Pics from the garden

[roblack]

Thanks Brad! How is spring going in your orchard?

All of a sudden the mangosteen is growing like crazy. Makes me happy

[spaugh]

We had a long cold wet winter here in southern CA.  The sun just hasnt been out much yet and things are going slower than normal.  The weeds are growing like crazy, does that count?

[dwfl]

Thanks Dwfl! Those are nice. Would like to try g. porto!

Will take a pic of my aristata and post. It's in ground and seems to be getting ready to bust out.

Here is g. mangostana getting happy again. Had a rough winter, having just been planted in ground and then cooler temps hitting. Lots of the leaves were burnt at the ends, and I was worried about recovery. Well, lots of new growth popping, and she's looking happy despite the very hot weather and lack of rain. Have been watering like crazy.

Looks like it pushed out of that little funk nicely Rob. Ready for blast off this wet season! Pretty much anything nasty below 40 degrees seems to give them those burnt ends. Doesn't seem to outright kill them though as long as they're not on deaths door already as the nasty conditons dont last very long. Mine did the same.

[roblack]

Weeds definitely count Brad!

Thanks for sharing your experience Dwfl. Was wondering if the mistimed planting was the cause, as well as it getting too dry once or twice.

Now, trying to keep it from getting fried by this brutal spring sun. Not much rain here for a while, then a couple of nice rains lately.

[SeaWalnut]

Nice and big collection of fruit trees in this forum.

[roblack]

Thanks Nut!

Noticed something interesting the other day; underneath the rollinia tree I left an old compost bin with the bottom open. Never spread it around, just left in that one spot and focused on other stuff. It's been 6 months or more sitting there. Just realized that the tree is holding fruit only on the side where the combost is. Most of the tree flowered, certainly all around the tree, but fruit only held on the side where the roots would get fed. Only other explanation is that side gets a little more sun, but I think the extra nutrients are what did it. Fits with what Cookie and Har have mentioned about feeding annonas to get good fruiting.



If you zoom in on the pic, can see several fruits. The rest of the tree has no fruit.

[Saone]

How do you like the Rollinia and how does it taste? Thinking about buying one.

[roblack]

Hi Saone.

Rollinia tastes good (lemon vanilla taste, not too sweet, little sour), but the texture can be mushy. I usually takes the seeds out and freeze to mix into smoothies, juices, etc.

[Saone]

Thanks for the reply. Does it grow many fruits or not so prolific? And what are your favorite fruit trees?

[roblack]

You are most welcome Andrew.


The tree has required trimming to keep it from getting too tall. It is about 9 feet, was over 15 feet tall when it was cut about a year ago. Basically forms a nice little canopy. 

It was planted in ground, from a 3 gallon tree, in early 2016.

After taking a couple of years to get going, it now produces a few dozen+ fruit per year. 2 crops, winter and summer.

Fertilization seems to help with flowering and fruit set/hold.



My favorite fruits and fruit trees are mangoes. So many varieties, they are like different fruits entirely sometimes. Nothing else comes close.

I do like mulberries a lot, mangosteen, pineapple, and passionfruits.

Jabos are among my favorite trees to grow. Beautiful, weird, and tasty. Carambola is also beautiful. Other than those, really like growing different garcinias.

I also grow and eat a lot of peppers. From a few sweet ones, to the moderately hot. While some heat is good, looking for flavor more than scorch.

[Saone]

Thanks for the info. Been watching tons of videos of Florida and Fruit farms and what not on youtube and seems like so many interesting varieties. I am in Vietnam and there are lots of mangos, but not much variety in my area. Looking to get a few different types of Jabos, they look interesting and are not in my area.

[roblack]

This baby is ready.



Pepper assortment

[Plantinyum]

Wish I lived in a tropical climate and had all those  fruit trees ......hahah dreams...all your plants look very good to me !

[roblack]

Thanks Plantinyum. I used to live in colder climates, and longed for warm weather and tropical tastes. It's nice, I feel really lucky to be able to grow all this stuff in my yard. And so many great growers around me.

Just picked up this sweet 7g Sweet Tart from Squam. Had to do it. Planting in-ground tomorrow, near fence with neighbor. Don't have space for a large tree, but going to trim 1 - 2 x per year, and use budwood to top work part of my ndm4 and maybe a branch or 2 on the Glenn. If it proves controllable, will keep the main tree in that spot.



Much gratitude to Alex for the trees (Orange Essence too, for my bro), choice mangoes, and top notch cados.

[roblack]

...and check out this Edward...

1lb, 13.7 ounces!

Such a great mango too.

[roblack]

...some updates

mangosteen


g aristata (gotta zoom in to discern)


Himalayan mulberry graft from Spaugh


Pom grafts from Spaugh


Cherilata graft from Achetadomestica


new kid in town, kwai muk

[johnb51]

How big is your property, Rob?  Your photos always look great.

[roblack]

Thanks John! I'm usually outside alone in the garden, amazed by something probably insignificant to most, but know that many people here will get it.

House is on a .40 acre lot with a pool. Good sized yard for the neighborhood.

The front is mostly ornamentals. The back is a mix.

Into bromeliads and orchids too.

Trying to create a natural and peaceful environment that is also tasty and promotes health. 

I'm packing stuff in, and left a bit of grass so the kids can run around and throw frisbee.

Had planned on putting in a pond when pandemic hit. Turned the area into a vegetable garden, which is now mostly red amaranth wheat, assorted peppers, pigeon peas, turmerics, and a few others. Will eventually put a pond in.

[bovine421]

Thanks John! I'm usually outside alone in the garden, amazed by something probably insignificant to most, but know that many people here will get it.

House is on a .40 acre lot with a pool. Good sized yard for the neighborhood.

The front is mostly ornamentals. The back is a mix.

Into bromeliads and orchids too.

Trying to create a natural and peaceful environment that is also tasty and promotes health. 

I'm packing stuff in, and left a bit of grass so the kids can run around and throw frisbee.

Had planned on putting in a pond when pandemic hit. Turned the area into a vegetable garden, which is now mostly red amaranth wheat, assorted peppers, pigeon peas, turmerics, and a few others. Will eventually put a pond in.

Any chance that you have dwarf orange coconuts in the front? My wife loves those.

[TheGivingTree]

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

[roblack]

re: dwarf coconuts. Not sure which ones are considered "dwarf." We have 2 varieties that grow slow, are supposed to fruit when small, but eventually get tall (green Malayan and Fiji yellow). Who knows what they actually are.

[roblack]

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for commenting!

[roblack]

more...

Jak seedling


broms

[roblack]

Sweet Tart, bonsai style


Sugar Loaf, bonsai style

[roblack]

American Beauty


Luc's and little Luc's


Agave Cherry Swizzle


Black Turmeric


Amaranth Wheat