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Messages - pineislander

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26
So it seems mexicola can be egg shaped as well. According to UCR:

Yup, based on the Miami Fruit box photo alone, I'd say shape is unreliable for ID. New flush color might be better, Mexicola has more red than many Mexican types, Joey has almost no red.
Not all avocados are the same shape. Much commercial fruit is culled out so that you don't see the variation in shape.

27
It matches my Mexicola planted by Treehouse Nursery Pine Island SWFL.



28
One thing about tasting is that individual fruits can vary. I know of one couple who came down and would go out to a vendor then taste test a different mango every day. They had no idea of the ripeness and kept hating on a variety based on their first taste of fruit which wasn't picked right or representative. I offered to let them try a better example, mentioned that they were getting a poorly picked or underripe fruit but they felt I was hating on them. Even from year to year there can be a lot of difference so besides being personally subjective it sually takes a few tries to really get to know what flavor they can have.

29
Yes, grows just like the air potato or other yams and dormant in winter. I don't have any left this season. There should be a lot next fall. This is what they looked like on the fence just before Hurricane Ian blew them all off:



30
I have had good success with Xanthosoma sagittifolium as a root crop. Common english name is Tannia, common Spanish names are malanga or Yautia. This is different from Taro which is Colocasia esculenta. The Xanthosoma is a native american plant, takes much longer than the large taro and needs far less water. It also keeps in the ground much better. You can eat the cormels like potatoes, and even the large 4 inch diameter stems are edible. They work in fairly shady spots within fruit tree areas but just outside the canopy. I got a start with grocery store cormels but within a few years I have unlimited planting material at any time.
The big advantage is they are available year round and can be dug and used whenever, versus cassava which goes bad quickly after harvest or gets hard if left too long in the ground, or yams which have limited dormancy and are unavailable mch of the year.
The second best new staple I am growing is an edible Dioscorea bulbifera yam. This came from India originally but mine was sent from Puerto Rico. This is a completely edible type of "air potato" which is the bane of Florida, except is an edible form, very smooth skin and good eating. While seasonal the same as other yams this one is perennial in the ground and you never have to dig the "mother", just pick the potatoes off the vine. I put in a 100 ft row on a fence last year.



31


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpaYcdb4bN0
Very good detailed information. I have more than 50 in the ground some are 5 years old and fruiting. Last year I planted out 30 pots in the ground. I have 50 more pots to plant out this year. They are easy and live well around tree crops. I have sold a few but agree the fruit harvest and profit is uncertain. Regardless of everything I enjoy looking at them.

32
With lots of use, the rubber on pruners tends to slip and ruin the tool. Almost all of them. For me, that is a deal-killer if the rubber isn't very well done, not something quick dipped in liquid rubber.

33
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Is aquajem on ebay legit?
« on: December 13, 2022, 09:50:18 PM »
There must be one of us in Florida Keys where the seller says is their location. If I lived nearby I'd try to make a visit just to see how they are doing business.
Back in the '60's when I was a kid I got ripped off ordering stuff from comic books with my 'hard earned' money. I got taken by the "sea monkeys" (brine shrimp eggs) then the "monster that grows green hair" (piece of cardboard with chia seeds glued on). So, at a very early age developed a distaste for scammers.

34
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Evil weevils
« on: December 07, 2022, 06:27:44 PM »
Mango can easily overcome some leaf damage so I don't worry about weevils. Who knows what the roots look like but even with heavy weevils mangos still do fine. Leaf damage is much heavier on Lychee and Longan, still they bear.
The damage seems to be selective, not all mangos get eaten, other varieties in the same grove are unaffected. I notice that stressed trees get eaten worse.

35
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Anybody know aquagem on ebay?
« on: December 03, 2022, 06:18:48 PM »
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394260607889?hash=item5bcbc37391:g:iN4AAOSwpDtjMlUJ

This is an 8 inch seedling avocado for $34. No way should that be described as
"Semi-Dwarf Weeping Holiday Avocado starter tree! Large Delicious Fruits!"

36
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Anybody know aquagem on ebay?
« on: December 03, 2022, 06:03:15 PM »

37
Very difficult to establish trees under large dominant trees, oaks, pine, whatever. They are called "dominant" for a reason. Ironically, some eucalypts are being used as nurse trees, while young, to good effect because of their extreme fast growth and coppice ability. The dominance hasn't taken place and frequent hard pruning seems to stop allelopathy.

38
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Laurel Wilt Avocado (Stump or Remove)
« on: December 02, 2022, 08:23:02 AM »
Stump remover is supposed to work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnL_depDcfg

39
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Jack Bean for Nematodes
« on: November 26, 2022, 10:08:23 PM »

OK please keeps updated on that investigation.

There are also some plant species that trap nematodes in their roots.

I can report after this season that the Jack Bean I am growing does form galls on the roots from nematodes. So, I am assuming that its primary effect is from the break down of its plant chemicals.

Interesting that you mention the trapping. I just read an article claiming that radish can be used to reduce nematode levels even though it is susceptible. Apparently, radishes are typically harvested so quickly (28 days) that most nematodes do not have a chance to reproduce (typical life cycle is 3-6 weeks). Upon harvest, many nematodes are removed with the radishes since it is a root crop. It got me thinking that this could be a really fast way to rid a spot of nematodes. Just grow several fast crops of radish, solarize the harvest in bags, and then compost. This could probably be done with any number of crops as long as they were pulled up by the roots in three weeks time or so.
I hardly ever pull out jack beans because I'm seeking them as nitrogen fixers but am wondering if what you are seeing might be the nodulation rather than galls?

40
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What's wrong with these bananas?
« on: November 18, 2022, 03:36:52 PM »
A well grown healthy Dwarf Nam Wah will make 10 or more hands.
Here is a comparison set of photos which can help identify Nam Wah vs Blue Java. The difference is clear enough but there are many out there mixing these up. Some tissue culture plantlets can be off-type and mislabeling does happen.
 


41
This youtube channel has many recipes for liqueurs made with fruits.
I have made wine and vinegar with many fruits. It isn't so hard and most turn out ok, some very good.
The recipe for dragonfruit liqueur uses the peels.
Pineapple wine you use the peels, so you can get extra products out of fruit this way beyond the pulp.

https://www.youtube.com/@licor

42
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Concrete dragonfruit post
« on: November 15, 2022, 08:00:18 AM »
I made a bunch of posts with these top features but Ive decided to just go topless with them.  My friend Thy sent some videos of vietnamese techniques and convinced me its not necessary to have tops.  So the rest of the posts won't have any top feature going forward.  Much easier, cheaper overall Im happy with that.



The indented part of these posts is there so that the top piece can slip on. I used threaded hot dipped galvanized 1/2 inch bolt to attach my top but I like the idea of the indent. My 10 concrete dragonfruit posts survived Hurricane Ian 150 mph winds without leaning and most branches hung on. I really doubt they would have held on with no top piece.

43
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Leaning papaya
« on: September 27, 2022, 11:19:14 PM »
If it is a male very unlikely to ever make a fruit. Sometimes rarely they can make a fruit so this is an ornamental and wouldnt be carrying fruit.

44
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Hurricane Ian Prep
« on: September 27, 2022, 09:25:49 AM »
This is a super weather page that links to everything weather related for hurricanes. We are expected to get some strong effects the expected landfall keeps shifting but for now looks to be somewhere just south of Tampa bay.
https://spaghettimodels.com/


45
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help with Oro Negro
« on: September 26, 2022, 08:38:59 AM »
They have a very fine surface feeder root system which needs improved soil, mulch.

46
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help ID this plant, a tropical edible tuber?
« on: September 26, 2022, 08:35:25 AM »
Be careful about eating this. It will need very thorough cooking at minimum and still may not be a real edible type.
They are known to cause throat itchiness
https://www.simpleindianmom.in/cooking-yam/#:~:text=Why%20Does%20Elephant%20Yam%20Cause%20Itching%3F&text=The%20Yam%20peels%20contains%20calcium,some%20time%20and%20is%20irritating.

47
Ok

Im thinking about approaching vegan restaurants as the most realistic option

but how could I get some from supermarkets? (because that would be the best) I dont think they'll just hand me over the thrown out avocadoes, or what can do I to make that happen?  Get the attention of the manager somehow and talk to him, that sounds to much of a stretch.

Obviously they sell sometimes cheaper ones on discount every once in a while but its rare and it would still take years to accumulate the amount I want in that pace

@cassovary, how did you get a 100 for free?
Go to the wholesale vendors where large users buy their produce. Usually they will be buying a whole box of fruit but it will cost about half or less of the retail price.

48
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Ice Cream Bean roots and foundation
« on: September 13, 2022, 09:09:25 AM »
You can chop them back but they also can get very large if uncontrolled. You may not want this size tree close to the house because of potential hurricane damage.

Also, they get frost damage and you are fairly far north. Does anyone know of a fruiting specimen near Orlando?

49
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What's wrong with these bananas?
« on: September 13, 2022, 09:05:41 AM »
How many functional green leaves are on these banana plants?

50
Akee, Carambola, Banana, Dragon Fruit.

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