Ichangquat

[Deleted]

Here's my rare Ichangquat seedling, in-ground





Ichangquat is a cross between Ichang papeda and kumquat. It should be able to tolerate the colder part of zone 8a. It certainly seems more vigorous growing than Ichang papeda, and may even be slightly hardier as well.

I believe the kumquat used in the original cross was the variety 'Nagami'.

Of course, seedlings from hybrids can often turn out with very different traits than the parent. This is because direct hybrids often have very heterogenous set of genes, and during sexual recombination there is a lot of potential for recessive genes to no longer be expressed, or dominant genes to be eliminated.

[zap]

Hi skatefast / Deleted Member?
It's possible you could lose your frost tolerance in that F-2 cross you mentioned? (100% kumquat?)
There are photos of an Ichangquat in Switzerland. The guy admitted to covering it with a wooden box in winter. It was thriving, 8 to 10 feet high and as wide. It was definitely an alpine village in the mountains.

[Florian]

Ilya is the ichangquat expert.

I have yet to see an F1 hybrid that is truly more coldhardy than either parent. Perhaps the Kumquat genes prevent the Ichangquat from breaking dormancy during warm spells, thus making it effectively more coldhardy than ichangensis. But I am not so sure in terms of absolute low temperatures.

[ilya11]

Florian,

The fact is that I lost at least 5 kumquats and three different clones of ichangensis, but ichangquat 6-7-2 never showed any damage and was completely hardy tree  of more than 5 meters high.

This plant was probably already an F2 progeny of the original cross, since B.Voss raised it from Florida seed.

[zap]

Sept 2, 2019 7:54:52 GMT -5 ilya11 said:

Florian,

The fact is that I lost at least 5 kumquats and three different clones of ichangensis, but ichangquat 6-7-2 never showed any damage and was completely hardy tree  of more than 5 meters high.

This plant was probably already an F2 progeny of the original cross, since B.Voss raised it from Florida seed.

Hi Ilya;

may I ask how is the flavor on that ichangquat 6-7-2 var?

You have some interesting hybrid citrus growing.  Are any of them early varieties?  It seems as if winter fruiting is another obstacle that must be overcome.  

Little steps first ..

best wishes,

DONALD

[ilya11]

Hello Donald,

The taste is very distinct, to be objective, not everyone will like it.

But certainly it is many times better than  taste of poncirus or ichangensis.

It is a very early ripening variety, its fruits from May blossoms  are good by the  end of August.

The second, main wave of bloom occurs at the end of July and fruits are ripe by November.

For the best taste fruits should be harvested   when fully ripe on the tree and are readily detached.

Usually there is a moderate amount of juice inside, but after a drought some of the fruits are dry and barely edible.

The skin smells distinctly, for me it resembles feijoa  with some piny note.

I am now get addicted to them, although they are a little bit bitter when eaten with the skin like kumquat.

A very special marmalade  could be made of this fruit.

In my climate a real frost with night temperatures of less than -6C occurs usually at the second half of December, this excludes the late ripening varieties.

I usually remove all the fruits from the trees by the end of November since their presence diminishes freeze resistance.   

[p]

hi ilya,

I also have an ichangquat 6-7-2 growing in my garden. can you remember at which age or size your plant started to bloom and bear fruit?

thanks

philipp

[ilya11]

Hello Philippe,
My plant bought as a grafted seedling in 2003 started to flower in 2009. First years the flowering was very sparce, only in spring, but gradually it become more abundunt with a tendency to repeat in summer and autumn.
What is an origin of your plant?

[p]

thanks!

about three years ago I got scions of it from a friend, I don't know where he got it from.

is your plant looking the same?

[ilya11]

Looks very similiar.

[martweb]

I would love to hear about the taste of it's rind. Is it more lemony or more orangy or ...?

[ilya11]

It has piny smell in the rind, not excessive