'Imperial' Mandarin fruit (photo courtesy Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery - daleysfruit.com.au)
Mandarin 'Imperial'
Citrus reticulata
Rutaceae family
Grafted
The 'Imperial' Mandarin is a popular citrus variety that was developed in Australia. The glossy golden skin looks 'puffy' and is very easy to peel, making this a great lunchbox fruit. It is on the sweeter end of the spectrum of Mandarins. 'Imperial' Mandarin ripens earlier than other citrus varieties, generally in autumn and into winter. To extend the harvest. pick the bigger fruit first and leave the smaller fruit to grow bigger.
Tree Maintenance (Citrus)
Citrus reticulata
Rutaceae family
Grafted
The 'Imperial' Mandarin is a popular citrus variety that was developed in Australia. The glossy golden skin looks 'puffy' and is very easy to peel, making this a great lunchbox fruit. It is on the sweeter end of the spectrum of Mandarins. 'Imperial' Mandarin ripens earlier than other citrus varieties, generally in autumn and into winter. To extend the harvest. pick the bigger fruit first and leave the smaller fruit to grow bigger.
Tree Maintenance (Citrus)
- Fertilise once in each season (4 times a year, citrus are hungry feeders!) but avoid applying while trees are preparing to flower, flowering and up until fruit are larger than marbles.
- During establishment, water slow and deep each fortnight, more often if very dry or hot. As it matures, the tree will become more drought tolerant.
- Watering may be needed when young fruit is forming.
- Keep soil well mulched, leaving a gap around the trunk to avoid collar rot.
- Do not prune the whole tree at once, or it will not produce fruit the following season. Prune after fruiting to keep it healthy and shaped. Remove dead, inward facing or crossing branches. Remove any suckers from the rootstock below the graft.
- Spray with horticultural oil if sap-sucking insects or scale occur (avoid spraying on days where temperatures may reach above 30°C, or foliage can become burnt). Black sooty mold on the leaves is a symptom of these pests; ants are also an indicator that there is a problem, as ants will farm and protect the insects in order to consume their sweet secretions.
Mandarin 'Imperial' at LCG January 2024 (photo credit: Jacqui Lachmann)
Mandarin 'Imperial' at LCG September 2023 (photo credit: Graham Bond)
