JennyC wrote in message
...
Hi

I brought some loquat seeds back with me from Greece.

They have all come up and I am now wondering whether they will survive the
climate here outside?

Anyone got any experience growing them in the UK, Holland or maybe even de
Dordogne?

--
Jenny
(Rotterdam the Netherlands)
remove the squirrel to reply


Hi Jenny,

I have a loquat growing on clay in SE London. Although it gets plenty of
sun from both the South and West, it is nevertheless a fairly windy site.
If I were you, I would treat your plants rather like a Bay Tree (Laurus
nobilis), keeping them sheltered in winter until they have made some
substantial mature wood. At about this time, you will discover that you
can't contain them inside any longer, anyway! Plant them in a well-drained
postion in full sun. If you want fruit (fingers crossed) then give them a
high potash feed. Mine flowers in autumn (yes, frost can be a problem),
sets fruit in spring, and is ripe come late July/early August. In Spain,
the crop is ready about May-June time, so it may be different again in
Rotterdam.

I think I remember that you have a roof garden ..? If so, you will need to
weight or tether them so that the wind on the substantial leaves doesn't
cause them to blow over. Another consideration is leaf fall. Loquats
(Eriobotrya japonica) are evergreen, but lose many of those large leaves
over the year. I am forever picking them off a nearby border. This hasn't
harmed the border, but could harm a border or rockery of more delicate
plants.

Loquats have lovely, stout, rigid branches and make a great structural
shape. Almost regardless of where the sun is, they throw out these branches
in many directions, often low down across a path. Over many years, I have
had to completely remove three or four limbs to avoid personal decapitation.
Fortunately,
loquats seem to cope with this very well, so don't worry if you find
yourself in this position. As with all rosaceous woody plants, die back can
be a problem. It is well worth checking over your tree after the spring
frosts and cutting out any damaged wood. Die back often starts at the site
of frosted blossoms, so this is a good place to start your examination.

Spider