How many do you do? - Jun 02, 2011
My son ate 12 mandarins on Sunday one after the other. He once ate 14 bananas, if he did that that today I would have to mortgage the house.
The mandarins were free because we have a mandarin tree in our backyard. Mandarins are one of the easiest fruit trees to grow.
They look good in the garden because they have glossy green leaves and perfumed white flowers.
The most popular variety is one called Emperor; this has medium sized fruit that are easy to peal. But the best mandarin to grow is a variety called Robbie Engall’s Seedless. You won’t find this one in your hardware store but it is available from nurseries.
Robbie Engall’s was a famous citrus grower who chose this variety because it had huge fruit with no seeds. The fruit have a puffy skin which makes them easy to peal.
The fruit ripen in April and May when mandarins are always expensive in the shops. This will be the sweetest mandarin you have ever eaten.
Mandarins don’t like clay soils so to get them to grow you will need to plant it on a mound of good soil. You could use an old car tyre, simply lay it on the ground then fill it with garden mix. Tip a bucket of water on it twice a week and the fruit will grow big. Fertilise with cow manure in spring and autumn. Spray the leaves with pestoil to prevent citrus leaf miner.
Once the tree matures you will get at least 200 mandarins every season. The kids can take them to school and you won’t care if they eat 12 in a row.
Tim Pickles is a CNP horticulturist and director of Tim’s Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown. 46267022.