The plant I ship is about 3ft tall.

Scientific Name: Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.

Synonyms: Crataegus bibas, Mespilus japonicus, and

Photinia japonica

Common Names: Japanese plum, Japanese medlar, nispero

japones (Spanish), ameixa do Japao (Portuguese), luju

(Chinese), lokwat (Maylay and Indonesian)

Family: Rosaceae

Relatives: apple, pear, peach, nectarine.

Origin: Native to southeastern and central China

Ornamental as well as practical, loquat trees make excellent lawn specimen trees, with whirls of glossy foliage and a naturally attractive shape. They grow about 25 feet (7.5 m.) tall with a canopy that spreads 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m.) —a size that is well-suited to home landscapes. Large clusters of attractive fruit stand out against the dark green, tropical-looking foliage and add to the tree’s visual appeal. Learn more about growing and caring for a loquat tree to see if this interesting addition would make a suitable option for you. What is a Loquat? You may be wondering exactly what is a loquat. Loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) are trees that produce small, round, or pear-shaped fruits, rarely more than 2 inches (5 cm.) long. Sweet or slightly acidic in flavor, the juicy flesh may be white, yellow, or orange with a yellow or orange-blushed peel. Loquats are tasty when peeled and eaten fresh, or you can freeze the whole fruit for later use. They make excellent jellies, jams, preserves, cobblers, or pies. Loquat Tree Information Loquat trees are sensitive to cold weather. The trees can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 F. (-12 C.) without serious damage, but temperatures below 27 F (-3 C.) kill the flowers and fruit. Some varieties are self-pollinating, and you can get a good yield from just one tree, but there are several cultivars that must be pollinated by another tree. When planting one tree, make sure it is a self-fertile type. Loquat Tree Planting Caring for a loquat tree properly begins with its planting. When growing loquat trees, you should plant the trees in a sunny location at least 25 to 30 feet (7.5 to 9 m.) from structures, electrical lines, and other trees. When you remove the sapling from its container, rinse off some of the growing media so that when you plant the tree, the roots come in direct contact with the soil. Plant the tree so that the soil line of the tree is even at the level of the surrounding soil. Water the tree twice the first week after planting and keep the soil lightly moist around the tree until it begins to put on new growth. Caring for a Loquat Tree Growing loquat fruit trees and their care focuses on good nutrition, water management, and weed control. Fertilize the trees three times a year with a lawn fertilizer that does not contain weed killers. In the first year, use a cup (453.5 g.) of fertilizer divided into three applications spread over the growing season. In the second and third years, increase the annual amount of fertilizer to 2 cups (907 g.). Scatter the fertilizer on the ground and water it in. Water a loquat tree when the blossoms begin to swell in spring and two to three more times when the fruit begins to ripen. Apply the water slowly, allowing it to sink into the soil as much as possible. Stop when the water begins to run off. Young trees don’t compete well with weeds, so maintain a weed-free area that extends 2 to 3 feet (60 to 91 cm.) from the trunk of the tree. Take care when cultivating around the tree because the roots are shallow. A layer of mulch will help keep weeds at bay.

Planting a Loquat Tree

Proper planting is one of the most important steps in

successfully establishing and growing a strong, productive

loquat tree. The first step is to choose a healthy nursery

tree. Commonly, nursery loquat trees are grown in 3-gallon

containers and trees stand 2 to 4 ft from the soil media.

Large trees in smaller containers should be avoided because

the root system may be “root bound”, which means that

all the available space in the container has been filled with

roots to the point that the tap root is growing along the

edge of the container in a circular fashion. Root-bound root

systems may not grow properly once they are planted in the

ground.

Inspect the tree for insect pests and diseases and inspect

the trunk of the tree for wounds and constrictions. Select

a healthy tree and water it regularly in preparation for

planting in the ground.

Site Selection

In general, loquat trees should be planted in full sun for

best growth and fruit production. Select a part of the

landscape away from other trees, buildings and structures,

and power lines. Remember loquat trees may become

moderately large if not pruned to contain their size. In areas

where there is a chance of spring frost, select the warmest

area of the landscape. In locations where this is not a

concern loquat may be planted anywhere in the landscape.

Loquat trees should be planted in areas that do not flood

(or remain wet) after typical summer rainfall events.

Planting in Sandy Soil

Many areas in Florida have sandy soil. Remove a 3 to 10

ft diameter ring of grass sod. Dig a hole 3 to 4 times the

diameter and 3 times as deep as the container the loquat

tree came in. Making a large hole loosens the soil next to

the new tree making it easy for the roots to expand into the

adjacent soil. It is not necessary to apply fertilizer, topsoil,

or compost to the hole. In fact, placing topsoil or compost

in the hole first and then planting on top of it is not desirable. If you wish to add topsoil or compost to the native

soil, mix it with the excavated soil in no more than a 50-50

ratio.

Backfill the hole with some of the excavated soil. Remove

the tree from the container and place it in the hole so that

the top of the soil media from the container is level with or

slightly above the surrounding soil level. Fill soil in around

the tree roots and tamp slightly to remove air pockets.

Immediately water the soil around the tree and tree roots.

Staking the tree with a wooden or bamboo stake is optional,

but, do not use wire or nylon rope to tie the tree to the

stake since they may eventually damage the tree trunk as it

grows. Use a cotton or natural fiber string that will degrade

slowly.

Planting in Rockland Soil

Many areas in Miami-Dade County have a very shallow

soil, and several inches below the soil surface is a hard,

calcareous bedrock. Remove a 3- to 10-ft-diameter ring

of grass sod. Make a hole 3 to 4 times the diameter and 3

times as deep as the container the loquat tree came in. To

dig a hole, use a pick and digging bar to break up the rock

or contract with a company that has augering equipment

or a backhoe. Plant the tree as described in the previous

section.

Planting on a Mound

Many areas in Florida are within 7 ft or so of the water table

and experience occasional flooding after heavy rains. To

improve plant survival, consider planting fruit trees on a 2

to 3 ft high by 4 to 10 ft diameter mound of native soil.

After the mound is made, dig a hole 3 to 4 times the

diameter and 3 times as deep as the container the laquat

tree came in. In areas where the bedrock nearly comes to

the surface (rockland soil), follow the recommendations

for the previous section. In areas with sandy soil, follow the

recommendations from the section on planting in sandy

soil.

Care of Loquat Trees in the Home

Landscape

A calendar outlining the month-to-month cultural practices for loquat is shown in Table 2.

Fertilizer

A month after planting, spread 1/4 lb (113 g) per tree of

a young-tree fertilizer, such as 6-6-6 (6 % nitrogen 6%

phosphate 6%potassium) with minor elements. Twenty

to 30% of the nitrogen should come from organic sources

(Table 3). Repeat this every 8 weeks for the first year. Then,

gradually increase the amount of fertilizer to 0.5, 0.75, 1.0

lb etc., (227 g, 341 g, 454 g, etc.) as the trees grow. Four to

6 dry fertilizer applications per year may be made up to the

third year.

A foliar fertilizer mix composed of magnesium and minor

nutrients (manganese, zinc, boron, and molybdenum) may

be applied 2 to 3 times per tree per year any time from April 

to November. In acid to neutral soils, apply iron sulfate

at 0.25 to 1 oz per tree to the soil 2 to 3 times per year. In

alkaline soils with a high pH, drench the soil with iron

chelate 2 to 3 times per year from June through September.

To make a soil drench, mix 0.5 to 0.75 oz (14–21 g) of iron

chelate with 4 to 5 gallons (14–19 liters) of water and pour

onto the soil next to the tree trunk.

For mature trees, fertilize trees 2 to 3 times per year. The

fertilizer should be applied just before or at bloom, perhaps

during late fall, again in March, and once during the

summer. The fertilizer mix should also include phosphate

(P2O5) and potash (K2O); use a 6-6-6, 8-3-9 or similar

material.

Irrigation (Watering)

Newly planted loquat trees should be watered at planting

and every other day for the first week or so and then 1 to

2 times a week for the first couple of months. For the first

3 years, water once a week during prolonged dry periods

(e.g., 5 or more days of little to no rainfall). Once the rainy

season arrives, reduce or stop watering.

Once loquat trees are 4 or more years old, water them

during the fruit development period and during prolonged

dry periods. Over watering may cause trees to decline or be

unthrifty

Pictures depict grown up plants and its possible applications.

Height of the plants is measured from the base of the root ball.