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Messages - botanical pilot

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Grafting Monocotyledonous Plants
« on: March 12, 2024, 04:12:25 PM »
A few weeks ago I was thinking about all the grafting I was looking forward to this spring. Looking at my Jubaeas and other monocots it made me sad that I can't do the same to them - or so I thought. I decided to do a little research and found a really interesting paper published in 2021 about grafting monocots at the embryonic stage at the root stem interface.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04247-y

While they patented their approach, so there isn't a methods section, there are some good images included on the basic methodology and results. They initially testing this on cereal grains like rice and wheat. Later this technique proved successful with the three monocotyledonous clades and the team was able to graft bananas, palms, agave, pineapple, onions and others.

For the cereal grains at least they were able to grow their grafted plants to maturity, but I'd definitely be curious how palms and other longer lived species grow and mature.

Here's a presentation from one of the researchers that goes over most of what is included in the paper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtimGEekBlY

and here is another interesting article and this application to bananas
https://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/news/research-supported-by-cambridge-enterprise-and-ceres-agri-tech-published-in-nature/

What are your thoughts?

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I've heard that blood oranges specifically are slow the fruit and flower. My attempts at grafting them last year failed, but I'm going to try again this year so hopefully I'll find out for myself soon.

3
That's an insane amount of fruit on one tree! Do you grow any blood oranges or red fleshed varieties?

4
I'll definitely look into the cocktail pummelo and sumos, the former looks extremely productive and that brix reading is pretty impressive! Thanks for the additional recommendations.

I like the quote from 1987 about the pummelo:
"A medium-large size fruit- about like a grapefruit. Dark yellow, thin rind. Dark yellow flesh, almost orange yellow. Too damn seedy for commercial usage but makes a good dooryard juice variety. Very unique flavor; you could love it or hate it."

I'll definitely give it a go if it's available. I don't mind seeds.

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I am planning to graft onto my current citrus and practice micro-grafting with the remaining scions I'm ordering from CCPP.

Had success last year grafting Yuzu and Silverhill Satsuma. I have some bud grafts left of Smith Red Blood Orange that are still green but have not pushed. I was completely unsuccessful grafting Chulo Key Lime.

Yuzu was grafted onto Yuzus I germinated in 2018; I will probably have some bud grafting ability on those trees. My Silverhill Satsuma is on a Flying Dragon rootstock and can’t be top-worked or bud grafted this year.

Other trees include a seedling key lime and grafted Rangpur Lime, Lane Late Navel, Finger Lime, and variegated kumquat, all from Four Winds Growers. Wouldn’t mind making these cocktail trees. I also have a few dozen Flying Dragon citrus that I can micrograft, most are less than a year. I've had some success with this in the past.

I’ve compiled a list of varieties I'm interested in growing and would appreciate the forums' opinions as well as any additional recommendations. I love something I can pick and eat, use in a cocktail, and cook with. I won’t be getting all of these but wanted to have options depending on CCPP scion availability.

Out of hand:
- New Zealand Lemonade
- Xie Shan Satsuma
- Gold Nugget
- More Blood Orange
- Smith Red Blood Orange
- Valentine Pomelo

Acidic:
- Chulo Key Lime
- Calamondin
- Femminello Siracusano 2KR

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Taiwan Trip
« on: January 18, 2024, 08:58:03 AM »
Stinky Tofu might have been my favorite food of the trip. It does smell, I won't lie, but after it is cooked for some time the smell disappears. It's mostly at night markets where it's being cooked continuously so the smell lingers around the stalls. I make kimchi and other fermented foods at home already so I might need to try my hand at fermenting my own Tofu.

I have had and do enjoy durian, to a point. I've had it mostly in Thailand where they seem to enjoy the more pungent varieties. I know now Durio is pretty diverse in flavors depending on species and region, so I'd be curious to try more varieties.

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Taiwan Trip
« on: January 17, 2024, 01:47:26 AM »
I survived and completed my bicycle tour circumnavigating Taiwan. Saw lots of agriculture on the way and stayed at a fruit farm one night. I ate a little bit of every fruit I could get my hands on - Sugar Apples, mountain apples, pineapple, dragon fruit, bananas, coconuts, mango, guava, citrus, and apples. The weather was nice so lots of people have vegetable gardens going strong in allotments inside and out of cities. I also appreciated the many giant statues of fruit and vegetables. Someone mentioned cabbage and I can agree that is was very good, especially on stinky tofu.








































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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Taiwan Trip
« on: September 09, 2023, 01:07:06 PM »
I wouldn't miss eating stinky tofu for the world!

Lucifermonkey has it right, got to eat where to locals are at. Whenever I'm in Asia I spend most of my time at the markets and seeking good food. I figure combing that with a bike tour just means endless food and less busses and trains. Thanks for pointing out the cabbage season palingkecil, I had excellent cabbage in Chongqing when I was there last and I'm excited to see how the Taiwanese prepare it.

Appreciate everyone's input!

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Super interesting

My goal this year was to increase my citrus variety count by making cocktail trees and my only successful grafts were on my yuzu and trifoliate seedlings.

I bud grafted all my plants in May then waited and waited. Six or seven weeks later the grafts on my trifoliate started growing. About four weeks later Yuzu finally started pushing and is still slowly pushing some buds out even as we approach fall. Think it's safe to say I should have grafted a little later.

Lots of what the text says resonated with my experiences this year - even the greener leaves on varieties grown on yuzu. Thanks for posting this!

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Taiwan Trip
« on: August 15, 2023, 11:01:36 PM »
Wow thanks for all the great replies!

Epiphyte, I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for some Ficus, especially that orange one. Maybe you're onto something with bird dung seed smuggling  ;)

Palingkecil, for sure going to check out that market in Taipei. My first hotel is actually really close to it and Feng Chia Night Market . Should be convenient! I'll keep my eye out for fruit vendors on the road as well.

Oolie I've never had any fermented plums but you've peaked my interest!

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Taiwan Trip
« on: August 14, 2023, 03:11:26 PM »
I'm headed to Taiwan in late December to tour the entire island on cycle route 1. This probably isn't the ideal time for fruit but regardless I was hoping to get an advice from locals or others who have visited. Especially interested in worthwhile markets or farms that I can try to include on my journey.

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Just got in my Wax Jambu today and it's looking fantastic! Thanks offering these Benjamin!

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Visiting Jacksonville
« on: June 12, 2023, 01:35:24 PM »
Hello folks! I'm headed to Jacksonville, Florida next week and was hoping some of y'all may have recommendations for cool gardens, fruit vendors, running/hiking trails, or even neat individual plants  in the area. I have a few things planned already, like a visit to the farmers market, but would love to hear additional recommendations.

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Wow that tree is gorgeous, I bet it's a marvel when in bloom

15
My initial thought is making them hardier will be challenging because loquats are evergreen where pomegranates are deciduous. I can grow them in 8b but we often don't get fruit depending on the winters harshness.

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Temperate Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Fleshed Pears
« on: May 01, 2023, 02:32:23 PM »
Interesting - reading online it seems some say it has some cinnamon flavor. The only flavor note I've heard about Joey's is lilac notes - excited to hopefully try.

I'm curious if anyone is growing other varieties? e.g 'Cocomerina', 'Sanguinole', or 'Vérbélü Körte'

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Temperate Fruit Discussion / Red Fleshed Pears
« on: April 29, 2023, 08:29:22 PM »
Hello,

My Joey's Red Fleshed Pear is flowering for the first time this year and has me excited. I grafted this back in '17 or '18 so it's taken some time.

Is anyone else growing any red fleshed pears? What are your thoughts?


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Looks like the arboretum also has my favorite palm, Jubeae chilensis, which is edible. It produces these little adorable "coconuts" though it's not related to Cocos.

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Citrus General Discussion / Re: Lane Late navel orange. Holy Moly
« on: April 21, 2023, 01:21:27 PM »
I'm growing a Lane Late in a pot in 8b. I got my first full size fruit last year and it was disappointing. I'm not sure if I picked at the wrong time or if the tree just needs time to mature to improve the taste.

This year the tree has about six fruits set - any recommendations on when to harvest?

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Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Looking For Starfruit Scions
« on: April 18, 2023, 11:35:27 AM »
Hey Jaboticaba45!

I'd love to get some scions from you, really appreciate that! I can send you a pm.

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Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Looking For Starfruit Scions
« on: April 17, 2023, 10:46:08 PM »
I've been growing two starfruits I germinated from seed back in 2017 and want to graft them and see if I can't get some starfruit in 8b.

I'm am hoping to purchase scions from one or more varieties and am especially interested in Bell, B17, and Fwang Tung.

Any help would be so appreciated!

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Do you still have seeds available?

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I also really enjoyed these videos and hearing some wisdom from the people who've been growing these plants for five decades. Please keep making them and tempting me with all the species and varieties I don't have yet!

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If you upload this to Google sheets and make it public everyone can view it if they have the link.

25
Anyone have some seeds of this species they'd be willing to sell me? I've heard they taste like black sapote, but can handle freezing temperatures, partial shade, and drought.

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