I think it’s probably just a translation issue, but those “tangerines” don’t sound anything like any kind of tangerine or mandarin I’ve ever tasted. From the two articles linked in the first post:
They’re similar to a grapefruit. The locals call them “hagyul” (summer tangerine). Once the thick peel is removed, it looks just like an orange. Unlike oranges or tangerines, however, the flesh is less juicy and has a sour taste.
While there are many other citrus fruit varieties there, one of the most prevalent citrus trees is called hagyul, meaning summer orange. Hagyul is so-named because it fully ripens in the summer months. The hagyul looks like a grapefruit but tastes more like a lemon.
I’d say just call it “hagyul” so no one gets the wrong idea and thinks this is a sweet citrus.
The second link in the first post talks about withholding water to make sweeter citrus. They sometimes put Tyvek down on the ground to limit rain entering the soil. They also grow in greenhouses and withhold water the last two months before harvest in order to make sweeter fruits. That’s very similar to what I’ve done with stone fruit and other fruits. I held back on citrus tree water some all season. I’ll try the last two month option next time I get a chance.
Having tried all kinds of citrus for over 20 years outdoors in the Seattle area, my conclusion is that it will take ongoing and substantial effort to keep them alive. Whether this effort is worth it is upto you.
Sweet citrus is the next level of complication. Fruit take about 2 years to get ripe and have to be protected from frost for the whole duration.
One of my friends lost a mature Yuzu after many years last year when snow piled up at the root zone for many weeks and rotted out the graft union.
I must be a glutton for punishment because I bought a Yuzu this year again after losing all citrus last year. I don’t think I have the patience to grow a sweet citrus.
A greenhouse would likely cut that in half, ie a normal year long cycle to ripen. But in truth my greenhouse citrus was of questionable merit. Only the pummelo were unique or better than store bought. And pest control, mainly scale, can be a challenge. Pummelo will be my focus from here on out.
I don’t think it’s actually a pomelo though, because they say it tastes like lemon and isn’t eaten fresh, mostly used to make beverages or sauces. So maybe it’s an inferior pomelo.
Pomelos aren’t very cold hardy. Even in California it seems that what gets circulated as “pomelo” are actually pomelo back-crossed grapefruits. Funny enough grapefruits and sweet oranges are both the exact same hybrid. They both originated from crossing pomelo with tangerine. The orange is more tangerine dominant and the grapefruit is more pomelo dominant. Crazy enough despite having the same two parent species they have been assigned two different hybrid species names.
The Korean spelling for hagyul is 하귤. If you copy/paste the Korean name into your search engine you’ll find much more info about it. It is listed as Citrus natsudaidai. If you Google C. natsudaidai it appears that it’s actually much better known from Japan where it goes by the names Amanatsu (甘夏) or natsumikan (ナツミカン(夏蜜柑)).
The USDA appears to have hagyul it in their collection as Citrus ×aurantium var. racemosa cv.
‘Natsudaidai’. This means they are classifying it as a selection of grapefruit.
Which makes sense because the climate on Jeju Island seems better suited to sour citrus cultivation. I was taking the article at its word, imagining the hagyul as a slightly sour tangerine. I really hope someone with first hand knowledge of Jeju Island citrus industry finds this post and offers some insights. I’m totally fascinated. So much that I’ve been checking flights. There’s a lot more to see than just the citrus. It’s a gorgeous island. Maybe my next vacation.
That’s a great find! If that is indeed growing in the Yamagachi prefecture the winter temps are even colder than Jeju. The average low in the winter is 35 F. That’s is Nagato right on the water.
Evidently, another user found these trees growing in the Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan. If this is true, then these types of citrus are withstanding even colder average lows than on Jeju. In Nagato the average winter low is 35 f. They get far less sunshine than the Willamette Valley. But the all time coldest temp is only 22 F, which is definitely a big reason those trees have lived so long.
I would totally go check this place out. I’ve already been looking at plane tickets. lol The best I’ve found roundtrip is $1100 so definitely a little spendy. There’s also the areas in Japan you found. That would be an amazing trip to visit both countries. I’d better go buy a mega bucks ticket!
I’d guess blood oranges should do very well in your greenhouse, particularly Bream Tarocco. It needs both chill and heat and grows to its true potential only in Central Valley. Also, its not available in stores as it doesn’t develop exterior pigmentation like Moro. You can control watering in your greenhouse better than California as we often get rains during the ripening season. Didn’t you say you want to plant more berries? well, this is another source of anthocyanin.
I need to visit @fruitgrower sometime soon to steal a couple of his fruits
I don’t remember saying I want to plant more berries. Doesn’t mean I didn’t. I have a couple varieties of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. No struggle growing those.
