Loquat - One of the Easiest Fruit Trees to Grow

[@davidwelty9763]

You have made the most of a small residential lot, well done!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Borderline hoarding, but, they feed me.

[@HAXUSOfficial]

We have a very large loquat in FL, definitely neglected lol. A tree fell on it during a hurricane a few years back so it is growing slightly tilted now but it’s very healthy and produces a lot of fruits. They’re probably 50’ high though so they’re hard to reach and the birds usually beat us to them

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. Yeah, I’m finding the top fruits in the canopy are hard to reach. Nothing more satisfying than sharing with nature.

[@colemeeker908]

I live in Redding California and I've got a frostbitten loquat tree with some dead tips and leaves. Should I cut the dead branches? Appreciate your advice!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I actually recently made a video which covered this topic: Pruning, Staking Down and Foliar Feeding Tropical Fruit Trees kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouTY2Zti8unj5I Specific to your situation, yes, I would definitely prune out the damaged branches and foliage.

[@jamesfrederick.]

Thanks for making this video

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@MS-fx5yf]

What do you use, if anything, for fertilizer (NPK as well, please)? How often do you apply it, and in what amounts, if you do apply it?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I wouldn’t focus on the amount, as any organic fertilizer will take time to break down. Here’s a video I made that covers the topic: Organic Fertilizer Tips for Feeding your Tropical Fruit Trees kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5azeIh4nbSdY9k

[@MS-fx5yf]

Thank you! Just watched it. My loquat has no problem growing… flowering is my issue. Maybe withholding any extra nutrients during the summer is key(?), since they flower late summer/early fall.

[@MS-fx5yf]

Tried using bud & boom this last summer which is low in nitrogen, but highest in phosphorus and slightly lower in potassium, but only got growth… again. I see plenty of them around the neighborhood, just loaded wit fruit, and wondering what I’m doing different/wrong.

[@MS-fx5yf]

Found out that they prefer a slightly acidic soil, so I dumped a deep 4’ ring of acidic (think orchid bark) around its rootball in hopes to get the roots happier. The tree/leaves look phenomenal, but I’m growing it for fruit… not just to be just ornamental. lol I’m in SoCal (zone 10A), by the way.

[@MS-fx5yf]

Correction: I fed bud & bloom the year before, but this last year was a 3-12-12. Still low in nitrogen, but got only growth. Maybe just phosphate this year, or phosphate & potassium only, or nothing(?)

[@davidwelty9763]

I just planted several loquats on my property in north central Florida.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. They’ll find that they are one of the tastiest fruits.

[@WeThePeople001]

Your videos have been so helpful to me. I'm in Texas zone 9a

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Although your region can be a bit cold, many tropical be benefit from the humidity.

[@pongop]

Thank you for this great idea to grow loquats. There are trees around some of the neighborhoods here in the Central Valley. If they're easy to grow, I may have some success!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome. The loquats are really one of the easiest and carefree tropical fruit trees to grow in the Central Valley.

[@pongop]

@@TropicalCentralValley So great to know! Thanks again!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@ranchogutierrez5139]

Awesome videos I watch them all saludos from Bakersfield 💯👍

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you.

[@Floridafoodforest.]

it really is under-rated. I have 22 Loquats. there's going to be a huge approach grafting project. cool video, mate

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s an awesome collection of loquats. Tons of fruits.

[@JamesEndoSanJoseCARealEstate1]

Major detour, the Loquat info starts 7:18 into the video. Good info. Can we grow Loquats in containers and get good fruit production? I don't have the space for a large tree. Subscribed. Thanks.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yeah, sorry about the supplemental information. There’s no reason why it won’t grow in containers, especially given their “slow” growth rate. That said though, there are special techniques with the growing of tropical fruit trees that you’ll want to consider.

[@staciep2638]

How can I prevent my tree from getting too big!?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’ll want to prune it to the desired size.

[@Maatson_]

So many of these trees here in Fl love loquats 😀

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s wonderful. The loquats love your humidity, unlike our dry air, but they seem to tolerate it nevertheless.

[@rockers7889]

Good late afternoon , I am ready to plant my Champagne and Big Jim loquat trees. My friend gave me a couple of full Champagne bunches. They were delicious. Quite different than the orange varieties in my opinion. They are growing in their containers like mad

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. Never had any of the white flesh varieties before, but I have heard they are awesome.

[@rockers7889]

After planting my Kent mango tree from Mamosa , we had a few 80° days. It had been in half shade , then full sun for a week. It's really been mostly June gloom days. But after planting it , all the new leaf shoots all over the tree died and turned black . Now I've made a shade tent for any more warm days. That's not even our hot weather in Cerritos zone 10b . I hope it comes back ??

[@TropicalCentralValley]

It may not have been the hot temperature, but instead, the tree may be having difficulties acclimating to its new environment, particularly with the soil. All you can do is continue to shade it and try not to water it too much. Mango trees prefer aeration over hydration.

[@elivalentine452]

What are you using to get everything to grow so fast? 😍 I planted 21 fruit trees so far but my yard still looks pretty brown with mulch.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Nothing special really. I suspect I may have a head start though. Throughout the many years, I have conditioned my soil and made it more favorable to trees. It’s likely all the organisms living in my soil that assist my trees with staying alive during winter and growing during the summer season.

[@GHumpty1965]

I have the same problem, I have started adding small amounts of bread yeast to my fertilization routine. Yeast is a fungus and my soil is lacking it, seems to be helping.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. It’d be interesting to see if your trees welcome the yeast fungus. The fungus that makes up the mycorrhizal network are certain species that attach themselves, either internally or externally to the root system of the trees. I’m not sure if yeast fungus will do this.

[@GHumpty1965]

@@TropicalCentralValley Bread yeasts make up roughly 10% of mycorrhizal fungi. From my research of it. FYI, a little goes a long way with it.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. Good to know. I would imagine baking yeast cost less than tree specific endo and ecto mycorrhizae species.

[@daveaz9962]

As kids we did a lot of canning of our plums. Are you able to can loquat fruit?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I’m not sure. I don’t have enough loquat fruits to preserve and the ones that shrivel and fall to the ground gets recycled back into my yard.

[@MS-fx5yf]

Also having issues with Lychee. They flowered like I’ve never seed them do, last year. They started to hold the fruit, but then a heat wave came though and the fruit( some larger than almond size) dropped. It can’t be a lack of water, because I know to water intensely through the fruiting season… (knowing comes from a monsoonal climate, as does longan). Meanwhile, a few streets over, there was a tree just loaded with lychee. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@TropicalCentralValley]

It’s likely the lack of humidity. Lychee trees prefer an area with relatively high humidity. Concerning your watering, if you’re watering just once a day, it’s probably not enough. In my case, I water my trees 12 times per day, for a few minutes per watering session. This practice mimics their natural environment where small amount of rain comes every hour or so.

[@MS-fx5yf]

12x/day?! Good grief! I suppose that makes sense, and you consider some farmers plant them on the banks of canals. Going to have to set up special irrigation for my 2 in-grounds then… there’s no way I can do that manually with a job. lol

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yeah, you’ll want to automate the watering. Here’s a video that touches on the details: How to Water Your Tropical Fruit Trees ( DO NOT DEEP WATER ) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH65kqaagNple8U

[@AAHomeGardening]

Cannot wait for my loquat to fruit

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Once it produces fruits, the trick then becomes eating the fruits in time, as you only have about a week or two before the fruits dry up. I’ve seen folks preserved the fruits into jams or freeze them entirely.

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@TropicalCentralValley my family eats so lot, so should be fine

[@ultraculture1]

I heard from many growers that you have to water their Loquats a lot or they burn up in the heat. You are in the Central Valley how much did you have to water them?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Not necessarily. My loquat tree actually receives less water than my other tropical fruit trees. Bear in mind though, my situation is unique in that many of my tropical fruit trees are planted just feet apart. This has the effect of enabling my loquat tree to uptake water from other nearby trees as I water them. It also helps too that I incorporate a lot of mulch. This helps to keep the soil nice and moist, particularly in the summertime.

[@ultraculture1]

@@TropicalCentralValley Ok, thanks!

[@ultraculture1]

Ok, good to know, thanks!

[@kobeleonard148]

It's one of the toughest trees that still didn't set well in my climate. I put it in full sun and was scorched then 2nd try in the same spot but I put it under shade. Still didn't see any new growth.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s interesting. For the first couple of years, mine really didn’t do much. The tree grew about a foot or two, but once it was established, it seems to have taken off. I probably should have added a fine print about your mileage may vary when I made the statement about the loquat being one of the easiest trees to grow. Luckily though, I’m not sure about your area, but my current Lowe’s and Home Depot carries grafted loquat trees.

[@Sir_Ol]

12:06 a fruit almost falls on you. Awesome video by the way !

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Luckily it wasn’t a jackfruit, though I may need to put up a net when my jackfruit trees mature down the line.

[@Goodnight2413]

How old is your loquat tree??

[@TropicalCentralValley]

About 5 years old, grown from seed.

[@marycampbell4160]

Awesome thanks for sharing

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@natemurphy4367]

I’m growing a few in Washington state the cold weather hasn’t affected them at all

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. They really are quite cold hardy.

[@mister8116]

But no fruit….

[@natemurphy4367]

@@mister8116not yet only 3 years old started from seed

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Not fruit….yet.

[@natemurphy4367]

@@TropicalCentralValleymaybe next year

[@sampsuns]

Why you shape the tree so high? Hard to harvest

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I have harvesting poles. The size of the tree hasn’t been an issue for me, yet.

[@baubojan4862]

💛 loquats

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Agreed. It’s one of the best tasting fruits.

[@scrumpeldwarf]

I forage a lot of loquats in the visalia area . One of my favorite fruits

[@TropicalCentralValley]

The trees do awesome here. Unfortunately, the fruits just don’t last, though the wrinkled ones aren’t too bad tasting though.

[@Krislt9]

Omg I’d like to buy some! I’m in the Fresno area! I haven’t had loquats in 5+ years! Extremely craving some!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

They’re extremely easy to grow and will produce fruits in about 3-5 years.

[@Krislt9]

@@TropicalCentralValley Thanks for replying! Are you selling any fruits?! I’d love to buy a bucket!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Unfortunately, I do not sell any of my tropicals, including fruits.

[@arpitamondal167]

Can it grow in india ?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

The entirety of India is a relatively large country, ranging from extreme cold to extreme tropical. I’m going to assume you’re referring to the more tropical region, if so, there’s really no reason why it won’t thrive there.

[@arpitamondal167]

@@TropicalCentralValley thank you

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@GreenJustin8]

From my experience, grafted Loquats are not easy to grow in 9b of Phoenix Arizona. I bought 3 that were about 3-4 feet tall and 2 died within the first year. They just can't handle our heat. I'm going to try growing from seed if I can get my hands on some seeds.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I know your summer heat is generally 5-8° warmer than ours. Even if grown from seeds, it may not be a bad idea to shade them for the first few summers.

[@Scott-vv5dp]

I have been trying to find loquat fruit in stores for 3 years now with no luck. Im growing 3 seedlings and one is in the ground. Zone 6 Kentucky

[@rockers7889]

Seed grown loquat trees usually take 10 years to have fruit. Can you graft someone's budwood to it ? Grafted trees fruit in about 2 years. Loquats dont like below freezing temps. Good luck , I sent Hawaiian plumeria cuttings to Bayonne New Jersey and they flowered in a hothouse adjacent to their home that got the afternoon sun. So you can grow out of normal growing zones with success

[@Scott-vv5dp]

@@rockers7889 I do plan to graft them. Two are in pots and I will bring them inside the garage when it's too cold. The one in the ground has seen 5°f and lost some leaves. Its mostly for novelty.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Warmer climate definitely impacts the overall time a loquat grown from seed will produce fruits, as mine produced fruits from year 3. The thing with loquats is although the trees can be grown in colder climate, often times the trees do not produce fruits and instead are grown as ornamental landscaping trees. Even in the Central Valley, the flowers may get damaged when the temperature drops too low.

[@Scott-vv5dp]

@@TropicalCentralValley Yeah that is what I have learned also, that they are just not reliable producers, even in zones warmer than mine. I'd like to find a variety that blooms twice or blooms closer to spring. There are a couple varieties that supposedly do this.

[@mister8116]

Won’t get fruit

[@AAHomeGardening]

I wish I had a star fruit

[@TropicalCentralValley]

If you’re able to obtain a fresh starfruit fruit, the seeds germinate quite easily.

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@TropicalCentralValley yes, been looking that was as well, the fruit is expensive and hard to come by as well

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Just saw your KZbin page. It’s very impressive that you’re able to grow tropical fruit trees in the UK.

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@TropicalCentralValley thanks I do try I am trying to create a little jamaica 🇯🇲 here

[@mister8116]

Unless you’re in NC never get fruit in the winter

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Although the tree itself may grow in your temperature, your zone may be just a tad too cold for it to set fruit. Even assuming you are in USDA Zone 8a, you’re talking 10°F to 15°F.

[@Joelveach]

I’ve had my Loquat tree in beautiful soil for 7 yes, no flowers, no fruit🥹😙

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s interesting. Assuming it gets plenty of fertilizer, water and sunlight, there’s no reason it’s taking that long. Out of curiosity, how big and tall is the tree now?