The link below has some excellent pics to help us recognize the Asian Citrus Psyllid. In case anyone might not know, the Greening disease will be the death of any citrus tree. California is not alone by any means; it is a gigantic threat to the Florida citrus, and the pest is found in Texas and Louisianna (and no doubt more areas I have not read about -- or been reported) The infected Psyllid only has to poke into one leaf and the tree will become infected and then the tree becomes a host to any other Asian Citrus Psyllid that doesn't have the bacterim to become infected and thereby the citrus trees are being infected. Paying attention to our citrus trees and becoming expert at recognizing the symptoms of the Greening disease and the pest that carries the baterim-causing disease, the Asian Citrus Psyllid, is of utmost importance. Brass

I have four trees in the mandarin family: Robinson and Dancy tangerines and Satsuma and Murcott mandarins. I put them in four years ago and only the Robinson and Dancy have borne heavily so far (I picked all the buds off the first two seasons). I got the four varieties specifically because the Satsuma was supposed to be the earliest of the possible choices to fruit (Sep-Nov), The Robinson is supposed to be (Oct-Dec), the Dancy (Nov-Jan), and the Murcott (Jan-Mar). The Robinson and Dancy are right on schedule. What fruit the Satsuma has had so far (about a dozen each in two years) was in the same timeframe as the Robinson, but I've read that young trees often don't have their normal seasons. Also I had to cut it back heavily at the end of 2007 because it had a really sprawling growth pattern and the long limbs were being pulled to the ground by the fruit. The 2008 crop was likely affected by that (but it *was* much better supported). The Murcott's growth is lagging way behind the rest, largely because of its location (too much shade), and has only set about five fruit over the past two years. Of the taste, the few I've gotten from the Murcott were absolutely wonderful -- surpassing all three others. The Dancy is the easiest to peel, has fewer seeds than the Robinson, and a better taste. The Satsuma peels easier than the Robinson and less easy than the Dancy. It's sweeter than either, but I think I prefer the taste of the Dancy over it. Of them all, I'd have to say that the Dancy and the Murcott are my favorites. In the end, though, my real goal was to have fresh tangerines/mandarins available over a six month period. Mind you, my wife (the *real* tangerine fanatic in the family) tried Clementines (Nov-Jan)for the first time this past season and has requested I add one. I've also long considered adding a Ponkan (Jan-Mar) as I've heard they are excellent eating. I'll probably do it as soon as I figure out where the heck to shoehorn in two more trees...

Bogies need full sun all day long to bloom their best. Withhold water unless leaves turn yellow and fall off. Here in South Florida they bloom best during winter when rain is scarce.

I want some mandarin trees to simply eat the mandarins. I don't plan on squeezing or juicing. I'll just eat them right off the tree. But I want varieties you can't find in stores, and the varieties with the most flavor. After a bit more research, I think the Page Mandarin might be a good choice for me flavor wise. And maybe Lee as well. A Page is a hybrid of Mineola Tangelo and Clementine. Lee is a hybrid of Orlando Tangelo and Clementine. On the University of Florida of website, they say that Page should have a pollinizer such as Lee nearby, and Lee should have a pollinizer such as Page nearby. So that seems like a match made in heaven- Page and Lee together. Read the UF's recommendations here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch067 and here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ch080 But I'm still looking for others. As of now I am thinking I should get Page, Lee, Kishu (if I can find one), Gold Nugget (if I can find one), and Ponkan. Maybe Owari Satsuma as well. And yes, I do like Mineola Tangelos of course. Are they known as Honeybelles? I've had some good honeybelles before. And actually, I would say I like all citrus. But I want the best of the best, most concentrated flavor varieties. If Mineola Tangelo is more powerfully flavored than Mandarins and Tangerines, then I will get one. But Mineola Tangelos are not too hard to find in stores here in Florida either, so I might pass on that.