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Messages - jcaldeira

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676
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Growing Mango from Seed
« on: February 06, 2012, 09:17:21 PM »
I am growing mango from seeds to use as grafting rootstock.  The seeds are a hardy "bush mango" variety and are polyembryonic.  When more than one shoot spouts up, it is best to pinch off the slower-growing one immediately, try to pull the one up without damaging the primary shoot, or let 2 or 3 grow a while before culling them down to one?  What's the best way?

Thanks,
John

677
I do not know the pickering variety specifically, but a mango tree will grow 12 meters (50 feet) or more unless on dwarfing rootstock or trimmed.  Below is a photo of a neighbor's mango tree, which is not exceptionally large for a mature tree:



John

678
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself
« on: February 03, 2012, 08:23:45 PM »
Too bad about slow internet. Other than that, being on or very close to the salt ocean for fish to eat, plus growing all you do, where you are is ideal. Is your  soil sandy? Do you have clay content and volcanic content in your soil?
The topsoil on my farm is mostly a good quality loam, with a little too much clay in some areas.   Most areas drain well, but water weeps out of rock in a few places for 3-5 days after a good rain.  The soil is shallow in some places, with soft volcanic rock underneath.  It's a very dark soil.  I use plain topsoil for starting plants in bags - nothing added.

I only started farming 5 months ago, and am still in the process of clearing land.  Only the first 3 acres have been planted with fruit so far.



Oscar, Fiji is a big jump culturally.  I was a Peace Corps volunteer here in the 1980's, so it was easier to adapt.  Hawaii is nice too; easier to buy things there.

John

679
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself
« on: February 03, 2012, 04:07:26 AM »
Hi John, i traveled all the way around Viti Levu, beautiful place. I stayed for a week at Nananu-I-Ra island, pretty close to you. Awesome snorkeling there! I have sent seeds from Hawaii to Fiji once and they made it through ok. You can check the seeds i sell at http://www.fruitlovers.com/seedlistforeign.html  I can send mangosteen seeds in July if interested?
Oscar
Nananu-I-Ra is very near - a 10 minute boat ride.  I picked some of my sprouting coconut starts (wild "Fiji Tall" variety - great for making coconut cream) from the north side of that island.  I'm also growing some of the dwarf varieties that are better for drinking.

I'll consider the Rambutan seeds.

My internet is delivered through the mobile phone network.  I recieve it on a little modem that looks like a flash memory stick.   It's painfully slow by EU and U.S. standards (no YouTube for me), but okay for most websites.

John

680
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself
« on: February 02, 2012, 07:28:01 PM »
Hi John, welcome to the group. Your plantings look very nice. Been to Fiji a few times...i love Fiji and Fijian people! What island are you on?
Oscar
I'm on the most northern part of Viti Levu, the biggest island (the pin on the forum map is exactly on my farm).  It's an intermediate rainfall area, which is great for citrus and mango.  Too dry for vanilla and a few other tree crops.

The fishing is good - no need to buy cat food :-)

Right now I'm growing sour orange rootstock for valencia orange, grapefruit and mandarin scions that I'll graft later this year.  I've also started a few hundred mango seeds that I plan to veneer graft several good varieties onto.  I've been unsuccessful in finding any mangosteen planting material here and variety choices on most species is very limited.  I am jelous of those you you who have access to so many varieties available in the U.S.

Below are some rootstock plantings in the shadehouse, which serves also as a rain-controlled zone in this rainy season!
 

John

681
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself
« on: February 02, 2012, 06:33:56 PM »
By way of introduction, my name is John Caldeira and I am an American expat living in Fiji.  Early-retired, I have a 15 acre seaside hobby farm where I am currently planting a variety of fruit trees.   I am relatively new to fruit farming and devouring the internet and books to learn more.

The largest numbers of trees on my farm will be citrus and mango, due to their suitability to the land and marketability.  However, I am also planting many other fruit trees.  Thus far, this includes coconut, papaya, abiu, cinnamon, rambutan, mulberry, sapodilla, soursop, custard apple, starfruit, star apple, tamerind, jackfruit, rose apple, cashew, black sapote, coffee and tea.  Ginger and cardamom too.

My farm as viewed from the water:


My initial planting of citrus, mostly Tahitian Seedless Lime and Meyer Lemon on Rough Lemon rootstock:


I'll probably be asking occasional questions on this forum, and helping respond to others as I can.

John

682
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Soil-layering Breadfruit
« on: February 02, 2012, 06:17:41 PM »
My first attempt at soil-layering breadfruit has begun.  How long does it normally take for sufficient roots to develop so that the new trees can be cut and moved?

The soil-layered branches are on a neighbor's fallen breadfruit tree.  I dug 3 branches into the ground approximately 8 cm (3 inches), covered with soil and a rock to hold it against winds and retain moisture.  Before covering it, I scratched a little of the bark away on the underside, but did not girdle it as common for air-layering.





Air temperatures range from 25-30 C (75-85 F), and it's the rainy season so it probably won't need help with water for a few months.

How long?  Anything else I can do to improve success?

John

683
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Proper Spacing of Fruit Trees
« on: February 01, 2012, 02:56:40 PM »
jcaldeira
Yes please post more Fiji photos. Mangoes and lychees are grown there? Citrus?
I will post some Fiji fruit photos in a separate thread within a week or so.  I don't want to highjack this thread.

John

684
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Best Tropical Fruit Websites?
« on: February 01, 2012, 01:54:35 PM »
Let me start:
Julia Morton's "Fruits of Warm Climates" - http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html
I agree that Purdue has some great resources.  Here's another one from Purdue, slides from a course on tropical horticulture:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/tropical/

Here are another two good online online books for specific tree crops:

http://agroforestry.net/scps/index.html


http://agroforestry.net/tti/index.html

John

685
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Proper Spacing of Fruit Trees
« on: February 01, 2012, 01:37:21 PM »
Some of those trees grow to be huge, such as the jackfruit and mango, unless on dwarfing rootstock.  I don't know if you could keep a jackfruit tree at 12 feet and get any fruit.  It certainly would be an ugly tree as it matures.

Other trees naturally stay small, such as the guava.  You might consider focusing on growing the smaller trees.

To answer your question with a simplistic answer: About 3 meters (10 feet), which would mean the height and girth would be roughly the same.

John


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