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Thinking About Planting A Satsuma

Posted on 9/22/26 at 8:12 pm
Posted by Old Man and a Porch
Member since Dec 2023
1001 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 8:12 pm
Any suggestions on variety? Any suggestions period? How long does it take it to produce?
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
16424 posts
Posted on 9/22/26 at 9:01 pm to
Owari is one of the most popular. Arctic Frost is another.

There’s a saying after you plant them. “First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap.” Be patient. Protect them during hard freezes.

ETA: you can usually expect them to produce in 3-5 years.
This post was edited on 9/22/26 at 9:15 pm
Posted by DickTater
Geismar
Member since Feb 2013
253 posts
Posted on 9/23/26 at 8:23 am to
What is your goal ?
Ground ? Pot?
Do you have the means to protect it for a few years while young ? Will you be active with it or letting it fend for itself?
Do you have a good spot? (They don’t like wet soggy soil) if not, can plant on a berm.

As pillage said, owari is a well known more cold hardy easy to find variety.
Fruit will take 2-3 years but full production will be 4-5
Posted by CrawDude
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
6086 posts
Posted on 9/23/26 at 9:17 am to
Your location?
Posted by UptownJoeBrown
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2024
13571 posts
Posted on 9/23/26 at 7:32 pm to
LSU Ag Center can anything you want about them.
Posted by dblwall
Member since Jul 2017
2234 posts
Posted on 9/23/26 at 8:55 pm to
On the west coast Satsumas are plums. The absolute best plums you can grow.
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
23573 posts
Posted on 9/23/26 at 10:45 pm to
Owari tastes the best IMO. Arctic Frost and Orange Frost are the most cold hardy but they are hybridized with the changsha mandarin, making them more tart.
Posted by rodnreel
South La.
Member since Apr 2011
1575 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 5:53 am to
the first two years pick the fruit off as son as you see it. Tree will put more effort in growing limbs and roots.
Posted by bluemoons
the marsh
Member since Oct 2012
5935 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 9:28 am to
From my experience, they're not as easy to grow as some would have you believe, at least in my area (St. Tammany). I'm 2 for 5 on losing them. My first had 5 years and started producing fruit pretty well. My current tree is on year 3 and I've removed all of the fruit thus far. If we get a hard freeze, I cover with plastic and put a heat lamp on it. This worked well last winter.

One thing I would say is that they hate wet feet. For my current tree, I had to build a bit of a mound/raised bed type situation because I lost the first one in the same location due to bad drainage. This is a bit of a pain because I have to water it more often, but it's been doing much better in the raised bed mix than straight into the ground. I've got pretty decent native dirt too, but drainage isn't great.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
88633 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 9:38 am to
The house I am in now had an established tree. It made wonderful fruit I lost it in a bad freeze(2021 I think). I planted a new one and it's been a struggle. Main leader got killed in another freeze, and now it's an odd looking shrub with a couple very long flimsy branches. It flowered like mad this Spring, but only 6 fruits were made, all on very low branches above the graft. Not sure what to do, but will be looking into how to prune this oddball.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
51930 posts
Posted on 9/24/26 at 10:13 am to
yeah they can grow into a gnarly mess. Especially if you don’t prune (I never do).

20 years ago we bought this place with two massive satsumas, hundreds of fruit each and very year. I didn’t take care of them plus the freezes and snows and now both dead and pulled.

This spring I planted two, Orange frost and Bumper. I’ll protect them the next few winters and hope for the best…we really miss the fruit.

Leaf miners are inevitable I just look away
Posted by DickTater
Geismar
Member since Feb 2013
253 posts
Posted on 9/25/26 at 10:16 am to
Oddly enough the leaf minors are mostly cosmetic. Don’t do much damage to the actual tree’s photosynthesis. They attack young new growth more often. Parasitic wasps are the best defense.

I do keep my citrus pruned somewhat to help with airflow, as that helps a lot with any scale and sooty mold. And keep the ants away from them bc they protect the scale from being destroyed and will carry them around lol. Nectar of the gods!!
Posted by BayooBandit
Thibodaux, LA
Member since Jan 2005
490 posts
Posted on 9/29/26 at 11:02 am to
My Owari is in first year fruit production and I have about 15 fruit currently.
I had never heard about pulling off the first year's growth. Is this common practice for investing in future growth?
Posted by Mung
Ba’on Rooj
Member since Aug 2007
9713 posts
Posted on 9/29/26 at 1:36 pm to
If you have a spot protected from north wind, in full sun, plant it there. I planted one last year, and it hasn’t produced any fruit but is growing sprawling branches. Maybe next year. Meanwhile my Meyer lemon is loaded so much that branches are breaking.
Posted by Dire Wolf
bawcomville
Member since Sep 2008
41152 posts
Posted on 9/29/26 at 2:39 pm to
quote:

LSU Ag Center can anything you want about them.



AI has been insanely helpful with planting stuff and tips on plant care
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
62114 posts
Posted on 9/29/26 at 4:33 pm to
I’d love to have one. But here in Alex as soon as you let your guard down, you lose it. The more cold tolerant ones just don’t have the sane flavor.
Posted by Fishwater
Carcosa
Member since Aug 2010
6089 posts
Posted on 10/5/26 at 3:07 pm to
quote:

But here in Alex


Condolences.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
88633 posts
Posted on 10/5/26 at 4:21 pm to
quote:

Condolences.
GFY
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