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petuniafish

Pixie really yummy

8 years ago

I was visiting in SoCal last couple weeks and enjoyed a Pixie. It was the best mandarin I've ever tasted. Better than Sumo. Anyone growing them and if so how do they rate with you?

Comments (23)

  • 8 years ago

    I'm growing one, it's only been in the ground a year and I pinched off all the fruit except for one last year. The one was very sweet and juicy. I think it will be a favorite! Fingers crossed that it thrives.

    Nancy thanked Jason (Zone 10b, San Diego)
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Pixie is the only mandarin I grow; it fills my needs for that type. It is seedless and slip skin and I really like the flavor. What more do you need from a mandarin

    Nancy thanked johnmerr
  • 8 years ago

    You both have me convinced. Four Winds website here I come.

  • 8 years ago

    Uh oh Nancy. :-D :-D :-D

  • 8 years ago

    I already did the deed Jenny :-(

    :-D

  • 8 years ago

    Ha! Jam it on in. :-D

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    FYI - last time I spoke with Ruth at Harris, she told me they’re going to start selling pixie and kishu. I think she said they’d be ready over the summer.

    Nancy thanked Alanna Migliacci
  • 8 years ago

    So funny you guys! I have a puny pathetic pixie tree from FW that I got last summer. It is really quite bad. I thought it was a goner, but it seems to be trying to grow. Needless to say, I’ve not tasted one, but I trust those of you who have. I hope your tree is better than mine!

    Nancy thanked Laura LaRosa (7b)
  • 8 years ago

    i should post a pic of my tree tomorrow just for comedy....oh my, it’s depressing. Evan, as always, i am amazed at how incredibly well your trees grow!

  • 8 years ago

    Dang it why did you have to share with us how good it is! I never thought of getting a kishu because the peeling seemed to be too much trouble but I know that Pixies are not as small as kishus...so now I really want a Pixie! The UCR says the Pixie holds exceptionally well onto the tree and in mild conditions even into summer. Only flaw is that it ripens late!

    Nancy thanked kvetchlambkin (nyc 7b)
  • 8 years ago

    Your trees are so beautiful Evan. Your neighbors must envision your place as the garden of Eden. Laura, hope my FW Pixie is not be as sad as yours was. I'll be sure to post a pic when it gets here. Kvetch, they are easy peeling! Just whip the thing off in one piece. The perfect mandarin.

  • 8 years ago

    petuniafish, now you have me wanting one. As soon as I read "whip the thing off in one piece", you got my attention. Easy to peel, no seeds and sweet are the things I look for.


  • 8 years ago

    I will be in SoCal in a few weeks! The pixies there are better. We fell in love with them last year. I bought 3 bags from whole foods and peeled them for snacks at Disneyland. Last month, I got the Ojai pixies from Safeway and it was a huge disappointment. Ojai is supposed to have the best pixies. I got 2 trees. One is struggling from the beginning, the other is taking off. I am in the bay area.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hello Junk. It was the Ojai Pixies that I savored- bought from Pavilions in Rancho Santa Margarita. They were just amazing. I had some set out in a bowl for family and they were "afraid" of them because of their wobbly, loose skin. But as soon as they tasted, the bowl was quickly emptied. Exactly what I was looking for in a mandarin. and don't know how they slipped by.

    Going back next week. The season is wrapping up so don't know if they'll still be around.

  • 8 years ago

    Nancy, yes, please post a pic of your tree when it arrives. I hope it is nicer than mine. Mine was an entry level from FW. My pic will have to wait till tomorrow because it has NOT stopped raining all day today. I just read that we have received over 2” of rain today. My trees are wet, but happy and green.

  • 8 years ago

    That's a LOT of water Laura! Hope you get a little respite tomorrow. Fingers crossed that my Pixie is in better shape than yours from last summer. Sending healing summer thoughts to yours ;)

  • 8 years ago

    I have tasted only a few different varieties of mandarin but of the ones that I have tasted the best by far in terms of flavour and aroma are our common Med. Willowleaf and Encore. Both are seedy, heavily alternate bearing and not up to modern commercial standards for various reasons. I grow both of them in ground plus a couple of clementines and an Ortanique tangor.

  • 8 years ago

    I’ve thought about adding a pixie and I probably will eventually, but there’s other varieties I want first. Plus, I seem to be leaning towards quite a few late season varieties (tango - probably my favorite, GN, Shiranui) and I want to make sure I balance them out with early and mid season varieties.

  • 8 years ago

    Here is the pathetic pixie....more so even today because i tipped it over by accident..ugh.

    There is all of it. I took off all the little fruitlets after i took the pic so hopefully it will grow some leaves.

  • 8 years ago

    Poor little pixie. A few of my trees look like that too. It was a rough ‘spring’ and they’ve yet to recover.

  • 8 years ago

    Laura, thanks for posting- it really is a poor dear. If anyone can coax it back into a full life it is you. Sending good thoughts to the sweet little thing.

  • 8 years ago

    It’s not pathetic Laura. It’s flushing with growth and will be big soon enough!