Re: 'Nuptial Trees'

It's interesting to see how loquats vary depending on
where they're grown.  They fruit quite reliably here
in Berkeley without anywhere near as warm temperatures
as you get, we probably rarely get above 24C, or if
so, usually just for a few hours in a day. (Normal
highs are more like 18~21C).  We also are probably
warmer in winter, with daily highs between 10~13C, and
night time lows around 4~8C.  If you have these
conditions as well, it shouldn't be a problem to get
them to fruit.  They are aften planted out in more
continental climates here in the USA, and will survive
in places like Dallas, Texas, which can get down to
-9C.  The Loquat gets damaged at these temperatures,
but will regrow.  Winter day temperatures in Dallas
are fairly high however, (between freezes), and can
easily get up to 16~21C, and then alternate with
freezing weather.  They usually will also give fruit
under such conditions.

--- Dave Poole <dave-poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Tim wrote:
> 
> >It's offered by quite a few UK nurseries (even one
> in Scotland, though
> >one notorious/famous for the risks it takes with
> hardiness) but I
> >wonder if it fruits here? Does anyone on the list
> know? Dave? Paul?
> >Too much wet and not enough heat here, perhaps, for
> us to see it at
> >its best? 
> 
> Hi Tim, Good to see you here Paul.
> Re Loquats in the UK.
> 
> I do know that it has fruited and successfully
> ripened here in the
> South West on a number of occasions, the last one
> being 1996 following
> a very mild winter which in turn followed a hot
> summer.  1997 was also
> a 'hot' year and if the ensuing winter had been
> milder, there would
> have been successive cropping.  Prior to that, 1989
> and 1990 - both
> hot years (26C - 31C virtually every day between
> June - September in
> 1991) with no frost between (min 5C that winter),
> conspired to give a
> moderately good crop on trees at Paignton & Totnes. 
> 
>  A good hot summer is essential to ripen the shoots
> for flowering, a
> mild autumn, winter and spring, essential for flower
> production,
> pollination and subsequent survival of young fruits.
>  This needs to be
> followed by an early hot summer to enable those
> fruits to reach
> maturity and ripen.  Those are the requirements for
> the UK.  As we
> know, such combinations probably only occur in the
> south once or twice
> in a decade at best so you can draw your own
> conclusions as to its
> suitability as a fruit tree here from that.  
> 
> I can get Valencia oranges to ripen out of doors
> with greater success
> here than a loquat!  Mind you, they are only good
> for marmalade and
> orange sauce, but at least they look very festive in
> the garden at
> Christmas time - until they get picked for the sauce
> for the duck! 
> 
> Dave Poole
> TORQUAY  UK
> 


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