# Loquat Tree



## Baymule (Nov 11, 2019)

Ok @B&B Happy goats and @CntryBoy777 my Loquat tree is doing something! It looks like it is about to burst out in blooms. It is also going to be 28* tonight and 24* tomorrow night. Will the Loquat blooms survive the cold or is it doomed?


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 11, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Ok @B&B Happy goats and @CntryBoy777 my Loquat tree is doing something! It looks like it is about to burst out in blooms. It is also going to be 28* tonight and 24* tomorrow night. Will the Loquat blooms survive the cold or is it doomed?
> 
> View attachment 67402View attachment 67403



Cover the entire tree in sheets and blankets to keep the frost and wind chill off it, if you also throw a blanket around the base that will help too,...try to do it before sunset, and get it off the tree as soon as the sun is up and its warming outside. DON'T  use plastic, ....good luck my friend !


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 11, 2019)

Loquat trees are very cold tolerant and may withstand temperatures down to 8° to 10°F. However, the flowers and fruit are killed by temperatures below 27°F. Temperatures above 95°F may negatively affect loquat tree growth.​


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 11, 2019)

frustratedearthmother said:


> Loquat trees are very cold tolerant and may withstand temperatures down to 8° to 10°F. However, the flowers and fruit are killed by temperatures below 27°F. Temperatures above 95°F may negatively affect loquat tree growth.​


Your loquat trees in Texas may be a diffrent type than what we have in Florida, when we have a possible  frost, we blanket everything.....but then again, I see people wearing winter hats and jackets when it hits the 40s, lol


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## Baymule (Nov 11, 2019)

Why the heck do the durned trees wait around for _winter_ to bloom and set fruit?   Stupid tree!


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## Ridgetop (Nov 11, 2019)

Did you have a sudden hot spell?  Sometimes here in California where we can have freezing one week and 100 degrees the next the trees are fooled into thinking it is spring.


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## Baymule (Nov 11, 2019)

Yeah, we had a sudden hot spell---since last May! LOL LOL It was 66* a few hours ago, now it is 34* and heading downward. It hasn't really been cold yet and it is usually January before we see the 20's. This is the first time the Loquat tree has been festooned with blooms. We'll see in the morning!


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 12, 2019)

How did your tree do with the weather ?


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## CntryBoy777 (Nov 12, 2019)

Alot depends on the number of hrs of freezing or below temps it has to endure.....if it is more than a few hrs, ya can spray it with water to insulate the blooms because it will insulate them from the severe cold....ours look like yours....loaded with blooms...and it is just the way the loquat cycle is, we'll be picking in Feb to April....I would at least put something over the heavier blooming areas to try and save what ya can.....


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Your loquat trees in Texas may be a diffrent type than what we have in Florida, when we have a possible frost, we blanket everything.....but then again, I see people wearing winter hats and jackets when it hits the 40s, lol


LOL - I don't even have a loquat tree - even though one of the neighbors used to.... Anyway - I just googled it and that's what I found so it's not personal info.  But, I'd like a loquat tree - may look into that!


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## Baymule (Nov 12, 2019)

It got down to 22* last night, but warmed back up today. It is supposed to get cold again tonight, then warm back up. I didn't blanket the tree or do anything to it, it looks ok today. 

If it sets fruit and is ready by February through April, then it's going to be pretty much a lost cause. Our weather will be too cold for it. It is out in the open, not up against a wall or solid structure. Last January we had snow, ice and it got down to 10 degrees. 

Why do local nurseries sell fruit trees that have about as much chance of an ice cube on the sidewalk on a 100* day?


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## Baymule (Nov 12, 2019)

frustratedearthmother said:


> LOL - I don't even have a loquat tree - even though one of the neighbors used to.... Anyway - I just googled it and that's what I found so it's not personal info.  But, I'd like a loquat tree - may look into that!


Want mine?


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## CntryBoy777 (Nov 12, 2019)

@frustratedearthmother we have an abundance of them....how many would ya like??......


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

I've never tasted a loquat!  Are they worth the trouble of digging a hole?


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 12, 2019)

I have tried one ripe and had some jam.....Personally  I wouldn't  fill a empty hole with one, but I didn't  like having orange or grapefruit  trees either....


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

I appreciate that honest opinion, lol!


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 12, 2019)

frustratedearthmother said:


> I appreciate that honest opinion, lol!


Fruit trees are alot of work, and you can only eat so much fruit...it's  the fruit on the ground rotting , bugs and smell that got to me.....you got to keep picking the droppins up daily...yuck
Didn't  mean to sound too negative, but that's  my story n I'm  stickin to it......lol


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

That's what I was looking for.  They aren't terribly popular fruit trees - at least not around here.  Just wondered if there was a reason for that and maybe there is!


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## Baymule (Nov 12, 2019)

I'm not going to coddle it. The tree survives just fine in cold weather, but it the blooms and fruit won't survive, then it has no value to me. I'll yank it up and plant a jujube tree.


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

There ya go!  I'm short of spaces to plant any more trees (as long as I have goats).  So, I have to be very discriminating about what to plant.  So far, the loquat tree isn't topping any list.


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 12, 2019)

@fustratedearthmother  If it grows in your planting zone, check out some of the clumping bamboo's, they grow fast, and make great brouse for goats. I ran a fence four foot out from my back line fence and planted four of them, they will grow to 15 ' tall and clump new growth in about a 10 ' area each... So what comes through the front fence will be a extra source of fast growing feed for the goats, and what they can't  get to becomes a wall of privacy for us....plus as they get more mature I can use the bamboo to make things.
Just don't  do any "running" bamboo...you can't  contain it to one area and it will take over everywhere....
Just thought I would mention it as a possable option for you to consider.


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2019)

Funny that you should mention that - I've been investigating it and will probably make the leap.  I'd like to do what you suggest and let it  be a possible browse source for the goats and have it for projects also.  DH has wanted it for years and I always said no - until I discovered the clumping kind.  Might be a spring project.  Thanks for the recommendation!


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 12, 2019)

frustratedearthmother said:


> Funny that you should mention that - I've been investigating it and will probably make the leap.  I'd like to do what you suggest and let it  be a possible browse source for the goats and have it for projects also.  DH has wanted it for years and I always said no - until I discovered the clumping kind.  Might be a spring project.  Thanks for the recommendation!



The key to getting it to root fast is to water it daily for the first season until it takes a good root.....mine is about 6' high now  and just started to spread, it hasn't  made it to the goats reach yet ( which is fine with me ) but it sure is looking healthy and  growing faster now . I really am excited to watch it get full and tall, then I can cut some and do some projects that I have in mind .


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## Baymule (Nov 15, 2019)

It’s after the freeze, the flower buds look the same to me. What day you @CntryBoy777 and @B&B Happy goats ?? Opinions?


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## B&B Happy goats (Nov 15, 2019)

Usually here it takes a week to see frost / freeze damage....hard to tell, maybe it will make the fruit sweeter or kill it....time will tell all


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## Baymule (Nov 15, 2019)

Probably kill it. Those buds will open or they won’t. Phooey.


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## CntryBoy777 (Nov 15, 2019)

I wouldn't count them out....the blooms not being open just might have been enough to insulate most of them....probably would've been worse for them to have opened and the tender parts being exposed to the temps....ours are open here....most of ours are under the giant oaks, so a direct frost is difficult to affect them....but, we've been in the low 50s and may get to low 40s in a few days....Joyce is starting to pay attention to her plants that are temp "sensitive".....we have blooms on the bell peppers....waiting to see if the temps set it back any.....


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## Baymule (Nov 16, 2019)

We will have more freezing weather before spring comes. Don’t think this tree will fruit and earn its keep. Too bad, it is loaded with bloom buds.


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## CntryBoy777 (Nov 16, 2019)

Ya never know Bay....may or may not, but ya will or not know if ya don't try!....it's like "life", it is always a "crap shoot"....ya win some, but not all.....


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## Baymule (Nov 16, 2019)

It aint like I'm gonna wrap a chain around it and yank it up with Marigold. The Loquat tree has alllllllll winter and spring to show me that it deserves to stay here by setting fruit and making it live through the winter.


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## Baymule (Dec 4, 2019)

I took another look at the Loquat tree today. My opinion; it is taking space a better tree could have. Blooms are dead. No blooms, no fruit. Fruit would freeze anyway.


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## Baymule (Dec 14, 2019)

You ain’t gonna believe this! The loquat tree is not only blooming, it is attracting bees! Bees in December!


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## B&B Happy goats (Dec 14, 2019)

That's way too cool....glad you didn't  cut it down !


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 14, 2019)

That's awesome!  Even if you don't get a lot of fruit it's worth keeping it for the bees to have a source of winter nectar!  YaY!!!


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## thistlebloom (Dec 14, 2019)

Nice! I love loquats.! We used to stuff ourselves on them when we were kids. Seemed like everyone grew loquats back then.


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## Baymule (Dec 14, 2019)

thistlebloom said:


> Nice! I love loquats.! We used to stuff ourselves on them when we were kids. Seemed like everyone grew loquats back then.


Where did you live then? We will have more hard freezes before the fruit will be ready. I'm thinking it won't make it.


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## thistlebloom (Dec 14, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Where did you live then? We will have more hard freezes before the fruit will be ready. I'm thinking it won't make it.



35 miles east of San Diego. I hope you get fruit. Is your tree just seasonally confused?


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## Baymule (Dec 14, 2019)

frustratedearthmother said:


> Loquat trees are very cold tolerant and may withstand temperatures down to 8° to 10°F. However, the flowers and fruit are killed by temperatures below 27°F. Temperatures above 95°F may negatively affect loquat tree growth.





CntryBoy777 said:


> Alot depends on the number of hrs of freezing or below temps it has to endure.....if it is more than a few hrs, ya can spray it with water to insulate the blooms because it will insulate them from the severe cold....ours look like yours....loaded with blooms...and it is just the way the loquat cycle is, we'll be picking in Feb to April....I would at least put something over the heavier blooming areas to try and save what ya can.....



The tree will survive, but the fruit probably won't. CntryBoy777 is in Florida and is picking fruit in February! February is usually our coldest month, although last January we had snow and a week of below freezing weather.


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## Baymule (Feb 20, 2020)

The verdict is in, all blooms are brown, dead, dead and dead. It is a pretty tree, but pretty isn’t good enough. So I offered it to someone on TEG that lives south of Houston, they go to Dallas, we are not that far from Dallas and they can take it home with them.


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## B&B Happy goats (Feb 20, 2020)

Love that you are rehoming  the tree   ......I hope it has a happy  new life in a sunny yard with a beautiful view and as much water as it wants to drink


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