How to Grow Mandarins in NZ: When to Plant and Harvest

Updated October 2026

One of the hardiest citrus, with Satsuma types coping best with cooler conditions, though all citrus want a warm sheltered sunny spot. Plant in spring once the soil warms. Buy grafted on trifoliata rootstock for a smaller, hardier tree.

What it looks like as it grows

🌱 Plant profile: Mandarin, with sowing times for your region, companion plants and common pests.

When to Plant a Mandarin Tree in Your Region

Mandarin trees are planted in spring once the soil has warmed. These are the planting months for each of our nine New Zealand regions, straight from our planting data. Each region links to its vegetable planting calendar, and the Mandarin plant page has spacing, companions and care notes for your region.

Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, and Wellington and the lower North Island plant mandarins from September to November, and Nelson and Marlborough in October and November once the frosts finish. The central North Island, Canterbury and Otago and Southland are marginal: plant a Satsuma type, the hardiest mandarin, in November in a warm, sheltered spot, and cover young trees with frost cloth. Hard frosts rule out mandarins outdoors in Central Otago. Our frost protection guide shows how to cover young trees.

Best mandarin varieties for NZ

• Satsuma (Miho/Okitsu), Easy-peel early mandarin, the hardiest and most reliable for New Zealand, ripe in autumn to winter. (Kings Plant Barn, Waimea Nurseries)
• Encore, Late-season sweet juicy mandarin that extends the harvest into spring. (garden centres)
• Clementine, Sweet easy-peel mandarin for warm sheltered gardens. (garden centres)

How to grow mandarin

• Space trees about 400cm apart.
• Plant a grafted tree with the graft union above the soil line.
• Position: full sun, sheltered from frost and cold wind.
• Expect the first good crop about two years after planting.

How to Plant a Mandarin Tree

1. Choose full sun and free-draining soil, sheltered from frost and cold wind.
2. Buy a tree grafted on trifoliata rootstock for a smaller, hardier tree, and plant it with the graft union above the soil line.
3. Allow about 4 metres between trees, or less for a dwarf variety.
4. Water deeply and regularly, never letting the roots sit in soggy ground, and mulch to hold moisture while keeping the mulch off the trunk.
5. Feed with a citrus fertiliser several times across the growing season.

Thinning and Regular Cropping

Mandarins can bear biennially, with a heavy crop one year and a light crop the next. Thin a heavy fruit set for better sized fruit, and water deeply and evenly, which also stops fruit drop. Leaf miner, scale and stink bugs are the pests to watch, so treat them early.

Growing Mandarins in Pots

Mandarins grow well in containers. Our plant data calls for a pot of at least 50 cm and a dwarf variety, in full sun. Our citrus in pots guide covers mixes and feeding for potted citrus.

When Are Mandarins Ready to Pick?

Our plant data allows about two years from planting to a good crop and puts the main mandarin harvest from April to August. Satsuma types ripen in autumn and winter, and late varieties such as Encore extend the season into spring. Pick when the fruit is fully coloured, heavy and slightly soft, and taste one first, because the colour can run ahead of the sweetness. Mandarins keep for a week on the bench and 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Companion planting

Grow mandarin near: Nasturtium, Marigold.

Pests and problems

Watch for: Guava moth, Citrus leaf miner, Scale. See our NZ pest and disease guide for organic control.