Yangmei (Morella/Myrica rubra) thread

[K-Rimes]

Fruit coming in on the wandao Simon sold me. It is really a feeling to pick one after killing soooo many trees.

I will be attempting to graft soon.

[RevivalR00ts]

How do you clean your seeds?

[FV Fruit Freak]

Hi Simon hope all is well. Can you please tell us what you do before harvest to ensure a good crop? Thank you.

There’s a lot tgat needs to be done in preparation for harvest and I can’t get into the details because of my consultation side hustle but if the tree was not prepped from the start, the yield will be substantially reduced. The appropriate fertilization, pruning and an integrated pest management is what people should pay attention to.


All of my large and small trees are sold out and there is a very long wait list for everyone that contacted me. I will be sold out for all of 2025 while I try to fill the orders on my wait list. Thanks everyone!

Thanks Simon, but you cant’t get into details? I thought you created this post to help people successfully grow and fruit Yangmei? No worries, thanks anyways.

[K-Rimes]

Hi Simon hope all is well. Can you please tell us what you do before harvest to ensure a good crop? Thank you.

There’s a lot tgat needs to be done in preparation for harvest and I can’t get into the details because of my consultation side hustle but if the tree was not prepped from the start, the yield will be substantially reduced. The appropriate fertilization, pruning and an integrated pest management is what people should pay attention to.


All of my large and small trees are sold out and there is a very long wait list for everyone that contacted me. I will be sold out for all of 2025 while I try to fill the orders on my wait list. Thanks everyone!

Thanks Simon, but you cant’t get into details? I thought you created this post to help people successfully grow and fruit Yangmei? No worries, thanks anyways.

Simon has done an enormous amount of the heavy lifting for us already, imo, and he is now working as a consultant in the agriculture industry. There is definitely some intellectual property aspect to this, and I can understand  that he is going to limit his sharing at some point for his own good.

We don't know the recipe to KFC chicken either amirite?

[K-Rimes]

How do you clean your seeds?

I don't personally, I just spit 'em out and they germinate just fine the next year.

I'd suggest doing the same method as Adam does for jabo. I think he puts them in a cloth bag full of sand, or vermiculite or something and agitates in water.

[simon_grow]

Hi Simon hope all is well. Can you please tell us what you do before harvest to ensure a good crop? Thank you.

There’s a lot tgat needs to be done in preparation for harvest and I can’t get into the details because of my consultation side hustle but if the tree was not prepped from the start, the yield will be substantially reduced. The appropriate fertilization, pruning and an integrated pest management is what people should pay attention to.


All of my large and small trees are sold out and there is a very long wait list for everyone that contacted me. I will be sold out for all of 2025 while I try to fill the orders on my wait list. Thanks everyone!

Thanks Simon, but you cant’t get into details? I thought you created this post to help people successfully grow and fruit Yangmei? No worries, thanks anyways.

This thread is meant to share our experiences with Yangmei but it’s not meant to be a step by step guide for commercial Yangmei production. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on equipment, opportunity costs, materials, test plantings, etc…

I have to keep some of the information, especially info regarding high dollar value return on investment type info for the paying clients or else I’ll have nothing to offer if they can just read this thread.

Just the fact that I recommended Cerifera as a rootstock, after killing hundreds of trees grafted onto Californica and Rubra, should help hundreds of members successfully grow and fruit Yangmei.

Anyone that truely wants to grow Yangmei on a commercial scale should really get in contact with the experts- Calmei.

[dolomis]

We have this discussion now and can make those discoveries between each other here. Showing our progress and failures. I believe that is the point of the thread. Many thanks for doing what you do. Backyard cultivators like myself would have no access to things like this without people like Simon putting in these large efforts -And there are many on this forum- Thank you all.

[BloomAndSprout]

Just the fact that I recommended Cerifera as a rootstock, after killing hundreds of trees grafted onto Californica and Rubra, should help hundreds of members successfully grow and fruit Yangmei.

I think a lot of us have, or are building, little "moats" of expertise like this, part of the only ways to make 'real' money with this stuff.

Based on everything I've read about yangmei here and elsewhere especially in regards to rootstocks and yangmei survivability people should really appreciate that you're throwing that out there so they don't sabotage themselves, even though you could indirectly benefit from not telling anyone that (for free).

[simon_grow]

Fruit coming in on the wandao Simon sold me. It is really a feeling to pick one after killing soooo many trees.

I will be attempting to graft soon.

Hey Kevin

Im glad some of the fruit survived the car trip. Wandao has a great Yangmei flavor and it should only get better with age snd especially if you’re able to plant it into the ground.

[Rain]

Fruit coming in on the wandao Simon sold me. It is really a feeling to pick one after killing soooo many trees.

I will be attempting to graft soon.

Wow!! That's awesome. Congrats

[Juan W]

I love yangmei my favorite fruit. I heard It is a delicacy in China!

[K-Rimes]

Fruit coming in on the wandao Simon sold me. It is really a feeling to pick one after killing soooo many trees.

I will be attempting to graft soon.

Hey Kevin

Im glad some of the fruit survived the car trip. Wandao has a great Yangmei flavor and it should only get better with age snd especially if you’re able to plant it into the ground.

I am looking forward to them ripening up.

I am super hesitant to plant it in ground here at the ranch, due to my insecurity with the space. If things get better, I will definitely do so. I have a 65g waiting for it, and I am also considering doing the same thing I did with my sabara jabo putting it into a half tote which works out to about 150g pot. You can use a forklift to move them, so it actually is a really great solution for a big tree. I just don't want to put it in there too quick and get root rot.

Fruit coming in on the wandao Simon sold me. It is really a feeling to pick one after killing soooo many trees.

I will be attempting to graft soon.

Wow!! That's awesome. Congrats

I cannot take any credit for this fruit, this is all Simon.

[K-Rimes]

I was looking more closely at the tree and noted what appears to be an old pruning wound.


It seems to me that fruiting is usually off the secondary branches, especially those with horizontal orientation. It is tip bearing, so that shows me that regular pruning is critical, but leaving 2nd year wood will be important.


A few grafts onto Cerifera. Sure hope they work!


Whip and tongue has been feeling great.


Rooting the cerifera cuttings which I removed from the plants. I tried a few methods, a few mediums. I tried some wrapped in BuddyTape, some raw, some green, some lignified. I will report back if this works.

[seng]

K-Rimes, awsome.

[simon_grow]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon

[Moomin]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon

This makes me even more impatient to try them... If only they were available in stores here in Europe. But I'll have to wait for at least another couple of years :'( (if everything goes well... ) until then I'll live off of all these beautiful pictures

[seng]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon

Simmon, take a picture of each variety and turn them to a calendar.  On each calendar, put information like taste, size, etc.... and let the Asian supermarket distribute them.

[simon_grow]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon

Simmon, take a picture of each variety and turn them to a calendar.  On each calendar, put information like taste, size, etc.... and let the Asian supermarket distribute them.

Seng, that’s a good idea! I already have pictures, weights, Brix, flavor descriptions.

So sad that the Yangmei season is so short, only about 1.5 months. 

[seng]

Simmon, that is what I meant.  Each picture is not for the month that variety is fruiting.  It is a calendar.  For example, sport car calendar, where each car is shown as one month. The car and the month has no relationship. The picture of the car is to remind people that they have the calendar.  So this means that you prepare them now and let the Asian supermarket distribute them for 2026 year calendar.

[simon_grow]

Wandao

Here are a few pictures of Wandao. Wandao is a mid to late season variety with small fruit that tastes excellent. It has a nice, strong Yangmei flavor.

The shape and size of the fruit look very similar to Biqi but the taste is different. Literature says that Wandao is slightly larger, averaging 11.7g whereas Biqi averages 10.7g. The average Total Soluble Solids for Wandao is 12.6% compared to Biqi’s 12.5%. Biqi has more of a mild BlackBerry flavor whereas Wandao tastes like a Biqi with a hint of Dongkui flavor added in and also a bit more sweetness. The highest Brix I got from my Wandao is 16.0% Brix so far.

Although the fruit of this variety is on the smaller side, the pit is small so the flesh to seed ratio is good. Like all Yangmei varieties, fruit size can improve with proper thinning, fertilization and watering.

This variety produces tight clusters of fruit tgat needs to be thinned in order to increase fruit size and also to prevent the branches from breaking.

This variety can be eaten in the burgandy red color stage but sugars are noticeably higher when allowed to fully ripen to a dark purplish red color. At the dark purplish red stage, the slight Dongkui/Yangmei flavor is more noticeable.










I love this picture from last year as it shows the rainbow of color that Wandao grows through

Simon

[ScottR]

I was looking more closely at the tree and noted what appears to be an old pruning wound.


It seems to me that fruiting is usually off the secondary branches, especially those with horizontal orientation. It is tip bearing, so that shows me that regular pruning is critical, but leaving 2nd year wood will be important.


A few grafts onto Cerifera. Sure hope they work!


Whip and tongue has been feeling great.


Rooting the cerifera cuttings which I removed from the plants. I tried a few methods, a few mediums. I tried some wrapped in BuddyTape, some raw, some green, some lignified. I will report back if this works.

Kevin, best of luck on your grafts they are looking good and teall hope you get some cuttings to take Too!

[ScottR]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon
Simon, that is one beautiful fruit plate, I don't know if you below to CRFG or not but you can submit photo to yearly fruit shoot in Fruit Gardener Magazine too!

Simon, take a picture of each variety and turn them to a calendar.  On each calendar, put information like taste, size, etc.... and let the Asian supermarket distribute them.

Seng, that’s a good idea! I already have pictures, weights, Brix, flavor descriptions.

So sad that the Yangmei season is so short, only about 1.5 months.

[K-Rimes]

Wandao

Here are a few pictures of Wandao. Wandao is a mid to late season variety with small fruit that tastes excellent. It has a nice, strong Yangmei flavor.

The shape and size of the fruit look very similar to Biqi but the taste is different. Literature says that Wandao is slightly larger, averaging 11.7g whereas Biqi averages 10.7g. The average Total Soluble Solids for Wandao is 12.6% compared to Biqi’s 12.5%. Biqi has more of a mild BlackBerry flavor whereas Wandao tastes like a Biqi with a hint of Dongkui flavor added in and also a bit more sweetness. The highest Brix I got from my Wandao is 16.0% Brix so far.

Although the fruit of this variety is on the smaller side, the pit is small so the flesh to seed ratio is good. Like all Yangmei varieties, fruit size can improve with proper thinning, fertilization and watering.

This variety produces tight clusters of fruit tgat needs to be thinned in order to increase fruit size and also to prevent the branches from breaking.

This variety can be eaten in the burgandy red color stage but sugars are noticeably higher when allowed to fully ripen to a dark purplish red color. At the dark purplish red stage, the slight Dongkui/Yangmei flavor is more noticeable.



I love this picture from last year as it shows the rainbow of color that Wandao grows through

Simon

Wandao = a real winner. The flavor is definitely stronger than the Purple Pearl you get from Calmei, maybe it's just I am picking them riper because I can watch them on the tree. It almost leans resinous, which I appreciate both in mangoes and in pitanga. I am so glad I picked up this plant from you.

[simon_grow]

It’s close to the end of the season for me with White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite and Big Black Carbon almost out of fruit but there is crossover between the early, mid and late season varieties at this time. Here’s White Honey, Early Hermaphrodite, Bug Black Carbon, Wandao and Improved Dongkui all ripe.





Simon
Simon, that is one beautiful fruit plate, I don't know if you below to CRFG or not but you can submit photo to yearly fruit shoot in Fruit Gardener Magazine too!

Simon, take a picture of each variety and turn them to a calendar.  On each calendar, put information like taste, size, etc.... and let the Asian supermarket distribute them.

Seng, that’s a good idea! I already have pictures, weights, Brix, flavor descriptions.

So sad that the Yangmei season is so short, only about 1.5 months.

Hey Scott,

I am a member of the CRFG but I rarely Go to any meetings. Maybe next year, I’ll take a better picture and submit it.

[simon_grow]

Wandao

Here are a few pictures of Wandao. Wandao is a mid to late season variety with small fruit that tastes excellent. It has a nice, strong Yangmei flavor.

The shape and size of the fruit look very similar to Biqi but the taste is different. Literature says that Wandao is slightly larger, averaging 11.7g whereas Biqi averages 10.7g. The average Total Soluble Solids for Wandao is 12.6% compared to Biqi’s 12.5%. Biqi has more of a mild BlackBerry flavor whereas Wandao tastes like a Biqi with a hint of Dongkui flavor added in and also a bit more sweetness. The highest Brix I got from my Wandao is 16.0% Brix so far.

Although the fruit of this variety is on the smaller side, the pit is small so the flesh to seed ratio is good. Like all Yangmei varieties, fruit size can improve with proper thinning, fertilization and watering.

This variety produces tight clusters of fruit tgat needs to be thinned in order to increase fruit size and also to prevent the branches from breaking.

This variety can be eaten in the burgandy red color stage but sugars are noticeably higher when allowed to fully ripen to a dark purplish red color. At the dark purplish red stage, the slight Dongkui/Yangmei flavor is more noticeable.



I love this picture from last year as it shows the rainbow of color that Wandao grows through

Simon

Wandao = a real winner. The flavor is definitely stronger than the Purple Pearl you get from Calmei, maybe it's just I am picking them riper because I can watch them on the tree. It almost leans resinous, which I appreciate both in mangoes and in pitanga. I am so glad I picked up this plant from you.

Yeah, I’ve done direct comparisons and I prefer Wandao. It definitely has a bit more flavor according to my palate.