New Years Breadfruit S.Fla - Female Flower vs Fruit, 21 months old Ma'Afala

[Sleepdoc]

Amazingly, yesterday during a quick walk around my yard, I spotted what looked
like a Breadfruit female flower or fruit on my less than 2 year old Ma'Afala
breadfruit tree.

Today, when I got a chance to go really inspect it, I was again in near
disbelief as I found 4 female flowers vs fruit and 1 male !

In January, in Florida, planted in ground, no protection.

Any advice regarding pollination would be greatly appreciated.  Thinking about
getting a paintbrush out to try and get some of the male pollen onto the
females. 

Also, anyone know if these are fruit or flower at this point?  One is much
larger than the others, about the size of a quarter.

Pics:







Male and female flower in the following photo..

[FloridaGreenMan]

WOW...very nice. I am thinking that it should set a fruit without hand pollination. 

[Sleepdoc]

WOW...very nice. I am thinking that it should set a fruit without hand pollination.

Thanks !   Yeah, I was thinking the same regarding pollination.  Just want to be sure...

[Ethan]

    !

[MarinFla]

That's awesome Clint. Hope they all become mature fruit!!
PS Please let me know when your Kuhn See mango tree looks like there could be a few pieces of budwood ready to harvest. The one graft that took (of the two pieces I tried last year) got molded and died      I want to try again! Thanks

[murahilin]

Awesome!

On to fruiting marang ang chempedak next!

[From the sea]

looking good. Still waiting on flowers from mine

[bangkok]

Today i walked around in the undeveloped area's in our neighbourhood. I saw many breadfruit-tree's, some had loads of flowers and some had none. We had a huge flooding 2 years ago and i guess those tree's all survived 2 metres water for about 8-10 weeks. If they really can stand floodings then they are the perfect rootstock for other family-members like jackfruit.

[HMHausman]

What a nice Christmas present!  I am smelling the roasting breadfruits as I write. The winter, if it ever comes, will be your main challenge.  What are your plans in case jack frost actually shows up here in South Florida this year?  I don't think it will take a frost to dash my hopes for your breadfruit roasting, not sure what temps will drop those fruits. Thinking warm thoughts......

[Sleepdoc]

  !

Thx 

That's awesome Clint. Hope they all become mature fruit!!
PS Please let me know when your Kuhn See mango tree looks like there could be a few pieces of budwood ready to harvest. The one graft that took (of the two pieces I tried last year) got molded and died      I want to try again! Thanks

Thx I hope so too.  Anytime on that Khun See

Awesome!

On to fruiting marang ang chempedak next!

Yeah, marang sure would be nice !!

looking good. Still waiting on flowers from mine

Thx.  Hopefully yours follows suit

Today i walked around in the undeveloped area's in our neighbourhood. I saw many breadfruit-tree's, some had loads of flowers and some had none. We had a huge flooding 2 years ago and i guess those tree's all survived 2 metres water for about 8-10 weeks. If they really can stand floodings then they are the perfect rootstock for other family-members like jackfruit.

Seems like a good idea in your climate.  Here, the lack of cold tolerance on breadfruit would discourage most folks from giving it a try..

What a nice Christmas present!  I am smelling the roasting breadfruits as I write. The winter, if it ever comes, will be your main challenge.  What are your plans in case jack frost actually shows up here in South Florida this year?  I don't think it will take a frost to dash my hopes for your breadfruit roasting, not sure what temps will drop those fruits. Thinking warm thoughts......

So True.  I may through up something makeshift if I get enough free time or if I see a cold front looming in the forecast.  These little fruits sure have increased my sense of urgency to protect the tree.

[Fruitguy]

Way to go Clint!  Keep pushing the boundaries northward! 

[Carlincool]

I believe Monday it's suppose to get down to 49 near Davie. The same here in Cape Coral on the west coast. I still have mine in a 25 gallon pots. I bring mine inside when it drops down to 55.  Some of my leaves have gotten burnt at 51. I'll wait till spring before they go in the ground.

[fruitlovers]

Looks like unpollinated female flower. If it continues to swell up then you know you have a fruit forming. Usually the pollen is wind borne and will do the trick on its own, but won't hurt to manually move some of the male pollen onto the flower. Good luck and congratulations on lucky 2014 for you! 

[murahilin]

Looks like unpollinated female flower. If it continues to swell up then you know you have a fruit forming. Usually the pollen is wind borne and will do the trick on its own, but won't hurt to manually move some of the male pollen onto the flower. Good luck and congratulations on lucky 2014 for you! 

Most breadfruit do not require pollination for the fruit to develop and the fruit is likely due to parthernocarpy.

[fruitlovers]

Looks like unpollinated female flower. If it continues to swell up then you know you have a fruit forming. Usually the pollen is wind borne and will do the trick on its own, but won't hurt to manually move some of the male pollen onto the flower. Good luck and congratulations on lucky 2014 for you! 

Most breadfruit do not require pollination for the fruit to develop and the fruit is likely due to parthernocarpy.

Yes ofcourse you're right because most breadfruit, but not all, is seedless. Once in a while you do find some seeds, even in seedless breadfruit, so it's obvious also that some pollination does also occur.

[HMHausman]

move some of the male pollen onto the flower

Is there any other kind of pollen?

[fruitlovers]

move some of the male pollen onto the flower

Is there any other kind of pollen?

Oh, you're kind of cheeky in 2014...just like in 2013.    Should have been male's pollen. You'd be surprised how many try to pollinate female with female flower...or don't know the difference.

[HMHausman]

Yes, cheeky is a good word for me.  I am not likely to change either anytime soon.  I keep telling my wife that but she keeps trying to make me better.

Regarding the misapplied reproductive actions by humans on non-humans....would your comments be akin to someone trying to get milk from a male goat.  Oops, probably shouldn't have mentioned that........Sheehan, please don't go googling....please.

[cbss_daviefl]

It is really awesome to see this happening only 2 miles from my house.  You are making me want to get a breadfruit tree.  The tree is not that tall and would be easy to tent.  The question is can it be kept warm enough to keep it from dying back and dropping the fruit if we got a frost.  Hope you do not have to test that!  If you come up with a plan to protect it that requires an extra set of hands, I would be glad to help out.

I have a few marang seedlings from Oscar and PR (Vivero Anones) that are about 8 inches tall when you are ready.

[Breadfruit Institute]

There is no need to pollinate the female inflorescence as breadfruit is parthenocarpic and does not require pollination for the fruit to develop. Most breadfruit varieties are seedless triploids and produce little, if any, viable pollen. Ma'afala is a diploid variety and can occasionally produce a seed or two.

[fruitlovers]

Yes, cheeky is a good word for me.  I am not likely to change either anytime soon.  I keep telling my wife that but she keeps trying to make me better.

Regarding the misapplied reproductive actions by humans on non-humans....would your comments be akin to someone trying to get milk from a male goat.  Oops, probably shouldn't have mentioned that........Sheehan, please don't go googling....please.

Harry, don't change please! I like your tongue and cheeky humor. 

[fruitlovers]

There is no need to pollinate the female inflorescence as breadfruit is parthenocarpic and does not require pollination for the fruit to develop. Most breadfruit varieties are seedless triploids and produce little, if any, viable pollen. Ma'afala is a diploid variety and can occasionally produce a seed or two.

Great to have someone from Breadfruit Institute on this forum. Can you tell us please when some of the other cultivars beside Ma'afala will begin to be released? Is there a page on your website that indicated cultivar release dates?

[Cookie Monster]

haha tight. There was a puerto rican fellow up the street from me who had a fruiting breadfruit. It would die back every couple of years, then fly out of the ground again. I think that nasty winter we had a couple years back did it in for good though.

[Sleepdoc]

Thanks everyone for the continued input, and thanks to the Breadfruit Institute for the breadfruit expertise.

Brandon---I just may have to take you up on the generous offer !