eajohnson, where are you located, not in your Zone field. Are you really USDA zone 8? Do you get freezes in the winter? Tango & Kishu are later mandarins, ripening Jan - Mar. Gold Nugget even later. If you have freezes during your winter, you'll most likely not get fruit. Satsumas are early mandarins, and a better choice. Also, I would be sure to purchase your trees on semi-dwarfing rootstock, C35, or even as dwarfing as Cuban Shaddock or Flying Dragon, so they don't become too large and crowded (as long as you don't have too much salt in your soil, C35 is a good semi-dwarfing rootstock). Also, what is the pH in your soil? Can you plant blueberries in the ground where you are? They need to have fairly acidic soil, or you're going to have to do a large amount of amending in order to prepare the soil for blueberries to grow in the ground. Since you haven't told us where you live, it is very hard to advise you. Satsumas are more weeping in nature. Tango as a young tree tends to be more upright, and Gold Nugget also tends to be more upright and mine is quite vigorous. Kishu tends to be more broad in its growth habits, and not quite as upright.

Patty S.

One thought

After listening to Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nurseries, who very much is a fan of successive ripening and using edibles for a hedge, the had some thoughts on blueberries. That they do better in containers or raised beds than in the ground. You might want to consider that in your planning as well. If you are in a hot zone, Tom's tip was that blueberry varieties with blue toned leaves do better in hot areas-and you will need more than one variety.

Depends where you live, Kippy. Some folks can plant right in the ground if their soil pH is low enough. Dave Wilson is located in California, where our soil is too alkaline for blueberries to do well in the ground with out a LOT of amending, and then occasional acidification. But, in other areas (Florida and the eastern seaboard in general, for example), they can do very well in the ground. All my blueberries are in pots and do very well, as I can control the soil pH. ea would do better on the Fruits & Orchard forum for advice on his blueberries.

Patty S.

Patty,

My blueberries are in the ground...lol It would have been easier had I put them in raised beds. But I did place where the soil was either more acid or where I can easily acidify.

Guessing by the palm tree (without heavy freeze damaged0, the op is someplace fairly temperate as well.

Thanks for the replies.

According to the online calculator I used it said 8b. There are lots of citrus in the neighborhood. My lime and tangelo I planted last year did fine. Im in so cal rancho cucamonga specifically.

I have a few blueberries in ground doing fine. I amended the soil with peat moss and acidic soil in a bag plus fertilize with acidic fertilzer.

I guess my main concern was the spacing when they get full grown. Do you think that would be ok if I get the recommended root stock.

Thanks for the replies.

According to the online calculator I used it said 8b. There are lots of citrus in the neighborhood. My lime and tangelo I planted last year did fine. Im in so cal rancho cucamonga specifically.

I have a few blueberries in ground doing fine. I amended the soil with peat moss and acidic soil in a bag plus fertilize with acidic fertilzer.

I guess my main concern was the spacing when they get full grown. Do you think that would be ok if I get the recommended root stock.

According to the USDA map, Rancho Cucamonga is zone 9b.

Kristopher