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mrclint_so_cal

'Kishu' mandarins

MrClint
9 years ago

They're here!

Comments (22)

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    9 years ago

    Oh wow. Yours are much riper than mine, Clint. They look really nice, and actually pretty big for a Kishu. I wonder if satumas came from this very ancient mandarin? I see the bagginess in your fruit, and the fact that they can pull the skin off when you pluck them on occasion, like a satsuma. In any event, I haven't, yet, found a mandarin as good as the Seedless Kishu. A few come very close - Gold Nugget. Ponkan. Maybe Tango (different taste, but quality-wise, up there), 88-2 (Lee x Nova). But, none are quite at the pinnacle of the Seedless Kishu for me, growing here in S. California. Thanks for sharing the photo, Clint, give us a second photo with some scale (like a golf ball up next to a fruit).

    Patty S.

  • fireballsocal
    9 years ago

    I am putting in a gold nugget mandarin this spring. Is it worth planting a kishu as well? I have the space but lots of other stuff going in so I want to make sure this mandarin is as killer as others believe.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Fireballsocal, you are planning for successive ripening, aren't you? What else are you planting that you would be harvesting right about now? Gold nugget is much later, probably the latest citrus you can harvest (Patty will correct me if I'm wrong). Right now I've got the last of the poms, kishu and meyer lemons coming in. You're probably gonna need something that ripens now, and kishu is a real winner! :)

  • fireballsocal
    9 years ago

    I have a mature Wash. navel that starts to ripen about now and a horridly sour kumquat. I should have enough other fruit to cover the year so successive ripening isn't as important as taste, and ease of growing (I am a beginner). I'll plan on adding kishu to the other citrus then. I can't pass up a review that good.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    9 years ago

    I agree with Clint. You'll want to look at trying to extend your citrus harvest, and pick the best cultivars to stretch out your season if you can. Satsumas and Kishu are on the early side. November/December start, and Kishu does hang on the tree much better than any satsuma. Pixie and Gold Nugget mandarins are the later mandarins. For oranges, navels are more traditional in their ripening (winter), and Valencia oranges start to ripen in late spring/early summer (May/June, and hang on the tree very well). Blood oranges hit somewhere in the middle for the most part.

    I would recommend checking out the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection and look at ripening times, and compare that to the varieties you like. Consider trying to find the varieties you like, and pick an outstanding representative to add to your collection. Lots of good ones to choose from here in California, we're very fortunate to have such a wide variety of great citrus to select from.

    Patty S.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    'Page' mandarin and 'Washington' navel are right around the corner. Stand by for the alerts. :)

    Successive ripening gives me fresh fruit every day from my yard, year round. I think Patty is probably there as well. Right now citrus is king!

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    By request: Bowl of 'kishu' mandarins with a tennis ball for scale. There are a number of different sized fruit in there!

  • Ryan
    9 years ago

    They look beautiful

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    9 years ago

    Okay, those are some big Kishus. Good for you! They are pretty darned cute.

    Patty S.

  • pecanman
    9 years ago

    I have Kishu that are grafted on Swingle understock that are much larger than the ones gafted on to Trifoliata.

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    9 years ago

    That's interesting, pecanman. Which tree produces better tasting fruit, or is there not a quality difference? I think mine is on C35, and they are your typically small sized fruits, but very delicious.

    Patty S.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I just revisited the LA Times article on 'KIshu' mandarins that David Karp wrote a while back. He says they are smaller than a golf ball, and mine are rarely that small. I brought this tree from Four Winds, so maybe the rootstock makes a difference. Mine are usually Little Cutie sized.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Seedless Kishu, a small but mighty mandarin

  • meyermike_1micha
    9 years ago

    Mrclint..Are you sure that they are Kishu's? I have never seen them that big nor does mine grow fruit any bigger than a walnut..I wonder what I am doing wrong, if it's my weather, or if a lousy rootstock?

    Where did you get your trees? Very nice and great job. I can only imagine how delicious they are..)

    You know, I just saw your last post...That addresses some of my thoughts.lol

    MIke

  • Ryan
    9 years ago

    They look almost exactly like ponkans. Do they have seeds?

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yeah, I got it direct via mail order from Four Winds Growers a few years ago. At the time, I couldn't find 'Kishu' anywhere here locally, so I had it shipped. The only time I have bought any tree by mail order. I needed fruit in this harvest window, so decided upon 'Kishu'.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    They are totally seedless every year.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What's the chance that I have a bud sport?

    One of the things about 'Kishu' mandarins that I don't see mentioned very often is the citrus perfume bomb you encounter when you peel them. The scent is almost intoxicating, it immediately takes you a nicer place. I peeled one at work today and it got some people's attention. Really a crowd pleaser.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Still bringing them in, with plenty more still on the tree:

  • karoleana
    9 years ago

    Mrclint, I hope you don't mind me asking a somewhat unrelated question on your post. I have seen from other posts that you have had great success with BYOC. I am a newbie at BYOC and am thinking of planting a 4 in one hole peach in between two established citrus trees that are 15' apart on center. The drip lines are 10' apart on the citrus. Is having the stone fruit and citrus that close ok? Thanks for any thoughts. Sorry to use your post but I wanted your thoughts specificly.

  • tantanman
    9 years ago

    I have one from Rio Grande Nursery, and it was supposed to be a Page. I planted it after my oldest Page got freeze damaged in the bad winter of '09/'10. I assume it is on sour orange, but nothing Rio Grande does would surprise me very much. This is the third one I've had and this year it was actually not real bad. I don't think i'll keep it though.

    I think it is really in the ponkan group. The leaves look too much like a ponkan. I have been told they were developed from a Kino Kuni Kat mandarin. But they they have little in common with Kats. I have three Kat varieties and four of the ponkans.

    The Jamesons had a Satsuma farm in Pearland, TX and they grew a small ponkan similar to Kishu but the Jameson ponkan was a lot better. I have eaten small ponkans sold in Belle Chasse, LA that were very similar, but only slightly larger than, Kishu. Those were sold by one of the Becnels, but not Saxon Becnel & Sons.

    Patti, the leaves of Satsumas have veins that run different from ponkans. For example, we believe the Atlas Honey mandarin is a Satsuma x ponkan. It came from near where a So Himtra ponkan was growing on Jameson's Satsuma farm. The leaves look like a satsuma and the fruit looks 100% ponkan. So there has been a lot of study of these types around here.

  • MrClint
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    karoleana, sorry for the late response, I'm not on GW much anymore.

    I wouldn't do a mixed stone fruit & citrus BYOC planting because the tree requirements are different. Citrus will require ample N, while peaches will bear better/more fruit with low N and ample P & K. Citrus will do better with ample water which would make peaches large and flavorless.

    Also, I like to plant citrus on 8' centers near patios and other sitting areas (because they are evergreen and can be enjoyed year round) in a hedgerow. Deciduous fruit trees (like peaches) are planted on the perimeter and in areas that might shade the house in Winter.

  • winstella
    9 years ago

    Sighhh so jealous of those photos! My kishu that I got last year didn't do so well and I didn't figure out why until later. It is only now growing back it's leaves but I can't wait to try them this time next year! Congrats :)

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