Costco Dekopon Sumo Citrus Marketing Fail

[Jaboticaba45]

Stopped by my local costco and they had sumo citrus fruit on sale. No one was buying them and they were all shriveled up. Bought a few boxes cause they were on sale and suprisingly they were not bad. Too bad that the general public didn't really like the appeal of this fruit. Wonder why everyone sticks to those navels and tangerines from the store that are always dried out.

[brian]

Yeah they look pretty unattractive on the outside.  Pretty tasty though, but not worth the price to me.

Meanwhile, the minneola tangelos available in stores roght now are amazing, some of the best citrus I've ever had

[W.]

I like Dekopons/Sumos. They are one of my favorite sweet citruses but are too expensive for eating everyday. Because of their size, they are about $3.00 per fruit at the only grocery store in my area which has them.

I have never tasted a good Minneola tangelo. Every single one I have ever bought has been a bland waste of money. Of course, because I plant just about all the citrus seeds I get, I have half a dozen small plants that could potentially produce bland fruit for me in a few years.

[brian]

I would say maybe 1 in 8-10 batches of minneolas I buy at the store are good, the rest are squishy.  Even the ones I am currently growing have been squishy, I am not sure why. 

But the good ones are incredible, and make it worth it for me to keep buying and growing hoping for a good batch. 

[Millet]

Reading Brian's post from yesterday, I went to the supermarket this morning and purchases some tangelos. 

[brian]

I hope they are good for you, it had been so long since I had good ones I forgot just how good they can be.  I was thinking of replacing my tangelo tree but now I am going to give it a few years and see if I can get a good crop

The sticker on the ones I got says Sun Pacific brand. 

[SoCal2warm]

I'll agree with the Minneola tangelos, I've had really good ones and ones that weren't so great. It probably has to do with freshness, perhaps a little bit to do with growing conditions and maturity of the tree.

[sea4]

I recall sumos being somewhat more expensive Than other citrus, at grocery store, but was shocked to see them at $3 per fruit this year. I have yet to try one. I’ll just stick with my ridiculously expensive kumquats.

[Jaboticaba45]

I recall sumos being somewhat more expensive Than other citrus, at grocery store, but was shocked to see them at $3 per fruit this year. I have yet to try one. I’ll just stick with my ridiculously expensive kumquats.

I have seen them going for a pretty high price ($12 per box). I got mine for under $4 a box containing 7 each.

[brian]

I see them at the grocery store for $3 each, or in boxes for a better price I assume but didn't check how much.  They are pretty good but I think a lot of the ones at stores are overripe, even for this type which seems to intentionally sit for some time.

[spaugh]

I've bought sumo from the store a few times and they weren't good at all.  Also picked up Shasta gold a d a few other citrus.  None of them were good, all went in the compost bucket.  I assume its just because we are used to home grown. 

[Ckitto]

I have a 20' tall tangelo tree. They are only good if I feed the tree well. Ever since I started using urea, the fruit quality improved. The tree is somewhat alternate bearing. This year is the off year and the fruits I got are exceptional. Many of them are close to a pound. I guess lower quantity boosted the quality. I also grafted Dekopon onto my tangelo tree and it grows well. First fruit this season is about 1.26 lbs. I am thankful to have both growing in the yard

[brian]

wow, that's a big tangelo.  How do they taste?  My experience with citrus has been that unusually large fruit don't taste as good

[orangedays]

At the Charleston SC Citrus Expo, Citrus Joe, and I seen the lady who owns the land where the original Tangelo tree was found.

Millet,
Can you give the back story on the 'original' tangelo?  I would love to hear the origination story!

[Ckitto]

Brian, very juicy with perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I gotta wait till they fully ripe (usually after mid March with very dark orange color skin) so that they have more sweetness. They hang on the tree well.

[brian]

Very nice.  I am debating replacing my in-ground "light green/dark green variegated" minneola with a non-variegated one that I already have... but I think I will just leave it be

[Yorgos]

Every mineola tangelo I have ever tried from the store has been delicious.  I am surprised to hear the quality varies so much. I was thinking on planting one since I enjoy them so much  Only dekopon was better, i feel.

[Ckitto]

I always feel hesitant to buy Tangelos from grocery store as the fruits are so much smaller than those from my tree. See pictures.

[containerman]

I've bought sumo from the store a few times and they weren't good at all.  Also picked up Shasta gold a d a few other citrus.  None of them were good, all went in the compost bucket.  I assume its just because we are used to home grown.

It must be as my Sumo and Shasta produced fruit for the first time this year and they were outstanding. I can't wait until the trees mature several years and the flavor gets better.

[Yorgos]

I always feel hesitant to buy Tangelos from grocery store as the fruits are so much smaller than those from my tree. See pictures.

They always seem to put smaller fruits in those bags. 

[Citradia]

I’m sure I could research and figure it out on my own, but I will ask y’all instead: what is a sumo tree? I’ve seen posts referencing sumo/ shiranui and sumo/ dekopon. My father says he loves the sumos from store, but if I want to get a sumo tree, what variety is it?

[sc4001992]

Its a Shiranui mandarin tree.

https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/CRC4249.html

Here's fruits on my tree earlier this year. Ripens about end of Feb here.

[Citradia]

End of February. So that’s overwintering in a greenhouse for the east coast north of central FL. Thanks!

[sc4001992]

I did start having ripe fruit (at least color fully orange) by December, but it tastes best in Feb here.

[spaugh]

I must have missed the sumo sale on CCPP, logged in today and it says no scions available again until June.

Assuming I can get some pieces, which kind of tree is best to graft it onto.  I'm going to have to use some other grafted tree from the nursery to graft it to.  I'll go buy a tree to put it on.

Thanks!

[Millet]

At the supermarket I shop at they sell 4 or 5 cultivars of citrus.   A price is shown for all varieties except one. Sumo never have a price listed.  Must be due to the high price that they sell for.  If people seen the price they would not buy them.

[spaugh]

At the supermarket I shop at they sell 4 or 5 cultivars of citrus.   A price is shown for all varieties except one. Sumo never have a price listed.  Must be due to the high price that they sell for.  If people seen the price they would not buy them.

Millet what variety of oranges or other citrus is most compatible to graft sumo onto?  Assuming I use a grafted tree from the nursery on C35 with some other variety grafted already on it and graft onto the grafted portion?  Use another mandarin or ?

[Millet]

 Spaugh, C35 rootstock has good compatibility with all oranges, grapefruit and lemons except Eureka.   Compatibility with mandarins/ satsumas is complex and not well understood.  Nearly all mandarins/satsumas perform well for at least 10 to 15 years, but many eventually develop bud union crease and decline.  This decline is the same with many of the common rootstocks.  (Taken from  the Citrus Production Manual.)

[spaugh]

my problem is I dont have rootstocks, I need to purchase some tree thats already grafted and graft onto some interstock. 

So which type of citrus would be best to graft sumo onto anyone?  Just get another mandarin tree?

[Millet]

There are a few different rootstocks available for mandarins. The most popular are C-35, Carrizo, and Flying Dragon. C-35 and Carrizo are the standard tree size with C-35 being slightly smaller of the two. Flying Dragon is a semi-dwarf rootstock.

[mbmango]

Although not about compatibility, I saw this post from behl: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=42683.msg426955#msg426955

I only started a couple grafts last year, but the healthiest are currently on a Honey stump & Gold Nugget tree, in-ground.  I tried a couple on Cara Cara, but the in-ground ones didn't take and the potted ones are a bit sluggish so far.  Since the in-ground Cara didn't take even though it had calloused and was looking good, I had pruned it by half already, so at least i have a rootstock sucker now to try again later.  You could also skip the interstock with a low bark graft.

[spaugh]

Although not about compatibility, I saw this post from behl: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=42683.msg426955#msg426955

I only started a couple grafts last year, but the healthiest are currently on a Honey stump & Gold Nugget tree, in-ground.  I tried a couple on Cara Cara, but the in-ground ones didn't take and the potted ones are a bit sluggish so far.  Since the in-ground Cara didn't take even though it had calloused and was looking good, I had pruned it by half already, so at least i have a rootstock sucker now to try again later.  You could also skip the interstock with a low bark graft.

thanks for your knowledge and the past posts.  it sounds like any mandarin will be ok.  ill try and find one of the ones mentioned like tango or gold nugget on c35. 

thanks!

[sc4001992]

Brad, don't use Tango it's not that vigorous or strong. Most of my Tango tree branches are skinny when compared to other mandarins I grow. But the Gold Nugget is a good one to use for interstock grafting. Gold Nugget grows fast (upward), strong branches and has many branches that are good sized, also gets a lot of fruit. I grafted my Sumo on sour orange, Gold Nugget, Kiyomi, lemon, Valentine pummelo, Cocktail grapefruit. Pretty much any mandarin,orange, grapefruit, pummelo interstock works fine. Just graft it on a variety that is as vigorous a grower as the Sumo.

[nelsons04]

Thanks for sharing your fruit experience!

[yadirmanns]

Spammer

[mangoba]

Oh wow, bots with ChatGPT will be a nightmare.

[LeoHaney]

+

[pagnr]

Oh wow, bots with ChatGPT will be a nightmare.

Yes, and with online home delivery services, they could even order samples of fruit for DNA or flavour profile chemical analysis.

[brian]

I have been growing Shiranui/Dekopan/Sumo for a few years now and it is a fantastic tree.  Dense canopy, productive, and the fruit tastes better and is much larger than the Sumo fruits sold at the grocery store.  I regularly get fruits the size of large grapefruit.  It has a permanent place in-ground in my greenhouse

[sc4001992]

I agree, it is productive and fruits are large. So what months does your sumo get ripe?

[brian]

Mine has a bunch ripening right now, they are just starting to turn yellow/orange... which I think is way off season but I honestly haven't been keeping track. 

[Millet]

 Right now is the perfect time to spray your tree with low biuret Urea which will increase fruit size.  Low biuret urea foliar spay is especially good for Dekopon so the fruit dosen't just develop the squash shape.

[Goyo626]

I grafted shiranui onto a mexican sweet lime seedling. It grew gangbusters and set a ton of fruit on its second leaf. 3rd leaf same. The fruit flavor is not my favorite. Hopefully the flavor improves in the years to come.

[brian]

Obviously taste is subjective, but mine made delicious fruit from its first set.  I wonder if the rootstock and/or conditions are influencing it for you, or you might just not like it

[Chandler_Gardener]

I grafted shiranui onto a mexican sweet lime seedling. It grew gangbusters and set a ton of fruit on its second leaf. 3rd leaf same. The fruit flavor is not my favorite. Hopefully the flavor improves in the years to come.

I am curious if you have grafted anything else on this sweet lime and how it has turned out? I've grafted a bunch of stuff on it and I am having second thought. Sweet lime seem very vigorous and that's why I used it to graft.

[sc4001992]

I have the sumo grafted on my in ground Bears lime. Ponkan tree, and pomelo tree, and Gold Nugget tree. The ones grafted on the pomelo tree seems to taste the sweetest. My Bears lime tree is older (20yrs) and I have about 10 other varieties grafted on it. The other fruits tastes normal and not affected by the lime rootstock.

[Chandler_Gardener]

I have the sumo grafted on my in ground Bears lime. Ponkan tree, and pomelo tree, and Gold Nugget tree. The ones grafted on the pomelo tree seems to taste the sweetest. My Bears lime tree is older (20yrs) and I have about 10 other varieties grafted on it. The other fruits tastes normal and not affected by the lime rootstock.

What the rootstock on those tree? Are they in fact bears/ponkan/pomelo rootstock? The sweet lime I have is from seed that has grown very well in 4 years (even flower this spring but didn't set fruit). I have about 10 grafts on it now with only clementine/calamasi with fruit. I'll find out if the clementine are any good once they ripe. They feel heavy for their size.