Author Topic: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil  (Read 16640 times)

jcaldeira

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Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« on: April 23, 2012, 01:55:50 AM »
I am looking for ideas on which species of fruit I might grown on a tropical tract of land that tends to be very wet.  During the rainy season, the soil can remain soggy for a week or two at a time before roots can breathe.  During the dry season, the water table is probably about one meter (3 feet) down.  It's at the base of a hill, where water weeps from the rock.

Parts of this land range from full sun to full shade - mostly partial shade.   The soil is VERY fertile, a clay-loam.   

Suggestions?

Thanks,
John
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fruitlovers

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2012, 02:06:00 AM »
I am looking for ideas on which species of fruit I might grown on a tropical tract of land that tends to be very wet.  During the rainy season, the soil can remain soggy for a week or two at a time before roots can breathe.  During the dry season, the water table is probably about one meter (3 feet) down.  It's at the base of a hill, where water weeps from the rock.

Parts of this land range from full sun to full shade - mostly partial shade.   The soil is VERY fertile, a clay-loam.   

Suggestions?

Thanks,
John

Biriba, Rollinia deliciosa is very flood tolerant as it comes from Amazon basin. Any annona that is grafted onto pond apple (Annona glabra) will also be able to grow in standing water. Some others that are very flood tolerant or even floor appreciating: jaboticaba, camu camu,coconuts, some of the ingas. I've heard also mango can tolerate flooding for a few months out of the year, but not all the time.
Oscar

Soren

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2012, 04:57:43 AM »
Genipa americana is another. Several Syzygium ssp. enjoys a high watertable, though I am not sure how long they can take standing water!
I have myself planted several Biriba in a swampy area where they experienced prolonged standing water, and that was too wet for that variety - but with a watertable 1m down during dry season I would surely try it.!
« Last Edit: April 23, 2012, 12:51:34 PM by Soren »
Søren
Kampala, Uganda

simon_grow

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2012, 12:11:53 PM »
Have you considered planting on a mound?  I have clay soil and half my yard stays soggy for about 2 weeks after several consecutive days of rain.  I planted all my plants on that side of the yard on mounds and everything is doing great so far.
Simon

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2012, 12:15:08 PM »
Sapodilla is very wet soil tolerant.

I'll second the idea of using planting mounds. I have them in my yard and so far am doing great with mangos planted on them.   

jcaldeira

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2012, 04:16:39 PM »
Thank you, all, for the suggestions.  I have researched each on the internet and several are appealing.  Biriba, Jaboticaba and Camu Camu in particular are ones I will pursue as they can be propagated by seeds that are available by mail order.  I can't bring in vegetative plant material to Fiji without a big hassle, but can probably get a biosecurity permit for these seeds.

I already have some Malay Apple (Syzygium malaccense) started and will try a couple of those in the wet areas too.

The pond apple rootstock scares me a little because it is an invasive weed in Australia.

Planting on mounds is a good idea, but due to the expanse of the areas I will be planting, I think instead I'll build a few drainage ditches and use the dirt to build up the surrounding area a little.  So much work!

If there are any other ideas, I'll be watching this thread.  Thanks.

 
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fruitlovers

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2012, 06:25:34 PM »
Jphn, i suggest you get a copy of the book Amazon River fruits. All the fruits listed there will grow very well with periodic flooding. It's really an excellent book and i recommend it to everyone. Available from amazon.com
Oscar

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2012, 07:08:38 PM »
John, Do you have Manilkara kauki there on Fiji? It is prized in NQ, the Torres Strait and other Melenesian Islands. Its a close relative of the sapodilla and the fruit is like a sapodilla crossed with a date - hard to explain. They grow just about anywhere - swamps to cliff faces. Like sapodilla there is a bit of diversity in them and no selection has been made, but they are generally quite good, definately worth growing and the good ones are very good.

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2012, 11:00:21 PM »
Bactris setosa

mulberry

guava

dare I say, Pitangatuba? not certain,,,but almost certain, quite flood tolerant, and saline tolerant

Jaboticaba (depending on variety and planting situation)

camu camu

Acerola


Not sure if your soil conditions are conducive for healthy growth on all species listed...good luck!
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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2012, 11:00:37 PM »
Much of the central amazon region is very hilly, even though little of it is above 300 feet elevation.  I have always seen Biriba on hillsides, not in swamps, so I would second the recommendation for mounding.

Here in Florida I have seen naturalized guavas that sprouted from bird poop on Cypress knees in the Loxahatchie swamp, and seem to be doing OK, some 8 or so feet tall.

Mauritia flexuosa, Buriti palms (or Miriti) grow great in flooded river plains.  So do Assai.

Har

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2012, 02:27:18 AM »
Much of the central amazon region is very hilly, even though little of it is above 300 feet elevation.  I have always seen Biriba on hillsides, not in swamps, so I would second the recommendation for mounding.



Mounding is not necessary for Biriba, it takes flooding, even daily, very well. Here is a quote from the book Amazon River Fruits:
"R. mucosa is cultivated mostly in home gardens on both uplands and floodplains from the mouth of the Amazon to the Andean foothills. On floodplains, the trees usually grow on levees (restingas), where homes are generally built, and can tolerate flooding for several weeks. In the Amazon estuary, biriba survives daily flooding at high tide during the rainy season, such as near Afua on Marajo Island."
« Last Edit: April 24, 2012, 02:52:57 AM by fruitlovers »
Oscar

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2012, 02:49:14 AM »
I agree oscar,

I've had biriba plants sit in water for a good month, where atemoya would have died!

I never can water this plant too much it seems...and if it's from the amazon...to withstand a flood is in it's blood.

though im sure some could rot easier, maybe from populations at higher elevations?
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Soren

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2012, 07:49:08 AM »
There must be different varieties - I did plant several trees near the border to a swamp, but one died after struggling for months while others suffered from stunned growth and we had to transplant them. The location was not permanently flooded, and never more than a couple a months at time where the water just broke with the surface. Most of the year, the water would be 50cm down or so. The ones doing best was never flooded just a few meters on higher ground.
Søren
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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2012, 08:52:51 AM »
here's an excellent Pdf doc. on Tropical Fruit Trees for the Home Landscape by Jonathan H. Crane,
http://www.plantation.org/docs/landscape/Tropical-Fruit-Alt-Citrus.pdf

Page 20 has some info on ''flood tolerance of tropical fruit crops''

*Guavas
*Sapodilla
*Caimito
*Coconut
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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2012, 06:41:53 PM »
After reading this, I planted 2 rollinia seedlings in a wet/moist area.  If they can make it there (rain forest wet area), they can make it any where!

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2012, 06:49:59 PM »
There must be different varieties - I did plant several trees near the border to a swamp, but one died after struggling for months while others suffered from stunned growth and we had to transplant them. The location was not permanently flooded, and never more than a couple a months at time where the water just broke with the surface. Most of the year, the water would be 50cm down or so. The ones doing best was never flooded just a few meters on higher ground.

It's possible that there are biribas adapted to different climates and soil conditions. That is what i was hypothesizing in a previous thread about rollinias. It seems rather strange to me that an amazon tree would be deciduous and be cold tolerant (as reported by Adam and Ed), so my hypothesis was that these deciduous/cold toreant ones are adapted to highland conditions. But then Har said there are a few fruit trees native to amazon area that are deciduous.
Oscar

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2012, 11:11:46 PM »
Very interesting info on floodplain Rollinias.  I admit that I spent only a few weeks in the Amazonian floodplains, compared with nearly 10 years in Amazonian hilly country.

Soursops have survived over a year in pails of water in an experiment at TREC in Homestead, Florida.

Sapodillas can grow right in the sea.
Har

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2012, 03:53:03 AM »
Very interesting info on floodplain Rollinias.  I admit that I spent only a few weeks in the Amazonian floodplains, compared with nearly 10 years in Amazonian hilly country.

Soursops have survived over a year in pails of water in an experiment at TREC in Homestead, Florida.

Sapodillas can grow right in the sea.

Soursop is another fruit included in the Amazon River Fruits book.
Oscar

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2015, 07:05:21 PM »
I'm trying to think of some more plants that can take wet feet, (and can take a hard freeze of about 24F).  Got a few wet spots I don't want to got to waste.

so far on my short list:

Asimina (parviflora, and triloba)

Elderberry (select variety)

Bactris setosa (thinking of trying to propagate my large plant....I'd love to plant a patch of these, but damn I need to learn how to separate the pups!  and I hate thorns!

Inga sp...not sure which one at this point, but thinking about emarginata, or sessilis. (not even sure if these would tolerate wet feet)



that's all I can think of for now....
any ideas?

thanks!


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nullzero

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2015, 07:08:39 PM »
Thanks for the up post. Looks like Sambucus peruviana handles wet soil well (no idea on if its invasive, had people say that it could be in FL?)
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2015, 07:20:41 PM »
Thanks for the up post. Looks like Sambucus peruviana handles wet soil well (no idea on if its invasive, had people say that it could be in FL?)

im sold on this plant..thanks for reminding me about this...i wonder if anyone has plants available in FL?
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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2015, 08:04:34 PM »
Achachairu. The fruit are less sweet if they are in foot deep water while ripening, but they don't seem to be bothered by damp spots, or seasonal inundation at all. The season is just starting here 😃

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Re: Fruit Trees that can Tolerate Soggy Soil
« Reply #22 on: January 16, 2015, 08:20:21 PM »
Thanks for the up post. Looks like Sambucus peruviana handles wet soil well (no idea on if its invasive, had people say that it could be in FL?)

im sold on this plant..thanks for reminding me about this...i wonder if anyone has plants available in FL?

Probably no plants available in Florida. Ben from sacredsucculents collected the original seeds from Peru a ways back I believe. He then propagates it by cuttings (which is the most effective way from what I read). The plants are a little pricey but I think have a lot of potential from a lot of the other rare stuff I see. I plan to order another plant, I fried my first one (introduced it to Florida full sun too quickly). I think it has good potential in a dapple shade moist area in the garden.
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Fruit Recommendations for a Wet Soil
« Reply #23 on: November 20, 2015, 03:24:43 AM »
I have an area in pasture now because the ground becomes too waterlogged during the rainy season to grow most fruits.  I'm looking for recommendations on what might do well on this rich clay loam that can go for a week or two at a time without much air in the roots.   Something better than Pond Apple.

If necessary I'll dig drainage trenches, but my preference is to find species that can live in the soil as-is.  Suggestions appreciated!
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Re: Fruit Recommendations for a Wet Soil
« Reply #24 on: November 20, 2015, 03:41:00 AM »
From what I saw on web Myrciaria dubia (Camu Camu) grows well in flooded areas of Amazonia.