Richard

Loquat trees do not produce true-to-type from seed. Rootings are good though. I recommend the cultivar "Big Jim".

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sunfish

Yes but I could make lots of money. My tree is loaded with fruit so buy seed.None GMO

Richard

Yes, lots of sellers of fruit tree seed and seedlings are making loads of money selling to unknowledgeable buyers -- and laughing all the way to the bank.

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sunfish

I like the taste of white flesh Loquat fruit much more than orange flesh

Richard

I like them both -- at least when they've received good care. The flavors are different. The white varieties are not-so-common in the nursery trade.

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venturabananas

Which white flesh one(s) do you have? All I have is a Big Jim that I've had for two years and it now 7' tall, very wide and bushy, and has yet to make a single flower. I've seen much smaller ones of other cultivars with fruit. If it doesn't flower next season, it's getting the axe. Nice looking plant, but I don't have room for ornamental plants.

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Dalmatiansoap

I thing they dont have long shelf life

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venturabananas

You just need to go to stores in China. I hear they are big sellers there.

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Richard

The guy to get them from is Jim Neitzel in the San Diego city chapter of the CRFG.

?? Loquats have an upright narrow habit. In our climate they flower every fall.

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venturabananas

Think broad, inverted vase, not narrow. Beautiful shape, great growth, but no flowers two falls in a row.

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Richard

Next time you get a chance in the daylight, please post a picture of a leaf or two that shows the characteristic shape.

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venturabananas

Will do. Looks like every other Big Jim I've seen. Just hasn't made fruit.

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Richard

Bizarre. Must be the radioactive Cesium Nitrate you've been using for fertilizer.

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venturabananas

Somebody with the last name Frost told me to use it. I was just following instructions!

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Richard

Here in the coastal-influenced portions of San Diego county, the Loquats start to ripen mid-February through March. Here's a tree visible from the traffic circle on Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas. What a load of fruit!

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barnetmill

I have 4 loquats that have finally last year three of them set fruit in our northwest florida climate that is 8b hardiness zone. I often see native bees on warm winter days flitting about the flowers. The fruit will not be ready until about IIRC late june. I have only had one harvest, but greatly enjoyed the loquats. It is a common tree in my area, but not everybody has one. When in full sun with a lot fertilizer they can be full of fruit. Some people do not like them. They apparently are good for wine making. They appear on occasion to be sensitive to fireblight since those in my pear orchard are not doing well. But other than that they appear to be a low maintenance tree well worth planting. My only grip is that the fruit is small and has large seeds, but it is delicious and the trees are cheap. My last one was free and it is doing the best, probably because it is getting full sun.

Richard

Thinning the fruits to one per cluster will result in fruits with a lot more flesh.

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barnetmill

That is probably what I should try in the future. Thanks

When retire I am planning to plant three sides of the perimeter of my eight acres with fruit and berry bearing plants. This is to run the gamut from mulberry, pears, cactus, Loquat, chickasaw plum, and what ever else will grow.
For the mulberry I will root cuttings, for the chickasaw plum I will either use sprouts or seedlings, for cactus I will root cuttings, for pears grafts on flowering pear.

For the loquat I was planning to use seedlings. I assume that this is a good way to obtain loquats on the cheap. I am not planning to harvest these trees and their fruit is intended for the critters to take some pressure off of what I have in my orchard and I may also harvest any deer or feral pigs that show up. The neighbors will also be welcome to take what they want.

venturabananas

Sounds like a great plan. Wish I had that much land or retirement on the horizon! I'm sure Richard can give you details, but I'm under the impression that seedling loquats are slower to produce fruit and inconsistent in quality -- though you might get some great ones. My local nurseries seem to only sell grafted ones of named cultivars. But if you aren't going to harvest them anyway, yeah, why spend money when you can grow seedlings. They are attractive, low maintenance plants.

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barnetmill

In my part of the country you see a potted plant and it says loquat and nothing else. But you raised a good point for my orchard to maybe get grafted loquats via the net of known variety and from that I can maybe graft my seedlings. Since I know that loquats other than getting fireblight or knocked down by a hurricane seem to be a sure thing in my locale and I found I do like the fruit.