Self Storing Tropical Fruits

[fruitlovers]

Sicana odorifera: an interesting one I never heard of.  Thanks.  Is it sweet or just sweet smelling?

Like i said in previous post,  the casabana (Sicana odorifera) tastes just like canteloupe = sweet! 
It's widely grown in Brazil. Also i saw it in Puerto Rico. It grows as a vine, so needs something to climb on.
It's the very last fruit listed in the famous Morton book.

[ericalynne]

In zone 9b/ south central Florida, I have found that all the melon plants quickly succumb to one or more of a variety of fungal diseases and pests. I rarely get more than one melon/squash or two per plant.

Are any of the melons mentioned particularly good for hot and humid places? Do those who grow them spray to prevent diseases?

I have found that grapefruit keep for weeks, more than a month, without refrigeration or special storage. They even get sweeter in time. An elderly farmer gave me that tip.

I did grow casabana one year in Naples. The vine grew up a tall mahogany tree and the fruit were inaccessible to me. A couple fruit did fall to the ground and they smelled wonderful.

Erica

[fruitlovers]

True grapefruits last a long time. Pummelos last even longer.

[amaqeq]

ericalynne
although I do not suffer from that problem, there are few varieties of hybrid and others melons better resistant to fungal despises
organic growers using dispersible neem oil or other light summer oil as an preventative measure
wettable sulphur  or copper are also used and pass the organic farming restrictions
(although copper may be expelled in the near future from organic gardening)
other products like Azoxystrobin (first produced from mushrooms)
is higher caliber product, which is not organic but to my opinion less damaging to the environment than copper
there are many other products, and as soon as you pin point what exactly the melons are suffering from you could prevent or cure it better

[Future]

Sicana odorifera: an interesting one I never heard of.  Thanks.  Is it sweet or just sweet smelling?

Like i said in previous post,  the casabana (Sicana odorifera) tastes just like canteloupe = sweet! 
It's widely grown in Brazil. Also i saw it in Puerto Rico. It grows as a vine, so needs something to climb on.
It's the very last fruit listed in the famous Morton book.

Ok.  I will purchase seeds for this.  Some cantaloupes are not sweet so I did not read that into your statement.

[fruitlovers]

Sicana odorifera: an interesting one I never heard of.  Thanks.  Is it sweet or just sweet smelling?

Like i said in previous post,  the casabana (Sicana odorifera) tastes just like canteloupe = sweet! 
It's widely grown in Brazil. Also i saw it in Puerto Rico. It grows as a vine, so needs something to climb on.
It's the very last fruit listed in the famous Morton book.

Ok.  I will purchase seeds for this.  Some cantaloupes are not sweet so I did not read that into your statement.

The casabana to me tastes just like a good sweet canteloupe, only it is more juicy than a canteloupe. The casabana is an agressive climber so you need a good fence or trellis for it to climb on.

[Future]

Does it aggressively root along the vine?  If not, I have a large open space it can cover in the short term (on black plastic).

[fruitlovers]

Does it aggressively root along the vine?  If not, I have a large open space it can cover in the short term (on black plastic).

Not that i recall.

[nullzero]

I read that prickly pears can last upto a month at room temperature if they are harvested using a heat knife, cauterizing the end of the fruit flesh.

[tabbydan]

"wax melon" - "winter melon" has many uses such as a flavoring in soups.  My favorite use is "winter melon tea".  I believe the flesh is cooked down with sugar to make it.  The drink is a summertime favorite in Taiwan and it has a very nice sweet flavor.

[Guanabanus]

Yes, Pomegranates keep well.

Tamarind,

Jenipapo,

"Stinky-Toe",

Jujube,

Carob (not sure any grow in the tropics),

Coconuts and several other palm fruits,

Pommelos, sour oranges, and Bael-fruit.

Nance and murici store well in fresh water.

[ericalynne]

ericalynne
although I do not suffer from that problem, there are few varieties of hybrid and others melons better resistant to fungal despises

Thank you amaqueq. I do some spraying, but have a work schedule that frequently prevents me from spraying when it would do the most good, so would prefer to focus on types that don't need spraying so much. I have been trying different varieties of squash and melons, but have not yet found one that is significantly resistant.

If anyone has any experience with varieties they have found to be more resistant than others, please let me know. Thanks,
Erica

[nullzero]

erica,

I would think the Seminole Pumpkin would perform well in a humid environment and be resistant to fungal issues. I hear the Seminole Pumpkins have excellent storage life.

[Future]

Regarding winter squash, I find most moschatas fine.  And yes, Seminole is said to store for several years.  Triamble (a maxima) also stores for years.

[nullzero]

Regarding winter squash, I find most moschatas fine.  And yes, Seminole is said to store for several years.  Triamble (a maxima) also stores for years.

I always wanted to grow out Seminole, but I hear its vigorous and I have limited room in the garden.

[amaqeq]

here is an link to disease resistant varieties
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/TableList.htm

Muskmelon
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/MuskmelonTable.html

Specialty Melons
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/SpecMelonTable.html

Pumpkins
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/PumpkinTable.html

Winter Squash
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Tables/WntrSqTable.html

Do not know about its reliability but it can give some kind of reference

[Future]

Regarding winter squash, I find most moschatas fine.  And yes, Seminole is said to store for several years.  Triamble (a maxima) also stores for years.

I always wanted to grow out Seminole, but I hear its vigorous and I have limited room in the garden.

Let it climb a tree.

[fruitlovers]

Seed catalogues will usually state which cultivars of melon and squash have powdery mildew resistance. That is the main problem in humid areas. There are lots of varieties that grow here where it rains almost every day, so i'm sure you can find some that will grow in Venus, Florida. Much bigger problem here is fruitfly, which will sting squash and melon fruits when they are very small. There are some that are resistant even to that. What i do is to go to farmer's market buy available locally grown fruit and remove the seeds and plant. Melons are more of a chalenge than squash.

[ericalynne]

Thank you, all. I now feel that I have a new lease on squash/melon/pumpkin life to work with. What great information.

In regards to seed catalogs and descriptions, I have found them less than reliable...when they say "southern" conditions, they usually mean South Caroline or Georgia. A lot of "southern" varieties do not do well in my south. Also, I am not interested as much in, say, "resistance" as such. More like bullet-proof. :-)

I don't think Hawai'i is as humid as south Florida? I think it is the combination that does them in. I don't have much trouble in the way of fruit flies themselves. However, that pickleworm gets in there and rots out the inside and then the fruit flies come. I have read that some people cover the plants at night to discourage the pickleworm eggs and open them up during the day for pollination. I am not opposed to this, I just can't figure out how to fit it into my schedule. : -)

Erica

[fruitlovers]

Thank you, all. I now feel that I have a new lease on squash/melon/pumpkin life to work with. What great information.

In regards to seed catalogs and descriptions, I have found them less than reliable...when they say "southern" conditions, they usually mean South Caroline or Georgia. A lot of "southern" varieties do not do well in my south. Also, I am not interested as much in, say, "resistance" as such. More like bullet-proof. :-)

I don't think Hawai'i is as humid as south Florida? I think it is the combination that does them in. I don't have much trouble in the way of fruit flies themselves. However, that pickleworm gets in there and rots out the inside and then the fruit flies come. I have read that some people cover the plants at night to discourage the pickleworm eggs and open them up during the day for pollination. I am not opposed to this, I just can't figure out how to fit it into my schedule. : -)

Erica

Hawaii is a big place, and has lots of climates. Speaking just of area where i live the humidity would be consistently higher than in S. Florida. We have more than 2x the rainfall, and when it's raining that means 100% humidity. Our temperatures are not as high, and we have a consistent trade wind, which leads to greater creature comfort, which may cause illusion that humidity is lower.
About catalogues, some are definitely better than others, and have more precise information. I don't know if there are seed companies in your area that specialize in cucurbits, but that would be the best source. But greatest source of info. is what other growers in your area are able to produce succesfully? That is why local farmer's market can give a good clue and also a good cheap seed source.

[ericalynne]

There is a lot of vegetable agriculture in south Florida. But the amount of chemicals used is way higher than most people want to be exposed to. This is an area where there are lawsuits over birth defects of agricultural workers...

I suppose I should go to the organic markets and see what I can find out.

I know little about Hawai'i climate. I guess I always picture the 72 degrees and sun. Here, August is like well over 90 degrees daily with humidity to where you can't breathe. Even in the winter, when we can get a frost, the daytime temps may soar. I'm still trying to figure out 9b. it is trickier than 10.

Erica

[fruitlovers]

There is a lot of vegetable agriculture in south Florida. But the amount of chemicals used is way higher than most people want to be exposed to. This is an area where there are lawsuits over birth defects of agricultural workers...

I suppose I should go to the organic markets and see what I can find out.

I know little about Hawai'i climate. I guess I always picture the 72 degrees and sun. Here, August is like well over 90 degrees daily with humidity to where you can't breathe. Even in the winter, when we can get a frost, the daytime temps may soar. I'm still trying to figure out 9b. it is trickier than 10.

Erica

72 degrees is more like a night time temperature. High humidity is actually very comfortable as long as there is a breeze. What makes high humidity very uncomfortable is lack of movement of air.

[nullzero]

Just ate a Kiwano that is over 1 year old, harvested late September from last year. The taste was a mellow cucumber taste, past its peak flavor but still worthy of eating with perfect Kiwano texture. The exterior was a solid orange color. I am absolutely surprised it has lasted this long, I could of probably let the fruit sit around for another 3 months or more.

The fruit was stored on the counter in a shaded garage that was not insulated very well. I am amazed at the storage potential of this fruit, I believe it can beat out the best storage squashes.