Sunlight
Best production in full sun. Aim for at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
Sale
Naartjie Tree - Empress
Citrus reticulata 'Empress'
R350.00
Easy-Peel Mandarin
Old Transvaal Easy-Peel Naartjie!
- Very sweet, thick-skinned easy-peel — seeded, with classic naartjie flavour.
Empress is the old Transvaal naartjie — thick, easy-to-peel skin and a very sweet, old-fashioned flavour. Fruit has seeds, unlike many modern seedless mandarins.
Self-fertile. A tough, generous winter citrus for warm, sunny gardens.
This product cannot be delivered to Free State, Northern Cape.
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Empress Naartjie Tree for Sale
Empress is the old Transvaal naartjie many South Africans grew up eating: thick, easy-to-peel skin, very sweet juicy segments, and a proper naartjie flavour. It does have seeds — that is the trade-off against many newer seedless mandarins — and gardeners who want flavour over seedlessness keep planting it.
Grafted trees start cropping sooner than seed-grown plants, often in the first year or two. Give it full sun, sharp drainage and regular citrus feeding. It likes heat and humidity more than a cold, damp corner. Protect young trees from frost.
Citrus cannot be couriered to the Free State or Northern Cape. Collection is always available.
Appearance
Medium easy-peel naartjies with thick, loose orange rind and very sweet, juicy segments. Seeded — unlike many modern seedless mandarins.
Harvest Time
Winter, once fruit has coloured fully to orange. Timing varies with climate.
Year to Bear
Grafted trees can produce fruit in the first year of planting!
Growth Rate
Moderate evergreen citrus. Manage at 2.5–4m with pruning; compact enough for a large container.
Container Friendly?
Citrus grow exceptionally well in containers. Choose a large pot with excellent drainage, use a bark-based potting mix and position in the warmest, sunniest spot available.
Watering
Keep plants consistently moist but avoid overwatering. Water deeply once a week, allowing the top layer of soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Temperature
Young trees need frost protection. Happiest in warm, sunny, reasonably humid gardens.
Chilling
No chilling requirement.
Pollination Info
Self-fertile. A single tree will produce fruit. Nearby mandarin-types can increase seediness.
Planting & Care Guide
Plant in very well-drained, light, aerated soil — clay soils and waterlogging are fatal to citrus. If planting in a pot, use a good quality bark-based potting mix with added river sand and ensure excellent drainage.
Citrus are heavy feeders. Apply a 6:1:5 fertiliser at monthly intervals throughout the growing season. Supplement regularly with magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) and iron chelates to prevent yellowing.
Keep plants consistently moist but be careful not to overwater. Monitor for aphids, scale, mealybug and citrus psylla — treat with any product containing imidacloprid.
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