Nice sumos Ryan mine are growing but no fruit this year.
Trace

Awesome fruit laden trees! I dream of the day I will see such results.
Fantastic RyanLo and a super picture! :)

Ryan, not sure if you'll see this, you seem to disappear after you post at times asking questions or starting threads to get others involved with your started conversations..Sort of a one sided thing, you know?

Beautiful...Now. what does SUMO's stand for..I am too brain dead to figure it out. What ever it is., they are on my next purchase.

MIke

Hey Mike sumos are the trees we got from harris citrus remember.
Trace

Dekopan/Shiranui. Market place name Sumo as like the Sumo wrestlers.

Your trees look great RyanLo. I have two but no fruit yet this year. I can't wait for mine to bear like yours.

Cory

Mike, I do see it.

Mike, I do see it.

Very nice trees, Ryan. Gosh, you're going to have to support those branches they are so heavy with fruit. Very lovely.

Patty S.

The Sumo branches are very strong yet bendable. However, In the GH they are supported by horizontal running string. These are Harris trees, Then I first got these last year, I allowed some lower growth then cut them back about halfway creating this more bushy form. this form seems to be more productive then the upright form.

Very nice trees. If I had known about Harris citrus instead of Ebay I would have 2 meiwa trees on poncirus at about 5 to 6 feet, I enjoy seeing what others can do with the right choices and knowledge.

Steve

Reminds me of my container Cara Cara oranges; mature fruits, tennis ball sized fruits, flowering, and growing. I am harvesting the mature fruits this week; it is a bit early for the best fruits; but sometimes you have to make that sacrifice for a young tree. I would suggest you do the same for your young trees; of course you know the fruit will be better later; but the tree will not. As the tree ages/grows, you can leave the fruit until its best time to harvest; but if you do that this year, your tree will suffer for years to come and yields will not increase as they should.

Ryan, when last year did you get them?

Theygrew awefully fast for container trees..Mine have not even bloomed yet and I have had mine since the spring..
Were they as tall as mine when you got uyours and full? Mine were skinny and tall, in trunks no fatter than a 1/4 of an inch...
Did you get those trees already that big, like let's say in a 5 gallon pot?

Have you injected them with steroids? Now, you know how awsome it would be to share your secret?)

Nice

MIke

Ryan, you've done a great job and very smart to support the branches. It would be awful to have a branch split, after all that hard work. You'll have to let us know how they are when they're ready. Our Dekopons that come to market don't show up here until late winter/early spring.

John, my Cara Caras were also very large last year. And exceptionally good tasting, the best year so far. This year I have zero fruit. Last year I had a tree full. I was not aware this cultivar has a proclivity for alternate bearing. I was so very disappointed not to find anything on the tree, unless it is buried in its very heavy canopy. On the positive side, a 4 year old (for me) Smith Red Valencia bought from Four Winds that appears to be in "the best spot in my yard", and is about 5 times the size of my other two Four Winds trees that are about 10' away from it finally has fruit. I thought it would another empty year, but low and behold, at the very bottom of the tree are 4 ripening fruits. And they're huge. Very pleased, and excited to see how they look and taste. We've had a very pretty chilly nights now, in the low 50's, so hoping for some nice flesh color.

Patty S.

Patty,

My Cara Cara trees bear continually and prolifically; maybe they are confused by the climate. The guy who gave me the budwood has oranges year around.

My advice stands about harvesting so many heavy fruits, even if too early for the best fruit, it is best for the tree and the future.

Did you see my Mayancello post?

Wow! Super pictures! Gotta get me one of those!

Here's one of my 'Sumo' Satsumas. LOL! You can really get huge fruit when you thin them out.

Wow, Dave. That is starting to approach small grapefruit size. How are they for flavor?

John, I did harvest well and on time, and I did thin that tree. So, it could just be that it's still young (4 years) and our very, very weird weather we had last winter. I also had nearly no stone fruit this season as well. So, probably likely due to the weather. All my neighbors also had odd fruiting experiences as well.

Patty S.

Interesting, Ryan, sounds like their timing in your area, even in a greenhouse environment, matches what we see in-ground here in California. Maybe one day we'll be able to have our own backyard Dekopon trees here in S. California. Until then, enjoying your photos and everyone else's!

Patty S.

Ryan, are you saying you leave them in the greenhouse during the summer also?

I'm always anxious to get mine out as soon as it gets warmer; sometimes too early and I am bringing them in and out. Maybe I should be leaving them in? I thought mine did better outside, but when I see pictures of yours, maybe I should be leaving them inside?

Cory

Patty, Its interesting to me they are not allowed in CA. non commercially. Hopefully they get rid of that restriction soon. Ive actually modeled my greenhouse climate after the central valley climate in your state.

Cory, Yes GH is up all year long. I'll open the east and western walls in the summer to prevent the heat from getting much above 90F. All trees are on automatic irrigation as well.

Ryan, that is wonderful..It gives me hope with mine..Mine I got in March and they did not grow much all summer outside...I should keep them in the greenhouse...I'm going to try that...

Ryan, please, tell me if you think I should cut mine back now of wait until the spring? There is no new growth just yet..They are still tall and spindly....What would you do?
Did you feed yours all year too? I figure you might since you are keeping them warm..

I figure I might be able to get much better growth if I follow your example since I have the same trees to work with, but not so much the same amount of sun or length of hot days..But I would have to say that the greenhouse would be tons better than what I have been doing...

Thanks a million..Anything you have to share, I am all ears)

MIke

Thanks Ryan. I can't take the sides out of my greenhouse. I think my trees might be taken over by scale and mealybug that is why I Iike to put them outside. I may try to leave the Dekopans inside this summer and see if I can keep the bugs under control on just two trees. How do you control mealybug and scale? Your trees always look so healthy.

Cory

Mike, its up to you about cutting the tree for a bush form. I was mostly wondering what the differences would be between bush and non form as far as production and manageability - My GH is not all that large (8/9Ft at the tallest point) and I need the trees to stay smallish. I also have 4, if I had one I probably would not do it. I do feed them all year long, but less in winter.

Mike, I made the decision to build a GH some years ago because I realized to produce the quality and volume of fruit I wanted it was a MUST for being out of zone. I think its critical if you are serious about citrus and other tropical's for that matter. Oh and a quality heater is also critical.

Cory, Yes the bug issue. Well I don't have any magic answer for that. What I do is use Neem oil often. Also being outside with the sides open in summer allows the good bugs in, Neem doesn't disrupt the good bugs all that much. For the most part mites and scale are the problems for me, Neem works well for them. Catching a problem early and spray interval is also very important. Managing bugs is just a part of this hobby, once you accept that, it gets a little easier.

Ryan, when I saw the tall thin plants people were ordering I suggested that they be topped as well. I think it makes sense as a potted specimen. Gorgeous plants!

Patty, that satsuma is an Armstrong Early. They weren't quite as good as they were last year. We had a bit less heat this summer if that had anything to do with it. This year they were very juicy, but not quite the strong sweet/tart complex flavor you'd expect from a great Satsume.

I only had three fruit on this year as opposed to 15 last year. This accounts for the size, and perhaps the flavor??

Ryan, you are right about that....I don't really eat the fruit off of mine, I grow mostly for fragrance, but lately I have had many friends asking me for fruit..I just may have to do that since I can't depend on stable warm temps until the middle of June if that and it only last's until the middle of August, if I am lucky...

I have sort of accepted the fact that none of my tree will ever look as big or as fruitful as many here that live in better climates, but at least I can keep them healthy and producing if I want to..

I can either replace my orchids with citrus trees in the greenhouse and get much more fruit, or keep them as is, much less sun, cool temp until the time they go back outside....It's a choice at least I get to make...I debate this every year. My orange tree is in the greenhouse for the first time, and let me tell you when I say it makes a huge difference..I will snap a pic soon..I am encouraging lots of oranges since that is everyone's fave around here.

Cory, I too use Neem when desperate, but I found that you have to use these oils as soon as there is a problem and consistenly....I also will do a rinse off of everything so that the oils don't build up on the trees...The oil method can take some time to kill everything...The nymphs and little unhatched ones have to be caught also and smothered even though the mature die off..It's a constant battle once the agression on your plants has taken hold..
Many use systemics when things get out of control and hold off eating the fruit for a bit..I think there is one that both Patty and John use on theirs that is relativitly safe to use..I would use that if I had to..
I usually start using the Fish Emulsion for weeks before they come in which keep the trees clean of bugs..
Next step is Rosemary oil mixed with soap..
If that does not work, then the Bayer Rose Systemic one that kills everything....That one I don't mind using because there is no natural enimies this time of the year out there, in your greenhouse nor bees.
This is the one that a lot of local greenhouses use that works very well.

Mike.

Ryan, thanks again for sharing...Good to know a greenhouse can make all the difference in the world..Come spring, before a flush, I will cut mine back to..The trunk is just WAY to thin and can not even hold the top of the leaves up straight without the use of support.

MIke

SUMO's are slated to hit our local shelves in February. I usually pick up a few each season. Really a nice piece of fruit. For me growing one would overrun a fully loaded harvest window. I have 'Washington' & 'Lane Late' navels, and sometimes 'Page' mandarins still floating around.

Here is a link that might be useful: sumo in stores

i going to order a Sumo for my birthday next spring! I have a sumo seedling that is almost 2 years olds and just about 3 inches tall. LOL poor thing is just sitting there.

Dave
My armstrong put out massive fruit just like that last year. This years crop was much smaller and more tasty. Pretty good in my opinion.

Mike