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Pollination questions.....

redneckgirlgreenthumb

4 years ago

Read a lot of articles about the pollination of Minneola Tangelo. And now I am totally confused.

Some articles say that Minneola has to be pollinated with Temple, Sunburst or Fallglo. Some articles say that they can be pollinated with other citrus, such as Meyer or other mandarins. I have a small Minneola and am trying to decide if I am going to need to get a pollinator when it is old enough to bloom. What is everybody's experience with Minneola?

I have a Clementine, Meyer, Ponderosa, Key Lime, Red lime, Australian Finger Lime,Calamondin, Meiwa kumquat, Buddha's Hand, New Zealand Lemonade, Variegated Eureka Lemon and Kaffir Lime.

Would any of these pollinate the Minneola?

Thanks for ANY feedback, Bonnie

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Comments (3)

Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
4 years ago
Just Fruit and Exotics says:

"Semi-Self Fertile. We recommend another Tangelo or Tangerine [mandarin] for Pollination and better fruit production. "
redneckgirlgreenthumb
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks, Dave.

One site said it would only produce a minuscule amount of fruit without a pollinator. And to keep it at least a football field length from other citrus to keep it seedless, but that it needed a Temple for pollination. Although I'm not really worried about it being seedless.

I have a Clementine, would that work as a pollinator, do you think?

With the Clementine, I sometimes have problems getting fruit, not because it doesn't get pollinated, but because it doesn't bloom. But this year, I let it get very dry, and that seems to have forced it to bloom. Last year I got one clementine from it.

Do other tangelos/tangerines/mandarins have this pollination problem, or only the Minneola? Perhaps, I would be better off getting a different one?

Bonnie
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I don't know. From SFGate (if you can believe them):

"Tangelo hybrids are a cross between grapefruit and mandarin oranges. Hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, tangelos can grow as container plants in colder locations. Weakly parthenocarpic, tangelo cultivars "Minneola" and "Orlando" require cross-pollination by bees for good fruit set. Suitable cross-pollinators for these tangelo cultivars are "Temple," "Dancy," and "Kinnow." "Clementine," also called "Algerian," can cross-pollinate "Minneola."
redneckgirlgreenthumb thanked Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A

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