My mandarine tree ... some advice, please?

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Against all the odds (the drought & having been planted in a spot which is in shade for most of the day in the winter months) my mandarine tree has produced an absolute profusion of fruit! I am very, very surprised!

(It was actually planted to "fill a difficult spot" in my garden - I really didn't expect all this fruit! Or any fruit for that matter!

Anyway, now that I do have all this fruit, could any of you in the know advise me about some concerns I have. My previous success rate with citrus trees is zilch . I have been responsible for the deaths of 3 lemon trees in 3 different locations (despite TLC & best intentions) so far. Sad

:

* The tree (or big bush!) has so much fruit that it appears to be over-burdened. I'm concerned that (as the fruit grows even larger) the odd branch might actually snap on a wild, windy day. (We get quite a few of those here.) Should I remove some of the fruit from the sagging branches?

* As the tree is in partial shade during the winter months (against a tall fence) is the fruit likely to fully ripen? Does it need full sun (which it has during the spring/summer months to ripen?

* Thrips! There seem to be lots of them hanging around the tree. Can they damage the existing (well established) fruit? And what is the best way to control/get rid of thrips? (Some sort of citrus oil? Definitely nothing involving poisons!) And why are they so attracted to the mandarine tree & not much else in my garden, anyway?

* Finally, anything else I should be doing at this stage?

Many thanks in advance,
- Olga

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Can you pick some of the unripened fruit to ease the load?

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Yes, I could, K.

I just wasn't sure if I needed to.

I might take a fresh look at the situation in a few days, after the rains we've been experiencing. Very Happy

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I must say, though, the unripened mandarines look very heathy!
I cut one open to check & they are very juicy ... just sour <pucker> at this stage. I hope they do get to ripen in that (winter) shaded position!

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yes you could or should pick unripened fruit.

Low branches can be supprted with a forked stick.

Wait for a frost to pick citrus for the table as it sweetens the fruit.

treat thrip with white oil, summer oil. They may discolour (small brown spots) the fruit skin but essentially the fruit remains edible.

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Thanks, dadpad. Very Happy

I picked some of the fruit yesterday. A very weighed-down branch was squashing my poor daphne bush!

That's interesting about frost sweetening the fruit! Fancy that! Surprised

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msolga wrote:

That's interesting about frost sweetening the fruit! Fancy that!

Same with grapefruit and some varieties of orange.

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grapes, too, so they say.

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You know, I'm trying to recall the last time I actually saw frost.

It seems a rather distant memory.

I'm still wondering if this abundance of mandarines will actually ripen in this (largely) shaded spot (in the winter months). But my little tree looks so happy & healthy, I suspect there'll be a happy ending to this story. (OK, I'm being optimistic!) Very Happy

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Msolga--

You deserve a happy ending--with lots of lucious fruit.

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Frost would not be a common sight in inner metro area. Being a costal city and having all that bitumen and concrete acting as a heat sink. some times its very beautifull, sometimes its a right royal PITA having to hose the windows on the car until the windscreen wipers are no longer frozen to the winscreen.

Perhaps having the neighbours trees cut down will let a little more sunshine in.

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Noddy24 wrote:

Msolga--

You deserve a happy ending--with lots of lucious fruit.

Thank you, Noddy!

This is what I'm hoping for!

I'm really hoping that The Goddess of Mandarines is feeling benevolent this year! Very Happy

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It's been raining on & off since yesterday afternoon Very Happy

, but I just went out the back to check the progress of my mandarines. They actually appear to be ripening. Surprising, considering the location of the tree. But the colouring appears to be a little "botchy". By that I mean that it's not an even sort of yellowing of the fruit. I'm hoping, despite that, that they'll be edible anyway, a bit down the track. If not I may have to find interesting & obscure recipes for unripened mandarines. :wink:

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If memory serves me correctly, like most fruit, you can pick some take them inside and they will ripen a little quicker. Test it out on one or two.

Put em on a sunny window sill.

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Msolga--

Here in the states, commercial citrus growers use dye.

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dadpad wrote:

If memory serves me correctly, like most fruit, you can pick some take them inside and they will ripen a little quicker. Test it out on one or two.

Put em on a sunny window sill.

I've already had a few "ripen" in this way, dadpad. From the branches I've had to remove because they've been way too heavy. On the back veranda they've sort of (almost!) reached the "right" colour, but don't look all that healthy, really ...
But I'm yet to taste them. Maybe they'll be delicious! :wink:

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Noddy24 wrote:

Msolga--

Here in the states, commercial citrus growers use dye.

NO!!!!

Say it isn't true, Noddy!

(Actually, I do believe you. God knows what's done here in Oz to make our fruit & vegetables look "healthy! I'm not sure if I want to know! Sad

)

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"Almost the right colour" probably means they are not a commercial variety. but should be just as sweet and delish.

Wet branches are twice as heavy.

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I thought you had to pee on citrus plants to make the fruit sweet?

Front yard or back yard, Olga?

Should I warn the neighbours?

Dadpad - myth or not?

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margo wrote:

I thought you had to pee on citrus plants to make the fruit sweet?

Front yard or back yard, Olga?

Should I warn the neighbours?

Dadpad - myth or not?

citrus are very heavy feeders so I guess there is some truth in that, but more importantly if you peed on your citrus regularily it would acidify the soil. We already have pretty low ph soils in most eastern states so a handfull of lime each year could be beneficail if fertilising "organically"
And of course drainage is the other thing.

The lemon tree is for the blokes at bbq's.

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My mandarine tree ... some advice, please?

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