Jon, those are mandarins, not oranges you see marketed as "Cuties". They are actually several different varieties, depending upon what time of year you're buying them. "Cuties" is just a marketing term to refer to either a Clementine or Murcott mandarin (or also possibly Tango). However, I think a better choice is the incredible Seedless Kishu mandarin. It has all the features of a Cutie - seedless - more seedless than any of the above varieties, zipper skin, and it has an exceptional taste, better than the above varieties, which are also quite good. And, it's small, almost bite-size, which I just love. That way, I can control the amount of fruit I eat at a sitting. If I'm just wanting a snack, one is good. If I'm hungry, 2 or 3! A far as pot size, soil, etc., I'll defer to the container experts on this forum, as I grow citrus in the ground almost exclusively.

Patty S.

Hey Patty! When I read the title of this thread I knew I would find you here haha. Have you grown the Kishu mandarin? I am still not having any luck with 'Tango' but is 'Kishu' worth trying as a replacement?

Costco in Tucson had a bunch of Kishu, Tango, Pixie, Clementine, and Golden Nugget mandarin trees on sale early last month. They were #5 pots and very nice looking trees. I don't have any more room for trees, but I wanted a couple. I was in Costco about 2 weeks ago and there weren't many left. Not sure if they will restock again or that was it for the year? It would be worth a visit or call to your local Costco to see what they have.

Of the ones I have experience with (in ground though), Kishu is a medium early variety. Done by December and fruit will hold on the tree for a month or more if needed. The Gold Nugget is a late variety, done about this time of year and will hold on the tree till at least May. Either of them are better fresh off the tree than any store bought cutie I've had. The Gold Nugget is a bit better fruit (IMO) if it has been a good winter. The Kishu is also great and more reliable. If you had both, you would have fresh mandarins for almost half the year.

I don't know about container growing. One thing I would watch is gradually acclimating the trees to full sun. Full Arizona sun is too much for a part time indoor or shaded patio tree that isn't acclimated.

Sure, aslan. My Tango is also a little slower to develop, but I'm nursing it along. It's worth hanging onto, since the Tango and Kishu ripen at different times (Seedless Kishu from Dec to Jan, Tango Feb to April). The Kishu is a pretty tree, and the fruit is great. They're very small, about the size of an over-sized golf ball, but they are out of the world delicious. And bada bing is right - try to pick mandarins that ripen in succession so you have mandarins for as long a period as possible. Again, all my experience is with in-ground citrus. I'm not a container citrus person (have exactly one of my 45+ citrus trees in a pot, but it's doing well, I have to say.)

Patty S.

Well I love costco but I don't live in Arizona :( I assume you were replying to the original poster though anyway bada bing and not me. Tango is not available anywhere in Texas as of yet but I do have leads on the Kishu mandarin but it is still not widely available for my area. I found several nurseries around Houston and Austin that sell Kishu but none of them ship the trees and I can't drive 5 or 6 hours just to pick up a plant. I'll have to wait until we visit family in San Antonio again and take a little detour ;)

I have plenty of space in our orchard but the two trees I want are not that easy to locate lol. Leave it to me to always want what is hard to get! I just can't help it though, those little seedless mandarins you find in stores around this time are just so good.

Aslan, have you checked with Texas A&M Citrus Station at Kingsville to see if they're planning on acquiring any Tango mandarin budwood? I don't see it on their availability list, which is why you're having such a hard time finding a Tango in Texas. They may be in the process of cleaning the budwood up for propagation.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas A&M Kingsville Citrus Center: Budwood Availability List

I contacted them last week but they have no source for bud wood of tango I was told.

Gosh, that's too bad. Hopefully as each state gains better control over HLB and citrus canker, we'll start seeing some of our state-exclusive cultivars making it over to other citrus states.

Patty S.

I just got a nice big #5 pot Clementine tree from HD. It is growing good but in the past few days the pea sized new fruit have developed pin sized black spots that have progressed into large canker type black sores!! Could that be black spot? Im in So California and I have read that the disease is rare. Sorry to threadjack but I know mandarins are very susceptible to certain disease.

On topic I have heard "Dancy" to be a very good tangerine:)

Four Winds Growers supplies most of the mandarin/tangerine, as well as other citrus and citron varieties I buy in Southern California. Not sure they can ship to Texas. Their website for mandarin/tangerines is:

http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/our-citrus-trees/mandarin.html

I've been buying their plants for years, just bought a Buddha's Hand Citron today; already have Kishu, Gold Nugget, Tango, Yuzu Citron, Australian FingerLime, other varieties of citrus and citrus relatives (orange (7), lime (3), lemon (4), grapefruit, pommelo, kumquat), some in pots, half-barrels or in the ground.

jbuz, Four Winds (and any other Calif. citrus grower, unless they're shipping treated fruit) cannot ship to the other citrus-producing states, Arizona, Texas and Florida due to the FDA restrictions with Citrus Canker and HLB/ASP.

Patty S.

I have looked up and down the state of FL and I can't seem to find Golden Nugget mandarin here...I'm guessing they must not grow well in FL? Guess I can post this question in the FL forum, I just thought its strange I can't find a nursery around here that sells them. I hate paying shipping so I guess I'll have to try another variety. Thanks!

Probably not a matter of whether or not 'Gold Nugget' would grow well in Florida, but more a matter of not having budwood available, since this particular cultivar was developed by UC Riverside, in California. And due to citrus restrictions, it is probably not going to make it to Florida any time soon.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Riverside Citry Variety Collection: Gold Nugget Mandarin

Hey Patty S. It's been a long time since I checked this thread but I just wanted to follow up and say I actually got to pick up a Kishu mandarin tree at a nursery in Corpus Christi that was half off and on clearance. I never had any luck with the tango but I tried some tiny Kishu mandarins at a central market heb in San Antonio and they were incredible! I'm so excited to grow my own I can hardly wait lol

As soon as I get back home today I'm going to start working on getting the ingredients for some Al's Gritty Mix

Congratulations! You'll just love the Seedless Kishu. They're tiny, granted, but oh my, are they ever excellent. If you can also find a Page mandarin (really it's a tangelo, 3/4 mandarin and 1/4 grapefruit), I would recommend that as well. Excellent, up there with the Kishu, especially if you can't locate a Tango in Texas.

Patty S.

Oooh now the page mandarin is calling my name! Haha I had not even heard of them until you mentioned it. I just looked it up and it sounds great too but I can't seem to find a lead on it. I'll be happy with my Kishu for now :)

I never had any luck with the Tango but the USDA citrus center does not even have any budwood. I know these little Kishu mandarins are amazing though as I actually got to try a couple and now I can hardly wait until I get some fruit off my own tree. They must be pretty well suited for pot culture seeing as how mine has a couple fruit even in its sorry state when I plucked it from a clearance section haha. I'm tempted to pluck the fruit off since the plant is pretty young anyway but I'll wait a while to see if it can handle the stress on its own.

@Aslan89 - Did you ever find the Tango in TX?

I've read that Murcott mandarins aren't suited for Houston as they ripen late and must make it through our random hard freezes. Also, they tend to bear fruit alternate years.

How has your Kishu done? Are all Kishu varieties seedless?

I'm currently propagating standard and dward trifoliate rootstocks, planning to make some multi-graft trees and would like a good Mandarin to include with Meyer lemon, Persian lime, and Moro blood.

Hoosierquilt ...I love your commentary throughout many of these threads I have read over the yrs and you are often spot on with the stuff I have tried or am already familiar with. :) I live in the low desert of Metro Phoenix, Arizona. 2 quick questions if you happen to view this thread again: 1) can you eat the skin of a smaller, seedless Kishu mandarin like a kumquat or fukushu ? I would generally think not, but am curious and thought I would ask. And: 2) do you have a favorite type of juicing, fresh eating sweet orange variety ? Or two ? Thx ! :) -a fellow Hoosier native

Hi Amanda...I have the Owari Satsuma Mandarin Tree, though going into 2nd yr...had to protect it from the heat and I have a Pixie Mandarin Tree planted "backyard orchard" style just to the west of it (by intention) which I am hoping will shade it more from West sun as it grows (that was the plan :) ) I also have the seedless irradiated Murcott type Tango mandarin...Thanks for all the feedback :) I have heard great things about the Satsuma; delayed it for a bit knowing it was a bit tough in our interior low desert here in Metro Phx...but glad I went forward :). And thanks for your skin feedback...my question about the Kishu was in part due to its smaller size (not much larger than the fukushu), the fact that the skin was thin...and in pics, have noticed it actually seems to also have a little dimple like some fukushu's I have seen :) Was just curious....as the skins have a lot of nutrient value...