Cool idea on painting the pots to match your deck! I don't have any comments on containers but I love growing loquats! Lots of things do like the leaves and the fruit. Deer don't get in my yard but aphids, katydids, and worms love the leaves and I have to fight the birds and the squirrels off the fruit. There is a woodpecker, really a sapsucker, that will really tear the trunk up. I have to wrap chicken wire around the trunk once it get's to a certain size. It's great having flowers in the winter and getting fruit in the spring when everything else is just getting around to blooming.

So, do you get fruit from the small potted Loquat trees, or do they need to be much larger and planted in the ground to produce the Loquat fruit? I am THINKING they DO need to be huge and planted in ground to produce fruit. I had picked many Loquat fruits from one in Florida years ago, BUT, I live in Pa, so, I guess I will NEVER be able to grow a Loquat tree in my greenhouse to get large enough growing in a pot to produce Loquat fruit for me? I know, I'm dreaming big here. Luckily I can get them in a can at some Asian grocery stores, Loquat and Lychee fruit. My greenhouse is only 12 X8.

i have 2 loquat trees grown from seeds. Started in 2011 and so far just leaves. They are in a pot that has 16” opening and self watering bought at walmart. Any idea how long it took you to get fruit? Assume it is potted?

i also use the same type of pots for satsuma, meiwa kumquat, meyer, and key lime. This year i got something on satsuma but nothing on meiwa, meyer or key lime. Weird.

Nursery cans until the first repot, then terra-cotta, and the last stop would be a bonsai pot.

Al

Al

Could yo post pictures.

Steve

thanks Al. The pictures say it all

You're welcome - a pleasure.

Al

I couldn't see the "more info" about the bucket lights. Is that for help heating (water buckets) the greenhouse or is that a kind of light? Sorry, I am confused by the picture.

Kd9z7z, can you overwinter a Lime tree in your zone in a greenhouse? And what is your zone, I see zone 9 and zone 7 in your name. I wonder IF I could get a little orange tree and overwinter in MY greenhouse with some heat. Just curious.

The "more info" doesn't work. I was showing what I used for containers,

see all my pictures

This will show you thing I have done to grow citrus.

Steve

KD

I have a lowquat from seed with no flowers yet and have know idea when it might fruit.

poaky

I am zone 6b

Fukushu kumquat tree from seed has completed 3 full years outside in ground

Fukushu kumquat#2 · More Info

New Zealand lemonade has completed 2 full years outside in ground

New Zealand lemonade#1 · More Info

Valentine pomelo has completed 1 full year outside in ground.

as for containers. My grafted Fukushu in a 30 gallon half drum

Steve

Poncirusguy, I see that you have a Fukushu Kumquat tree 3 years inground in zone 6b. That isn't the actual fruit bearing Kumquat is it? Is that New Zealand Lemonade a Lemon tree that is small and bears fruit? I'm sorry IF I am misunderstanding you, BUT, that Lemon tree is in a type of shelter, so, you have it in ground BUT with a shelter around it? I can only guess that is a type of greenhouse that you can disassemble in late spring. That's okay, just maybe tell me IF that is a shelter that you remove in late spring after cold is over with. Sorry, I am drinking a bit tonight and I have company so I may be a bit absentminded tonight. Later.

My greenhouse go up in fall and come down in spring and is made from scrap windows on a custome wood frame.. The fukushu has not fruited yet. It has 8 flowers this year. My grafted Meiwa kumquat produces about 30 fruits each year.

Steve

Hey 30 fruits isn't bad. I am not very handy at making shelters, I just figured I need a greenhouse that is already put together and site delivered, my 6X8 Harbor Freight one blew away before I ever got a plant in it. I couldn't reach everywhere to caulk all the panels in and we get strong winds some times NOT tornado winds BUT bad enough. IF I can't keep Citrus warm enough, I'll just have to get over it. I'll try to get pics or find the stats that are on a brochure for the greenhouse soon.

poaky1,

I'm in zone 7a (DC metro). I do overwinter my citrus trees in the winter in family room and loquat stayed in garage. You shouldn't have issue to do it.

poncirusguy6b452xx,

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping OP could provide an answer on how long it takes his loquat to flower from seed. Then decide if i should give it up or not.

In Texas my Loquats are about five six feet tall and bear fruit. Not sure of age. Flowers are in late summer for me and fruit ripens around May. For reference.

Okay, after reading you guys replies, it seems that most replies are that you make shelters for each plant or have them indoors in a place with good sun for winter. Like I mentioned I am not really a handy person, and I don't know where to find old windows. There used to be a place that had them, but, not anymore. My neighbor is trying to find some to make a greenhouse. I can use covers inside my greenhouse and concentrate heating the enclosures inside the greenhouse, though. I'll be shooting for next spring to purchase the plants that will need more heat. Now you can't find much at the local Big Box stores anyway.

BTW, Tapla, do you start out with your Bonsai's growing in your average pot as far as deepness? And THEN root prune and use shallower pots? I 've been kicking around the idea of doing a Bonsai tree for years.

I can't post pics for some odd reason. My computer doesn't recognize the disk from my digital camera when it's been inserted. Later, and thanks for any replies.

I can use covers inside my greenhouse and concentrate heating the enclosures inside the greenhouse

That should work very well for your setup

Okay, thanks, I will try that. I WILL need to make an individual enclosure for my Windmill palm, BUT, I have years before it gets mature enough for me to do that, it's like 8-10 inches tall now,so, yes, many years.

poaky1 from your location it seems you may be close to Pittsburgh. If you are interested we have a bonsai club and we meet 3rd Wed of every month. Look up pittsburghbonsai.org.

Normally for bonsai you first make the plant grow "up" bigger first giving it enough room to grow. Then you grow "down" progressively into smaller pots - root and shoot pruning as needed. The key is the soil mix. It needs to be well aerated, durable with good water retention.

Hey tropicofcancer, I am about 50 ish miles from Pittsburgh, not too far, but, I have no car now, I totaled it June 7th. I won't have one for a while unfortunately. I am paying off my greenhouse, THEN I can save for a car. I have to have family take me places, and, I'm sure nobody will take me to Pittsburgh for meetings to learn Bonsai. I DO have a book about Bonsai called "Bonsai school" but, I learn best by doing, NOT reading, BUT, I will try. I will for now, try to go on the Bonsai forum, and lurk a bit, then, once I get a tree growing for a bit, I will ask what to do next, etc. I am thinking on a Japanese Maple and a Tupelo, Nyssa Sylvatica. I already have the Nyssa Sylvatica, I just need to pot it up, I have one already potted that I will plant in my yard, BUT, I have had the other soaking in a pot of water for a good while, they will grow in standing water. I will use that one for Bonsai, IF the Tupelo is a good tree for Bonsai, it ,may NOT be. I will be buying Japanese Maple tree seeds in fall. I hope to have several sprout for me. These will likely be plain ole Japanese Maples, NOT the fancy leaved ones, those are likely hybrids or grafted ones? I don't really know, but, the fancy leaved ones are always SO expensive.

Sorry this is so long and maybe more information than you wanted, BUT, I can't attend meeting for Bonsai unfortunately. Thanks for telling me about the club though.

Just wondering, IF I will be using a Tupelo for Bonsai in the future, should I prune the top, NOT heading back, BUT, cutting it down to a new "leader" so that it remains shorter than it would be if not pruned? I guess you said to let it grow upwards and bigger. My Tupelo is now about 3 1/2 feet tall maybe even 4 ft tall, should I let it get much taller, or make it shorter without heading it back? You know, NOT cutting the main leader? Maybe it will have to get pretty tall before the trunk gets a bit thicker? I'll go and look on the Bonsai forum. Maybe you can answer my questions, BUT, I will still go and look, you are likely on there anyway. later.

I do not have experience with Tupelo/Black gum but searching the web it seems several have tried it, eg: https://bonsai-south.com/the-blackgum-a-rare-bird-for-bonsai-and-a-push-of-the-envelope/

Fore deciduous I usually do major pruning in late fall or late winter/early spring when they are dormant. Minor branch pruning can be done anytime. It is all about the shape/size you want to achieve. I would suggest joining a forum like bonsainut - they are far more active than here on garden-web. You cannot really avoid some reading, understanding what it takes to successfully grow plants in containers. Winter is a good time to catch up on reading. Fall is also a good time to visit some stores/nurseries to buy plants on sale. I got my first japanese red maple for $3 that was probably a 2-3 yrs old plant then. Lowes will usually have some on sale and you may get lucky.

Thanks Tropicofcancer, I see that my tree will have to thicken up a good bit in the ground or big pot, I'll just plant in the ground. Mine is a whip still. As for the cheap Japanese Maple, that's not likely for me. They have them priced at no cheaper than $80, maybe more, some over $100.00. They are big ones in big pots usually. I have seen the plain ones with red leaves year round, once in a blue moon at Aldi's and Wal-Mart, BUT, no more. I have 1 planted in the ground, BUT, I want to keep that one normal growth. I have a green in summer and orange or reddish in fall one also, but, they are good as is. If I can't start the Maple I still have the Tupelo for now. I WILL look for marked down JM's, BUT, I am pretty sure I won't find any marked down much.