Mexican Rheedia/Garcinia?

[fruitlovers]

 I am also eagerly waiting for my Mexican Garcinia to bloom.

 My largest plant is taller than Ed's, at around 120cm, but it still looks juvenile and several
 years from blooming.

 My achachairus are quite a bit larger and fuller but still no signs of flowers.

 Both are the easiest to grow Garcinias I've tried, and
 they can handle quite a bit of cold.

 

 

I've got an achachairu that is over 6 feet tall that has yet to flower. Looks real good and just flushed out, and am guessing it will flower soon.

[Jsvand5]

 Both are the easiest to grow Garcinias I've tried, and
 they can handle quite a bit of cold.

 

 

Yep, my mexicans took a pretty hard frost with no issues last winter.

[siafu]

 I have them all in the ground, after a number of years in 20L and 30L pots.

 They still grow slowly for me and I have to drench them often with chelated micros,
 otherwise the alkaline conditions I have show up pretty quickly.

 I searched Luc's email regarding these seeds, and I realize they are already 7 years old! The achachairus
 nearing the 9 year old mark!!!

 Rarefruit growing is such an exercise in patience!!!

[edself65]

Wow then I'm really happy to see blooms in under 5 years and hopefully fruit! Yes some of these plants require a lot of patience!

Ed

[Mike T]

Ed you must have a secret.Those prodigies have been on a fast development track and accelerated flowering routine of some sort.

[edself65]

Mike,
I kept the central leader trimmed on my plant to maintain it at around 3 feet tall. This has forced more lateral branching . I am also growing it in a Rootmaker pot that air prunes the roots. Besides that I only water with rain water and apply occasional iron supplements. That is it nothing fancy.

Good Luck,

Ed

[siafu]

Hi,

I should add my Garcinias have been growing in a unheated greenhouse, under quite a bit of shade.

It gets very hot and dry inside and they burn to a crisp if not shaded. I suppose they'd grow faster

with more humidity, but that's something I cannot find a way to provide. I tried overhead sprinklers

but the water is too hard and the leaves turn white in no time.

[fruitlovers]

Hi,

I should add my Garcinias have been growing in a unheated greenhouse, under quite a bit of shade.

It gets very hot and dry inside and they burn to a crisp if not shaded. I suppose they'd grow faster

with more humidity, but that's something I cannot find a way to provide. I tried overhead sprinklers

but the water is too hard and the leaves turn white in no time.

Too much shade i notice slows down their growth. What about putting some water containers close to plants to provide humidity?

[siafu]

 
 That's seems to make little difference, Oscar.

 The only real difference I noticed was when I tried several misters that would turn on every 5 to 10 minutes.

 If you recall, I tried them as per your suggestion, to get my Rollinia mucosas (Biribá) to set fruit. They
 had bloomed several times in previous years without setting fruits. That sure did the trick! It also worked for A. reticulata which has the same problem for me(I now suspect A. diversifolia also needs humidity to set fruits).

 The problem is that carbonates in the water burn the leaves over time and they fall off.

 So I've stopped using it. I was hoping to use tap/company water soon, but there is word
 of steep price increases coming and I fear I won't be able to afford it...

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I think Eds plant is first to bloom because he grew it in pot, and gave the plant lots of positive energy...he really wanted it to flower worse than anyone i think:..and the plant didn't want to dissapoint Ed I guess...

I notice many of my plants bloom quite early (maybe because I grow only in pots...?)  I think the tree has less energy it can devote to roots, and it's biological processes wander into a sexual realm, instead of a vegetive one.

trees in ground are just too happy, and make nice deep roots, and larger trees that typically flower later than container specimens.

[Mike T]

Siafu if the misters don't help maybe the missus will.On reflection maybe those pale patches on my juvenile were just a pigment of my imagination and there'll be no developments of that type prior to its first birthday.I may try the bat guano as Oscar suggests instead of the current bullship.

[fruitlovers]

I think Eds plant is first to bloom because he grew it in pot, and gave the plant lots of positive energy...he really wanted it to flower worse than anyone i think:..and the plant didn't want to dissapoint Ed I guess...

I notice many of my plants bloom quite early (maybe because I grow only in pots...?)  I think the tree has less energy it can devote to roots, and it's biological processes wander into a sexual realm, instead of a vegetive one.

trees in ground are just too happy, and make nice deep roots, and larger trees that typically flower later than container specimens.

Yeah, i think this is a good observation. Also those plants in your pots are getting lots of intravenous feeding via soil and foliar feeding. Those plants in the ground usually have to put a lot of energy into root systems looking for same nutrients.

[jb_fla]

I am also curious about how the flavor of Whitmans charichuela fare's with the mexican garcinia and achachairu.

I have read a few posts responding to the cold tolerance of the mexican garcinia.  I would like to know the low temps they endured if you remember. 

Thanks

[edself65]

My plants survived 25 F outside unprotected this year in Apopka. These were young and older seedlings. Also my plants survived the low 20s F two years in a row in Houston.

Thanks,

Ed

[jb_fla]

Thanks Ed, good to know.  I have babied the mexican's due to the rarity/popularity.  I left my lemon mangosteen and charicuela out this past winter, down to 25 with no injury too.

[Tomas]

Hi,

Anyone else growing Mexican Garcinia with large leaves like mine (all of mine have these large leaves)? It's really odd that the leaves on Ed's Mexican Garcinia is about 1/2 the size as mine. I thought all Mexican Garcinia have these large leaves. And then Ed surprised me with his pictures.



Tomas

[jb_fla]

Tomas-

I have 3 Mex Garcinia's.  They are each about 15" tall and the leaves measure 7-8" in length, not quite as long as yours, but maybe they will grow larger in time.

[edself65]

Most of my leaves average 6 to 7 inches in full sun. The photos Luc sent me seem to have leaves in the 6 to 8 inch range. I sent him an email for verification.

Ed

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Tomas,

was the seed this plant came from very large? and is this plant in mostly shade?

these two factors can make for big leaves!

they will get smaller in time I bet...but if not, I may be asking you for some scions of your giant Mexican garcinia!!!

[fruitlovers]

Tomas,

was the seed this plant came from very large? and is this plant in mostly shade?

these two factors can make for big leaves!

they will get smaller in time I bet...but if not, I may be asking you for some scions of your giant Mexican garcinia!!!

Adam is right, leaf size is going to be determined by amount of shade they get. I think also by other growing conditions like humidity and soil fertility, and whether planted in ground or in a pot. My plants have quite large leaves, but haven't measured. I'll try to take a photo soon.

[Tomas]

Hi Adam,

> was the seed this plant came from very large?

I don't really know that. But I guess that's very possible.

> and is this plant in mostly shade?

Full sun.

> they will get smaller in time I bet

You know, the funny thing is that the leaves actually grow larger year by year. I am just so baffled at the variation of leave size within the same species. I learn something new every day.

Tomas

[siafu]

Hi,

Anyone else growing Mexican Garcinia with large leaves like mine (all of mine have these large leaves)? It's really odd that the leaves on Ed's Mexican Garcinia is about 1/2 the size as mine. I thought all Mexican Garcinia have these large leaves. And then Ed surprised me with his pictures.



Tomas

Hmmm. Now I am worried... The leaves of my two Mexican Garcinias seem quite a bit different in shape.
Yours are sort of elongated and pointy, resembling the leaves of my achachairus, in particular those growing
in deep shade. The leaves of the mexican Garcinias are more round, sort of eliptical.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Tomas your garcinia looks right, (like lucs), leaves just look huge!!

if you run your finger along the margins of the leaf, on the undersides...it will have no edge, and feel smooth...unlike g intermedia.  sometimes these two species look so similar, this is the only way I can tell them apart.

[fruitlovers]

Hi,

Anyone else growing Mexican Garcinia with large leaves like mine (all of mine have these large leaves)? It's really odd that the leaves on Ed's Mexican Garcinia is about 1/2 the size as mine. I thought all Mexican Garcinia have these large leaves. And then Ed surprised me with his pictures.



Tomas

Hmmm. Now I am worried... The leaves of my two Mexican Garcinias seem quite a bit different in shape.
Yours are sort of elongated and pointy, resembling the leaves of my achachairus, in particular those growing
in deep shade. The leaves of the mexican Garcinias are more round, sort of eliptical.

Leaves of achachairu quite different than Mexican garcinia. Achachiru leaves are much smaller and narrower. Will try to post comparison shot later.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

the same simple test I suggested to Tomas can be used to differentiate lucs garcinia from achachairu.