Does anyone have a loquat tree? Sometimes called a Japanese Plum. They are the size of maybe a walnut, golden yellow and have a large shiny smoothe pit in the center. They kind of look like a very small apricot and very delicious. I am wondering if I can grow them from the pit and if so, would anyone share one. Any information is greatly appreciated. Ria in Ky

-- Ria in Ky (MinMin45@aol.com), May 26, 2001

Answers

I finally found loquat trees this year at Harmony Gardens in Florida. I have been looking for them for years. Also check eBay, there was someone in California selling seedlings.

Yes you can grow them from seeds as long as you have seeds from trees that put out nice fruit. I guess some loquats are ornamental so you wouldn't want to plant seeds from them. Be sure to start several trees as they need two to pollinate.

Boy, those tree ripened loquats from my childhood are a flavor I will never forget! It will be a few years before mine produce and I can indulge that craving.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), May 27, 2001.

One of the earliest fruit - maybe even earlier than mulberries. Not absolutely the greatest flavour (IMHO), but not bad either, and they're there when others aren't. However, make sure you get all the fruit picked or picked up or inside people or pigs or poultry - otherwise it gives fruit fly and codling moth and whatever a great start to the season.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 27, 2001.

Here in central florida loquats are pleantyfull. I do not have any seed, its too early in the year. Remind me in a month or three and I'll send you some. I think they are subject to freezing, how cold does it get there?

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

Thanks to all of you. I grew up in the deep south and I sometimes miss the tropical stuff. I plan to protect it over winter with an un heated greenhouse. I have a friend that is growing citrus here. Imagine that...Oranges and Lemons here in Southcentral Kentucky. She just built a 2X4 frame and covers it in plastic over the coldest part of winter. Thanks again to all of you.

-- (MinMin45@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

Ria, My MIL has a tree with TONS on it. email me with your address, and I'll get some out to you. Just to be sure, does anyone know how long the pits can be "out" before they're no longer viable? I'd hate to send unusable ones. Talk to you soon, Kristin, in La.

-- Kristin, in La. (positivekharma@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

Kristin, just what does MIL mean? Military in labor? Mulitipal injury list? Misinturpeted insurance language? We are not nerds or geeks, please stop using this trash, a radish is a radish, a hoe is a hoe, words are words. Thank you....

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

I live in So Cal and have 2 loquat trees. They are ripening now, and your right they are soooo good.

I bought mine from Brokaw Nursery in Saticoy, CA. I don't know if they have a website, but I know they ship. Mine were grafted and have a disease resistant rootstock. I've never tried growing from seed, but would imagine it takes a long time. When we planted ours they were just sticks and we didn't get a crop for a couple of years.

I could send seeds if you like, they may be different than the variety in Florida.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), May 27, 2001.

Mitch, take a lesson from thumpers dad! 10 points to the first person who can come up with that quote.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), May 28, 2001.

I too live in southern California, and have one loquat which produces prodigiously without any other loquats nearby, so I suppose that needing a pollinator depends on the variety, if in fact any of them do. They are sweet, but there's an awful lot of seed for the amount of fruit that you get. Over the years I've found it's more work than it's worth with respect to harvesting and using. But, they are very ornamental trees, very green, and easy to maintain providing you have the right climate. I don't treat my tree for pests or diseases at all -the only thing I do is water once in a while and fertilize once in a blue moon, and that tree is prolific and all over the place. I rank its ornamental and ease-of-care value over its fruit value, but that's just my opinion. I admit I haven't gone to the ends of the earth exploring the possibilities of using loquat fruit, so if you really like loquats, then -considering its other fine qualities- you've got a very useful tree.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), May 28, 2001.

O.K. I,ll bite; this old hermit still does not know what a MIL is

and/or who or what is thumper?

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

I'm guessing mother-in-law.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), May 28, 2001.

... and a Thumper is a poster - here. Something along the lines of a Mitch Hearn or a Don Armstrong or a Ria in Ky.

-- Don Armstrong (darmstr@yahoo.com.au), May 28, 2001.

Too many people think that we understand their abreviations when they are not standards used worldwide, I still don't know what a MIL, or a thumper is; I assume that a Dan Arm Strong is a person's nameand a Ria in Ky could be the same. MY request is to stop the idiotisy and use words that mean exactlly what they mean.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

WOW!! thanks to all of you for such a vigourous response. All of your information is very helpful to me. Even though I don't know what an "MIL" is my guess would also be "mother in law". The "Ria in Ky" is definately "Maria in Kentucky". LOL I hope the loquats take. I would like to try both the pits and the graphs to see what works. I'm not interested in any commercial production, just some for nibbling and maybe some jam. I am known around here as the "strange" garden lady. I find it challenging to beat the odds of growing tropical stuff here. My main goal of coarse is to grow all my own food and I like as much variety as possible. Thanks to all of you, you've made my day especially with your humor.

-- Ria in Ky (MinMin45@aol.com), May 29, 2001.

Ok I thought there would be more disney buffs out there I guess I get to keep the points, In bambi thumpers mother says to thumper what did your father say? and thumper says if you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all.One of my fav quotes and good advice to save feelings.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), May 29, 2001.

yes, loquat can be grown from seed or pits. we moved 30 miles east of OKC from southern CA. last may. birds had dropped a seed in a 7 gal nursery pot & it grew. it survied 2 snows & the cold weather here in OK, out side under a window with an awning. some leaves have a bit of damage from the heat. it needs to be put in a larger pot, or the ground possibilly to produce. it is surving on neglect up to now. good luck larry

-- larry in OK (Nuts4bees@aol.com), May 29, 2001.

Kathy H; I'm crowning four score and ten; I have never seen bambie; except for the two legged versiion at a peep show about 50 years ago, please remember that your words are read by thousands of people, some 10 years old; others 8 or 9 times that; no one answered your question, does that tell you anything?

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 29, 2001.

Kathy, I thought the quote was, "Eating greens is a special treat they give you long ears and great big feet."

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 02, 2001.

Don't know if you're still interested but...a friend gave me some fruit about 12 years ago and I planted some of the seeds. I now have a tree that stands about 15ft and fruits twice a year. I do nothing for it except watch the birds and squirels eat their fill. We harvest a few too. Where do I live? Pasco County Florida.

-- Everett (shuddabeen1@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

We have been told by a Japanese friend that the leaves of the loquat tree kills cancer. We have a friend with advanced, untreatable cancer, and we are looking for someone to help us. We did receive some leaves from Japan and he has been using them for about 12 days now. He says they are at least working as a pain killer but it is too soon to tell if the cancer is stopping. If you have a loquat tree, would you send us some leaves for our friend? If you know someone with cancer, except blood cancer as it won't work on it, have them dry the leaves and place the dried leaves directly on the skin, then apply dry heat to the leaves. The longer you leave the leaves on the skin the better. If you are willing to send us some leaves, please email me and I will send you my address. Thank you

-- Terry Vanderwoude (LTRVWSCOOTER@worldnet.att.net), February 03, 2002.

I have a few loquat seedlings, I got them from under an older loquat tree, I don't know if it needs two to pollinate, I'll trade for some other fruit seedlings for zone 9 if you are interested.

-- Chris in Daytona Beach, FL (Leviathon51@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

MY request is to stop the idiotisy and use words that mean exactlly what they mean.

But Tweedle, uhh Mitch, think of the millions of otherwise useless people you'd throw into unemployment if we did that! Lawyers, politicians, public relations specialists, philosophers and on and on and on. Obfuscation and doulbe talk is a MAJOR industry around the world.

Back on topic, I've got several loquats myself but this last hard freeze killed the fruit dead as a wedge. We typically only get the one crop of loquats here in North Florida but in the frost free areas they'll often ripen two a year.

BTW, when you finally do get a lot of ripe fruit don't eat a hatful your first time out or you'll spend the rest of the day on the throne. They're like regular plums that way.

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), March 03, 2002.

Ria, I hope you get your loquats. I miss them from FL, my homestate.

MIL stands for mother-in-law and is a whole lot easier to type out. As is BTW, by the way, IMHO, in my humble opinion, DH, dear/darling/husband/hubby. Like I'm sure that those who complain about abreviations in the internet never use them elsewhere in their lives...

Do people always type out the name of a state or use the abbreviation...what about writing P. O. Box instead of post office box.

Live and learn, mitch. Get over it. You just come off as being a grumpy old man. Then again we'll can just accept you that way. Walter Matheau made a good living playing Grumpy Old Men. Takes all sorts to be here.

Don't mind him, Ria, most of us don't.

-- LBD, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 03, 2002.

Mitch,

You have some pretty good things to add to a discussion when you are not ranting over a pet peeve.

:-)

-- LBD, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 03, 2002.

MIL means mother in law. Just thought you wanted to know.

-- Anna Clouse (amclouse@yahoo.com), March 15, 2002.

I picked most of the loquats I could from my sister's tree in her backyard in Bermuda and brought several seeds home to New Brunswick Canada. I have planted them in small pots to see if they will propagate. I was wondering how long it takes for the seed to sprout. I carefully dug one up to check but there is no sign of life from it yet. If anyone can give me some insight on this I would greatly appreciate it. Here it would have to be a house plant. I have a southern exposure window if it ever does sprout. Also I was wondering how long the seeds can be kept before planting. I still have several left to try again later. Thanks to anyone who can help me with this information.

-- Mary Phillips (mspurr@nb.sympatico.ca), May 07, 2002.

Mitch, I'm surprised you wouldn't have seen MIL before, it is often in posts on this and other forums.

I would recommend not planting them in the front yard if you have people walking by on the road--kids like to eat them, throw them....

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 07, 2002.

GT, Mitch's post was from a year ago. :o)

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), May 08, 2002.

Ooops! Sorry about that!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 08, 2002.