Plant family: Rutaceae
Plant origin: China, India.
Fruit description: Imperial - ripens early season (Autumn and Winter), small fruit, strong distinctive flavour, few seeds. The tree is cold hardy, growing to 2.5 metres.
The fruit is a bright orange color, smooth skinned and very attractive. Most are easy to peel, but some varieties have loose puffy skin which is even easier to peel. The segments are easy to separate, many varieties have few or no seeds. All are sweet and juicy.
Flowers: The flowers are produced in Spring. They are waxy, white and fragrant.
Growing conditions: The Mandarin is a compact evergreen tree, with leaves down to the ground. They are suitable for growing in pots, in a garden, courtyard, or on a balcony. You can prune it to the size and shape you want. The mandarin produces plenty of fruit and has no thorns. They tolerates frost or hot climates well. Mandarins like well-drained, well-prepared soil and plenty of sunshine, protected from strong wind. Enrich the soil with manure or compost. Fertilise the established plant at least twice a year, late Winter and early Summer, with complete fertiliser or citrus food. Mulch the tree, but do not allow the mulch to touch the stem or it can cause rot. Water deeply during the growing season.
Uses: Mandarins are usually eaten fresh. They are perfect snack, picnic or lunch foods as they travel well, are easy to peel and to eat. They are great for children as they are easy to peel, segment and eat, plus they are small. Use mandarins as you would other citrus fruits, in all salads, desserts, fruit salad, cakes. Mandarin is rich in vitamin C and a good source of fibre.
Medicinal uses:
Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.
Harvest time They are green when unripe, dark or bright orange when ripe. Pick them when they are ripe. They keep quite well at room temperature, better under refrigeration or in a cool, ventilated place.
Imperial - ripens early season (Autumn and Winter), small fruit, strong distinctive flavour, few seeds. The tree is cold hardy, growing to 2.5 metres.
Plant relatives Related to other citrus species including Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Orange, Tangelo, Tangerine, Kumquat, Finger Lime, Kaffir Lime, Grapefruit, Buddha’s Hand Citron, Calamondin, Variegated Calamondin, Pummelo
Special features:
Grown by method: Grafted Pot size: 6 litre
Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 2 metres high by 1.5 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 2.5 metres high by 2 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.
Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 6 litre
