Product Name: Sweet Spring Tangelo (Tianchun Tangelo)
Description:
Sweet Spring, also known as Tianchun Tangelo or Sweet Tangelo, is a premium hybrid citrus variety developed in Japan from a cross of Unshiu Mandarin (Citrus reticulata 'Unshiu') and Hassaku (Citrus hassaku). Registered in Japan in 1982, it was introduced to China in 1984 by the Zhejiang Citrus Research Institute and later established as a leading variety in Qingyuan County, Zhejiang Province. Today, it is recognized as a National Geographical Indication Product and has become the signature fruit of the Qingyuan region, celebrated for its unique tangerine-pomelo hybrid character.
A Citrus That Blends the Best of Both Worlds:
Sweet Spring delivers a one-of-a-kind flavor experience – combining the sweetness of a mandarin with the fragrance of a pomelo. The flesh is soft, tender, and bursting with juice, with a clean, refreshing sweetness and virtually no acidity. The aroma is distinctive – a harmonious blend of tangerine and pomelo notes that appeals to a wide range of palates. The fruit is seedless or nearly seedless, with only 3–5 seeds in the rare seeded fruit, making it exceptionally convenient for snacking.
Appearance:
The fruit is flat-round and compact, with a slightly bulbous stem end and a flat apex. The skin is orange-yellow to orange-red, glossy and attractive, though slightly rough in texture. It peels with some difficulty, similar to a pomelo, but rewards the effort with juicy, tender flesh inside. Average fruit weight is 200–300 grams, with uniform sizing and excellent commercial grade.
A Storage Superstar:
The defining commercial advantage of Sweet Spring is its extraordinary storage life. Harvested from late November to early December, the fruit can be stored at room temperature until the end of May the following year without any loss of flavor – an exceptionally long supply window among citrus varieties. Unlike many late-maturing citrus varieties that require post-harvest ripening, Sweet Spring is ready to eat immediately after harvest, offering unmatched convenience and flexibility for growers, retailers, and consumers alike.
Key Commercial Advantages:
Unique Hybrid Flavor – A perfect blend of mandarin sweetness and pomelo fragrance
High Sugar, Low Acid – 12%+ Brix with less than 0.5% acidity for pure, clean sweetness
Seedless Convenience – Seedless or nearly seedless for hassle-free enjoyment
Exceptional Storage Life – Stores at room temperature for 6+ months (December to May) without quality loss
Cold Hardy & Adaptable – Combines Hassaku's storability with Unshiu's cold hardiness; suitable for a wide range of citrus-growing regions
Early Bearing & High Yield – Grafted trees fruit in the second year, reaching 30–50 kg per tree by year 3 and over 3,000 kg per mu at full production
Ready to Eat – No post-harvest ripening required, a rare trait among late-maturing citrus
Growing Regions:
Native to Japan, Sweet Spring was introduced to China in 1984 and has been successfully cultivated in Qingyuan County, Zhejiang Province (the core production region with over 12,000 mu planted), as well as Fujian (Jianyang), Sichuan, Hubei (Chibi), and other citrus-growing regions. The Qingyuan region, known as “China's No.1 Ecological County,” provides ideal growing conditions that produce fruit with exceptional sweetness and quality.
Cultivation Notes:
Site Selection: Best suited to south-facing slopes below 400m elevation with deep, fertile soil; suitable in regions where Ponkan, Huyou, or Mandarin oranges thrive
Planting Density: 110 trees/mu (2m×3m) for intensive planting, or 75 trees/mu (3m×3m) for permanent planting
Planting Time: Late September to early November (autumn) or mid-February to late March (spring)
Top-Grafting: High-head cleft grafting onto mature Huyou trees achieves over 90% success rate and dramatically shortens the time to production
Pruning: Optimal pruning windows are mid-to-late February and mid-August; focus on canopy opening and vigor control to improve light penetration and reduce disease pressure
Pest Management: Watch for red spider mite, rust mite, scale insects, aphids, leafminer, and scab. Brown spot disease is the primary threat, followed by black spot (sand skin disease) . Winter cleanup with 0.5–1° Baumé lime sulfur is essential
Harvest Season:
Late November to early December – a premium winter citrus that delivers an unmatched storage life of over 6 months at room temperature, allowing fresh supply from December through May the following year. A truly unique variety that combines hybrid flavor, seedless convenience, and exceptional storage – ideal for fresh market sales, gift packaging, e-commerce logistics, and extended seasonal supply.