The Tropical Fruit Forum

Duane,
Yes, that small amount of Copper Soap should be safe, at it is under the minimum recommended rate.

However, you previously said that amount per quart, rather than per gallon, which would almost be the maximum labelled rate.

Leanne,
Is the potting soil quite black and wet, or actually compost?

Duane,
Which copper product did you use, and how much does the label say to use per gallon?

Eddie F., Potassium Bicarbonate is good.  I haven't heard of Potassium Bisulfate--- I will have to look it up.

Honest Abe, mite damage.

Ivymantled, spray for anthracnose, with Copper products, alternating with other fungicides.

DAC, your Keittt looks quite normal.  Spray with Copper or Sulfur before flowers actually open.  Check that root crown is not buried.

Looks healed!

Super interesting!

Something that is alluded to several times above, but not clearly emphasized, is that natural chemical content of different varieties of one species can vary dramatically; and that samples gathered from a single tree at different times of year, also vary from near zero to potent.

Studies in Puerto Rico of the ingredientes of Soursop (Guanabana, Graviola) pulp aroma, found over a dozen chemicals, which in different varieties were "all over the map" in concentrations or absence.

Studies at Purdue University, by pharmacognocist Jerry McGlaughlin, using brine shrimp assays to find alkaloids for futher study in uses against cancers, found that some samples from Soursop trees had nothing to offer, while others were of value.

He also found that Pawpaw twigs, gathered at most times of year had very weak alkaloid content, but gathered in May, were potent.

Let it make small fruits, then remove the whole flower pannicle.

I have tasted a couple of scleroderma fruits that had "off"/"medicinal" tastes;  but usually they taste great.

Long vertical splits of the corky outer bark is normal maturation.

Short splits with gummosis or running ooze are not normal, and are said to be from "abiotic stresses"--- still rather debated.

I normally expect to apply granular fertilizer;  then anything added to the irrigation or spray is extra.

Not Potassium deficiency.  Likely salt burns/sunburns.

Nice leaf study.

I never got any viable seedlings of squamosa X diversifolia or of diversifolia X squamosa, but with so many diverent varieties to try, who knows?