Meiwa is the best followed by Fukushu. They should be grafted to a poncirus tryfoliata Hybrid. If you have a clear space out side I would go with Flyingdragonrootstck. You will need to greenhouse it as that I do mine.

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Nippon and Indio will chew your lips off. not worth growing. any citrus tree grown in ground will grow 4 time s a potted citrus. The amount of time and fuss with a potted tree will be much more than growing in ground outside and throwing up a greenhouse.

6b Steve

So, what you are saying is that it is not worth to bother growing them in a pot? Or do I miss understand? I have no plans of growing outside but like all my citrus growing in a container. Meiwa and Fukushu sounds like a desirable plant to add to the collection. I'm not a propagator just a grower, never grafted anything. I wouldn't even now where to get root stock and then the material like meiwa to put on there ;). So yes, a plant already in a pot. Ready to grow and hopefully harvest.

Susanne, I have two Nagami kumquat trees and one fukushu. The nagamis produce tons (but they are large trees - more bushy actually). Their flavor is tart, that's for sure. However, my family ate them all! They will produce lots in a container and are very suitable for container growing. Oh, and I've not tried the Fukushu fruit yet.

I'm not really a tart taste loving person. Love my lemons for the lemon aroma with lots of sugar added ;)

How about the centennial kumquat? At least it looks also beautiful?

Kumquats in general are grown more for ornamental aspect than for eating; but the Meiwa is the sweetest, while the Nagami may be easier to grow.

I personally cannot swallow even a small amount of kumquat, I don't mind sour in lemons and limes even out of hand but Kumquats have a sour/bitter combo that its entirely inedible to me.If you've never had one you will be in for a surprise once you get fruit (good or bad only your tastebuds will tell) if you don't like tart The Meiwa is supposed to be the sweetest *though not sweet.That being said many people like them and they are supposed to make a good marmalade/jam but Calamondins are much better IMO. Tart but not as bitter. I was able to eat it off the tree it had a tart lemon orange flavor that is really good.

Steve I need to visit. ;) your trees look nice in ground and same zone than me.

Sammers and I thought calamondines are bitter? I had one maybe 30 years ago in germany. Lots of people had them as an indoor on the window only. I remember very darkly that the fruit was inedible. But maybe that where a different species altogether?

I forgot to answer above. Growing in ground is an excellent option. Growing in pots is generally the preferred way to go north of zone 8. I just wanted to point out an option for growing a tree capable of zone 8a could be grown outside 2 zones colder in zone 6. I am 6b and I do not have to heat my space more than 2-5 nights a winter. I am finding for my self that it takes less work and time for me to grow outside with protection.

6b Steve

They have a slight bitterness when eaten whole and none to me when peeled. they are really tiny so I know most people don't peel them but I like them peeled out of hand and just ok with the peel on. They are really tasty added to drinks and I am still waiting to get enough to cook with though I've had food with them in it. They are used in Filipino cuisine for marinades and such and apparently make a fantastic marmalade as well. I know people are usually exaggerating when they say this but I don't think I would have a kumquat tree if it was free. I used to cook professorially for a living and for a while kumquats were very popular and I've never had them in anything I thought was good, but I am very anti bitter, I don't drink coffee or beer because of the bitterness. I still would like to try a Meiwa just to know for sure that I don't like them but as I am not willing to raise a tree I may never get the chance. I don't know about the stores around you but all of mine had Kumquats this winter in the produce section. It used to be just specialty markets like Whole Foods but even Safeway and Fred Meyer had them this year if your not sure and willing to wait it may be worth it to try some before you buy. What other citrus do you grow?

First, I have a seedless Nagami at my lemon farm; and while everyone SAYS they like them, no one eats them; they have fruits the whole year and they mostly fall on the ground. Concerning the calamondin... to be edible other than for its "lemon" juice, it needs a LOT of heat units. I would very much doubt that a calamondin in Germany would ever get enough heat to make them edible.

Everyone is different. I remember vividly the first time I plucked a kumquat (nagami) from my tree and ate it....wow! I almost spit it out! However, I forced myself to chew and after that first burst of sour, the sweet skin blends with the sour. I equate it to eating a ray of sunshine ;-). That said, I do not eat more than one or two at a time. My husband really liked them, and my seven year old also ate them like they were going out of style. Now this is a kid who loves any type of citrus. After the kumquats ran out (and between two trees there were over 100 of them), she started eating the calamondins out of hand. I think those are even worse. That said, the trees produce lots (both kumquats and calamondins) and there are lots of recipes with both fruits. My favorite jam of all time is made with calamondins. I was recently lamenting that we are almost out and will not have more calamondins till late this year at best. I have also heard that you can purée kumquats to make delicious pies. It is also a beautiful tree and when loaded with fruit, quite spectacular. I have not tried a meiwa...I don't have a tree.

From Sammers comment above of a quote.

"I know people are usually exaggerating when they say this but I don't think I would have a kumquat tree if it was free"

Cory gave me my 2 Fukushu and 1 Meiwa kumquat trees for free.

I am very happy with them.

Thanks Cory

Pip gave me the original New Zealand lemonade tree for free. I have grafted and additional NZL on seed grown US897 rootstock. The seeds were also a gift from Pip.

Thanks Pip

I say be careful in what you say you wouldn't take for free. I lost a free trip to the Indianapolis 500 with my big mouth and its bold claims.

The seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree is the only thing I have left from my own purchase of seed and trees. I lost over 300 citrus trees in my early start/learning curve. I was ready to quit when I received those gifts. Nothing has died since.

6b Steve

I have Santa teresa feminnello, meyer, variegated ping, moro, oroblanco, Mineola tangelo, and coming tomorrow cara cara (killed one last winter) Valentine pomelo, and Trovita. Tasted I have Meyer, ST and minneola. Not managed to get fruit on the other trees yet. Minneola was as sweet as can get and I was very surprised. The meyer is fantastic in ice tea And the Santa Teresa......... just wow. One of the trees is putting on so many blooms and everytime I look there are more. Lemocello here I come :)

I did not mean to offend, I will put it another way its more like getting a pet for free, there is no such thing as a free pet (or tree) you have all the cost of upkeep, food, water, medicine, etc. All for something I know I wouldn't utilize, would have to upkeep and would no longer make it free. It also does no good to get something you don't want for free, yes you didn't pay for it but you didn't want it either and won't use it, seems more of a burden then anything else. Everyone has there own opinions and the generosity of others is a wonderful thing, especially when it is something your want or will use. I am very grateful when others gift me things but I stick to my point I wouldn't want a kumquat tree, it would not be useful to me and I would thank the person offering it to me but suggest it would have a more loved home elsewhere. I also don't mean that anyone shouldn't get a kumquat tree, clearly many people love them but I know I like to hear both sides to things and wanted to share my opinion and not hurt anyone's feelings, I apologize for doing so. I have had many plant gifts from generous strangers on this forum and others that I cherish dearly to this day, I actively trade and gift plants because I truly love the community spirit of gardening but I never take anything that wont be loved or used in my yard, its better they go to someone who truly appreciates them.

Susanne, you have a wonderful collection! I am jealous of the Santa Teresa especially, I've wanted one for the past year and can't find one in stock. I am glad to hear you like them so much! Are you looking for something to eat out of hand or something to cook with? You don't have any limes yet or mandarins do they interest you at all?

They interest me too and will add next year I hope. Yes eating out of hand and making jam would be nice. I have a notification request at FW for gold nugget and thinking about the tango. Forgot to mention I have a Kiefer Lime but suffered a lot through winter too. Looking much better, no flower buds, maybe next year. Yes I know I can use the leaves but right now just happy that there are some leaves ;)

I don't know other nurseries that would be good to order. Only bought one other tree somewhere else and the tree was much more expensive and in such a bad shape that I thought it will not survive the first year. And this is why I have not ordered somewhere else.

Yes Susanne, nice collection! I am so looking forward to trying a ST! Let us know when your trees arrive!

Susanne, Harris has good trees. They are not as robust in their branching as FW, but they are great trees and they grow fast. They are very reasonable with cost of trees and shipping. I would definitely look at their website.

is it a good isea getting citrus from florida?

what about lemon citrus tree .com?

Kumquats are awesome. They may be an acquired taste, I guess. It is a smaller tree, slow growing. Unless you get the seedless one, you are looking at 4-7ish seeds in a tiny little fruit.

My first meiwa died, I believe it was a graft failure in a year old tree from a reputable grower. I have a suspicion that meiwa suffers higher graft failure rate.

If you want to eat out of hand, I really think you'd want to look at meiwa. I think fukushu is supposed to be sweet, as well.

Thank you. I guess I will have to hunt the two varieties down :)

Sammers I really enjoyed your quote above. I did not realize that the not wanting a kumquat tree was yours but part of what other had said. I do understand it. I have turned down free citrus trees for the same reason you would the kumquat. I was particularly interested in kumquats and turned down anything else but the New Zealand lemonade.

6b Steve

Susanne, Harris spent years getting permission from whatever agency regulates citrus production. Their trees are grown under screens and free from greening disease. I have many trees from them that are great. They also have various varieties that are not available in CA.

I will have another look :) thank you

Susanne, you unwittingly pushed me into getting a Minneola last night, I was on the fence and my local OSH stocked quite a few varieties of citrus this year and I figured not having to pay shipping for a very good sized tree was a great thing, plus it has two marble size fruits. Clearly I need a lot of help being enabled ;)

I quite like my Four Winds trees, but they are often out of stock so I have also gotten trees from One Green World (I live close-ish) They are the size of the entry trees from FW, little branching, mostly tall but healthy,the 3 I got they all had scale so if you order do a few good once-overs on the tree and treat accordingly. I just got a few from Logees with a free shipping e-mail, very small but super green, a little pot bound but not bad. My others have come from OSH and HD. The OSH trees are huge compared to mail order trees but they have all had some degree of root rot, The HD trees are larger as well and been 50/50 on root rot. Last year hardly anywhere sold citrus locally and it was just Meyers and this year we have quite a bit of diversity, I got my Oro at HD which blew my mind. I would really like to order from Harris but I will not be placing any more orders until next year (unless a ST comes available). I have been able to tell myself I can buy extra trees because they are local and no shipping is needed but I am quickly getting nervous about winter, I think I have enough room but I'll need more lights.

hehe, you are welcome :) What is OHS.? I'm new to this board and although some I figured out like FW others I just don't have a clue. HD home depot?

Don't worry about it, OSH is Orchard Supply Hardware they are a California based company (I think) and they recently moved a few stores into Oregon. I am not sure how far they have expanded. Correct, HD is Home Depot. I apologize about abbreviating, it becomes habit.