'Christmas' loquat productivity / self-incompatible?

[brian]

My only loquat is Christmas and it always blooms a ton, is very healthy, yet produces fewer than three fruits per crop for the past couple years.  While reading about it on this forum I have found a number of comments describing the same behavior.  Should I just give up on it?  Or try a cross-pollinator?  Now that the recent blooms are falling off on mine I have only spotted one fruitlet so far with hundreds of blooms.  Now, mine is in a greenhouse with no pollinating insects so that could certainly be a factor, but it has bloomed outside the greenhouse also and same result.

Here are some of the anecdotes I gathered, though there were an equal number of posters saying good things about the variety:

Loquats are very cold tolerant. I had a Christmas in the ground that survived subzero fahrenheit for multiple nights in a row. It'd flowered every year but could not hold fruit so I chopped it. I have a bunch of seedlings growing in the same spot right now from fruits I'd purchased over the Summer. They have already endured low 30s so far with absolutely no problem.

I have a Christmas, and it flowers profusely but has not set fruit in 3 years. The first year it was in a container and it had lots albeit small fruit but now it blooms and the blooms die. I don't know if it needs cross pollination or if it's self compatible or if I need more bees. It's a cute little tree but I don't plant for ornamental value.

Mine is only a couple years old but same story - it has flowered profusely twice now and not set a single fruit. It's in a full sun spot so not sure what the story is. Both of us in Coral Springs too.

Kaz and some others have many varieties of loquat and didn't mention any issues with fruit set.  I wonder if Christmas simply needs a cross pollinator to be productive?   Not sure if SirGraftalot, gnappi and savemejebus have other types nearby.

[K-Rimes]

I see loquats all on their lonesome that produce prolifically. Don't think it needs a friend. We have one in my neighborhood here that blooms and then gets roasted by frosts but still somehow produces fine - it's the only in the area for miles.

[Orkine]

Loquats graft so easily you should graft one or two varieties to the same tree.  If they flower around the same time you could get your cross pollination that way.  I would do 3 varieties if the tree is decent size.

Kaz has several great varieties perhaps you could try to get some from him or other forum members..

[brian]

What is the typical season for cutting scion and grafting loquat?  Spring?

[sc4001992]

Anytime. I graft all year. Maybe you should graft a few of my highly productive varieties like the KT1-Kosmic or the Vista White, or Big Jim. These are always loaded with fruits. I had to put up supports on my Big Jim since it had so many fruits a lot of my older/large branches were sagging and ready to break off the tree. Send me a message when you are ready to graft.

[sc4001992]

Brian, I thought you saw the Christmas tree that David (from citrus forum) has growing in his post. That tree is large and has lots of fruits every year. He said he didn't have any other loquat trees in his yard.

Here's his tree photo.



I have the Christmas loquat grafted on my tree and it's been fruiting for a few years. The tastee is very good, I would keep that variety. Fruit production is not like my Big Jim or KT1 so it is on the low fruit yield.

[brian]

I must have forgotten about this tree, Kaz, thank you for posting here.  It is good to see this type can be self-fruitful, I guess I just need to give it a bit more time or maybe hand-pollinate when it blooms in the greenhouse.

I am not sure what the suggested grafting schedule is for loquats, but I will be happy to buy some from you next time you have a sale or feel like taking some cuttings.

Here is what my tree currently looks like.  It lost most of its canopy in a wind storm a couple years ago but has recovered nicely and I have to prune it regularly to keep from growing out of hand.  It has a nice shape and lots of branches that would be good grafting spots, I think.  I have it in a 20gal container and the trunk and roots haven't grown as aggressively as I expected, given the vigorous foliage, so it will probably be fine in this container for a while longer.

[sc4001992]

wow, that tree looks healthy. You will want to wait until after the flowers are done. Also, you might get some fruit set, otherwise you can graft a few other varieties I mentioned on it.

Once your flowers are done, and if none has fruitlets, then you can cut & graft. Just send me a message at the time, you can pay for shipping cost ($10).

[Sir Graftalot]

My only loquat is Christmas and it always blooms a ton, is very healthy, yet produces fewer than three fruits per crop for the past couple years.  While reading about it on this forum I have found a number of comments describing the same behavior.  Should I just give up on it?  Or try a cross-pollinator?  Now that the recent blooms are falling off on mine I have only spotted one fruitlet so far with hundreds of blooms.  Now, mine is in a greenhouse with no pollinating insects so that could certainly be a factor, but it has bloomed outside the greenhouse also and same result.

Here are some of the anecdotes I gathered, though there were an equal number of posters saying good things about the variety:

Loquats are very cold tolerant. I had a Christmas in the ground that survived subzero fahrenheit for multiple nights in a row. It'd flowered every year but could not hold fruit so I chopped it. I have a bunch of seedlings growing in the same spot right now from fruits I'd purchased over the Summer. They have already endured low 30s so far with absolutely no problem.

I have a Christmas, and it flowers profusely but has not set fruit in 3 years. The first year it was in a container and it had lots albeit small fruit but now it blooms and the blooms die. I don't know if it needs cross pollination or if it's self compatible or if I need more bees. It's a cute little tree but I don't plant for ornamental value.

Mine is only a couple years old but same story - it has flowered profusely twice now and not set a single fruit. It's in a full sun spot so not sure what the story is. Both of us in Coral Springs too.

Kaz and some others have many varieties of loquat and didn't mention any issues with fruit set.  I wonder if Christmas simply needs a cross pollinator to be productive?   Not sure if SirGraftalot, gnappi and savemejebus have other types nearby.

I'm up north in NY; it'd always flowered in the dead of Winter - late December/January - so temperature might have been the issue with mine.

[sc4001992]

David's large Christmas tree blooms in Feb, fruits in late March is what he said. He lives in Louisiana. He is not active on the forums anymore.