Monday 23 December 2013

Temperate Mandarins

I failed to grow temperate bananas, but the mandarin tree (one of them) is hooting and providing Caleb a dollop of homegrown mandarin nostalgia. Gone are the days he can sit under a tree creating a castle of peels while he mungs down on mandarins. But it was nice today to grab a few, write Love You on one and toss them into his room. I try not to breach the threshold anymore. The level of toxic socks and dirty dishes makes it untenable. I figure he'll  get the stage even he can't handle it. He told me today it looks 'homely'.



The mandarin, an imperial, has been in the polytunnel for four years now. The first three it grew small mandarins, this year is the first time they've grown to a normal size and are sweet. The pungent smell when you pick them... hmm.

In Tasmania we can grow lemons, Eureka, Lisbon, Myer nearly all year round. A new arrival in the polytunnel, a Tahitian lime. It remains to be seen how it handles the cold nights.





2 comments:

Jo said...

Hi Linda, yes the pungent smell of a teenage boy's room.. one day he'll leave home, and, no, you still won't miss it..
I am growing mandarins too, in Launceston, the trees are quite small, but my fingers are crossed. They are hedged with some orange trees against a fence. We don't get much frost in our suburban backyard. We also have a hedge of Eureka, Lisbon and Meyer lemons that produce all year round, which makes me very happy. Enjoy those mandarins.

Anonymous said...

Linda, I am up in the Tamar Valley and I have one Tahitian and one west Indian Lime. get heaps off them and they are just out in the garden no poly tunnel, grew Pineapples a couple of years ago from tops, and have shot at least a dozen avocados but gave them all bar one away. really keen to try a Mango or two. Gaz