I need help determining a mandarin variety

[Rispa]

A friend in Lafayette has the best Satsuma mandarins I have ever had. The trees are quite large. He bought them from Home Depot at least a couple of decades ago. They are very sweet and the fruit is ready in January. The skin completely separates from the fruit when ripe. It is definitely able to survive freezes.

Anyone have any idea what variety this could be? Or another worth trying? There are so many varieties at my local nurseries I don't even know where to begin to try to get the same one.

[edweather]

Probably an Owari, but not sure.

[Vlad]

Try this: http://idtools.org/id/citrus/citrusid/index.php

[Rispa]

Try this: http://idtools.org/id/citrus/citrusid/index.php

Very cool site. Thank you for sharing

[Rispa]

Probably an Owari, but not sure.

Thank you. That's one I was thinking to get, so I'll pick one up and try it out. I've got room for a couple of types, so hopefully others chime in with guesses.

[Calusa]

Probably an Owari, but not sure.

Thank you. That's one I was thinking to get, so I'll pick one up and try it out. I've got room for a couple of types, so hopefully others chime in with guesses.

Hi Rispa,

If you don't mind my asking, where are you going to get one and do you have any concerns about buying a tree infected with HLB?

[Rispa]

Probably an Owari, but not sure.

Thank you. That's one I was thinking to get, so I'll pick one up and try it out. I've got room for a couple of types, so hopefully others chime in with guesses.

Hi Rispa,

If you don't mind my asking, where are you going to get one and do you have any concerns about buying a tree infected with HLB?

I have no concerns because I'm getting mine from a local nursery. So far as I'm aware the disease isn't here yet. They have about 10 varieties in spring, so there's a good chance they'll have any varieties people suggest here.

There are two nurseries, JRN and JRN2 that are my go toes. There is another farther away with good varieties called Arbor Gate. Nature's Grower Nursery has less variety, but sometimes gets oddball varieties of other plants, so I'll check them out too. There might be one or two more nurseries with checking out, but those that I listed always have what I'm looking for and more.

[Calusa]

Excellent! Good luck finding what you want. 

[poncirsguy]

Your owari must be on the right rootstock for great flavor.  The tree also must age a good few years before it will produce excellent fruit.  It should do well on PT or FD.  Seville sour is great if it is compatible.

[Rispa]

Your owari must be on the right rootstock for great flavor.  The tree also must age a good few years before it will produce excellent fruit.  It should do well on PT or FD.  Seville sour is great if it is compatible.

Thanks. When I go next I'll see what they are on. Most of what I see here is on trifoliate.

[poncirsguy]

PT is  trifoliate  BUY it.

[Rispa]

PT is  trifoliate  BUY it.

Oh, then what does p stand for?

[Vlad]

P stands for Poncirus

[Yorgos]

Um, I am in Houston as well and had a large grapefruit and blood orange diagnosed with HLB by Texas A&M a couple of years ago.  Harris County is in the quarantine zone for greening and while the trees you buy may not have the disease the Asian psyllid is here and can infect your tree as it did mine.

[Rispa]

Um, I am in Houston as well and had a large grapefruit and blood orange diagnosed with HLB by Texas A&M a couple of years ago.  Harris County is in the quarantine zone for greening and while the trees you buy may not have the disease the Asian psyllid is here and can infect your tree as it did mine.

Thanks for the info. That's really heart breaking to hear.

[mar3]

The other candidate that would've been readily available at that location two decades ago would be Brown Select. But you said it ripened in January, so it was likely Owari.

You've mentioned having room for more. I'd try to spread out the harvest periods with something like Miho and Early St. Anne.

[Rispa]

The other candidate that would've been readily available at that location two decades ago would be Brown Select. But you said it ripened in January, so it was likely Owari.

You've mentioned having room for more. I'd try to spread out the harvest periods with something like Miho and Early St. Anne.

Thank you. Yeah I would love to have a long harvest. So you're thinking Owari, Brown, Miho, and Early St. Anne would give me the best harvest?

[mar3]

Generally you can harvest Early St. Anne from September to mid October, Miho and Brown Select from October to November, and Owari from late November/December to first freeze.

[Rispa]

Generally you can harvest Early St. Anne from September to mid October, Miho and Brown Select from October to November, and Owari from late November/December to first freeze.

Perfect. I'll plan to get all of them 😊 thank you!

[bussone]

PT is  trifoliate  BUY it.

Oh, then what does p stand for?

Additionally, "FD" is Flying Dragon, which is a dwarfed variety of poncirus trifoliata. So both are poncirus, it's just PT is straight-species and FD is a varietal.

[Rispa]

PT is  trifoliate  BUY it.

Oh, then what does p stand for?

Additionally, "FD" is Flying Dragon, which is a dwarfed variety of poncirus trifoliata. So both are poncirus, it's just PT is straight-species and FD is a varietal.

Thanks for the clarification. I suspected FD was flying dragon, the dwarfing root stock, but didn't know it's also trifoliate. Is there a way to tell if a plant accidentally got put on dwarfing rootstock? I wonder about my Cara cara

[Millet]

Your Cara Cara should have had a variety/rootstock tag on it when you purchased it.

[Rispa]

Your Cara Cara should have had a variety/rootstock tag on it when you purchased it.

It should be trifoliate like the rest, but it is super slow growing.

[Rispa]

Generally you can harvest Early St. Anne from September to mid October, Miho and Brown Select from October to November, and Owari from late November/December to first freeze.

Do you happen to have info for Japanese plums too? Like what combination of low chill plants allow you to have the longest fruit season.

[celinedion]

A friend in Lafayette has the best Satsuma mandarins I have ever had. The trees are quite large. He bought them from Home Depot at least a couple of decades ago. They are very sweet and the fruit is ready in January. The skin completely separates from the fruit when ripe. It is definitely able to survive freezes.

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Anyone have any idea what variety this could be? Or another worth trying? There are so many varieties at my local nurseries I don't even know where to begin to try to get the same one.

Maybe Miho Satsuma: Miho Satsuma is a popular variety that produces sweet and juicy fruit. It ripens around January and has a reputation for being cold and hardy.