My first Fukushu kumquats

[poncirsguy]

My first 3 Fukushu kumquats from my outside in ground seed grown kumquat tree.  The smallest fruit had no pulp and was sweet with a slight bitter after taste.  The next size up has a sweet peel with no aftertaste and a slightly sour pulp.  My wife will have to report on the large one after eating.

[brian]

Congrats to you!  I really like this kumquat.

I have found that the fruit size varies considerably, with fruits sometimes as the size of medium chicken eggs.  The larger fruits tend to be less flavorful, though.  Also, they are totally seedless if unpollenated.  I have had entire trees worth of crops with zero seeds, while other times they are seedy.

[Melenduwir]

So, Fukushu doesn't pollinate itself?  What made the difference in seedy years, the weather?  The right kind of pollinators?  Other plants you had nearby?

[brian]

I have one fukushu planted in the ground in my greenhouse.  Very few bees or other pollinators reach the greenhouse trees because the only way in is through the vents.  I also have at least one container fukushu that I bring outside when it is warm enough.  Most times the entire in-ground fukushu crop has zero seeds, while the container one has usual numbers of seeds (~1-8 or so per fruit)

It is very likely the lack of bees is the important factor in seedlessness for me.