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Messages - Fruitguy

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1
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Anyone growing rare artocarpus?
« on: March 05, 2024, 12:28:27 PM »
Thank you Jay. It will make good kindling if it doesn't start flowering and fruiting soon!

2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Anyone growing rare artocarpus?
« on: March 04, 2024, 07:38:02 PM »
My 7-8 yo pedalai is definitely a grower. I have topped it a couple of times however it still wants to grow up and out. Still waiting on its first flower.
 


Marang is quite tasty imo and easy to peel.  One fruit makes a nice meal.

3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Seed propagation vs Grafting
« on: February 25, 2024, 11:30:36 AM »
Generally speaking, grafted cultivars are supposed to be improved selections, either they are more productive, they have a better taste*, or some other unique characteristic (fruiting season, shape, size, color, etc.). As you mentioned, normally grafted trees produce quicker than seedlings. Other benefits to obtaining grafted plants vs seedings are (1) to (hopefully) avoid issues with dioecious species and (2) to obtain known genetic material that will ensure that you get the exact fruit (taste, color, size, etc.) that you are expecting. On the other hand, all new varieties come from seedlings, and they can be used as rootstocks for grafting.

Personally, I buy grafted plants when they are available, such as mangoes, avocados and Pouteria (or graft myself) and grow Garcinias and Eugenias from seed.  If I am buying outside local nurseries and/or seed suppliers, ask around first, read reviews, etc. There are just as many questionable online sellers as there are good, quality sellers, so I would recommend searching the forum first as there have been multiple posts on this topic, and if you do  not find any information, then asking your fellow forum members. Do this BEFORE sending your money.

*Taste is very subjective, so I strongly encourage people to try the fruit of a cultuvar before investing time (years) and money in a grafted plant to avoid possibly being disappointed. Just because "everyone" says something tastes good by no means mean you will agree.

4
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Yellow rambutan
« on: February 24, 2024, 10:07:58 AM »
Can I grow them in Florida? A lot of people saying it won't grown in Florida
Yes, they can grow in Florida, but the real question is will they fruit! Growing them can be challenging enough, as they require regular watering and fertilizing, however it is definitely doable in a pot. I grew one to 8 ft tall before planting it out. Then it proceeded to get  2 ft shorter every year until it died.

The late Bill Whitman grew a few trees in the ground in Bal Harbour, FL however they always looked scraggly compared to happy, healthy trees I have seen in Puerto Rico and Thailand.   He only recalled ever getting a couple of fruit over many years.

I think with enough effort it is possible to grow and fruit rambutan in Florida, however it is probably more cost efficient to buy imported fruit.  I encourage anyone to give it a try.

5
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Smallest Mango Fruit Variety
« on: February 10, 2024, 12:18:24 PM »
'Toledo' is chicken egg-sized.

6
As long as the stems stay green, it will push out new growth eventually. If they go start to shrivel (still green), you may be able to bring them back, but once they turn brown, you will have to cut it back and hope for new growth roots. Good luck!

7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Raw Sugar mango??
« on: September 10, 2023, 10:39:41 AM »
I can guarantee you with 100% certainty that your buddy has 'Raw Honey', just as Hipasfolk correctly pointed out.

8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Question regarding dragon fruit pollination
« on: September 03, 2023, 09:35:02 PM »
You should know within 5-7 days whether the pollination was successful. If the soon-to-be fruit at the base of the flower remains green you will be enjoying fruit, if they turn yellow, you will not.

Good fruiting!

9
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Question regarding dragon fruit pollination
« on: September 03, 2023, 08:50:04 AM »
You can pollinate dragonfruit flowers after they close. You are good for at least 24 hours afterwards at 100% success, and up to 60% success for up to 48 hours. That data is from a scientific study done in Israel (?). I often do not see the flowers have bloomed until they have closed and have done this hundreds of times. As long as rain hasn't ruined the stigma and you have decent pollen.

10
I tried them years ago here in Miami (near the Turnpike). I had two trees that got 10+ ft tall. One flower in 15 years! Petals were delicious! At the Fruit and Spice Park, which gets about 10F colder than my location, they do get flowers but I'm not sure about fruit.

11
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help ID this fruit
« on: July 26, 2023, 08:44:33 PM »
Looks like it might be Eugenia victoriana aka Sundrop.

12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Nice dwarf mulchi harvest
« on: July 09, 2023, 12:16:19 PM »
Beautiful looking tree Peter! Frog is cute as well!

Is taste of the fruit purely sweet or does it have other flavor profiles as well? Put another way, does it taste similar to anything else you have tried?

Thank you.

13
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Annona spraguei
« on: July 01, 2023, 08:52:13 PM »
Was anyone ever able to convince this species to fruit? Any tips or tricks? Thank you.

14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Can you grow Marang in Florida?
« on: June 27, 2023, 11:46:16 AM »
This is my pedalai. It has been in the ground for about 8 years, after 1 -2 years in a pot. Every year I think that this will be the year that it flowers but nothing yet. I have cut it back a few times in an attempt to control its height. It is due again.


15
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Spice trees
« on: June 03, 2023, 09:03:03 AM »
I got lucky with my single allspice tree and it produces fruit, although I have heard that they can be dioecious.

I have found the seedlings to be very slow growing during the first year and then take off.

My tree handles pruning well so I think it had good potential as a hedge.



16
Tape arrived, well packaged. Thank you!

17
Do you have photos of the flowers?

18
The last time I got a Small Seeds Lot Permit (2018?), I was told by USDA that you could no longer bring seeds back in person and were required to mail them. Hopefully they have reconsidered that policy. I mailed my seeds back from SE Asia and everything (other than some durian seeds) arrived with no issues. Between the mailing and subsequent inspection in the US, it took about 3-4 weeks to get to my house. When I arrived back in the US and declared "no seeds/ag products" (since I had mailed them) my luggage was physically inspected to the last sock.

If you do try to bring seeds back, make sure that you declare them at your port of entry to avoid any potential legal issues. It will be up to whatever inspector you encounter at the airport as to whether you are permitted to keep them, they are sent to the nearest Ag station for inspection (if that happens, make sure to have some sort of shipping account set up as they will bill you for the postage to get them back home), or they will simply confiscate and "destroy" them.

Good luck! I hope it works out for you.

19
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Can Mangosteen be Grown in Florida?
« on: March 24, 2023, 07:01:09 PM »
TFH is correct. The late William "Bill" Whitman of Bal Harbour (think North Miami Beach) had several fruiting trees outdoor, in the ground. His location between the Atlantic ocean and Biscayne Bay had a moderation effect on temperatures when compared to the mainland. It took 17 years to get the first fruit. Three trees grafted from Mr. Whitman's trees , further supported with nurse grafts, produced fruit somewhat quicker (guessing maybe 10 years?) in the Whitman Rare Fruit Pavillion at Fairchild Gardens, which had a 17 foot soil base of acidic sand. Ultimately 2 of the original trees, and numerous other rare fruit trees, were destroyed to make room for...and aroid garden. The current woman who has a fruiting tree has it growing in a large pot with potting soil. Her tree is growing outside, protected from the north winds, also took 17 years before it first fruited.

Bottom line....it can be fruited in South Florida if one is patient, and can provide a slightly acidic soil. As TFH also said, a greenhouse would be very helpful to lessen the time to first fruiting.

In contrast, I planted a 6-foot tall mangosteen in the ground, including amendments to lower the natural 8.2 pH soil of western Dade County, and it was dead within 6 months! 🙁

20
Congratulations Ryan! Looks like a pretty solid score to me. And thank you for letting us play along. 🙂

21
Fruit guy, how many crops do you get out of your tree and what time(s) of the year?

Honest Abe,

There is usually some fruit on the trees most of the year. The largest crops occur starting in Spring (the trees are loaded with flowers now) and are fairly continuously flowering or fruiting (or both) until the Fall. I have 3 trees, all about 20 years old.

22
30 English,
29 Math
31 Reading
34 Science

23
During the warmer months of the year, I have noted that something (fruit fly, wasp?) punctures the skin and there may be larvae inside. Easy to spot the brown/black puncture spots on the yellow/orange skin. Fruit still tastes good.

24
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: ISO: cecropia/gummy worm fruit
« on: February 18, 2023, 06:56:59 PM »
There is/was a tree at the Fruit & Spice Park. Taste reminded me of black licorice. Large cuttings (2 inch diameter) are the way to go if you can find a tree.

25
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: ripening Green Sapote
« on: February 12, 2023, 11:37:26 AM »
The taste of green sapote is quite similar to mamey sapote - both are delicious IMHO. The green sapote has smaller fruit and can easily be eaten in a single sitting compared to a Magaņa type mamey sapote which is more of a challenge. It is visually easier to determine when the green sapote fruit is ripe as the skin color changes from green to orange as it ripens, so you do not have to scratch the skin as one does with a mamey sapote.

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