How to Grow

From seed

While any viable citrus seeds you sow can become beautiful, productive plants, hybrid plants—if they produce fruit—the fruit will not be the same in taste or appearance as the one it came from.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different.

Satsuma tangerines are one of the few citrus plants that bears fruit similar to the parent when grown from seed.

Taking cuttings from parent trees is another great way to speed up this process and ensure you will enjoy the fruit.

Plant the seed into a hole in the ground, 0.5-1.5cm deep.

Mandarins enjoy soil with a neutral or slightly acidic pH balance.

Water the soil until it is soaked and let it drain.

Cut one or two small holes into a small transparent bag.

Place the bag over the top of the plant so that it acts as a barrier, keeping heat and moisture in over the surface of the plant.

Secure the bag in place, if necessary, with stones around the bottom of the bag.

Remove the bag to water whenever the surface of the soil appears dry.

Remove the plastic bag after the seedling emerges and outgrows the space provided within the bag.

Water the seedling whenever the surface of the soil appears dry.

In a pot

Plant each seed into a 3cm pot.

Plant the seed 0.5-1.5cm deep into a rich but well-drained potting soil with a neutral or slightly acidic pH balance.

Water the soil of the pot until it is soaked and let it drain.

Cut one or two small holes into a small transparent bag.

Place the bag over the top of the pot so that it acts as a barrier, keeping heat and moisture in over the surface of the pot.

Secure the bag in place, if necessary, with an elastic band around the base of the bag and top rim of the pot.

Place the pot near a bright window or outside on a bright balcony where it will receive a few hours of direct sunlight each day.

Remove the bag to water whenever the surface of the soil appears dry.

Remove the plastic bag after the seedling emerges and outgrows the space provided within the bag.

Water the seedling whenever the surface of the soil appears dry.

From Plant

Transplant the small tree after roots appear around the drainage holes of the pot.

The Mandarin seedling can be planted in a larger pot for patio or even indoor growing, or outside in an area of the yard where it will not be crowded or shaded from direct sunlight.

Dig a hole 2x the size of the seedling root, and backfill with soil.

A thorough watering once every two days is best.

After this period, they should be watered only when the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch

Ready to harvest

Cut the fruit from the tree at the stem with hand pruners.

If after your taste test the fruit has reached its ideal juicy sweetness, proceed to snip other fruit from the tree with the hand pruners.

Freshly picked tangerines will last for about two weeks at room temperature or longer if stored in the refrigerator

Collect seed

Remove the seeds from the fruit.

Rinse the seeds under lukewarm tap water.

Rinse off any juice and remove all fruit flesh from around the seeds.

Any fruit left around the seeds will rot when planted in the soil and could result in mold or fungus that might destroy the seeds.

Place the seeds in a cup of lukewarm tap water and let them sit for 24 hours.

Although soaking the seeds in water before planting is not necessary for germination, it does increase the chance of the seeds germinating successfully.

Note: If you do not intend to plant the seeds right away, dry them completely and then put them in an airtight container.

This prevents the growth of microorganisms.

Storing them in cool or even cold location until you're ready to plant is also essential to prevent seed destruction.