Greenhouse, RootMaker pots for tropicals and fruit "porn"

[Mark in Texas]

18F ?  I guess California is like Texas - there must be a hundred micro climates.

I become less tolerant of plant maintenance as I get older.  Just don't become a slave to your plants.

[z_willus_d]

Hi Mark (and anyone else interested in another user of RB pots), I created a thread for documenting my RootBuilder project.  If you'd like to follow it, you can find it here:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=27629.0

This is nothing like what you have with the Greenhouse in Texas, but it might be useful for anyone else considering taking the plunge in purchasing a roll of the RootBuilder product.  At any rate, thanks for the input so far.

[Mark in Texas]

Update.  I've done 48 grafts this year on citrus, avocado, annona, mango.  Just got thru grafting 3 Orange Sherbet mango scions.  Here's my cherimoya tree going on 6'.  Got the 6 sticks from Behl and another member, all took.  Behl, Pierce, Campas, and Sabor.  My grafts have been cleft, T-bud and side veneer.  I have a key lime that now has 4 varieties of orange, two scions of limequat, one of Calamondin, and a couple of Persian lime.  I have Persian lime on a Meyer lemon tree - Flying Dragon rootstock.

March



Today.  Some of these leaves are as big as dinner plates.  This tree is gorgeous in every way.

[Mark in Texas]

Oro Negro avocado that froze to the ground. I grafted Lamb Hass, Sharwil and Pinkerton to the green shoots that pushed from the base.  This thing is super vigorous.



Vigor is obvious.  Here it is only 5 weeks ago, May 21. 
 

[Mark in Texas]

Major comeback on citrus and avocado trees that froze back during a Jan. freeze - heater failure.  My Reed is on steroids now hitting 10 X 10'.  Grafted and then topped to 24" is a cocktail cherimoya in front - Campas, Behl, Pierce, Sabor.







Reed had frozen back to a stump.  March 6:

[ScottR]

Cool come back back of your phoenix trees

[z_willus_d]

Hi Mark, it's great to see the rebirth you have there.  I look forward to learning about all the fruit it will provide next season.

[Mark in Texas]

"What a strange trip it's been"

Yeah, hope to get lots of fruits off this bad boy.

[simon_grow]

Mark, that is absolutely incredible growth. Looks like you should get some good fruit next year. Please keep us updated.

Simon

[Mark in Texas]

Mark, that is absolutely incredible growth. Looks like you should get some good fruit next year. Please keep us updated.

Simon

I hope to get a lot of fruit including citrus all year long, which is already beginning to set a lot of fruit.  I've done 85 grafts to in ground fruit trees this year - mango, cherimoya, annonas, citrus. Having 8 varieties of oranges including two bloods will be nice.

Looks like you and Brad are hitting home runs too!  Good luck with that incredible project.

[Mark in Texas]

.

[Daintree]

So, I keep killing mango and jackfruit trees for some reason.  Maybe I should try a Rootmaker pot! 

Merry Christmas!

Carolyn

[cmichael258]

Update.  I've done 48 grafts this year on citrus, avocado, annona, mango.  Just got thru grafting 3 Orange Sherbet mango scions.  Here's my cherimoya tree going on 6'.  Got the 6 sticks from Behl and another member, all took.  Behl, Pierce, Campas, and Sabor.  My grafts have been cleft, T-bud and side veneer.  I have a key lime that now has 4 varieties of orange, two scions of limequat, one of Calamondin, and a couple of Persian lime.  I have Persian lime on a Meyer lemon tree - Flying Dragon rootstock.

March



Today.  Some of these leaves are as big as dinner plates.  This tree is gorgeous in every way.

Mark,
What are you fertilizing your cherimoya tree with to get such beautiful, full green leaves?

[Coach62]

Hey Mark, great job and thanks for the updates.

I’m curious, I guess I just don’t really get the use of the rootbuilder pots. Why do you use them, and what is the purpose of leaving an open bottom pot like that on the ground? 

Thanks in advance.

[Mark in Texas]

Hey Mark, great job and thanks for the updates.

I’m curious, I guess I just don’t really get the use of the rootbuilder pots. Why do you use them, and what is the purpose of leaving an open bottom pot like that on the ground? 

Thanks in advance.

Please look into the science and benefits of root tip pruning. Creates a very fibrous, efficient root system and with no bottom it becomes a raised bed such that the tree gets off to fast start and then roots into native soil.  Since the nutrients and water are focused from the top down the tree efficiently uses what I've applied.

Did you not see the 10' X 10' avocado tree in the previous post?  It grew that way in 7 mos.   You'll not get that kind of beautiful, healthy growth and vigor any other way.   Only food it got was Osmocote.

 

[Mark in Texas]

So, I keep killing mango and jackfruit trees for some reason.  Maybe I should try a Rootmaker pot! 

Merry Christmas!

Carolyn

Sorry to hear that.  Why not use these systems?  Benefits are incredible.

Merry Christmas to you too.  That little pineapple came thru 18F and is now 2 plants!!!! 

[Mark in Texas]

Mark,
What are you fertilizing your cherimoya tree with to get such beautiful, full green leaves?

FWIW, did 83 grafts this year, most are on citrus.

Everything in  the greenhouse gets the same foods, either a Polyon 18-4-9 or Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor.  They both have a good micros package.  Other than that just rainwater.   Here's a shot of a typical leaf about 2 mos. after I grafted it, May 31.  Big as dinner plates.



Everything is green and rich - mangos, avocados, pineapples, annonas, citrus, etc.   Here's a new limequat graft from early summer holding 38 fruit.  FWIW this cold hardy fruit tastes/is exactly like a good lime.   We just made a key lime pie for dinner today.  Used zest and juice from half a Meyer lemon, Persian and key limes.





Merry Christmas everybody! 

[Coach62]

Thanks Mark, I have about 6 trees here that need I need to transplant. 

Where do you suggest I buy these?

Bruce

[spaugh]

Mark, that citrus tree looks awesome.  Persian lines?

[Mark in Texas]

Thanks Mark, I have about 6 trees here that need I need to transplant. 

Where do you suggest I buy these?

Bruce

Harrell's is a Florida op.  You can get that Osmocote on Amazon.  8# for $16 would be a fair price.

[Mark in Texas]

Mark, that citrus tree looks awesome.  Persian lines?

Limequat on a key lime tree.  I do have Persian lime grafts on the key lime which I trim to keep down to 9' about 4 times a year..  Put Valencia orange on a Persian lime tree.  Got 6 varieties of oranges now, couple of lemons, limes, Calamondin, etc.

[Daintree]

So, I keep killing mango and jackfruit trees for some reason.  Maybe I should try a Rootmaker pot! 

Merry Christmas!

Carolyn

Sorry to hear that.  Why not use these systems?  Benefits are incredible.

Merry Christmas to you too.  That little pineapple came thru 18F and is now 2 plants!!!!

Hi Mark!
Glad to hear about the dwarf pineapple.  They are fun little things!  I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong with Jackfruit and Mango.  Over-watering? Not enough light? Not enough heat? I want to use the Rootmaker pots, but I worry that my native soil under the greenhouse gets too cold in the winter (under 45-50 by the wall).  Plus, we flood irrigate, and the greenhouse gets 6 inches of water every week in the summer, and it takes over a day to drain down through our nasty clay soil.  Also, I tend to move my pots a lot.  Sometimes I can't reach the wall of the greenhouse unless I move pots around (read - she just has too many freakin' plants out there...).
I wonder, are any of these valid concerns? Thoughts on cold clay soil and frequent flooding, anyone???

Merry Christmas to you, and to all my "fruity" friends!

Carolyn

[Coach62]

Thanks Mark, I have about 6 trees here that need I need to transplant. 

Where do you suggest I buy these?

Bruce

Harrell's is a Florida op.  You can get that Osmocote on Amazon.  8# for $16 would be a fair price.

Would love to use the Osmocote, but I have over 100 trees and Florida sand does NOT hold any nutrients to speak of.  I have to fertilize about 4X a year typically.

The cost would just b prohibitive.

[FruitFreak]

Hi Bruce.  Osmocote is slow release and works very well in our soil.  You can likely get away with 2 applications per year instead of 4.  It is the best stuff I’ve used hands down and worth every penny.

Thanks Mark, I have about 6 trees here that need I need to transplant. 

Where do you suggest I buy these?

Bruce

Harrell's is a Florida op.  You can get that Osmocote on Amazon.  8# for $16 would be a fair price.

Would love to use the Osmocote, but I have over 100 trees and Florida sand does NOT hold any nutrients to speak of.  I have to fertilize about 4X a year typically.

The cost would just b prohibitive.

[spaugh]

Hi Bruce.  Osmocote is slow release and works very well in our soil.  You can likely get away with 2 applications per year instead of 4.  It is the best stuff I’ve used hands down and worth every penny.

Thanks Mark, I have about 6 trees here that need I need to transplant. 

Where do you suggest I buy these?

Bruce

Harrell's is a Florida op.  You can get that Osmocote on Amazon.  8# for $16 would be a fair price.

Would love to use the Osmocote, but I have over 100 trees and Florida sand does NOT hold any nutrients to speak of.  I have to fertilize about 4X a year typically.

The cost would just b prohibitive.

And if you find yourself using tons of osmocote, Harrell's sells a similar product called polyon in 50lb bags for about half the cost of osmocote.