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| Hi, I have an owari satsuma that was planted 2 years ago from a 5 gallon pot. I'm in SoCal and am a citrus novice. The first year, there were a few small fruits that never matured and eventually just dropped. This year there are quite a few more. I have a few questions: 1) How long does it take for fruit to mature? A couple fruits are starting to show some yellow. But the rest are green. And the tree is blooming. (Is it normal for fruits to still be on while it starts to bloom again?) 2) The fruits seem too heavy for the branches... so they are drooping nearly to the ground. Should I support these branches with stakes? Or is that normal? Thanks for any help. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by hoosierquilt z10a/23 Vista Calif (My Page) on Sat, Dec 8, 12 at 22:19
| Owari Satsuma will ripen in December, so it's right on time. Younger citrus trees sometimes take a little longer to ripen up fruit, as they don't quite have the canopy yet, and energy to put forth, to get fruit to ripen on time. And, fruit drop that first year is perfectly normal. It's the tree's way of putting its energies into growing, rather than a bunch of fruit development. We often recommend pulling that fruit the first year, if your tree is really small, and trying to get established. You can support the branches if you're fearful of the branches breaking, and the can. Satsumas, once they get going, can be very prolific producers. They do tend to alternate bear, so this may be your main bearing year, and next season you might see a lighter crop. Again, perfectly normal. And the blooms are for next season. I'm seeing blooms starting to form on many of my citrus right now, too. We can get more off season fruiting here in our mild climate of S. California than other places, so again, perfectly normal. Be sure you're fertilizing properly (I would recommend fertilizing with a good citrus fertilizer every 2 months your first year, from Feb through Oct/Nov), and then once established, every 3 months. Patty S. |
Here is a link that might be useful: UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection: Frost Owari Satsuma
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