A nine-year-old dwarf Owari Satsuma mandarin tree in a local front yard has produced its first abundant crop, according to a blog post by Cindy Yee. The tree, which was purchased from a nursery and planted by employees using native soil rather than premium soil, took six years to yield its first fruit.
Yee described her initial concerns about the tree’s slow progress. “The tree took a long 6 years to produce even one orange. I did wonder if the problem was the way they planted it (no, it wasn’t). By then, I was seriously thinking this must be a dud tree. Just like with our persimmon tree, I second-guessed everything I had done or not done. Maybe this is normal for an inexperienced gardener. As always, the conclusion was my fault; apparently, the tree needed to be fed more.”
Beginning in the seventh year, Yee increased fertilizer and compost applications and began using diluted fish fertilizer monthly. These efforts resulted in significant improvement: “Finally, on this, the 9th year, my tiny satsuma has rewarded attention with abundance. It is not even 3 feet tall, yet it has 40+ regular-sized fruit on it. When fully ripe in approximately one month, they will have turned a beautiful orange color. Last year’s crop was half the quantity, very easy to peel, and sweet with barely any seeds. I’m really looking forward to trying this year’s fruit.”
Owari Satsuma mandarins were first recorded in Japan’s Owari province about 700 years ago and introduced to North America in 1876. The trees are known for their cold hardiness—able to withstand temperatures as low as 28°F—and can grow up to 15 feet tall in standard varieties.
Reflecting on her experience, Yee said: “I do wish that I had chosen a semi-dwarf instead, as beautiful as the tree has become. My dwarf grows only 3-4 inches a year at best. So glad to have waited and given it the love it deserves. Patience finally paid off.”
