The Tropical Fruit Forum

This is all over the tree.  I am inclined to do nothing and just let it survive.  Is it a bad idea ?

Dear Forum members

My young Simmonds avocado has been fighting something and it does seem to be getting worse.  Looks like a mix of different problems.  Your advice will be much appreciated.

Smaller problem, but Jaboticaba's leaf tips are always dry, though likely not from lack of water - we have seen plenty of rain recently.

Cumquat leaves turning a bit yellow.  Anything to worry about ?

Lastly, just posting a  surprise flower of Soursop in a 15gal container.
No photo, but my Sri kembangan carambola is finally flowering, in October, and loaded with small fruits finally.  I can not imagine how those small branches can hold so many fruits.

Thanks !
S. Treees

I have a small Jak fruit tree that is otherwise healthy and growing, but some kinds of bugs, scales, and mold(?) keep attacking it ?  Please help identify these problems.  Thanks a lot for all the great advice everybody.

Couple of unrelated questions about problems.

These little white beetles have devastating my plum tree leaves and now starting on lychee, acerola, loquat trees.  I have killed well above 100 of them on just on one small plum tree.  They are the size of a large rice grain, sometimes larger, and give a cracking noise when crushed.  Any advice for keeping them away ?






Another question is about an atemoya tree that i planted in ground two months ago.  It ges full sun and plenty of water with the daily showers.  I fertilized using regular fruit fertilizer a month ago and also added some ironite.  But leaves do not look healthy.  Any advice would be much appreciated.









It does have one marble size fruit developing, this after me playing a matchmaker using a paintbrush for days and attempting on few dozen flowers.

This is a puzzle to me but hope more experienced people have an advice.  What is this white stuff on small papaya fruit ?  It is watery that becomes gel like.  Thanks in advance.

I fully recognize that individual tastes differ, and that the same fruit/variety can have a very large spectrum of quality depending on soil, climate, and even random chance.  Plus I am not a professional taster by any means.  So this nothing but my personal assessment of few new ones I tasted over the last few weeks.

Just to to give you a sense of scale - anything below 7 I will still eat but will not buy when much better options are available to buy.

Carrie mango - loved its sweetness and pine tone, 10 out of 10.  I just could not stop eating.
Bombay mango - good quality, not great, 7 out of 10
Kent mango - good quality, not special, 6 out of 10
Haden mango - ok at best, 4 out of 10
Tofu(?), store bought mango - very nice overall, reminded me of Ataulfo sold by Costco (may be the same), 10 out of 10
Wax jambu - ok at best, not sure what else to say, 4 out of 10
Jaboticaba black - good, exotic, but not amazing, 7 out of 10.  Frankly, expected more, Muscadine grape beats Jabo in my book, but will give it another chance.
Longan, store bought - excellent juicy taste, 10 out of 10.  I can see how longan can be addictive.
Lychee, store bought - excellent juicy taste, 10 out of 10.  Also addictive.
Rambutan, store bought - excellent taste, but seed skin was sticking to the fruit flesh and made it difficult to eat; inferior to Lychee and Longan.  8 out of 10.
Sapodilla, one what looked like Alano, another unknown much bigger and round - both excellent, 10 out of 10.  Eats like a sugary dessert.
Black Sapote - pleasant surprise, 8 out of 10. Not too sweet, but nice texture and good to eat
Canistel - super sweet (may be too sweet for some), another pleasant surprise, 8 out of 10

In June, I will be visiting my parents in a part of Europe that I believe has same climate as zone 8 in the US.  Typical fruits there are: apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, grape, persimmon.

Looking for a good source of excellent quality fruit cuttings to take with me as a gift for grafting.  Thinking about plout, aprium, plumcot, nectarine, some good peach and persimmon varieties.

...and your advice about more amazing fruit suitable for zone 8.  Anything from tropicals will fruit there ?
For example, is there an avocado variety that will fruit in zone 8 ?

What do you use to seal a cut to a branch to avoid water going in and rotting the branch ?  Looking for something cheap or free, preferably asomething that one would have at home already, e.g. plastic wrap or paint.  Any advice ?  Thanks ahead of time.

I have a small (tiny) backyard and trying to keep fruit trees to about 6 feet tall forever.  The problem is that some trees have very high stem before they branch.  The trees themselves are young, came in 3 gal containers, so they are like sticks in the ground with small branches and leaves at the top.

I have read that you can just cut them back to 1.5-to-2 feet or so tall stem, and let them grow new shoots from lower branching point.  And this is probably the right time to do it.  But I am nervous about killing or severely hurting the trees if I cut them so low and leaf-less.

Different fruit trees may also react differently.  Have this (cosmetic) problem with Atemoya, Mango, Avocado, Persimmon, Jaboticaba.  Any advice from more experiences forum members would be much appreciated.

Most of the trees are grafted, and graft points are fairly low at few inches from the ground.

Few months ago I too started planting tropical fruit trees in my tiny backyard in Palm Beach County, FL.
Soon all space is used up, and I have been thinking about planting more in a narrow long space behind an inground pool (typical in South Florida), which will be 3 to 4 feet from the edge of the pool.

The problem is that I am afraid of the root system damaging the pool. I would much appreciate advice about this situation. Specifically

Any tropical or subtropical fruit tree or bush that has a weak root system to avoid the risk ?

Is 3 - 4 feet too close to the edge of the pool ? I would hate to have to pay 1000s in repairs in few years.

Is this a bad idea ?

Thank you all !