How to grow Loquat

Learn how to grow this delicious fruit with our Loquat Growing Guide. Get tips on sun requirements, planting, feeding, harvesting and more!

Loquat trees will grow in most soil types, provided that they are well draining and slightly acidic. 

Like most fruit trees, Loquats require well draining soil. They will not tolerate waterlogged soil and will develop root rot as a result. Avoid planting in heavy clay unless the soil has been amended. Heavy soils can be improved by incorporating gypsum, organic matter and by mounding the soil before planting to improve drainage. 

Loquat trees prefer a full sun position, however will tolerate part sun. Loquat trees need to be sheltered from hot, dry winds. 

Yes, mature Loquat trees are generally frost tolerant, however seedlings and small trees will require protection from frost until they have established themselves.  

Plant Loquat trees a few metres apart. 

It's best to plant a Loquat tree that you have purchased from a nursery. While Loquat trees will grow well from seed, they can take up to 10 years to produce fruit. 

Late autumn or early spring is the best time to transplant most dormant plants. Plants, with the exception of bare-root, can be transplanted at anytime between when the ground thaws and when it freezes (so anytime if you are in a frost free climate). However, if transplanting in the heat of summer, you'll need to be diligent in watering and provide extra shade for your plant in the first few weeks after transplanting.

Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball. The hole should allow the plant to sit at the same level in the soil as it was previously. Fill the hole with soil ensuring that the crown of the plant, where the roots and stem meet, is level with the soil surface.

Plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn. 

Top-dress the soil around your Loquat tree with well-rotted organic matter in spring, along with a balanced organic fertiliser. Add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the tree up to the drip line to retain moisture (be careful not to pile mulch against the tree trunk as this may lead to trunk rot and disease). 

Harvest when the Loquat fruit turns a yellow-orange colour and is soft to touch. Ripe fruit will have no sign of green and will pull away from the stem easily. Fruit is ready for harvest roughly 90 days from flowering. 

Pests that can affect Loquats include: Coddling Moth, Scale, Aphids, Mites,  Fruit Fly, Thrips, Birds, Bats. 

Diseases that can affect Loquat include: Fire Blight, Phytophthora Crown Rot, Scab, Collar Rot, Root Rot, Anthracnose. 

Loquat is an ever green tree.

The leaves and unripe fruit from a Loquat tree should not be consumed by humans or animals, as they may be toxic. 

Ripe fruit may require protection from birds and other wildlife.