The Tropical Fruit Forum

Thanks for posting, Luc.  I assume that this species must vary considerably in quality because I have had people tell me it is not worth growing and others say it is very good.  I tried it for the first time about a week ago and it was very tasty.  Anyone know if this can be grafted onto other Artocarpus roostock? (since I don't have any Kwai Muk rootstock)  I guess that might also speed up the growth rate a little as well...

John

Nice display of fruit, Oscar.  Sorry I missed it.  Originally, it sounded like we could visit you and hear the speakers but in the end, we had to choose.  Since I live here, it made sense to try to catch the speaklers...

John

Thanks, guys, not on my "short list" of things of I gotta have (I would like to see fruit before I die).  I was a little suspect of the 12-15 yr estimate as Roy Danforth estimated its cousin, B. aethiopica, as taking 25-28 yrs.

John

I have seen them here (HI) at HD and also at Walmart.  They were pretty inexpensive at Walmart, ~$8 if I recall correctly.

John

Quote from: HIfarm on September 17, 2013, 01:39:52 AM

I'm not aware of any changes. Then again i never get close to 50 packets of 50 seeds, which would equal 2500 seeds! The 10 gram limit is for very small seeds of one taxon in one packet. So rather than maximum of 50 seeds you are allowed maximum 10 grams for tiny seeds. You have to realize when asking that a lot of the USDA agents themselves don't understand the rules very well. Also a lot of the wording in the rules is rather ambiguous. I've done a lot of back and forth with USDA headquarters in Maryland to try to straighten this out over the years.

Oscar, you very well be correct on that and the guy I spoke to could be wrong.  However, it is a small consolation if your seeds still get destroyed because the agent inspecting them misinterpretted the law and assumed it meant a limit of 50 seeds and 10 grams per packet.

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No, none of that is correct. There is no maximum of 50 lots. What has to be separated are not the lots, but seeds inside the bag. So for example cannot have abiu seeds together with mamey seeds in same bag. There is also no weight limit. I think you are confusing weight maximum for tiny seeds. Since it's very difficult to count tiny seeds to 50 they put in a weight limit on them instead instead of a unit limit.
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Oscar, some of this may have changed.  I noted differences in my new permit (received this summer) from my earlier one.  To quote the permit: "Each seed packet is clearly labelled with the name of the collector / shipper, the country of origin, and the scientific name at least to the genus, and preferrably to the species level.  There is a maximum of 50 seeds of one taxon (taxonomic category such as genus, species, cultivar, etc.) per packet; or a maximum weight not to exceed 10 grams of seed of 1 taxon per packet.  There is a maximum of 50 seed packets per shipment...."

Since they limit the weight, I inquired with this with an agent at the Honolulu station.  He said that more than packet of not more than 10 grams each could be used for each taxon if the seeds are large (however, I am sure that some seeds exceed 10 grams, hopefully agents are understanding in that case).   I had specifically raised the question of large (heavy) seeds with him so this is not my interpretation but what he told me.

As someone had pointed out, any germinated seeds are now considered plants and the entire packet of seeds is likely to be destroyed if any have germinated.

John

Hi Karen,

Piper is a large family but it seems like only a few species are really important as spices.  I did have a list somewhere (as I am hoping to plant a few different species) but I cannot locate it now.  Some of importance are: P. chaba, cubeba, guineense, & longum.  I think that there are a couple of others and I don't doubt that there are also others that a only used in certain localities.  It sounds like there is evidence that some of the Indian black pepper cultivars are actually interspecific hybrids.

Concerning Maui Guy's post, the pepper he is referring to is most likely black pepper (P. nigrum).  It is here but I am not sure if most of it came as cuttings or seedlings.  There is definitely seed grown cultivars here -- I recall a discussion with someone at the university where they said "you have to be careful of where you get your cuttings; some plants here bloom but never set fruit".  Evidently, this guy was not aware that P. nigrum is typically dioecious and those were probably male plants.

John

I've sent you two emails on this now but have seen no response -- did you get them?

John

My experience has been more like Oscar's so far.  I sent them my permit & labels several months ago & they claim it has not arrived yet.  They have some very interesting stuff & I am still interested in ordering but I am not feeling optimistic about them.  Glad to hear that some have perhaps had good experience with them.

John

Hey,

I'm looking for Chupa Chupa (Quararibea cordata) seeds. Anyone have a fruitng tree?

Also I'd be interested in any other interesting Quararibea, particularly Q. mestonii

Jim West had Q. mestonii in the past.

John

We have one of these at the Hilo Arboretum, digitata, if I recall correctly.  It does not appear to be pleased with our wet climate and has not adjusted its foliage to our moisture -- it is without leaves most of the year.  I haven't checked it recently but I think is 16-20' high and started to bear fruit this year but they reached about the size of a mandarin and all dropped -- don't know if it is too wet to fruit or just to young to carry it.  No idea of how old it is.

John

I'm on the same island as Oscar (big island) and zero damage here yesterday.  We have had nastier rain and wind this am than during our close brush yesterday.  Big island dodges another one!  Sorry Maui was not so lucky.

John

Oscar
Does this Samoan tree typically produce fruit of this size or was this a fluke?

John



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Both the Malay and Samoan (aka Fijian) coconuts have good resistance to lethal yellowing. Big difference is that the Malay has much smaller fruits than the Samoans and is not, as you point out, really a dwarf. It's just mistakenly called that because it will start bearing when trees are still quite short. They will eventually get quite tall. Samoan dwarfs are true dwarfs and will stay quite short whole life time.
Here is a photo of a Samoan dwarf coconut. As you can see they get quite large. This fruit weighed 20 pounds.

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