Loquat : An Ancient Fruit Crop with a Promising Future HORTICULTURAL

The author has tested various Rhodochlamys species over 15 years in Finland and found that they were suitable for indoor and greenhouse culture, and also can be grown outdoors during the growing season. As in their natural habitats, these species are seasonal plants with flowering, fruiting, and dormant period; they flower easily every year. Grown as indoor potted plants, they normally go into dormancy during the darkest winter months. During this period when growth ceases, soil should be kept slightly moist; plants will not lose their leaves even without extra lighting. In the greenhouse, plants normally go into semi dormancy in the winter with very slow growth even under good growing lights. When grown outdoors in temperate climates, plants should be cut before the freeze and corms stored in a cool basement without soil totally dry. However, corms can be potted and stored as indoor plants.