Favorite late(ish) season mandarin

15 years ago

There are several discussions of the merits of various types of mandarins in the archives which were quite useful. I'm wondering if any one has any experience/recommendation for mid- to late-season varieties, particularly some of the newer types. Here's what I'm considering based on what I've been able learn though there is quite a bit of conflicting information out there:

I'm leaning towards either a Pixie or a Gold Nugget. The UCR description of GN indicates they are similar. Has anybody tried both? I gather that they have similar harvest period / hold though some have indicated that GN is later w/ longer hold. True?

The Shasta Gold sounds very interesting to me, but I haven't been able to locate one. My impression is the SG is a little earlier than the two above, but has a good hold so there a lot of overlap.

The W. Murcott is also available (Tango doesn't seem to be). How do these compare to the above?

Any others I should be considering?

My preferences:

Does well in desert climate (phoenix area)

Long season on tree.

Seedless (not a deal breaker)

Very rich, full flavor - I like intensely sweet but even better if it's got a little bite mixed in.

Comments (4)

softmentor
15 years ago
I am in Indio which is a little hotter but very similar to your area. These comments are for backyard fruit, not commercial market.
I have both Pixie and Gold Nugget. Neither one are my best producers. Both were slow to start producing compared to others. GN is much larger than Pixie. Good flavor but I would rate it an 8, not a 10.
I much prefer Kinnow for a late season. It first starts about Jan 1 but it holds well so it is the latest holding, therefore latests season, of all the mandarins I have. Kinnow has a very rich flavor, very tangerine, and just the right sweet / acid balance. Toward the end of the season, say April, they are so sweet I have even considered trying to do dries slices. Haven't tied it yet but I believe the sugar content is high enough to try.
Shasta Gold is not proving out well, despite the rather high hopes of the UCR folks.
W. Murcott is right up there for flavor but is more mid season. If you wanted a long season I would go with Daisey, which is earlier than W.M and ends just as Kinnow is starting to get really sweet. I would put Daisey, Kinnow and W.M all very high at the top for flavor, all 3 are a 10. W.M is not seedless if there are other citrus near buy, as the others will cause W.M to pollinate and have seeds. Also W.M is a more prone to sunburned fruit than Kinnow.
I eat 2 or 3 daisey each morning from before Thanksgiving until January, then start in on the Kinnow all the way into April. They hold until the really hot 105 type temps do the last of them in. I eat the others I have on occasion, including W.M, but I alway eat the Daisey and Kinnow the most and finish off everything on the trees.
Also consider Mineolla for a late season. It is markedly more tart because of it's grapefruit in it's parentage, but if you let it hold until Feb. or later it starts getting pretty good. Like grapefruit, it likes to be on the tree for about 14 to 15 months to reach peak sweetness.
archstanton
Original Author
15 years ago
Great info!!!

I was actually planning to get a Daisy for early- & mid-season, glad to hear you recommend it so highly. So far, I've been unable to locate a Daisy in AZ, but I'll continue to look. Fairchild is also supposed to do very well in the desert as an early season mandarin.

Interesting on the Kinnow, I had no idea they held on the tree so late, I thought Gold Nugget was just about the last mandarin of the year.

The main downside to both Daisy and Kinnow is relatively high seed count. I think UCR has developed promising low-seed versions of both, but it will likely be years before these are commonly available.
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wilmington_islander
15 years ago
I have tried all of the above you named...all very good, but IMHO, nothing beats a honey murcott.
softmentor
15 years ago
honey murcott is the same tree as W. Murcott. Especially in Florida they confused the names. I agree Murcott is a good one but I like the other 2 for our hot climate in Phoenix and Coachella Valley as they don't burn as much fruit. Murcott caries it's fruit way out near the tips of the branches so it burns more
Fairchild is good if you don't have anything to compare it to. I pick all my Fairchild and give it to a local shelter that feeds people. They are kind of boring and don't even come close to the others mentioned.

Favorite late(ish) season mandarin

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archstanton
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Favorite late(ish) season mandarin

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softmentor

archstantonOriginal Author

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archstanton
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