Man, does that sound delicious!

You know? I checked out the tropical fruits forum and someone had brought this up about buying a tree like this. That was last year and they said it would probably be a year from then they would be available. I wonder if they are now Mike!

Mike:-)

Well, if you think the Dekopon is good from the market, wait until you get to try one directly from the tree :-) I was able to taste test the Dekopon twice this year, about 2 weeks apart up at the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection. Much, much better straight from the tree. It is a very nice mandarin. But, that being said, I still think the Seedless Kishu is better :-) The Kishu is really, really seedless, has that nice zipper skin, and is more complex and just as sweet. As far as being able to purchase a Dekopon tree, probably will not be available for several years, yet. UC Riverside is actively trying to source for budwood. Their first option looked promising, but has fallen through, so they're back to the drawing board, again. So, I would not expect to see trees to purchase for at least 3 years, maybe closer to 5.

Patty S.

Mike

they are very good. My co-workers really enjoyed it also.

Patty

cant you just drive over, hop the fence and get us some cuttings. LOL

The unfortunate thing for me is that around here we only get exposed to the "normal" types of citrus, for the most part. I would love to try some of the other types that you and others have mentioned taste better than these. Hopefully this year Ill be able to order some trees from Four Winds and Ill would definitely get a mandarin or 2.

Mike

Wow Patty! I remember you saying something about this now that I think of it when you went to the show!

Well, no wonder I paid 39.99 for a 8 inch high Kishu tree! I am going to make sure this one is well cared for!

Mike, maybe you should try this tree. They are awesome as Patty says.

I can't wait for the Dekopon to be sold. Please, let's all keep an eye for this and then let each other know.

Mike

Hah!! Don't I wish!! Dr. Kahn, who is the curator of the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection is so extremely careful about ANY part of a citrus leaving the growing grounds. They are already treating for the Asian Citrus Psyllid as a precautionary measure. And, they are methodically adding to their screenhouse, every variety they have in the open growing grounds, in case Citrus Greening is discovered in the grounds (as the infected trees would have to be destroyed.) It is a treasure, and they are very, very careful to protect it. So, anyone who has the exceptional opportunity to visit, is asked to respect what they've accomplished and continue to develop. I was just in awe of their collection - it is the largest and most varied collection of citrus and citrus relatives in the world :-) So, I could never just "help myself", as tempting as it might be. In fact, of all the tours being conducted during Citrus Day, Dr. Kahn was the ONLY tour guide who actually showed their group the Dekopon!! She is the curator, and it is because of her that the sole Dekopon was even still allowed to remain in the Collection. The patent owners told her to destroy the tree. She fired back, saying, "Do you really want to destroy the ONE and only mature Dekopon in the state of California??" The second Dekopon died, so they only have one (they actually have two of everything in their collection, with rare exception, and the Dekopon is one of those lone citrus cultivars.) They're working on sourcing new budwood, so hold tight. I'm on their newsletter, so I'll keep everyone posted about availability of either budwood or trees in the future. In the meanwhile, order yourself a lovely little Seedless Kishu from Four Winds, you will not be sorry!!

Patty S.

Patty:

What did you say the Dekopon was hybridized from? It looks like my Soh Himra (an Indian Ponkan), with a real collar instead of a slight ring. Atlas Koa, a local sport of Pong Koa, but with giant fruit has a full collar like that.

wonder how long it will take the trees to become available here in Florida?

Good guess, Larry, and you are right :-) The Dekopon is a hybrid of a Kiyomi tangor (a cross of orange and satsuma mandarin) and a ponkan, hence the neck. And bamboo, once the budwood has been procured, and UCR can get it cleaned up, it will be ready for order. I'm hoping maybe in the next 2 years, as long as there are not any surprises with clean up. Once budwood is available, then growers can start grafting, and from there, another 2 to 3 years for a mature tree to be able to be offered to the public (or, you can graft your own and watch it grow yourself.)

Patty S.

Is bud wood available to the general public after the "clean up" process?

Bamboo, a qualified "yes". It will be in limited release at first, which means as an individual, you'll stand less of a chance of getting it than a commercial grower.

Patty S

Hello, everyone! Long time no see!

Josh

Just bumping this to avoid a new thread.

Hey patty, In the thread that Tmc started he posted a video about japanese satsuma and in it they mentioned the dekopon which got me wondering if you have any new information on it. I know it will still take many years before I/We could grown one at home but it would nice if it was sooner.

its interesting how something that has actually been around for quite some time is so hard to get.

Mike

This post was edited by mksmth on Thu, Jan 10, 13 at 16:10

No, no further word about the Dekopon availability for California. It is available in Florida (as Shiranui), but that's it as far as I know. The CCPP got sidelined last year, due to the HLB find in Los Angeles county, so all efforts have been invested in getting everything under screen. I will be asking when I attend class in February, or at the Citrus Day. I am also going to be taking a grafting class at UC Riverside in the spring, so I'll also ask again, if I don't get any answers in January.

Patty S.

Ah, I was just in Fla a couple of days ago and saw a Shiranui, didn't know what it was.

FYI, the HoneyBells (minneola) and all the other citrus I sampled, not so good this year. I always look forward to feasting on these when I go to Fla in Jan. They were juicy, but bland. The rinds weren't very pretty either. I sampled from a couple of different locations, not great. They are almost always delicious. Must be an off year, or poor quality when i tried them.