Yangmei (Morella/Myrica rubra) thread

[K-Rimes]

Simon at what point do you remove the lower portion of the californica and let it roll as just yangmei?

I’m hesitant to chop any off till I see some good size branches off the grafts.

[Jaboticaba45]

The scion from this one came from the original group buy and it was just labeled An Hai so I’m just calling this one An Hai. I have what’s called an Improved An Hai which is supposed to be slightly better quality but I won’t have confidence in any of these varieties until I have fruited them.

I am extremely upset at some of the farmers from the group buy because myself and many of my friends have purchased the trees only to find out that some of the trees, mostly males, were just seedlings. Some of the farmers may also have been selling varieties like Biqi and potentially labeling them as something else like Black Carbon or Big Black Carbon. We really won’t know for sure what we got from the group buys until we fruit them and that should be happening within the next couple of years.

There’s also the whole issue with the Root Knot Nematodes.

I completely stopped planting any Yangmei plants originating from China because I noticed a general decline in the health of those trees compared to trees I grafted onto my own disease free rootstocks.

Simon
Simon

Simon, totally agree with you. The seller of the group order literally trolled us all into buying seedlings. I have several contacts that I converse with and it turns out that there is no male tree market in China. My explanation for this is that there are so many wild male trees just floating around that there is no reason to make more (the main pollination is wind). Some have claimed that grafted female trees will fruit by themselves, but I think that happens there because of the large amount of wild plants there. But nonetheless, the male trees were seedlings.
Luckily a lot my trees I have have sent out rootstock growth. So def a good chance of a male coming up on the tree.

I know there are many synonyms for varieties so it's hard to clear things up lol.

I hope we start to see more grafted plants on regular rootstock hitting the market. So many people have asked me for them, but I just can't keep up with demand. For now, I recommend people to stock up on trees. Lot of new varieties hitting the market, so then you can get scions and graft...it's like a scion farm. They grow so fast. Get rootstocks and then graft on to the native stock for your region. Scions of new varieties (even common ones too) are basically impossible to come by right now, that's why I suggest trees as source of scions now, but again hopefully we can see more people offering them in the coming years.

[simon_grow]

Simon at what point do you remove the lower portion of the californica and let it roll as just yangmei?

I’m hesitant to chop any off till I see some good size branches off the grafts.

Depends what type of graft I’m doing and it also depends on the branching structure of the rootstock. If I’m working with a rootstock with multiple branches, I often graft onto the most vigorous branches because it has the most energy. I will then remove some of the other branches to re direct energy into the grafted branches. I won’t remove all the branches because I want to keep the tree alive so definitely leave some branches and leaves to support the tree.

Once the new graft pushes new branches, not just leaves, I feel comfortable enough to remove the rest of the Californica branches.

Simon

[simon_grow]

The barefoot trees originating from China are a great source of scions but I just hope that people are very careful of runoff and cross contamination from trees that may potentially harbor RKN or other pests. In a few of the group buys, there were trees with super Heavy infestations of RKN that were mixed in with trees that did not have galls but all the trees in those shipments could have potentially been contaminated.

Anyone that has rootstock sprouts can send in leaf samples for genetic testing to see if their rootstock tree is male or female. I sent out a bunch of leaf samples a while back and luckily got several males going. I’m hoping we can find some early, mid and late pollen producing males.

Simon

[fliptop]

In his 1938 autobiography, David Fairchild wrote: "A missionary's charming wife told me about the Yang mei and the Dragon's Eye, two Chinese fruits now grown in Florida." I'm only halfway through the book, so not sure if he'll expand on where Yangmei was being grown, but found it interesting Yangmei has a history of Florida.

[Galatians522]

In his 1938 autobiography, David Fairchild wrote: "A missionary's charming wife told me about the Yang mei and the Dragon's Eye, two Chinese fruits now grown in Florida." I'm only halfway through the book, so not sure if he'll expand on where Yangmei was being grown, but found it interesting Yangmei has a history of Florida.

I did not realize that Fairchild wrote about it. As I recall, Yangmei (under the name Red Bay Berry) was grown in Gainesville by the University of Florida. The trees were seedlings so the quality was poor (the texture was reported as "rubbery"), so there was a loss of interest. I guess those trees have been torn out to make way for other projects or died out over the years. Hopefully the recently imported trees will mot suffer a similar fate. In any case, I have confidence that they get enough chill to fruit at least as far south as Gainesville. I wonder if Fairchild ever grew it in south Florida?

[Jaboticaba45]

In his 1938 autobiography, David Fairchild wrote: "A missionary's charming wife told me about the Yang mei and the Dragon's Eye, two Chinese fruits now grown in Florida." I'm only halfway through the book, so not sure if he'll expand on where Yangmei was being grown, but found it interesting Yangmei has a history of Florida.

I did not realize that Fairchild wrote about it. As I recall, Yangmei (under the name Red Bay Berry) was grown in Gainesville by the University of Florida. The trees were seedlings so the quality was poor (the texture was reported as "rubbery"), so there was a loss of interest. I guess those trees have been torn out to make way for other projects or died out over the years. Hopefully the recently imported trees will mot suffer a similar fate. In any case, I have confidence that they get enough chill to fruit at least as far south as Gainesville. I wonder if Fairchild ever grew it in south Florida?

You bring up a really interesting point on chill hours.
While these may seem tropical, it seems interesting as the seeds can be cold stratified - something that is done with temperate fruits...I'm excited to find out where the line is drawn for the lowest and highest zones it can be grown in. I think certain varieties may make it to zone 7. And maybe some to zone 9 or even higher. I know people have fruited it in HI, but again crop was probably affected by lack of chill hours etc. Would be really cool to see if rootstock could play a role in that too.

[seng]

I walk in the neighber and come across this.  Is this one of the morella?  The leaves have no scent and no teeth edges.

Thanks.

[RevivalR00ts]

I walk in the neighber and come across this.  Is this one of the morella?  The leaves have no scent and no teeth edges.

Thanks.

Def not yangmei

[seng]

Thanks.


Where do you obtain the rootstock?  I'm in san diego.

[simon_grow]

You can order rootstock online. I purchased some Cerifera from Amazon a while back.

Simon

[K-Rimes]

Don’t try using Kellogg Patio plus / wood chip based soil mixes. Yangmei don’t like that. I put these into fox farm and expect to see a full recovery.

[seng]

You can order rootstock online. I purchased some Cerifera from Amazon a while back.

Simon

thanks.

[K-Rimes]

Ok, ok, ok I think I'm going to call this a win now! This is Dongkui on californica


I put this seedling in the ground just a few days ago and it is absolutely blasting off, this hot weather is working great

[beicadad]

The scion from this one came from the original group buy and it was just labeled An Hai so I’m just calling this one An Hai. I have what’s called an Improved An Hai which is supposed to be slightly better quality but I won’t have confidence in any of these varieties until I have fruited them.

I am extremely upset at some of the farmers from the group buy because myself and many of my friends have purchased the trees only to find out that some of the trees, mostly males, were just seedlings. Some of the farmers may also have been selling varieties like Biqi and potentially labeling them as something else like Black Carbon or Big Black Carbon. We really won’t know for sure what we got from the group buys until we fruit them and that should be happening within the next couple of years.

There’s also the whole issue with the Root Knot Nematodes.

I completely stopped planting any Yangmei plants originating from China because I noticed a general decline in the health of those trees compared to trees I grafted onto my own disease free rootstocks.

Simon
Simon

Simon, totally agree with you. The seller of the group order literally trolled us all into buying seedlings. I have several contacts that I converse with and it turns out that there is no male tree market in China. My explanation for this is that there are so many wild male trees just floating around that there is no reason to make more (the main pollination is wind). Some have claimed that grafted female trees will fruit by themselves, but I think that happens there because of the large amount of wild plants there. But nonetheless, the male trees were seedlings.
Luckily a lot my trees I have have sent out rootstock growth. So def a good chance of a male coming up on the tree.

I know there are many synonyms for varieties so it's hard to clear things up lol.

I hope we start to see more grafted plants on regular rootstock hitting the market. So many people have asked me for them, but I just can't keep up with demand. For now, I recommend people to stock up on trees. Lot of new varieties hitting the market, so then you can get scions and graft...it's like a scion farm. They grow so fast. Get rootstocks and then graft on to the native stock for your region. Scions of new varieties (even common ones too) are basically impossible to come by right now, that's why I suggest trees as source of scions now, but again hopefully we can see more people offering them in the coming years.

that's right. In China there are abundant of male trees and female trees can be pollinated by wind easily. you are right that there no male tree market in China. I only knew of one grower who grafted some male trees and he now stopped doing so. it makes no sense to have male trees with named varieties...

there is also no yangmei varieties that fruits in October, not even in August. Dongkui is about the most late ripening variety and even for Dongkui the season is already done in China by late June, except at some high altitude areas.

[K-Rimes]

Grafted Wusu from overseas getting an up pot. I used a mostly sand mix from under my oaks to hopefully get some soil biology from there, and seemed to work.


Fresh Wusu grafts on myrica, I will probably sell this plant later if it takes.


Another look at the rootball, these are very rapid rooting plants! I put it into FoxFarm Ocean forest cause that seems even better for them for pot culture, but I feel that it's really easy for the rootball to get out of control with yangmei and drink up the water in a few hours. They are good drinkers. I am pretty happy looking at these roots that they do not have RKN so I am considering planting them in ground.

[simon_grow]

The roots grow super fast and I severely burned a few of my trees when I didn’t water them enough on a hot day. Once the roots reach the side of the container, it’s almost time to up pot. Wusu is supposedly a very good tasting variety! Good growing and please keep us updated!

Simon

[shaneatwell]

First fruit on my biqi seedling from rtreid. No male around.

[JCorte]

Shane,
That is exciting!  How old is your seedling?  How did it taste?

Janet

[TropicalDoc]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any male Yangmei scions?

From my order of 10+ trees on the group order, only 1 is alive above the graft and 1 other alive below the graft (looks like californica). I’ll need a male to get any fruit at all. Would someone be willing to sell me some scions? Please PM me, thanks!

Kevin

[K-Rimes]

Shane,
That is exciting!  How old is your seedling?  How did it taste?

Janet

Also want to know this! Doesn't look all that big.

[simon_grow]

First fruit on my biqi seedling from rtreid. No male around.

Shane, that’s awesome. This is a good sign that the trees can produce some fruit without a separate male tree. I wonder if your tree might have made a few male or hermaphrodite flowers? Congratulations on the beautiful fruit!

Simon

[simon_grow]

Shane,
That is exciting!  How old is your seedling?  How did it taste?

Janet

Also want to know this! Doesn't look all that big.

Shane’s tree was large according to a previous picture he posted. It went up to his roofline. I’ve seen videos of smaller potted trees fruiting however.

Simon

[shaneatwell]

Seedling is quite old. From rtreid i believe germinated around the same time as the first yangmei group order. I put it in the ground feb 2016. The first fruit was nice, not as good as biqi itself but might get better. Was leaving others on but found two dropped or knocked off today. Fruit was a bit worse. No zing. Just picked the last and its lemony right off the tree. I think ill be happy with it. Kevin N also grafted two male branches on this year so crossing fingers for next year!

[RevivalR00ts]

Seedling is quite old. From rtreid i believe germinated around the same time as the first yangmei group order. I put it in the ground feb 2016. The first fruit was nice, not as good as biqi itself but might get better. Was leaving others on but found two dropped or knocked off today. Fruit was a bit worse. No zing. Just picked the last and its lemony right off the tree. I think ill be happy with it. Kevin N also grafted two male branches on this year so crossing fingers for next year!

Did you have any males around for when it was fruiting?