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Topics - gnappi

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 13
1
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Paw Paw in south Fla?
« on: March 27, 2024, 11:38:38 AM »
Anyone had success with it?

2
I was at a flea market last weekend and a grower had a little guava with a half dozen fruits on it?




3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / So much for chilling hours
« on: March 19, 2024, 07:45:04 PM »
Since 1977 this has been one of the least chilly winters here.

Even so my sweetheart lychee has exploded in blooms, it looks like the top has a chia pet on it.

Bees which have been absent for years are all over the chia :-) I have waited 14 years to see a bloom like this, but since they are so high I'll have to build a scaffold to get them.

Anyone else have a strong lychee bloom going?


4
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Parafilm?
« on: March 13, 2024, 06:19:48 AM »
I'm seeing two types of parafilm nowadays, Parafilm M. Laboratory tape and  Parafilm Grafting tape. Does anyone know how they are different?


5
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Purple Custard Apple seeds
« on: March 08, 2024, 03:36:34 PM »
It's that time of year again, my tree is fruiting and I have seeds FREE for pickup in North Broward. No USPS or other sending mechanisms and no delivery.

PM for details.



6
Tropical Fruit Discussion / LONG Jabo season
« on: March 02, 2024, 03:49:14 PM »
This year has been an exceptionally long fruiting season (2+ months) for my Sabara. Anyone else?


7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Rollinia fruiting habit
« on: February 29, 2024, 03:09:02 PM »
My Rollinia is in fairly close proximity to my Fairchild #2 canistel. It has been in ground 4 years and has grown nicely from 6 ft. tall to about 12 feet tall and this is my third fruiting season.

The funny thing about is the fruit grow mostly on the self shaded north side when the west side gets the most sun.

So my question...

Do Rollinia prefer a bit less light to fruit?




8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Moving a Guava
« on: February 21, 2024, 02:02:04 PM »
I'd finally given up on my Mamey and since it's in a better location that where I have a ruby red Guava I'm thinking about moving the guava there. It's about 7' tall with a trunk about 1 1/2" thick and has been in ground ~2 years. Before I do, I'd like to know what a reasonable expectation of success would be.

I would prune the roots at the surface (down about 10") a month or so around the root ball, and after moving prune back the canopy. Prep the hole with a sandy loamy native soil and home made compost mix in a 70/30 or so concentration and keep it hydrated afterward and maybe screen the remaining canopy from harsh midday sun.

What would be the best time frame to do it? now while it's semi dormant or when it warms up a bit here in south Florida?

Does my plan of action sound reasonable? Or, should I not move it.

9
I admit, I over planted specifically to see what fruit I liked from what I planted and to take into account natural attrition or from any unknown circumstances. I've also given a few the chop.

Most trouble free and fruitful.

Makok Sapodilla, Bangkok Lemon Jakfruit, Custard Apple, Rollinia, Kajang Starfruit, lemon drop mangosteen, lemon guava, Fairchild #2 Canistel, Sweetheart lychee, Kampong Mauve sugar apple, mulberry, and Sabara Jaboticaba.

Another I chopped which I LOVED was a "watercado" which grew like a weed, fruited better than my mango but it got the chop because the sheer weight of the fruits kept breaking under the weight and crashing into other trees.

Most trouble and or least fruitful

Sugar apples (shy bearing) , peach (one died, the other never friuited) persimmon, Mamey (died), red and yellow jaboticaba (shy bearing), caimito (never fruited) and soursop which blooms profusely but never set fruit.







10
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Need banana experts
« on: October 14, 2023, 05:55:15 AM »
I have a half dozen dwarf bananas and have great success with them. I have a Zebrina Rojo which is in ground well over two years and has given me nothing but problems.

First let me say it's between two dwarf cavendish (within a few feet) and is given the same care as the others which have no issues. Now the leaves on the Rojo come out gang busters but eventually the newest one will stop growing out and the next one to come out will get strangled by the failing immature leaf. This before a flag leaf erupts. Eventually this plant dies and more pups erupt from the ground which eventually die.

I've tried increasing / decreasing water to it as well as increasing fertilizing it (using Excalibur's fertilizer) to no avail. Funny years ago I had a couple of other Rojo which did well. What to do? Move the plant or new shoots to start a new corm? Could it be missing something that the other plants are not needing? Any advice will be appreciated.

The Rojo is an attractive plant and want it if for no other reason than to add some eye candy to the yard.


11
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Rollinia seeds "FREE"
« on: August 28, 2023, 04:33:46 PM »
For a 2 1/2 year in ground tree my Rollinia (unknown cultivar) is having a good year with nearly a dozen fruits in various stages of development with several more in bloom :-) My tree has increased production since its first crop last year with 2 fruits and is either self fertile, or some unknown insect is pollinating it.

As it happens I picked my first fruit today and anyone who wants to PICK UP seeds in north Broward can have them. As usual EVERY year I offer seeds free and it does NOT mean I will pack and ship them... no way, no how. First come first served, PM me for address / phone though many here already know where I live :-)




12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / ID odd fruit
« on: August 06, 2023, 11:10:29 PM »
Yesterday I was up in Palm Beach County and a street seller was selling bags of this little green fruit that she called "Hermacito" They bear a striking resemblance to Lemon Drop Mangosteen in several ways except obviously its green versus yellow color.

Size, the same thick outer shell as LDM, fruit meat held tightly onto the large seed (thought the meat is stringy) and is "challenging" to eat but it's tart and sweet. It's flavor has citrus overtones also.

Does anyone have info on this one?   Google was of no help despite trying several spelling variations.  PS, I've saved seeds since I KNOW if this is in any  way interesting I'll get requests for them :-)



13
I need a dozen or so scions. Anyone locally have them? Sell / trade it's all good.

14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Attracting pollinators
« on: June 08, 2023, 12:15:13 PM »
I'm thinking of planting some sunflowers and wildflowers in my yard. I do not have grass but I do have a creeping peanut.

Any ideas on interplanting among what I have?

15
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Commercial guava grower questions
« on: June 01, 2023, 07:26:17 PM »
I have a "ruby supreme" guava from a big box store in ground a couple of months and it's happy and growing like a weed at over 7' tall from a 5' twig.

My q is about the tag on it which says 4-2022. Is that tbe date they potted it for sale or the date it was put out in tbe field or something else?


16
This is the first year I had seeds germinate.

Free for pickup in north Broward. No shipping.


17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / I picked my first Rollinia today
« on: April 20, 2023, 06:04:02 PM »
To prevent squirrels, rats, recoon, birds and possum from getting at it before I did, I picked it but left the second one on the tree covered in a white waxed paper bag.

Saturday I will take the second one.

It's been a L-O-N-G four months :-)

Anyway the tree has erupted in flowers and we are looking forward to more in the August time frame.




18
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Jaboticaba season
« on: March 31, 2023, 01:13:34 PM »
Wowser! The fruit from my tree is pretty small this year likely due to the dry winter, and they're not as plentiful as past years but sweeettt?  This bush has never produced fruit this sweet.

Has anyone else in so. Flo had a similar experience with their Jabo?

 

19
Citrus General Discussion / Grafted lemon Q's
« on: March 26, 2023, 09:08:13 AM »
Last winter I grafted an unknown lemon cutting from a big box store to an unknown seedling fron a grocery store for my girlfriend and her granddaughter.

By the time I got to the seedling it was already pretty big and 1/3 of an inch thick, so the graft is pretty high up.

The graft took perfectly and the scion has pushed a lot of growth upwards of 10" already. My Q's are:

1. I know the rootstock from the seedling will continue to push growth but since I do not need nurse branches should we keep cutting them off or leave them be?

2. If we leave them I suspect it would be several years to fruit and but... can the rootstock kill the graft?


3.Since the scion is growing so agressively, at best to worst when can my GF expect fruit?

Note it's in a large ceramic coated clay type pot.

PS, can I graft another variety like tangerine on the scion or rootstock and not endanger either?

20
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Fairchild #2 seedlings free to take
« on: March 02, 2023, 09:19:57 AM »
I'm in S.E Florifa (North Broward) and I have a few seedlings in ground  and before I pull them out I'd like to offer any locals with a shovel and pot to come and take them. If you're lucky there may be some fruit ready to take also.

PM for info.

21
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Still no flies or bees
« on: February 25, 2023, 11:25:02 AM »
Even though my yard is exploding in mango blooms, I haven't seen ANY. In past years, I could find my dog's poop within minutes with the swarm of flies covering it but today? none. I can now  leave my sliding patio door open when I go out for a minute and in the past I could not!  My GF is over 25 miles north of me and she has the same situation.

Are the cities spraying excessively for mosquito control? If not what's going on?

22
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Free Fairchild #2 Canistel
« on: February 07, 2023, 06:13:51 PM »
The last fruit of the season are available for pick up in Coral Springs So. Flo.

No shipping, first come... Y'knoe.


23
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Trying guava... again!
« on: January 31, 2023, 10:35:36 PM »
I had a great papaya tree die of old age and in it's sunny spot I put a 5' tall Ruby Red guava. I've had bad luck with guava they always got inundated with scale and the fruits have had fruit fly.

This one is in a spot right near my back door so I can pay more attention to it and hopefully catch problems before they get out of hand. I have a good supply of mesh bags and horticultural oil to battle with.




24
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Cleantalk blocking searches?
« on: January 24, 2023, 09:15:58 AM »
I was able to use the search function this morning, and then poof this popup appeared and search is now disabled for me.  Does anyone know what's up with this?



25
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Fruit trees I gave up on
« on: December 30, 2022, 01:16:15 PM »
This coming spring I plan on making room in my yard for as yet undetermined varieties. 

Slated for the axe are:

Excalibur Mamey. After 12 years of die back and no fruit, this one goes for sure.
White Sapote. After three years of performance like the Mamey I pulled it.
Peaches. Even though I have gotten fruit and the two I have are healthy, the crops after 9 and 11 years have not been large enough to justify the space.
The soursop was completely cleaned of foliage by this last cold snap, it's been (putting it mildly) a shy bearer and as of now its only use was adding leaf litter and shade to the yard :-)

I may once again try guava. I've had great luck with large number of fruit, but had serious fruit fly issues. This time I'll try bagging the fruits much earlier.


 





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