The Tropical Fruit Forum

Thanks, Galatians522! Went out again tonight, and sure enough, found the Citrus Root Weevil in the same area as last night. Got it to cling onto a bamboo stake and sent it swimming in the same pool the Leaf-Footed Bug and some Sri Lankan Weevils were already in. Hopefully I don't see anymore, though that's probably unlikely . . .



roblack, very cool about the Praying Mantis!

Thanks, Paul M., they were too high up in the canopy to get a clearer pic. The second insect in the photos is known as a Leaf-Footed Bug and is also a pest. By the time I identified both of them, the Citrus Root Weevil was gone, but I was able to capture the Leaf-Footed Bug and let it take a swim in soapy water. Don't have nor would spray Raid! Thanks!

Thanks, FloridaGrower69! I have no experience growing pineapples, so have nothing to go by with regard to picking time. Would they possibly fall off when ready? Any other clues as to when to pick? My luck, some animal will get to them before me . . .

Just light brown. Had others that laid dark brown and greenish ones similar to what you posted, but gave them away because I had too many chickens and they can tear up a yard like nobody's business. I'm feeding them a Waimanalo Papaya in the photo😊

No stories to share, drymifolia, but that's very cool!

The warmer, wet winter was better than frost and any threat of freeze, though it did cause a lot of Powdery Mildew. Fortunately, Pickering is barreling through with a lot of fruit, as is my Coconut Cream Seedling. Sugarloaf is also loaded, but a lot of fruit is marred by spots. We got 31 fruit off the tree last year, am curious to see what we get this year.

Most exciting for 2024 is that two seedlings are flowering for the first time, a Pickering seedling and this Baptiste seedling:


Not sure either will hold fruit, but it's encouraging to see seedlings flower.

For the Sri Lankan Weevils, I walk around at night with a headlamp on and hand pick the weevils off leaves and drop them in a cup filled with soapy water. As mentioned, while they chomp on mango leaves, they tend to prefer other leaves (here it's been bauhinia, Silk Floss Trees, and Fried Egg Trees, followed by Barbados Cherry and now Canistel).

Both my M. cearensis were received germinated. Both died.

This is delish. I like it not fully thawed out. It's like a Durian Popsicle

[Quick aside] Satya, I saw a couple of your more recent videos--your property in Costa Rica looks like paradise!

I still haven't sprayed my Powdery Mildew blooms with water, but we did get a couple intense rains recently. The PM remains, though. Hoping the newer blooms on the Pickering Seedling are able to fruit. The actual Pickerings in the yard are holding fruit in spite of PM. Ice Cream had full bloom and looks like it will hold onto nothing. Hopefully it will hold onto whatever grafts I put on it this upcoming summer to make that thing productive. Sugarloaf is hanging onto fruit in spite of PM, though not many fruitlets look clean.

The star of the show here is my Coconut Cream Seedling. No PM, some staggered blooms (some might say multiple crops?), and excellent fruit set.

MarktLee, how did you find the taste of these? Any characteristics (either good or bad) stand out about these particular fruits? Thanks!