Fruiting plants requiring high humidity in low-humidity places?

[shafak]

I was browsing through Shamus'  (Phoenix,  Arizona) videos on YouTube and saw how he's successfully growing and having trees bear fruit - all in the desert.   He has many trees that require high humidity to grow.  (Or is it a requirement for fruiting?  I don't know).   But, when I looked up the climate for that location on Wikipedia,  it showed a average low humidity of 52%.  When I looked up humidity on weather reporting sites, it shows only 12% today.   So, how is he able to get fruits with such low humidity?   

My assumption was it might be due to his foliar spraying the trees.   But, that would not be on a daily basis.   Mulching would hold moisture for the soil,  not for the air above,  right?   

I've seen many trees here that have not fruited so far even though they look pretty healthy and I  always thought it was due to the additional requirement of humidity.   Please enlighten me.   Thank you.

[stuartdaly88]

I would definitely think that lots of plants close together would at least slightly raise the humidity?

[gozp]

The # 1 technique is a healthy soil then foliar.

[DimplesLee]

Look pretty healthy - your trees on neighbour's?
They might just have been feeding for vegetative growth - nitrogen heavy ferts chem or organic doesn't matter.
There are both chem and organic ferts to help induce blooming and help with fruit set all the way to harvest, provided you don't abuse it and just follow what would have been the trees' normal growth/bloom/harvest cycle on your part of the globe.

They are your trees? Put all those theories/infos you've been reading up/youtubing into practice.

[barath]

While in the broader sense Chennai isn't that humid, it's way way more humid than anywhere in the U.S. Southwest (California, Arizona, Nevada, etc.)  I doubt that there's a single tropical fruit that grows here that you can't grow.

[shafak]

The # 1 technique is a healthy soil then foliar.

According to folks in Phoenix,  the soil is far from healthy and even very alkaline.   Many of his fruiting trees require an acidic soil.

[shafak]

Look pretty healthy - your trees on neighbour's?
They might just have been feeding for vegetative growth - nitrogen heavy ferts chem or organic doesn't matter.
There are both chem and organic ferts to help induce blooming and help with fruit set all the way to harvest, provided you don't abuse it and just follow what would have been the trees' normal growth/bloom/harvest cycle on your part of the globe.

They are your trees? Put all those theories/infos you've been reading up/youtubing into practice.

Not mine, but with friends and relatives.   I was discouraged to try as it would have been a great disappointment waiting all those years and not having any flowers or fruits.

[shafak]

While in the broader sense Chennai isn't that humid, it's way way more humid than anywhere in the U.S. Southwest (California, Arizona, Nevada, etc.)  I doubt that there's a single tropical fruit that grows here that you can't grow.

That's exactly why I'm trying to seek answers to why these other trees don't fruit here.

[stuartdaly88]

Look pretty healthy - your trees on neighbour's?
They might just have been feeding for vegetative growth - nitrogen heavy ferts chem or organic doesn't matter.
There are both chem and organic ferts to help induce blooming and help with fruit set all the way to harvest, provided you don't abuse it and just follow what would have been the trees' normal growth/bloom/harvest cycle on your part of the globe.

They are your trees? Put all those theories/infos you've been reading up/youtubing into practice.

Not mine, but with friends and relatives.   I was discouraged to try as it would have been a great disappointment waiting all those years and not having any flowers or fruits.

Only one thing is for sure Guardian if you never plant the tree you have 100% chance of never getting any fruits.
Experimental plantings are exciting! Yeah it might die or never fruit but on the other hand it may do well its all what makes this hobby really fun and interesting constantly finding new species and new ways to give the best possible care for them 

[pitbull-rus]

Gold words !!!

[shafak]

Only one thing is for sure Guardian if you never plant the tree you have 100% chance of never getting any fruits.
Experimental plantings are exciting! Yeah it might die or never fruit but on the other hand it may do well its all what makes this hobby really fun and interesting constantly finding new species and new ways to give the best possible care for them 

You are absolutely right, Stuart.  But, you seem to forget one main factor.  All these are huge trees taking up lots of space which is a constraint for people in big city like me.  So, I have to be absolutely sure they would fruit in my climatic condition before I can plant it in the ground.  Actually, right now, I do have seedlings of various fruiting trees, but, have yet to decide which to plant and which to give away.  Thank you.

[barath]

Ah, I just realized there's one thing I've seen around here that could be the cause -- are the trees you're having trouble with seedling trees, or are they well-known varieties?  I ask because all too often I see seedling trees that don't fruit due to various pollination difficulties, whereas in the same area grafted trees of good varieties fruit just fine.

[shafak]

Ah, I just realized there's one thing I've seen around here that could be the cause -- are the trees you're having trouble with seedling trees, or are they well-known varieties?  I ask because all too often I see seedling trees that don't fruit due to various pollination difficulties, whereas in the same area grafted trees of good varieties fruit just fine.

Almost all the plants I mentioned were planted from seeds.  I don't think it's pollination problem as there are lots of pollinators here.

[barath]

Ah, I just realized there's one thing I've seen around here that could be the cause -- are the trees you're having trouble with seedling trees, or are they well-known varieties?  I ask because all too often I see seedling trees that don't fruit due to various pollination difficulties, whereas in the same area grafted trees of good varieties fruit just fine.

Almost all the plants I mentioned were planted from seeds.  I don't think it's pollination problem as there are lots of pollinators here.

Ah, I should have been more clear.  It's not always due to a lack of pollinators -- sometimes seedling trees have flower defects that prevent pollination.  I've seen that here with Avocado and White Sapote.  I don't know if it happens much with others, but I'd guess it does.

One thought, then, is to get some scions of any known variety (especially a known self-fertile variety) and graft onto the trees that are currently not producing.  If that new branch starts producing, then you can top-work the whole tree.

[Vernmented]

Only one thing is for sure Guardian if you never plant the tree you have 100% chance of never getting any fruits.
Experimental plantings are exciting! Yeah it might die or never fruit but on the other hand it may do well its all what makes this hobby really fun and interesting constantly finding new species and new ways to give the best possible care for them 

You are absolutely right, Stuart.  But, you seem to forget one main factor.  All these are huge trees taking up lots of space which is a constraint for people in big city like me.  So, I have to be absolutely sure they would fruit in my climatic condition before I can plant it in the ground.  Actually, right now, I do have seedlings of various fruiting trees, but, have yet to decide which to plant and which to give away.  Thank you.

I prune EVERYTHING. Start young and shape it to what fits you spacial needs. You could always tatura or espalier as well. Microclimate is EVERYTHING. If you have access to materials and you go the route of interplanting chop and drop species, mulching, decent well/rain water, organic soil conditioners/amendments you can reallly create a fantastic ecosystem with an extremely active soil biome. All of the living elements above and below the ground create humidity and fertility through respiration, root exudates, and waste excretion. If you can make/purchase good quality biochar I would highly recommend it. I hope some experiments work out for you.

[shafak]

Like I mentioned earlier,  the trees are not mine to experiment with.   Right now, I have seeds of jaboticaba waiting to sprout and 2 cultivars of salak and kiwanos in seedling stage and saplings of soursop, carambola and rose apple.  Soon, I'll be getting seeds of cassabanana.  Then there are a few fruits that I've shortlisted.   More than enough to begin experimenting with.