loquat trees

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by snow white, Mar 23, 2006.

  1. snow white

    snow white Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2006
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    does any one know anything about the loquat tree & loufer tree. ( not sure if i spelt them right )Where do they grow and where can i purchase one from?
     
  2. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2005
    Messages:
    1,590
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hiya, in Dareton.


    I believe there are nursery's in gol gol and buronga that can supply grafted loquat stock. They are a nice tree.

    Cheers MJ
     
  3. Ryan

    Ryan Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2006
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Loquat

    The loquat is in the Rosaceae family and also called Japanese Plum. We have a 30 yr old loquat tree that is close to 40 feet ft tall and right now is loaded with more fruit than we can eat. Luckily the birds and squirrels love them. They are self fertile and the seeds that drop are very viable, so much that there is a ring of seedlings growing around the base of the mother tree. You can graft a cutting from a good variety onto chance seedlings. The fruit taste best when they turn orange and start to blemish slightly, if picked too early they are tart. Unfortunately they do not keep well since the skin is very thin. Here is a link to Julia Morton's book offered online called "Fruit for Warm Climates" This book is a good reference for fruit growers.

    https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/loquat.html
     
  4. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2005
    Messages:
    802
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    0
    My Mum used up all our Loquats last year to make jam, it was fantasic, she mixed a little apple into the mix too.
     
  5. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    we have some loquts in the garden, I think they grew like this, but they are not very tasty. I think it is better purchasing a tree from a nursery because they shurely sell better varieties. Possums like them. I am not shure if loquats are related to a mediterranian fruit which is called nispero, they taste very yummy. Loquat trees are very easy to grow.
     
  6. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2004
    Messages:
    1,405
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The key with Eriobotrya japonica is that good old saying "ripeness is everything". They go sweet right before they go off. Before that they are pretty tart.
    Bill Mollison goes on about how of all the fruit trees they have the widest latitudinal range, fruiting at the equator and up into the colder extremes too.
     
  7. carollillith

    carollillith Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2006
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Loquats self seed in this part of NSW, there are a few big, old trees in the valley ... cattle love them, they're eaten as high as the cows can reach so paddock loquats are flat bottomed trees that need to be climbed to be harvested.
     
  8. mariet

    mariet Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    loquat trees

    Loquats grow much better fruit from a grafted tree than a seedling. Seedlings will usually end up with small fruit, more seed than fruit. The large fruit are fantastic. I have 2 seedlings that haven't fruited yet and one grafted baby that we are waiting on. Should be well worth it.
     
  9. snow white

    snow white Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2006
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    thanks to everyone who replied to my email. you all have been a great help with the information you have given me on loquat trees.
    Thanks so much.
    Snow white
     
  10. Ryan

    Ryan Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2006
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Loquats

    The easiest way to propagate a known cultivated variety of loquat is to air layer a mature branch. The process involves shaving a small section off the bark in a ring around the branch, apply some rooting hormone, wrap with moist sphagnum moss and the enclose it with some aluminum foil or a plastic grocery bag. After a few months you can feel if it has rooted, if so prune the branch off below the roots and pot up in some good soil. I am always amazed how well this works with most trees.
     
  11. Tulipwood

    Tulipwood Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2009
    Messages:
    223
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: loquat trees

    Oh dear. I just bought a loquat tree at a street stall. Then got home and read a fact sheet to say they breed fruit fly! My loquat only cost $2 so it sounds like it was just from a seed. Is the best advice you'd give me to use it for compost?
     
  12. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: loquat trees

    I guess it depends on what else you have in your patch. We had a loquat growing next to the compost pile when I was a kid and climbing on my brothers shoulders to try to beat the lorikeets to the sweet ripe yellow fruit is one of those memories I cherish. They do drop a lot of overripe fruit though, and if fruit fly is a problem you'll need to either put your chooks under it regularly or clean it up by hand.

    I'd grow it just so my kids could have the same experience that I did. (Which reminds me that it needs to go on my Wanted list....)
     
  13. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2005
    Messages:
    665
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: loquat trees

    doesn't breed fruit fly on the sunshine coast - - give it a chance and see what happens - -

    in the years you wait to get fruit run chooks over your property - that will get rid of the fruit fly larvae in the soil and then see if you still get them

    fruit fly have a limited flight capability - not sure exactly - - so if you can clear a no fruit fly zone around your trees you should win

    and I can't see how loquat breed fruit fly - not enoug of hte actual fruit for them to feast on???

    https://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcont ... _info.html

    https://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/5081.html

    a couple of fruit fly links
     
  14. j_cornelissen

    j_cornelissen Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    67
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Re: loquat trees

    I recently planted a loquat tree, and was wondering if the fruit will ripen off the tree or whether they have to be left on the tree till they're ripe.

    cheers
     

Share This Page

-->