Mandarin (satsuma, clementine, tangerine)

Citrus reticulata and hybrids · Citrus family (Rutaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	8 to 11
Sun	full sun
Water	moderate
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Half-hardy: takes a light frost
Soil pH	5.5–6.5
Spacing	96 to 180 inches

About Mandarin (satsuma, clementine, tangerine)

Mandarins are the easy-peel citrus: satsumas, clementines, tangerines and many newer seedless hybrids. Satsumas are among the most cold-hardy sweet citrus and ripen in fall, while other types ripen from winter into spring. Their modest size makes them good container trees.

Hardiness depends on type: dormant satsumas survive about 15 F and Texas A&M says the extra-hardy 'Orange Frost' satsuma pushes in-ground citrus to zone 8, while most other mandarins are hurt in the low 20s F (UGA; UF). We found no source giving an upper zone. The upper end shown (11) is our estimate, matching other citrus.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Set out plants: up to 2 weeks after the last frost

A potted tree goes outside after the last spring frost and is eased into full sun over about two weeks (Maryland Extension; Wisconsin says wait until temperatures stay above 50 F). In the ground, UGA recommends early spring planting after freezes, 8 to 15 feet apart depending on rootstock; trees start bearing real crops by about the fourth season.

Soil

Well-drained sandy loam in the ground, pH about 5.5-6.5; in pots a fast-draining bark-based mix (UF/IFAS; UGA; Mississippi State).

Pot it in a fast-draining, slightly acid potting mix (bark-based, or palm-and-cactus mix) in a container with drainage holes, never garden soil; in the ground, test the soil and keep the pH around 6.0-7.0 (Mississippi State; UC Master Gardeners; UGA).

Feeding

First feeding after planting, once new growth starts (about 4 to 6 weeks): citrus fertilizer with micronutrients (about a 2-1-1 or 3-1-1 N-P-K ratio with iron, manganese and zinc, or a slow-release 12-6-6 or 12-4-6). Follow the label for a pot; in the ground, UGA starts a young tree with about 1/3 lb of 8-8-8 with micronutrients spread in a 30-inch circle and watered in.
Early spring each year, as new growth begins: citrus fertilizer with micronutrients (N-P-K about 2-1-1 or 3-1-1). Slow-release granules need 2 to 3 feedings a season; a water-soluble citrus food can instead go on about once a month from late winter to fall (Clemson; Maryland; UC Master Gardeners; Texas A&M).
Early summer: citrus fertilizer with micronutrients. Repeat the spring feeding at the label rate and water it in (Maryland Extension).
Late summer (the last feeding of the year): citrus fertilizer with micronutrients. Give the final feeding, then stop by early fall so new growth can harden before winter; in the ground, UGA says no fertilizer from August 1 to February 15.
Any time young leaves turn yellow with green veins: chelated iron fertilizer or a sulfur soil acidifier. Apply as the label directs; this pattern usually means iron is short or the mix is not acid enough (Maryland Extension).

Don't feed through the winter indoors (Wisconsin and Minnesota feed only about April to September), and don't overwater or let the root ball dry out: too much water drops leaves and too little drops flowers (Maryland; Mississippi State).

Harvest

Taste a fruit to judge ripeness (UC IPM). Satsumas ripen by late October in south Georgia and hold top quality only about two weeks, and many mandarins turn puffy if left too long, so pick promptly (UGA; UC Riverside).

Mandarins such as satsumas give one crop a year, ripening September to November in Georgia. They stay at their best on the tree only about 2 weeks before turning puffy and losing juice, so pick promptly.

Varieties (19)

Variety	Type	Notes
Clementine (Algerian)	Clementine	Sweet and aromatic, with tender, melting flesh. Medium, deep orange to reddish fruit that peels easily; nearly thornless, spreading tree. Seed count depends on cross-pollination.
Clemenules (Nules)	Clementine	High quality, well-balanced sweetness. Larger than other clementines; generally seedless. Fruit puffs if left on the tree too long.
Kishu (seedless)	Mandarin	Pleasantly sweet, with firm flesh. Very small, seedless fruit with a thin, fragrant, easy-peel rind; the ends can dry out.
Ponkan	Mandarin	Mild, pleasant and aromatic. Large fruit with a thick, loose, easy-peel rind and few seeds. Strongly upright, vigorous tree with a marked every-other-year habit.
Tango	Mandarin (UC Riverside)	Sweet, getting sweeter as the season goes on. Nearly seedless, deep orange, flattened fruit with a thin, easy-peel rind; its pollen rarely causes seeds in nearby citrus. Clemson's cold-hardiness table lists it at about 20 F.
Fallglo	Mandarin hybrid	Tart early, becoming sweeter later in the season. Moderately large, deep orange, seedy fruit.
Page	Mandarin hybrid (tangelo)	Rich and sweet. Medium, reddish-orange, easy-peel fruit with a moderate number of seeds. Nearly thornless, productive tree.
Murcott (Honey tangerine)	Mandarin hybrid (tangor)	Rich and lively, very juicy. Medium fruit with a thin rind that clings and is not easy to peel; few to many seeds. Upright tree with willowy branches.
W. Murcott (Afourer)	Mandarin hybrid (tangor)	Rich and sweet. Flattened fruit with a thin, smooth, easy-peel rind. Few seeds when grown alone but seedy when cross-pollinated.
Gold Nugget	Mandarin hybrid (UC Riverside)	Very sweet and rich; UC Riverside notes taste panels rank it among the best-flavored citrus. Medium-large, seedless fruit (even with other citrus nearby) with a bumpy, moderately easy-peel rind. Vigorous, upright tree; Clemson's cold-hardiness table lists it at about 21 F.
Pixie	Mandarin hybrid (UC Riverside)	Mild and sweet. Small to medium, virtually seedless fruit with a pebbled, easy-peel rind. Vigorous, upright tree that may bear every other year.
Shasta Gold	Mandarin hybrid (UC Riverside)	Rich and sweet. Large, deep orange, seedless or nearly seedless fruit with a thin, easy-peel rind. Vigorous, spreading tree that may bear every other year.
Fairchild	Mandarin hybrid (USDA)	Juicy, rich and sweet. Medium, dark orange, seedy fruit that is not very easy to peel. Vigorous, spreading, nearly thornless tree.
Sunburst	Mandarin hybrid (USDA)	Good. Dark orange, smooth-skinned fruit, fairly small and seedy in Riverside trials, and hard to peel.
Brown's Select	Satsuma	Larger fruit than 'Owari'. Clemson's cold-hardiness table lists it at about 19-21 F.
Owari	Satsuma	Rich but mild, with tender, melting flesh. Medium, seedless or nearly seedless fruit with a thin, leathery, easy-peel rind. Medium-small, spreading, cold-hardy tree that Clemson's cold-hardiness table lists at about 20 F.
Okitsu Wase	Satsuma (early)	Sweet, with higher sugar than its parent. Flattened fruit with few seeds. More vigorous than its parent 'Miyagawa'.
Orange Frost	Satsuma hybrid (Texas A&M Texas Superstar)	Sweet, not sour. Bred for extra cold tolerance, hardier than 'Miho' satsuma, which survived about 20 F.
Dancy	Tangerine	Rich. Medium, reddish-orange fruit with a thin, easy-peel rind and a moderate number of seeds. Large, vigorous, nearly thornless tree; tends to bear every other year.

Pests to watch for

Asian citrus psyllid, Citrus leafminer, Scale insects, Mealybugs, Aphids, Whiteflies, Twospotted spider mite, Thrips, Brown garden snail, Katydids

Diseases and problems

Citrus greening (HLB), Citrus canker, Alternaria brown spot, Phytophthora root rot, Citrus scab, Greasy spot, Sooty mold

In the kitchen

Mostly eaten fresh; most varieties peel easily and separate into neat sections (Arizona Extension).

Keeping it: Pick promptly when ripe, clipping rather than pulling. Mandarins keep well in the fridge for a few weeks but only days on the counter.

Safety: The fruit is a common food. FDA warns that tangelos (tangerine x grapefruit crosses) may interfere with some medicines the way grapefruit does.

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA; the ASPCA does list orange, lemon, lime and calamondin as toxic to dogs, cats and horses because of essential oils and psoralens in the plant.

Sources

Photo: Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 us). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.