Thread: Mandarin tree
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Old 12-09-2006, 01:10 PM posted to aus.gardens
loosecanon loosecanon is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 256
Default Mandarin tree


"Dave -Turner" wrote in message
...
gday, ive got a small Mandarin tree in a pot (a seedless Silverhill
clone/graft), its only maybe a year old and ive just noticed it has
started to get quite a few small round flower balls which will open up
soon, i guess it knows spring is here. Are mandarin trees self
pollenating? and in that case can I collect their pollen and brush it on
the stigmas to manually pollenate the flowers to get more fruit?




Hi Dave,

Mandarins are self pollinating but no matter how many flowers you pollinate
the tree can only support so much. There will be a natural increase in fruit
as the tree gets bigger. So basically you would be wasting your time
pollinating flowers. Best to let mother nature do the job. Such a young tree
would only have a handfull of fruit I reckon but I could be wrong.

I so love the Imperial Mandarin it is best tasting in the mix. Even if it
has seeds.

I have also found that low hanging branches bear more fruit so some weights
on the end of some branches may encourage more fruit.

Good luck with it.

Cheers

Richard