loquat question

What do you need to do when the loquats fall off without maturing? Fertilize? It's not a water problem, for there has certainly been enough water this year.

That usually happens when I get a freeze right after the flower stage and they are young. They get a little bit bigger in the next month or so but then shrivel and die. I usually get a second batch that start after that freeze and they stay on the tree and mature.

That could be it. A few look like they will mature, very few, most fall off. In the past they have all fallen off. I did get a taste of one the other day. But the way our temperatures were bouncing January through March (and tonight) that may be the problem.

Thanks.

The one I have snuggled up to the house always produces while the one out in the yard does the same thing you are mentioning. Good luck.

Well! The first ones I ever saw and ate were "snuggled" against a school building. Maybe they need the extra protection and warmth a building gives them in our zone.

Most of the time in Florida its due to the high humidity and mold.
Use some Copper Sulfate found at your local home depot store, mix with water and spray the tree just as the fruit has started, do it a few more times before the fruit is ripe.

I've got two loquat trees that are about five years old from seed. How long a wait before they fruit? I have them in containers so I can put them in my greenhouse in winter. Appreciate any help.

I have never seen anything under five feet and bushy produce fruit. Five feet and lanky does not count. Remember, it produces flowers in January-February so you must make sure it never gets below 25 during that time period or the flowers will fail.

Well I guess I've got a way to go. My trees are only about 3 feet tall. I did have one that was over 6 feet and that one never produced and then picked up some kind of disease and died. Thank you "jujube". Now I'm going to be anxious about them not growing fast enough. I hope these guys live long enough to produce. Loquats up here (and by "here" I mean in Chinatown, NYC) Were going for over $5 a pound but they were worth it. My Dad had a real big one that had fruit every year. Eating them always reminds me of him.

Jujube, are there such things as male and female loquats? I remember someone bringing that up once but I never really got a clear answer.

Thanks again
roose

I think that the majority of them are self-fertile. I do have some that flower less than others but that always seems to be sun or size related. That is amazing that they are 5.00 a pound up there. People do not even eat their fruit here. They just leave it on the tree to rot. Someone people have the tree and dont even know that it is edible. It grows like a weed here. Good luck!!!

Thanks, jujube.

That's the other thing I've noticed, the trees are mostly in the shade. I'm moving them to a sunnier spot.

Having the ability to grow just about anything, does it get any better than that?

I guess there are advantages to living in warmer climates, don't have to have a greenhouse.

Yes! However, we have been in the 101-107 range for weeks now with almost no rain. You can lose a bunch of plants that way too. Many Northern fruits just die here in the summer. This heat wave isnt normal but when they do come, many plants that have lived for a few years just fry and die.

There's always that!!!

Maybe I should do some California dreaming.

One of my trees is wilting and for the life of me, I can't figure out why.
Well I can guess why. I believe I got a bad batch of "organic choice" potting soil 'cause everything I used it for has died and I'd forgotten about this plant. I've since repotted it with some other soil but I think the damage may already be done. I added some garden gypsum to try and break up whatever was ailing it and have been flushing the heck out of it. Hope it works!

We are zone 10B and do not go below 33-34 degrees at the coldest, most of the time not even that cold.
We get tons of fruits from our trees.
Loquat have a perfect flower both male and female. Only one is requried to fruit.

Thank you all for the info. I've lost hope on one of them, it's all winted and is not showing any sign of life. Any suggestions?