Greenhouse, RootMaker pots for tropicals and fruit "porn"

[Mark in Texas]

Mark, that is one beautiful G.H. very nice set-up!

Thanks Scott, it's the only way I'll grow tropicals unlike hundreds of Texans who grow outdoors mainly in pots and come winter haul pots indoors or into a greenhouse.  But you'd be surprised how dedicated and successful some are doing growing AND fruiting lychee, cherimoya, atemoya, jaboticaba, wampee, mango, etc.   Glad to hear your Ardith pulled thru.  Never tried it, ever tasted Ardith?

[onur]

Number of pollinators visiting the greenhouse was crazy yesterday. I had different kinds of moths (open photo showing cool moth probicus & the nearby fly), butterflies, weird looking flies, honey and bumble bees. Most of the new avocado grafts are pushing on my Frankencado - Sir Prize, Pinkerton, Holiday, and the one shown pushing well - Ardith.  I can't believe it as last year everything failed on this (Waldin) rootstock last year with 3 attempts!

Hi Mark!

Can the pollinators come in your green house easily? Do you do anything special to attract them? 

Thanks
Onur

[ScottR]

Mark, that is one beautiful G.H. very nice set-up!

Thanks Scott, it's the only way I'll grow tropicals unlike hundreds of Texans who grow outdoors mainly in pots and come winter haul pots indoors or into a greenhouse.  But you'd be surprised how dedicated and successful some are doing growing AND fruiting lychee, cherimoya, atemoya, jaboticaba, wampee, mango, etc.   Glad to hear your Ardith pulled thru.  Never tried it, ever tasted Ardith?

No Mark, haven't tasted Ardith yet!

[Mark in Texas]

Hi Mark!

Can the pollinators come in your green house easily? Do you do anything special to attract them? 

Thanks
Onur

By design, absolutely, by the hundreds attracted by the heady aroma of blossoms, especially citrus. During the spring they come and go thru a large open roof vent and a wall to wall guillotine 4' H horizontal wall vent.

Last month with newly planted Sweet Tart, fruiting Mallika, new Frankencado, bearing Reed.

[Peekaboo]

Hello mark! I'd love to to try your custom soil mix can you give a fraction details for each ingredients for 30 gals of soil? Much love brother!

I already have with me blood,bone meal,and coarse perlite

[Mark in Texas]

Hello mark! I'd love to to try your custom soil mix can you give a fraction details for each ingredients for 30 gals of soil? Much love brother!

I already have with me blood,bone meal,and coarse perlite

I wish I could but it's pretty much whatever I have stockpiled or on the shelf.  I use about 50/50 inorganics and organics and am not picky like I said.

Inorganics: washed builders sand, lots of vermiculite

Organics: fine pine bark mulch, peat moss, commercial humusy potting soil

I toss in a bit of bone and blood meal and add a slurry of horse nuggets, alfalfa meal to moisten the batch. Don't know if it works or not (haven't run a control group) but alfalfa contains a complex alcohol, triacontanol, the is supposed to increase plant health and production.

Just cut and ate half this Reed that I accidentally knocked off the tree.  Oil is still a little low but it was quite yummy. Should be excellent by Sept.  These are big avocados.

[Mark in Texas]

We have a lot of these little black spiders. They are such good hunters they even catch/feed on red wasps and bees.  Here's one feasting on one of my pineapples.

[simon_grow]

That's awesome Mark, that guy looks like a giant version of the jumping spiders we have over here. I have Black and Brown widows that kill most my larger bugs but they are too poisonous for my kids to be around so my wife asked me to kill them all. Now I have a bunch of Alligator and Bluebelly lizards that do most the hunting in my yard. I also release a couple egg pouches of Praying Mantids every year.

Do you get spider mites in your greenhouse? If so, how do you keep them in check? I overwinter some Miraclefruit and newly grafted plants in my garage and get spider mites within a month. They don't do much damage but I can imagine they would if in a greenhouse situation.

Simon

[Mark in Texas]

We have a grasshopper outbreak so any help is welcome. They have a white dot on their head and are great jumpers.

Yes, I do have mites being that the greenhouse is in the middle of a field surrounded by weeds.  I use Forbid 4F for spider mite control.  It is the silver bullet for all phases of mite development, from the eggs thru the adults.  Expensive but well worth it.

[Jon]

Hi Mark!

Can the pollinators come in your green house easily? Do you do anything special to attract them? 

Thanks
Onur

By design, absolutely, by the hundreds attracted by the heady aroma of blossoms, especially citrus. During the spring they come and go thru a large open roof vent and a wall to wall guillotine 4' H horizontal wall vent.

Last month with newly planted Sweet Tart, fruiting Mallika, new Frankencado, bearing Reed.

Hi Mark,
I just came across this post of your awesome greenhouse and rootbuilding pots.
Hope your beautiful dog and stallion are still with you and doing well.
How are all of your tropical fruit trees doing?
Jon

[Mark in Texas]

Hi Mark,
I just came across this post of your awesome greenhouse and rootbuilding pots.
Hope your beautiful dog and stallion are still with you and doing well.
How are all of your tropical fruit trees doing?
Jon

Hi Jon, thanks for writing and the nice "hey".  Everything is doing well except for the Sharwil cado and that's OK as I have 8 varieties of the best cados and need a spot for a rollinia or cherimoya.  Should get fruit off the Sweet Tart and Lemon Zest, Meyer lemon is loaded, Key limes are abundant, blood orange is doing good, July pineapples were over the top, etc.  Oro Negro will be ready in about 2 months.  Reed avocado is producing well.  Am keeping that beast at about 10-11'.
 


Neighbor's Friesians are doing well and so is my sweet dog....thanks.  "Happy hour" V





Key lime pie!



Are you growing tropicals and if so how?

[Jon]

Hi Mark,
I just came across this post of your awesome greenhouse and rootbuilding pots.
Hope your beautiful dog and stallion are still with you and doing well.
How are all of your tropical fruit trees doing?
Jon

Hi Jon, thanks for writing and the nice "hey".  Everything is doing well except for the Sharwil cado and that's OK as I have 8 varieties of the best cados and need a spot for a rollinia or cherimoya.  Should get fruit off the Sweet Tart and Lemon Zest, Meyer lemon is loaded, Key limes are abundant, blood orange is doing good, July pineapples were over the top, etc.  Oro Negro will be ready in about 2 months.  Reed avocado is producing well.  Am keeping that beast at about 10-11'.
 


Neighbor's Friesians are doing well and so is my sweet dog....thanks.  "Happy hour" V





Key lime pie!



Are you growing tropicals and if so how?

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply, and let me start by a Hearty Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your family( 2 & 4 legged ).
I should first let you know I am a caretaker for many wonderful Animals of many types. Most would have been destined to lab experimental programs.
My close friend lives in Alice, TX, and over the past 30 years has helped me maintain the health of my many friends, all of which are tame as a kitten.
Just a bit bigger! Lol
Lately have been trying to help this beautiful Humpback, that came into NY HARBOR , and then went east and got stuck on a sandbar.  40,000 lbs plus, lots of unbelievable brave compassionate people have been trying to help in any way possible.   Very sad, internal damage and severe weakness signals a serious morbilla virus of sorts.
Now, I have just set up a grow room inside our home, with several of our tropical pets.
Massive t-5 lights are suspended horizontally and vertically, as well as overhead.
Drains and running water as well as many dedicated outlets.
Temp range is 80-90 and 40-60% humidity.
Lights are on 16 hours a day.
I now have : most from seed
Haden mango seedling
Sweet Tamarind
Jackfruit (unknown variety, but sweet)
Rollinia
Guanabana
Sweetsop(white)
Jabotacabo
Just started september 7, 2016.
Since I have never used lights before, this has become quite interesting.
Humidifier just added because heating system dries out everything.
Wife is mad a bit, she does not like heat like I do, and the house thermostat is in this room.
May have to set up auto watering with safety shut off, because my students will have a hard to me watering correctly.
Having lots of fun.

[Mark in Texas]

Wow, bless your heart for having a kind soul!  Good luck with Humpback, sheesh.  Would think that takes a lot of botanical know how and of course courage.  All my pets over the last 40 years have been rescues, and my best friend.

Garden sounds like a hoot. Perhaps a wife pleaser of getting a wireless thermostat set up some where else might work. Don't know is the Nest products would fit the bill, sure do if you're the owner of a B&B and want control when the guests turn the temp setting down to 55F in summer. 

Being a newbie you'll be tweeking your garden for quite a while until you got it where you want it.

Good luck!

[Jon]

Wow, bless your heart for having a kind soul!  Good luck with Humpback, sheesh.  Would think that takes a lot of botanical know how and of course courage.  All my pets over the last 40 years have been rescues, and my best friend.

Garden sounds like a hoot. Perhaps a wife pleaser of getting a wireless thermostat set up some where else might work. Don't know is the Nest products would fit the bill, sure do if you're the owner of a B&B and want control when the guests turn the temp setting down to 55F in summer. 

Being a newbie you'll be tweeking your garden for quite a while until you got it where you want it.

Good luck!

Thanks Mark,
I appreciate your kind comments.
Thanks also for your good thoughts about the young humpback. Ended with euthanising the Humpback, was just to weak. Even when the tide changed, could not move.
Nest sounds like an option, and a wireless thermostst is the next purchase   
I think I will try the rootbuilder pot system.
Will this work indoors? Just need a big pan to catch the water.
Regards
Jon

[Mark in Texas]

Jon, sorry to hear that news!  At least he didn't have to suffer anymore.  Doing an autopsy?   

Regarding root pruning, it's perfect for indoors.   Was designed by the forestry trade many years ago. You could use MicroKote or similar, RootMaker, or Smartpots, all resusable.

Good luck and stay in touch!

[Jon]

Jon, sorry to hear that news!  At least he didn't have to suffer anymore.  Doing an autopsy?   

Regarding root pruning, it's perfect for indoors.   Was designed by the forestry trade many years ago. You could use MicroKote or similar, RootMaker, or Smartpots, all resusable.

Good luck and stay in touch!

Thanks Mark,
You are also a very kind soul.
The poor Humpback was euthanized. I can't seem to understand why the feds did not let anyone near, or even to shu off the gulls, that were feeding off during low tide.
It was one of the saddest days of my life, and I'm not a youngin.
God willing, NY LAWS WILL CHANGE.
We knew the potential danger, turned out to be a young one at 33' and 20-25,000 Kilos.
Ordered some rootbuilder and smart pots.
What is the best way to buy the rootbuilder II , ?
Waiting till I get them to repot.
Gotta have A talk with Rommie, our rhesus monkey, who thinks it's funny to throw seeds into the pots so that when they grow I have no idea what is growing and why.
He seems to get quite a kick out of it while Shemp, our yellow Naped Amazon parrot, screams my name and asks what I am doing, pretty much all during the day.
  I usually answer with "I have no idea ".
Please also keep in touch,  and if you are ever in the new you work area, please do not hesitate and call me and be my guest for a nice dinner out on the nautical mile which has excellent seafood or any other food you may like
Take care,
Jon

[Mark in Texas]

Govt. what can I say.  One segement and group controlling another.  That must have been rough.

Buy the Rootbuilder by the roll. Try to get it wholesale by telling them such.  Cheapest way is to do the copper hydroxide paints. 

Tell Rommie to cut the shit or you'll turn him into a reindeer.

Mark

[Jon]

Govt. what can I say.  One segement and group controlling another.  That must have been rough.

Buy the Rootbuilder by the roll. Try to get it wholesale by telling them such.  Cheapest way is to do the copper hydroxide paints. 

Tell Rommie to cut the shit or you'll turn him into a reindeer.

Mark

Thanks Mark,
I had to pay retail, they asked for some proof of me being a wholesaler, and I am just unable to lie   
Its only money anyway, at  The end of the day

[Jon]

Govt. what can I say.  One segement and group controlling another.  That must have been rough.

Buy the Rootbuilder by the roll. Try to get it wholesale by telling them such.  Cheapest way is to do the copper hydroxide paints. 

Tell Rommie to cut the shit or you'll turn him into a reindeer.

Mark

Mark,
The people over at rootmaker are awesome!  I paid retail, then they decided to just charge wholesale on a few items, and then they refunded a good portion of the retail price I had paid on the 100' roll!
Thanks again!
I did mean that anytime u might be up this way, to text me or email, and Dinner is on me 
Also, if u ever have any back problems , look no further, thats what I do, for over 45 years .

[Mark in Texas]

Govt. what can I say.  One segement and group controlling another.  That must have been rough.

Buy the Rootbuilder by the roll. Try to get it wholesale by telling them such.  Cheapest way is to do the copper hydroxide paints. 

Tell Rommie to cut the shit or you'll turn him into a reindeer.

Mark

Mark,
The people over at rootmaker are awesome!  I paid retail, then they decided to just charge wholesale on a few items, and then they refunded a good portion of the retail price I had paid on the 100' roll!
Thanks again!
I did mean that anytime u might be up this way, to text me or email, and Dinner is on me 
Also, if u ever have any back problems , look no further, thats what I do, for over 45 years .

Now that's service!  Just a thought.  I've had so much root pressure from some of my trees that at least 1 of the 3 cable ties I use popped.  I'd go with at least 5 thick cable ties if you go to large pots, over 2' diameter. Overlap the ends by a row of 2 nipples down, not one.

Appreciate the kind invitation!  But don't EVEN mention back problems.    Lumbar L1 - S1 are shot (stenosis, herniated, etc) and a Sept. "non-invasive" surgery did not work..... actually induced nerve issues from the waist down. Going back for major surgery again come Jan. 5 - rods, screws, oh my!  I'll PM the (different) neurosurgeon's website.  He is world class and has done half the county successfully.

Thanks,
Mark

[FruitFreak]

What kind of dog is that?  Nice looking.

[Mark in Texas]

What kind of dog is that?  Nice looking.

Heeler. Another sweet (rescue) dog.

Merry tropical Christmas, dudes.

[forumfool]

"Pickering in the foreground, Mallika in the background."

I see that in your OP you had these two mangos planted in Sept 2013. Did they ever fruit for you? Looking through the thread I see lots of citrus/avocado harvest but no mango. I'm curious because I would like to grow Mango in greenhouse one day as well.

[Mark in Texas]

There IS a huge advantage to living in a colder clime.  My Moro orange (and all citrus) has been over the top this year.  Week by week (and year by year) this orange becomes darker. Now an inky burgundy with rich flavor and sweet. 2-5 seeds.  Am pulling the balance of the crop today to aid in blooming.  Been a warm winter with low this morn of only 33F.

Pinkerton avocado is the first to bloom of my 7 varieties.

[Mark in Texas]

"Pickering in the foreground, Mallika in the background."

I see that in your OP you had these two mangos planted in Sept 2013. Did they ever fruit for you? Looking through the thread I see lots of citrus/avocado harvest but no mango. I'm curious because I would like to grow Mango in greenhouse one day as well.

Yes, quite a bit.  Not real enamored with the Mallika.  Have stubbed it hoping to get some better wood to graft on it.  Sweet Tart and Lemon Zest are going nuts.  Have not lignified yet so I may not let them hold fruit this year.