The Mandarin orange is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling the orange. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical, and roughly resembles a pumpkin in shape. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Specifically reddish orange Mandarin cultivars can be marketed as a tangerine, but this is not a botanical classification.
Varieties of mandarin orange include the satsuma, clementine, tangor and several new varieties such as Gold Nugget recently released by the University of California, Riverside.

There are over 200 satsuma cultivars, the most well known of these being the Owari. Owaris become ripe in November and December in Northern Hemisphere. Clementines have displaced satsumas in many markets and are becoming the most important commercial Mandarin variety. The "Clemenules" or "Nules" clementine accounts for the great majority of clementines produced in the world. Spain alone has over 200,000 acres, producing fruit between November and January. Mandarins marketed as tangerines are usually Dancy, Sunburst or Murcott (Honey) cultivars.

In many varieties, notably most satsumas and clementines, the rind is loose and can easily be removed by hand. Most canned mandarin oranges are satsumas. In Japan, satsumas are called mikan.

The tangor, also called a temple orange, is a cross between a mandarin and an orange. Its thin rind is also easy to peel, and its pale orange pulp is spicy, full-flavored, and tart.

Citrus fruit varieties are usually self-fertile (needing the bee only to move pollen within the same flower), or parthenocarpic, not needing pollination and therefore seedless (such as satsumas). Blossoms from the Dancy cultivar (for instance) are an exception. They are self sterile, therefore must have a pollenizer variety to supply pollen, and a high bee population to make a good crop. Further, some varieties, notably clementines, are usually seed free, but will develop seeds if cross pollenated with seeded citrus. Thus great efforts are taken to isolate clementine orchards from any seeded citrus varieties.

I thought Mandarin orange is specifically grown by people in China, because in my country, most of the seller is Chinese... and they speak Mandarine..

Thought it was related.. the two of them..
Silly me!!:confused:

Chinese farmers grow and sell lots of fruits and veggies, not just Mandarins. Here in California, a majority of the older latino population are still farmers, thus they are the ones that grow the fruit most californians enjoy.

The mandarin orange is considered a native of south-eastern Asia and the Philippines. It is most abundantly grown in Japan, southern China, India, and the East Indies, and is esteemed for home consumption in Australia.

I just posted about kumquats but am thinking of adding a mandarin tree to my yard. Looking forward to learning more here.

I planted three mandarin seeds in a pot in early spring and they are all about two inches high. Do mandarin trees do all right from seeds, or will I have to purchase a grafted plant?

Thanks,

Cantate in Tokyo

cantate7, If you planting the mandarin tree seeds as a hobby that seems fine. Nothing is more exciting in turning a little tiny seed into a big flowering citrus tree!

However, seeds also pose variables in that you might be growing a citrus tree that is less than stellar when compared to reputable Madarin varaties. So if your looking forward to a steady supply of fruit I would suggest you invest $30 in a nice tree...that way you'll also have the fruit a lot sooner too.

I bought a mandarin from my local super market and i planted the seed. 14 days later it sprouted but with two stems! does this mean ill have 2 trees or will they join togther in time??

Mandarin seeds are polyembrionic and 2 or more trees from 1 seed are not uncomon. You can seperate the trees, however damage to one or both is likely. You can allow them to grow together as 1 or you can snip the weakest one off. Sometimes mother nature will do this for you through natural selection and sometimes not.

Andi

I have not had much trouble separating multiple seedlings when thay are about 1 inch tall. Polyembryonic seedlings means that at least one and probably both of the seedlings are a clone of the mother plant.

Cdoc

thankyou both for your replies

it seems that the weakest stem is slowly dying off to leave its stronger brother to live on

thnx again

Jimmy

Oh and one other question

what is the best soil and outside temperature for a mandarin plant?

Mandarin's like other citrus need soil that will be free draining and not hold water in the root zone. Citrus hate wet feet. The soil needs to be in the neutral (7.0) to slightly acidic (6.0) on the pH scale, anything further either way and the plants have a tendency to complain and will be unable to utilize the nutrients in the soil.

Citrus also need to be placed in an area free of STRONG winds and cold.
Andi

As for temperature, planted inground, most mandarins should be able to withstand 0 C or slightly below even without protection if they are properly conditioned to the cold (a couple months of exposure to temps below 68). Early cold snaps or late freezes after spring growth has started can kill tender shoots. They will protection at temperatures below that (covering, misting or artificial heat).

Cdoc

As for temperature, planted inground, most mandarins should be able to withstand 0 C or slightly below even without protection if they are properly conditioned to the cold (a couple months of exposure to temps below 20 C or 68F). Early cold snaps or late freezes after spring growth has started can kill tender shoots. They will protection at temperatures below that (covering, misting or artificial heat).

Cdoc

As for temperature, planted inground, most mandarins should be able to withstand 0 C or slightly below even without protection if they are properly conditioned to the cold (a couple months of exposure to temps below 20 C or 68F). Early cold snaps or late freezes after spring growth has started can kill tender shoots. They will protection at temperatures below that (covering, misting or artificial heat).

Cdoc

well it doesnt get that cold in australia so i think it should be fine in the winter

if not ill bring it inside for the winter

thnx

Jimmy

Is it alright if i keep the soil temperature 25-30 degrees celcius?

77°F to 86°F should not be a problem. Try not to let them get much warmer than that as the roots actually stop responding when its too hot.

oh i didn't know that

thnx:)

The canopy can grow like crazy when its in the 90°F to 95°F (32°C to 35°C) but the root zone needs to be kept a little cooler. If you dig down a bit in your ground soil you will see that it is quite a bit cooler than the ambient air temp. This would be the opposite in the winter. Also when its that warm they need lots of humidity so they don't wilt.
Andi

The canopy can grow like crazy when its in the 90°F to 95°F (32°C to 35°C) but the root zone needs to be kept a little cooler. If you dig down a bit in your ground soil you will see that it is quite a bit cooler than the ambient air temp. This would be the opposite in the winter. Also when its that warm they need lots of humidity so they don't wilt.
Andi

what if its a 29 C day and your canopy will grow beautifully but your roots will stop working can i put a bit of white paper around the soil area so the soil would not get as hot?

Roots begin to shut down from high temperatures around 95 F or 35 C in the soil. Soil surface temperatures may reach such temperatures on a hot summer day, but it is unlikely that temperature will be reached even a few inches into the soil. So inground citrus are unlikely to have problems from to high a temperature. Actually the same is true for inground trees in winter--they are unlikely to get to the low limit temperature of 55 F especially deeper in the ground.

Container plants are a different story and can easily get too hot or too cold for the roots to function. Black plastic pots exposed to direct sun can easily get over 120 F even on a cool day.

Cdoc

i see

well mines in a black pot and i put it in full sun

but after about 45mins i put it in the shade to cool down

then i put it in the sun again and keep doin that

is that alright?