My trees and plants

[Sanddollarmoon]

Just four months ago I only had seven small plants. Now I have twenty two small plants. I know it is nothing to brag about, but the are growing, and will not fit in the sink anymore. Here is three picture with every single plant I have in a container (I have a few at the garden).

Clockwise: sensitive plant, gamboge, ashwagandha, Chinese lantern, strawberry (unnamed variety), rambutan

Baobab (adansonia digitata), plumeria (plumeria rubra/obtusa), guajilote, cacao, soursop

Banana, seedling avocado, chirimoya, chirimoya, kumquat, grapefruit, blood orange, seedling avocado

[PltdWorld]

Will any of those survive outdoors there (ie avocado? cherimoya?) and under what kind of protection?  I have a friend in the area and I'm sure he'd be excited to know you are growing those fruits in that climate.

[KarenRei]

Lol, what do you plan to do with that baobab when it gets big?  I consider myself a tropical fruit grower equivalent of a crazy cat lady, but even I wouldn't try baobab    You realize how big those things get, right?



And they're ultratropical, can't even tolerate temperatures anywhere near freezing.  Hope you have a greenhouse the size of an office building!    I'm guessing you plan to dwarf it?

Anyway, definitely some pretty little planties - keep taking good care of 'em! 

[plantlover13]

Well, he does have a few hundred years...

[KarenRei]

Haha, yeah, to get *that* big    Still, most people underestimate the growth rates of giants.  Baobab grows very slowly in drought, but in good conditions it can grow at a good clip, especially when young.  It won't be "indoor-sized" for the rest of his life unless dwarfed. 

[Sanddollarmoon]

PltdWorld, avocado has been fruited some fifty miles away, and I have had a seedling survive winter here, so I am guessing that a tree of a few feet should be able to survive outdoors. Citrus is grown here mainly as an ornamental. Chirimoya cannot be wintered here in Arlington, but can be first put outdoors in April, when the weather creeps into the forties. The california gold banana can be wintered, and was reccomended to me by a friend a few months ago beacause it is hardy as musa basjoo. It seems a lot of people up here like it (illia grows it, too). Karen, I have heard stories of people planting it outdoors during the summer, then digging it up and taking it into the garage for the winter... But honestly, I didn't think that one through! Especially if I want it's fruit! No excuse for it, really... 

[KarenRei]

Hehe, we all do crazy stuff   And from what I understand, they're easy to dwarf, I know they're moderately popular as bonsai.  I don't know how big they have to be to fruit, though.  I know they can get really big even indoors:



But I've also seen ones kept teeny-tiny.  Oh, and this pic is hard to make out, but it looks like the tree * might* be flowering:



So maybe you could get fruit dwarfed?  Come back here years down the line and let us know 

[Illia]

Nice collection Hope to see it grow nice and healthy.

Just be aware that Baobab like it dry though, so always keep in in places not too humid. (in other words, always indoors in our state, haha)

Wow, for some reason I imagined your Cali Gold banana bigger. Mine's a few feet tall at the p-stem and has, like a Cali Gold should, a VERY fat p-stem. Your collection inspires me to post photos of mine, but first I'll wait til my recent purchases arrive and are planted.

I don't know if I've said it before, but, good luck on your Avocado seedling. They're highly prone to not fruit for a looong time, we're talking over 8 years, and some just don't fruit at all. I know at least three people who have Avocado seedlings over 10 years old and never flowered. That's why I stick to grafted named cultivars.

I don't know how much of a nightshade fan you are, but, that chinese lantern reminds me that if you're ever interested in husked relatives like it, but edible, I grow and offer both purple tomatillos and ground cherries. Purple tomatillos are a most deep, royal gorgeous purple inside a nice cracked-open looking husk. (they're sweet eaten raw too; fully ripe they have a most unique indescribable flavor) Ground cherries are like miniature translucent chinese lanterns, but have a sweet delicious golden berry inside. Their foliage is fuzzy and attractive, too.

[Sanddollarmoon]

Nice collection Hope to see it grow nice and healthy.

Just be aware that Baobab like it dry though, so always keep in in places not too humid. (in other words, always indoors in our state, haha)

Wow, for some reason I imagined your Cali Gold banana bigger. Mine's a few feet tall at the p-stem and has, like a Cali Gold should, a VERY fat p-stem. Your collection inspires me to post photos of mine, but first I'll wait til my recent purchases arrive and are planted.

I don't know if I've said it before, but, good luck on your Avocado seedling. They're highly prone to not fruit for a looong time, we're talking over 8 years, and some just don't fruit at all. I know at least three people who have Avocado seedlings over 10 years old and never flowered. That's why I stick to grafted named cultivars.

I don't know how much of a nightshade fan you are, but, that chinese lantern reminds me that if you're ever interested in husked relatives like it, but edible, I grow and offer both purple tomatillos and ground cherries. Purple tomatillos are a most deep, royal gorgeous purple inside a nice cracked-open looking husk. (they're sweet eaten raw too; fully ripe they have a most unique indescribable flavor) Ground cherries are like miniature translucent chinese lanterns, but have a sweet delicious golden berry inside. Their foliage is fuzzy and attractive, too.

Just post pics now, and update when the new plants come.

Low humidity? No problem! 100% outside and 0% inside is the way it works ! As I said, I have only had this plant for a few months, but I can feel the rhizome putting on weight! The plant devours water by the bucket! I know avocados take ten years to fruit- at least they do from seedlings. I plan to graft these so the wait will only be three years, perhaps starting a scion search next month. When is the best time of year to search for wood?

I have not tried ground cherry, and killed all my seedlings, but purple tomatillo is a favorite in my house, as both my parents like to make purple salsa verde (oxymoron). Last year my plant was two foot tall and covered in purple husks, but went through a flower and no fruit stage. This year, my plant is four foot high, but still in the flower no fruit stage. Any suggestions?

[CoPlantNut]

I have not tried ground cherry, and killed all my seedlings, but purple tomatillo is a favorite in my house, as both my parents like to make purple salsa verde (oxymoron). Last year my plant was two foot tall and covered in purple husks, but went through a flower and no fruit stage. This year, my plant is four foot high, but still in the flower no fruit stage. Any suggestions?

Tomatillos are generally not self-fertile; you (or a neighbor) need a second plant for cross-pollination to get fruit.  Though closely related, ground cherries seem to be self-fertile and even self-pollinating.

   Kevin

[Sanddollarmoon]

Ach! No other plant in sight! To late to plant a friend! What do I do?

[simon_grow]

Sanddollarmoon, that is awesome you are growing those plants in zone 7b. Have you considered growing in a covered greenhouse next to your home and possibly adding HPS lighting. The heat and uv from the light can provide both warmth and light in the winter time. You could even grow lychees, miracle fruit and mangos.
Simon

[Sanddollarmoon]

Haha! Right now, I only have a few seeds planted: soncoya, sugar apple, mamey apple, and... Miracle fruit, mangos, and lychees! I do have a full spectrum lighting system, but I am not sure what the winter heating costs would add up to!

[plantlover13]

How cold does it get there? I'm technically zone 7b also, so i would like to compare winter temps.

[Sanddollarmoon]

15 degrees, but fourteen years ago, zero degrees wiped everything out.

[Illia]

I'm sooo glad I'm a wee bit warmer than you. Lived here on the peninsula of WA for 13 years now and the coldest I ever remember it being was 13 degrees.

Do you have room for a friend for your purple tomatillo? I've got TONS of purple tomatillos that are sprouting in my greenhouse as literal weeds; they're volunteer seedlings from last year's dropped fruit. Some are still fairly small, some are growing at an incredible rate and already fruiting, - all are a max 2 months old.

[Sanddollarmoon]

Transplanted everything today. Used up all my dirt, I sure hope it was worth it!

[fruitlovers]

Nice collection Hope to see it grow nice and healthy.

Just be aware that Baobab like it dry though, so always keep in in places not too humid. (in other words, always indoors in our state, haha)

Wow, for some reason I imagined your Cali Gold banana bigger. Mine's a few feet tall at the p-stem and has, like a Cali Gold should, a VERY fat p-stem. Your collection inspires me to post photos of mine, but first I'll wait til my recent purchases arrive and are planted.

I don't know if I've said it before, but, good luck on your Avocado seedling. They're highly prone to not fruit for a looong time, we're talking over 8 years, and some just don't fruit at all. I know at least three people who have Avocado seedlings over 10 years old and never flowered. That's why I stick to grafted named cultivars.

I don't know how much of a nightshade fan you are, but, that chinese lantern reminds me that if you're ever interested in husked relatives like it, but edible, I grow and offer both purple tomatillos and ground cherries. Purple tomatillos are a most deep, royal gorgeous purple inside a nice cracked-open looking husk. (they're sweet eaten raw too; fully ripe they have a most unique indescribable flavor) Ground cherries are like miniature translucent chinese lanterns, but have a sweet delicious golden berry inside. Their foliage is fuzzy and attractive, too.

There are baobabs here growing in high rainfall area and with close to 100% humidity. They do survive but aren't really very happy about it.

[LEOOEL]

I'm like on your side and pulling for you, and cheering you on. I hope you find your way(s) to get your fruit trees to produce lots of fruit, and thank you for the very nice pictures.

[Sanddollarmoon]

I'm like on your side and pulling for you, and cheering you on. I hope you find your way(s) to get your fruit trees to produce lots of fruit, and thank you for the very nice pictures.

Thanks LEOOEL!