Thread: Picking Imperial Mandarins

No, but a bit of trivia.

Imperial mandarins come from here at Emu Plains. The orchard that developed it in about 1890 was probably around the street named after them, Imperial Ave.

Thanks Ron - how about ducking around and getting an answer to the question

While Imperial Ave. is only about 500 metres from me, there hasn't been an orchard here since long before my time - we've lived here since '83 and just across the river from '72-83.

My uncle who had a farm down in Wellington used to tell me they needed a couple of frosts on them to make them sweet , don't know if it was true but the fruit we got from then were always sweet

Well back mid year I picked the mandarins - were Ok but not brilliant. Read up on the trees and the view to increase the size of the crop and the size of fruit was to prune the tree, particularly the inner growth so to open it up. So as soon as I picked the fruit I pruned the two trees I have - not heavily but mainly to clear out the centres.

Jump forward 4 months and well - the advice from the online experts was crap - no flowers, so no fruit next year .

So any advice on how to improve the trees so I get flowers next year and some fruit in 2022.

Also the trees have developed yellow leaves - again advice from the experts says it is a nutrient deficiency - nitrogen, manganese and zinc and over watering.

Well I feed the trees with citrus food that have these nutrients in them and I have not watered over winter at all - there has been enough rainfall.

So any other ideas on what causes yellow leaves (there are no pests).

Thanks

Garry

Iron and ph are 2 other guesses. I’d also get a ph test (take a soil sample to a nursery) and water with iron chelates

Originally Posted by 101RRS

Well back mid year I picked the mandarins - were Ok but not brilliant. Read up on the trees and the view to increase the size of the crop and the size of fruit was to prune the tree, particularly the inner growth so to open it up. So as soon as I picked the fruit I pruned the two trees I have - not heavily but mainly to clear out the centres.

Jump forward 4 months and well - the advice from the online experts was crap - no flowers, so no fruit next year .

So any advice on how to improve the trees so I get flowers next year and some fruit in 2022.

Also the trees have developed yellow leaves - again advice from the experts says it is a nutrient deficiency - nitrogen, manganese and zinc and over watering.

Well I feed the trees with citrus food that have these nutrients in them and I have not watered over winter at all - there has been enough rainfall.

So any other ideas on what causes yellow leaves (there are no pests).

Thanks

Garry

You need to put some chelated iron (powder) over the root zone, which will roughly match the 'drip zone' from the canopy, maybe a little smaller in dia.

When the leaves green up you can put small amounts of old rusty crap in the same place to keep it going.

DL

Originally Posted by 101RRS

For the Citrus growers.

I do not have a green thumb at all but about 5 years ago I planted a small imperial Mandarin tree - was about 2' tall then and is now about 7' tall.

For the first two years I removed any fruit that started so that all effort would go into the tree. Two years ago I let it fruit and got about 3 fruit but they were very small and not good - but it did fruit.

Last year, I got about 12 and again not so good.

This year 20 fruit and they have been full orange for about a week now - these are a bit bigger than they have been in the past. The web says pick them when they are fully orange and not to leave then on the tree. Externally they look great and I have picked three so far but inside I dont think they are ripe - still very tart and a little firm - but the skin is still very orange and ripe looking. We are starting to get heavy frosts so am concerned about damage to the fruit on the the tree.

So for those in the know - what is the best time to pick Imperial Mandarins?

Thanks

Garry

My Uncle when he was alive had a farm at Wellington NSW we visited them once & they gave us some mandarins to take home saying would be very sweet as they had had a couple of frosts to sweeten them . Not sure if it is true but they were sweet.