Where do tangerines come from, and what varieties are there?

You may not know that mandarins, tangerines and oranges are three different varieties among citrus fruits. Because they look similar, they are easily confused by people. So where do tangerines come from? What varieties are there?

1. Where do tangerines come from?

Tangerines mostly grow across the vast areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei and other provinces in China, where production is relatively high.

The grafting method commonly used in growing tangerine trees can be carried out in spring, summer and autumn, with autumn being the most suitable; the survival rate is generally above 90%. When grafting, first prepare the rootstock, then cut the bud.

Using “T”-shaped budding, first cut a “T”-shaped opening 3 to 5 cm above the ground on the rootstock, with the depth suitable when the xylem is visible and the rootstock bark can be peeled open; then carefully peel open the rootstock bark with the tip of the knife and quickly insert the shield-shaped bud with its petiole. After grafting, mound soil 10 cm high. After 10 to 15 days, dig away the soil and check whether it has survived. If the bud piece is fresh and light green and the petiole falls off at a touch, it has survived; otherwise it has not, and it should be regrafted on the back of the rootstock.

Post-grafting management:

For budded seedlings, after the beginning of spring the following year, cut the stem 18 to 20 cm above the bud point and untie the binding material. In summer, prune 3 to 4 times, cutting off shoots sent out by the rootstock. When the new shoot from the bud grows to 8 to 10 cm, tie it to a live stake near the base; when it grows to 20 to 25 cm, tie it once more at the upper end. Until the grafted branch becomes woody, cut off the live stake, and it can continue to be kept in the field to cultivate a large seedling.

2. What varieties of tangerines are there?

1. Tangerine varieties

The tangerine is a basic species, with small flowers, easy-to-peel fruit skin, and seed embryos mostly dark green. Main varieties include Shatang tangerine, Huahong tangerine No. 1, cranberry, Nanfeng mandarin, Clementine mandarin, Guangxi sour tangerine, lingonberry, and crispy kumquat.

2. Selecting tangerines

(1) Choose tangerines with bright color, orange-yellow or orange-red; generally, the higher the ripeness, the better the color.

(2) Look at the fruit stem; the fresher the better. Look at the size; the closer to the average size of that type, the better. Taking Shatang tangerine as an example, choose medium-sized fruit; if the fruit sizes are all on the small or large side, they are mostly imitations.

(3) Feel with your hand whether the peel is sunken and whether the flesh is firm; it is best to choose fruit with a fresh fragrance and firm flesh.

(4) Good-tasting citrus has a moderate sweet-sour taste, is juicy, has tender flesh, and is seedless or has few seeds.

For tangerines, most varieties are of good quality, and their ripening period coincides with the Spring Festival, so the products have long been in short supply.