RE: Loquat hardiness

Chris,

I guess I should confine my observations to those
plants and locations I know better.  I saw a fruiting
loquat in Dallas that looked fairly large, and it also
showed signs of having been frozen back and having
regrown from the roots.  From this I generalized that
they could be grown and fruited there.  It sounds like
microclimate, a good amount of mild winters in between
killing frosts and luck had more to do with this
particular loquat fruiting in Dallas.

Your normally almost subtropical climate must be
frustrating for people who favor subtropicals, as when
you do get freezes, they are so much more severe than
coastal California's.  We can't grow the heat loving
things, but don't have nearly the risks to keep things
alive in bad winters that inland Texas does.  Thanks
for clearing up a misconception on my part.


--- Chris_Nichols@Dell.com wrote:
> David,
> 
> Just wanted to chime in here. 
> I'm in Austin and the temperatures you attribute
> to Dallas would only occur in an average to mild
> winter. Here in Austin we infrequently get to -15c
> so I'm certain Dallas would get to -18c or below
> as they are 350 miles (563km) to the north and 
> hence that much colder than Austin. Under those 
> conditions Loquats would be killed outright (as they
> were here in Austin in the winters of '83 and '89).
> We only get fruiting on Loquats during average
> winters,
> so fruiting should be rare (baring heating) in
> Dallas.
> 
> 
> Chris in Arid Austin
> Sunset Zn 30 USDA Zn 8b
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: david feix [d*@yahoo.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 6:09 PM
> > To: dave-poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk;
> medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> > Subject: 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 often 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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> > 
> > 


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