You'll want to start your fertilizing regime in February, 4 applications through Oct/Nov. Tango mandarins are usually ripe in our area January through March. Tango can tend to alternate bear if you leave fruit on too long (past flowering). So, in the beginning, as your tree matures and establishes its crop, you may see a little of this. if you pick your ripe fruit on time in the coming years, you can lessen this tendency. You'll probably still see one heavier season and then a lighter season, which is pretty common for Tango.

Patty S.

So -- and please forgive what will probably be a silly question -- what exactly do you mean when you advise against leaving the fruit on too long after flowering? You mean to pick the fruit now before this next season's flowering? Can you give me a timeline of what to expect in terms of when they are supposed to bud, when the fruits are supposed to develop, and when they should start to ripen? How long is too long to ripen? This is what I've seen since the tree went in last February/March-ish --

When we got it, it was about 4 feet tall and it had about a half a dozen ripe and DEEEE-LICIOUS fruits on it. We gobbled them all down quick.

Within a month of planting in the ground, most of the leaves yellowed.

By summer, the tree was beginning to settle and we had a nice flush of new leaves and buds.

We had green fruit on the tree that seemed to take months before turning orange (probably 3-4 months)

Now we have orange fruits that still have a bit of green on them. I picked one yesterday -- yuck!!! Still sour!

So now that I'm seeing the teeniest flush of itty bitty baby leaves and itty bitty baby buds, should I just sacrifice the mandarins currently on the tree? Or can I give them another month or so to ripen?

Thank you Patty!!! (and whoever else chimes in!)