Based on @hoosierquilt 's recommendation in a GW thread, I bought these two varieties to extend my citrus season. I have some questions.
I got a Gold Nugget on a “standard” root stock. The wholesaler is Menlo Growers. How big would it get? I’m primarily growing this tree to hide my neighbor’s ugly yard. I don’t mind pruning it to say 10/12 feet every year.
How “seedless” are these varieties? I have another unknown mandarin and other citrus varieties.
The soil drains poorly so I’m constructing a raised bed. Is 3’X3’X12" good enough for the standard? How about the Tango which is on a “dwarf” rootstock, most probably from Menlo Growers as well.
Mandarins are smaller stature trees. Unpruned it could get 15’ in 15 years.
Gold Nugget came out of an 70-year breeding program begun by Howard Frost in the early 1900’s. It rarely has seeds – I’ve never had seeds in any of mine.
Not in my opinion. I’d allow a cubic yard for roots.
BD, does the tag for the standard have any letters or codes on it other than Gold Nugget? I’m just curious what they might consider standard size stock.
Vin, I concur with Richard, here. Mandarins in general tend to be a more compact cultivar, than, say, oranges. Gold Nugget tends to be more upright than Tango, and is probably a bit more vigorous in its growth habit. Tango bears very, very heavily, so you’ll want to thin to help keep the tree’s vigor up (say in about August or so), and be sure to pick fruit when it’s ripe, and don’t let it hang too too long on the tree, as it can cause the tree to alternate bear (more common with later-bearing mandarin cultivars). So, that way, you’ll get plenty of fruit every year, and enough growth. It is probably as seedless as Gold Nugget. I can’t recall having any seeds in my Tango, and there is plenty of opportunity for cross-pollination on my property. But, probably more likely to have an errant seed over Gold Nugget or Seedless Kishu. Also, rootstock will impart increased or decreased vigor as well, so it would help to know what rootstock your mandarins are on. And, yes, bigger, deeper raised beds. There was a nice article a while back in Sunset Magazine about a couple in Los Angeles growing citrus in raised beds due to their clay soils. Here is a link to part of it:
That’s what I thought, mandarins do not get too big. That’s why I want to grow them. I want screening but not a shade tree. Glad to hear reports of them being mostly seedless. It’s mostly for my young 'uns.
Now DWN advocates 3’X3’ for stone fruits but they are supposed to be kept at BYOC heights. I just want to raise the rootball, there will be soil underneath. A cubic yard means I’d have to triple the size of my bed! If that’s the case, I’ll just plant it on a mound and use the bed for the Tango.
Well, just do the best you can do to provide a well-drained area. And, if you’re trees are planted raised up, take into consideration that raised planting height into the total height of your trees, too. That will help to give you a little bit more height. I, like Richard, try to keep my citrus (and all my fruit trees) in “pickable height” if possible. I really don’t like using ladders in the garden.
Oh yes, all of my fruit trees are less than 8 feet tall. Except for the Gold Nugget and the Pakistan Mulberry which is going to be a shade tree and distraction for squirrels and birds.
Yes,I haven’t found a seed yet in any store bought Gold Nugget.They are in for treat.I rate GN up there with Sumo.
My question to the Citrus growers.There are a lot of fruits that are said to taste a lot better homegrown vs. store bought.Is something like these Mandarins that way also?The ones I’ve been buying are remarkably sweet and flavorful.If they are that much better,then I really want to try some. Brady
I’ve had a lot of pretty terrible store bought mandarins out here in southern CA. The mandarins I’ve gotten at farmer’s markets have been infinitely better. An old mandarin tree I had in my backyard was much better tasting than any store fruit I bought, I was very sad that I had to cut it down due to root rot.
And to add to that, which I also agree with is, many of the cultivars that are really exceptional do pack or maybe store, well, not making them good commercial candidates. So, you won’t see them in your supermarkets. So us backyard orchardists can take advantage of growing cultivars with superior flavor, but poor commercial qualities. That’s what happened to Seedless Kishu mandarin. Even too small to fall into the “Cutie” category, but without a doubt one of the top 5 best tasting mandarins going. We are all so fortunate to be able to grow some of these truly delicious cultivars in our backyards.
It is! It is actually from a rather rare (now) and very, very old Chinese cultivar. I absolutely love it. It is probably my very, very favorite mandarin. Up there with Ponkan, Gold Nugget, Tango and Page (which is actually a mandarin hybrid). I just love Kishu, you can pop the entire fruit into your mouth at once. Perfect “little snack” size. I’m not a big person, so sometimes all I really want is 1/2 a mandarin. I can eat a whole Kishu
Yes, and they are the earliest of my citrus, sometimes as early as October and always such a welcome treat when they come. What a great fresh fruit for Thanksgiving!
I thought of planting ‘Gold Nugget’ to extend the citrus season, and yes citrus is king, but come spring I’m so ready to move on from it. Right now it’s strawbs and loquats with blueberries right around the corner. Heck, early peaches aren’t too far off either. What a hobby!
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