By Clint Thompson
This year’s satsuma mandarin crop in the cold-hardy citrus region is expected to be an abundant one; bumper even, according to Lindy Savelle, citrus producer and executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association.
“We’re going to have another 2024. Bumper. It’s going to be a lot,” Savelle said. “But I’m excited. You know, we’re trying to do some things with stem and leaf production and being able to sell stem and leaf. That’s a huge market that we’re trying to pursue. So I think that’s good.”
Alternate Bearing?
A bumper 2026 crop would follow a disappointing yield season in 2025. Some attribute it to satsuma’s alternate bearing cycle, though Savelle doesn’t believe that’s what is happening here.
“I don’t think that satsumas are alternate bearing. I’m one of those people that doesn’t believe that it’s an alternate bearing crop. I believe that it’s totally weather related,” Savelle said. “If you have a bloom and a late freeze, you’re going to have a light crop. And then the next year, because you had a light crop, you’re going to have a heavy crop because all those carbohydrates are stored up. And then the next year, because you let your fruit go to fruit instead of reducing your blooms, then you’re going to have an inconsistent year the next year.”
Satsumas are not the only crop expected to produce more of a crop this year.
“Mostly satsumas, but I was looking at some of our tangerine trees yesterday and they’ve got more fruit and our page mandarins, they’re loaded up,” Savelle said. “And I’ve heard other people talk about the grapefruit.
“I think last year we just didn’t have much fruit at all. This year we got a good bit and, we’ve got to have the market out there to unload it, you know?”