessen the problem of sourness, while can't do much for poncirin.
Once you rule out p. trifoliata, the second best is papeda.
It's just a fantasy for now (and i guess it will remain a fantasy if i can't find a siamese sweet, but i was wondering if this can make some sense)
Italian fruit forum

I want to buy/trade central asia apricots. Contact me in PM if interested.

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2019, 04:23:10 PM »
But my point for avoiding P. trifoliata, is exactly the "other flavors". Apparently crossing with Siamese sweet can lessen the problem of sourness, while can't do much for poncirin.
Once you rule out p. trifoliata, the second best is papeda.
It's just a fantasy for now (and i guess it will remain a fantasy if i can't find a siamese sweet, but i was wondering if this can make some sense)
Ichangensis is not a zone 6 plant, it is less hardy than poncirus.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Pancrazio

  • Off Tropic
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
  • Florence, Italy, USDA 8
    • Growing fruits in Florence, and Pratovecchio, Italy
    • View Profile
    • FruttAma.it
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2019, 05:26:04 PM »
I know that. I was hoping to end with an hybrid in the same ballpark of thomasville, which would cover mostly of italy's plains.
Italian fruit forum

I want to buy/trade central asia apricots. Contact me in PM if interested.

Ilya11

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 940
    • France, Paris region, Vaux le Penil, middle of Northern z8
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2019, 03:44:30 AM »
C.Siamensis
Alexander, did you have already its fruits?
It seems that acidless variety of Siamese pummelo should be rather spreading, your plant looks very upright.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Samodelkin

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 68
    • Simferopol 7b
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2019, 10:37:41 AM »
There was no ripe fruit yet.

SoCal2warm

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1554
    • zone 10 and zone 8a
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2019, 01:19:21 AM »
I read everywhere about this plant as a very common parent for a variety of citrus, but i never have seen it offered for sale or in a collection.
There's a good reason for that. It's supposed to be sweet but not the most flavor, in part due to lack of acidity.

The standard Chandler pomelo that's usually sold in the US is a hybrid of Siamese Sweet, and so is Oroblanco grapefruit.

Radoslav

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 789
    • Slovakia
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2019, 03:07:10 AM »
Few years ago i also managed to get a corsican citron, which should be acidless, with the same idea in mind, to attempt to cross it with some other citrus (nagami kumquat was my original idea) in order to attempt to breed an interesting citrus.
I guess corsican citron is not acidless, but has a thick sweet albedo, giving an impression of fruit being sweet.


Corsican pulp tastes like sweet peas.



There was no ripe fruit yet.



I guess that you have cultivar spread from Czech Republic. Many years ago Mr. Broza brought it from Menton –  Edouard Mazzola collection.
At that time it was marked just pamplemousse Siamensis. Several years later Mr. Mazzola changed table with description to Kao Phuang.









« Last Edit: May 31, 2019, 03:11:36 AM by Radoslav »

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Siamese Sweet Pomelo
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2019, 02:08:31 PM »
I read everywhere about this plant as a very common parent for a variety of citrus, but i never have seen it offered for sale or in a collection.
There's a good reason for that. It's supposed to be sweet but not the most flavor, in part due to lack of acidity.

The standard Chandler pomelo that's usually sold in the US is a hybrid of Siamese Sweet, and so is Oroblanco grapefruit.
UCR was considering releasing it 2 years ago.

I tried the fruit. It's really good if you like sweet citrus. Many people don't appreciate purely sweet and fragrant fruit though, so it may not be good for you. It's better than acidless lemon to me.

Don't touch the segment membrane or you'll get a pretty bitter taste. I don't think you have to chew the membrane, just touch it and the flavor comes off.