Does anyone know where to locate a Tango Mandarin in Texas? I refuse to believe that no one in Texas has it since imports are also banned to FL and AZ but both of those states have nurseries that sell it lol.
I would so so so greatly appreciate it if anyone could locate one for me. Does not matter where but the further south it is the better.
'Tango' Mandarin in Texas?
Your best bet would be to contact the A & M Citrus Center in Weslaco. They would know whether Tango is available to nurseries in Texas. If it is available, they might be willing to tell you who has it for sale.
http://kcc-weslaco.tamu.edu/
That is the center that controls the legal importation of citrus budwood into Texas. Then Texas nurseries buy the wood from this center to propagate any new cultivars.
I don't know why I didn't think of that. I live 15 minutes away from weslaco haha. Thanks for the advice, I did not see it listed with their available bud wood but I guess it can't hurt to ask.
Update: I contacted the head of the Weslaco Citrus Center and there is no source for 'Tango' Mandarin, bud wood or otherwise, in Texas.
So now I am filling out some USDA applications for permits and getting a licensing agreement for the bud wood from the University of California.
Does that sound desperate enough on my part? I'm nothing if not determined LOL!
Wow, I thought that Texas had the final say so about what entered into the state. Let me know how successful you are. I'm not after the Tango because it would have to be grown in isolation for it to remain seedless, but I would be interested in other varieties.
In your search for the Tango, did you run across any dwarf citrus trees? I need a good source. Since I would have to grow my citrus in pots, I need dwarf citrus trees. That way I could throw them into the greenhouse for the winter and it would be easier than having to cover and uncover all winter long if I were to plant a standard in the ground. Besides standards get too tall.
There are good varieties that dont need to be protected if you dont get below 14F on a regular basis.
Dwarfing can be dictated by rootstock so any variety can be grown as a dwarf if they are grafted on Flying Dragon rootstock. That rootstock is also hardy to below zero degrees and because the plant doesnt grow as tall, it will be better protected from the cold.
Miho and Seto Satsuma 14F
Bloomsweet Grapefruit 15F
Meiwa Kumquat 14F
Ujukishu Lemon: 15F non-sour lemon
Changsha Mandarin: 12F seedy but excellent taste. On its own rootstock. Old timer favorite.
Well the reason tango has become so popular is because it is hard to find an orchard in California that is isolated anymore. I read somewhere that owners are trying to sue nearby owners of bee farms because of the pollination they do lol.
Anyway, even in areas that they are openly pointed they still averaged only 0.2 seeds or practically none. The tree itself is sterile so even with cross pollination they don't often produce seed.