I’ve been very happy with mine but our weather in the Central Valley of California might have something to do with their flavor.

I can buy the best at grocery stores to. So I grow kumquats and sweet lemons as well valentine pomelos. You can't buy those.

Steve

I love them, but they can be hit-or-miss. Some are dry and tasteless, but when theyre great, theres nothing better.

On that note, would anybody like to donate (or trade) some gold nugget scion wood?

I've never had a really good Gold Nugget from the store, so naturally I'm wondering what all the hype is about. Then I hear from people growing their own Gold Nuggets and how fantastic they are. I'm thinking that probably holds true for MOST citrus home-grown.

I consider my zone 7a hostile to citrus, which means I will never get the best tasting fruits, no matter what I do for them. Conclusion: Just grow them and be happy with what you get.

I got the best varieties to work with, happy!

Bob, if you purchased a bag recently and they say they’re from the USA then they were picked WAY too early. Gold nuggets grown in CA aren’t fully ripe until April-May. Unfortunately, profits sometimes get in the way of selling good tasting fruit and they’re harvested too early in order to make money sooner.

Dave, yes homegrown is always much better because you can let your fruit hang on the tree until ultimate ripeness and eat it when you want to. But as I stated above home growers don’t have to grow fruit to turn a profit and pay bills so it’s a different situation.

When I buy Gold Nuggets I make sure it’s later in the season, they’re always right up there with halos or cuties taste wise.

Evan

Here is another thing about Washington state/California, their best fruits are going for export, China/Japan, mainly. I know this for a fact. Japan mainly, they are willing to pay big prices for perfect fruits. Here in U.S. we get what is called, “Kull “, as long as it looks good, Americans buy. Its called “orchard language “.

Japan doesn’t buy apples grown in eastern states, to them it is not good enough. Citrus grown in Florida never taste as good as California grown citrus, that’s the reason why stuff are labeled grown in the country of origin.

Thanks for the insight Bob

Our local Market always has an area - large or small depending - that is labled Local Grown. I always try to buy those fruits.... always better. Neighbor brought over a huge bag of local ripe Navels that I juiced.... pure Nervana.

Kate what city are you from ?

I personally think it's overhyped, certainly compared to other mandarins like Shasta Gold. Nova Lee is better than Gold Nugget, at least from the fruits I've tasted at the local store. I will prefer a good Satsuma fresh off the tree to Gold Nugget any day.

I do wonder how much personal preference could be involved, because some people say amazing things about some mandarins, and I just don't see it when I have them. And in all fairness, maybe Gold Nugget fruits taste much better picked right off the tree? I don't know, it's possible. Some mandarin varieties deteriorate in fruit quality faster than others after being picked.

I only eat mine fresh off the tree they never sit more than a day before eating them . I’ve heard Tahoe’s are not good and everyone raves about mine when they taste them. The same with my GN. This year I should be getting my Yosemite and Shasta to fruit . Same with my tango and pixie this year. I have yet to taste a mandarin from my yard I don’t love they are all great citrus. As they say different strokes for different folks 😎

Nice looking tree, Dave, you need a lot more like that one, no just a few more. I got family in California, every morning they have to pick up fallen citrus. Most goes in the garbage. Go figure!

That is sad Bob and one of the reasons I decided to grow mine in wine barrels and nothing goes to waste and I have 18 different citrus varieties in my Collection. 12 mandarins, 3 orange, 2 lemon and 1 lime..

Actually my GN is in the ground now along with my Moro and Cara Cara this season

One of the minor advantages of Gold Nugget, I believe it's supposed to have more cold hardiness than other mandarins. Almost as hardy, or perhaps equal to Satsuma. So it may be a more appropriate choice for those in more borderline areas. Of course, it is possible there could be other mandarins that show an increased level of hardiness but just were never specifically tested for that. We're probably not talking a huge degree of difference, but minor differences in hardiness can make all the difference in some situations.

I personally would always go with Satsuma, but if you're in one of those situations and looking for some variety, or you don't want to have to wait too many years for the fruits to develop a higher flavor level (a particular trait of Satsuma), then Gold Nugget would be an option.

socalnolympia my Yosemite and Shasta are showing signs of having lots of blossoms and fruit this year so I’m looking forward to see how they compare with my Tahoe. I know they only get better over the years but I’ve liked the fruits I’ve eaten off my trees their first couple of seasons .

I really don’t have to worry about cold hardiness. My growroom stays with househeat, Around 65*. April they go back outside, around November they go back inside.

My Shiranui plant is starting to get big -- still no blooms. Hope it kicks in one of these years.

Just ate a Gold Nugget I picked yesterday grown in Temecula. The flavor is really great: super sweet and very tart at the same time. I love it. The ones I had last year sold at Cal Poly did not taste this good. With that said, it's so much more convenient to buy a bag of Cuties and call it a day. The flavor on my Gold Nugget has a little more depth that a Cutie but not that much better.

Also picked a Moro growing in a 15 gal pot. Only fruit on the tree and it tasted better than store bought blood oranges (which I assume are Moro also). The rind was orange on mines but the inside was 95% pigmented sanguine unlike the store-bought ones that are like around 30%-80%. I did notice the my fruit had a thcker pith and thus easier to peel so maybe they aren't Moros at the store.

Curious, what is the normal harvest window for the GN here in north america? I saw some nurseries listing it as a later variant (a March harvest). I'm definitely looking for a late mandarin and was curious what is the growers choice for late mandy.

Ken

May/ June in my area

Thanks, Nick. I guess I'm ordering a Nugget!