How to grow Mandarin in Australia
A mandarin is one of the easiest citrus for a backyard: a compact, attractive tree with sweet, easy-peel fruit that children can pick themselves. With good drainage, sun and regular feeding it crops for many years. Choosing the right variety spreads the harvest from autumn into spring, and Satsumas are the best choice for colder gardens.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Mandarin in Australia
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | March to September | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | March to September | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | March to September | |
| Melbourne & Victoria | September to November | Plant Sep to Nov. Melbourne frosts run roughly mid May to mid September, so spring planting gives a young tree a full warm season before winter. Satsuma types handle cold best. |
| Adelaide & SA | March and April, September and October | Plant Mar to Apr or Sep to Oct, avoiding frosty midwinter and summer heat. Imperial and Afourer crop well in Adelaide; water deeply in summer. |
| Perth & WA | March to September | |
| Tasmania | October and November | Marginal. Plant Oct to Nov after the last frost against a warm north facing wall. Satsuma types handle cold best. |
| Canberra & ACT | November | Marginal. Satsuma types are hardiest; plant in November after the last frost in a warm sheltered spot with frost protection while young. |
| North Queensland | September to March | Wet season. Mandarin is tropical citrus; thrives in tropical north. Fruit year-round. |
| Darwin & Top End | September to March | Wet season. Mandarin is tropical citrus; thrives in tropical north. Fruit year-round. |
Where to plant
Plant in full sun, out of cold, strong wind, in soil that drains freely. Like all citrus, mandarins have shallow roots that die in waterlogged soil, so avoid soggy spots and plant on a raised mound if your soil is heavy clay. Keep grass and weeds out of the root zone, roughly to the edge of the canopy.
Young citrus trees are damaged by frost. In cold districts plant in spring after the last frost, choose the warmest spot in the garden, such as in front of a north-facing wall, and cover young trees on frosty nights.
- South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide: mandarins grow very well. Imperial is an old favourite that copes with humidity.
- Melbourne: plant in spring so the tree has a full warm season before winter. Satsuma types handle the cold best.
- Canberra and Hobart: marginal. Plant a Satsuma in late spring after the last frost against a warm wall, and protect it while young.
- North Queensland and Darwin: mandarins grow well; plant at the start of the wet season and water through the dry.
Choosing a variety
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Imperial | An Australian variety from western Sydney, about 1890. Early, easy to peel, fruit over 5 to 10 weeks in autumn and early winter. Older trees can crop heavily one year and lightly the next |
| Emperor | Mid season, very easy to peel with loose, puffy skin; fruit can dry out if left on the tree too long |
| Satsuma types (such as Okitsu Wase and Miho Wase) | Early, compact and cold hardy; the best mandarins for cool climates |
| Afourer (Afourer Murcott) | Late season, rich and sweet with a thin, easy-peel rind. Low seeded unless another variety cross-pollinates it |
| Fremont | Bright reddish-orange fruit, a heavy bearer that holds its fruit well on the tree and copes with hot areas |
Buy a grafted tree. Dwarfing rootstock such as Flying Dragon keeps the tree small enough for a pot and adds some cold hardiness.
How to plant
- Plant in autumn or spring in warm areas, or in spring after the last frost in cold areas.
- Water the tree in its pot well before planting.
- Dig a hole wider than the pot but no deeper. On heavy or shallow soil, build a wide raised mound and plant into it.
- Plant at the same depth as in the pot, with the graft union well above the soil.
- Water in deeply and mulch, keeping the mulch 10 to 15 cm clear of the trunk to prevent collar rot.
- Keep the soil moist while the tree establishes, which usually means watering at least weekly.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply rather than often, then let the top few centimetres dry before watering again. Water regularly through spring and summer, and most of all from flowering until the fruit has set and in hot, dry spells, as dry trees drop fruit. Never let the roots sit in soggy soil.
Feed with a citrus fertiliser in late winter or early spring, again in summer and again in early autumn, at the packet rate, spread around the edge of the canopy and watered in. Young trees need only small amounts, little and often.
Pruning and care through the year
- Pick off most fruit in the first year or two so the young tree builds a strong frame.
- Thin a very heavy fruit set when the fruit is small. This gives better-sized fruit and helps even out heavy and light years.
- Prune lightly: remove dead wood, crossing branches, branches touching the ground and any shoots from below the graft. Dead twigs carry melanose.
- Citrus gall wasp: cut out swollen galls on stems between April and June, or slice the top off each gall in mid to late winter, and bag the cuttings in the sun for a month before disposal.
- Bronze orange bug: knock young bugs into a bucket of soapy water in winter, wearing eye protection and gloves, as they squirt a liquid that burns.
Harvesting
Pick mandarins when they taste sweet. The skin does not have to be fully orange; a green blush is natural and the fruit can be ripe inside. Taste one before picking the rest. Cut the stalk or twist gently.
Pick the biggest fruit first and leave smaller ones to size up, which stretches the harvest. Do not leave easy-peel types such as Emperor on the tree too long, or the fruit puffs up and dries. Store picked fruit in the fridge crisper, not in plastic bags, for a couple of weeks.
Growing in pots
Choose a dwarf tree on dwarfing rootstock and a pot at least 50 cm wide with good drainage, filled with premium potting mix suitable for citrus. Potted citrus dry out and use up nutrients faster than trees in the ground, so water more often and feed lightly but regularly through the warm months. Watch for scale and leaf miner.
Companion planting
Citrus do best with their root zone clear of competition. Low flowering plants near the edge of the canopy are fine and bring in helpful insects.
Good companions
- Nasturtium A low, flowering cover for the sunny edge of the bed that draws in insects. Keep it trimmed away from the trunk.
- Marigold A small annual flower for the edge of the canopy that brings in pollinators and other helpful insects.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to mandarin.
- Lawn and weeds Grass and weeds in the root zone compete with the shallow citrus roots for water and food.
Pests and diseases
Most mandarin problems in home gardens come from insects on new growth, fruit fly in warm areas, and poor drainage.
Pests to watch for
- Citrus gall wasp Lumpy, woody swellings on young stems, visible from autumn. Prune or peel them before the wasps emerge in spring.
- Bronze orange bug Shield-shaped bugs, green to orange when young and bronze-black as adults, on new shoots. Flowers and young fruit drop.
- Fruit fly Small puncture marks on ripening fruit, which then rots with maggots inside. Pick fruit as it ripens and destroy fallen fruit.
- Scale Small bumps on leaves and stems, sticky honeydew, black sooty mould and ants.
Diseases to watch for
Common questions
When are mandarins ripe?
When they taste sweet. Mandarins do not need to be fully orange, as a green blush on ripe fruit is natural in backyard trees. Taste one or two before picking the rest. Depending on variety, fruit ripens from autumn into spring.
Why does my mandarin tree fruit only every second year?
Some mandarins, including older Imperial trees, crop heavily one year and lightly the next. Thinning a very heavy crop while the fruit is small, and steady watering and feeding, help even it out.
Why are my mandarins dry?
Fruit left on the tree too long, especially loose-skinned types such as Emperor, puffs up and dries out. Dry soil while the fruit is growing also gives less juicy fruit, so water deeply through spring and summer.
Why are my mandarins full of seeds?
Some varieties, such as Afourer, are low seeded on their own but become seedy when bees bring pollen from another citrus variety nearby.
Can I grow a mandarin in a pot?
Yes. Choose a dwarf tree on dwarfing rootstock, a pot at least 50 cm wide and premium potting mix for citrus. Water more often than in the ground and feed lightly through the warm months.
Which mandarin is best for a cold climate?
Satsuma types are the most cold hardy and form a compact tree. Plant in spring after the last frost in a warm, sheltered spot and protect young trees on frosty nights.
Why is my mandarin tree dropping fruit?
Citrus naturally shed many tiny fruit after flowering. Heavier drop usually comes from the tree drying out or getting heat stressed while fruit is setting, or from waterlogged roots. Water deeply and regularly from flowering through summer.
Sources we checked: NSW DPI: Growing lemons in Australia, a production manual (establishment; general citrus planting advice); NSW DPI: Caring for young citrus trees; Agriculture Victoria: Citrus gall wasp; Gardening Australia: Harvesting Citrus; Gardening Australia: Small-Growing Citrus; Gardening Australia fact sheet, 2015 episode 26 (Imperial mandarin); Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery: Mandarin varieties.