The Tropical Fruit Forum

Yes, spiders are the good guys! And cute, to boot!



Cheers,
Carolyn

I agree the seeds look good!  Mine that I planted from seed bloomed the first year.
Good luck!

Carolyn

Oh my gosh, Mark!  What the heck is going on down there?  Hang tight!  If it is any consolation, our grapes have made it through -23 without blinking, so keeping our fingers crosses for yours.

Yeah, darn those electric fans that we need to push the heat around our greenhouses!  I wish I knew how to build those heat-driven fans that they set on wood stoves.  I have often wondered if enough of those, up high and pointing  down, would do the trick.

Hoping for the best for you!

Carolyn

We are zone 6 and I have a friend who has PALM trees in his yard!  He wraps Christmas lights (the little ones) all around the trees from bottom to top, drops burlap sugar sacks over them and fills them with leaves.  Instead of burlap, your sheets would probably work fine.  The trick is the gentle warmth right up against the trees, and the insulation of leaves.

Good luck!

Carolyn

Hubby and I are almost fully vaccinated, so are heading to Vegas next month.  We hate to gamble, but I am going to jump off the Stratosphere Tower for my 60th birthday.
Does anybody know of any good nurseries in the Las Vegas area??

Cheers,
Carolyn

Thanks! I'll go raid the "recycle pile" in the alley behind our local nursery.

Carolyn

Quote from: Daintree on January 29, 2021, 10:12:47 AM

I don't think the second one is caimito. When I zoom in on the pic, it is missing that glorious, coppery gold sheen on the backs of the leaves.

Carolyn

Oh yep I thought iculdnt see the underside...

Second and third pics are the same tree. I used the third pic.

If it weren't for thousands of years of botanical experimentaion, we would all still be eating teosinte instead of sweet corn!

So have at it!!!!

Cheers,
Carolyn

Be careful what you wish for - Last time we planted garlic was 21 years ago. It still comes up every year like clockwork, all over the place.
I think it has gone totally "bush" on us, and the bulbs are small and HOT!

Carolyn

I hate dry leaf tips, because opposite problems can cause the same symptoms.
It mat be getting either too much water, or not enough water.
Half way between waterings, dump the pot out and see if the soil is sopping wet or bone dry.  If moisture is good, the next two likely culprits are low humidity and over-fertilizing.
From what I understand, jabos don't like a lot of fertilizer. It can build up in the soil (sometimes people call it "salt" buildup, but it is not sodium, per se, it is just too much fertilizer) and burn leaf tips.  You can repot and add some more soil that has not been fertilized, cutting down on the amount in the soil.

Other folks might have some other good ideas.

Cheers,
Carolyn

I am thinking of trying shade paint on my polycarbonate greenhouse this summer instead of shade cloths. Anybody else have experience with shade paint???

Thanks!
Carolyn

Daintree are you saying that your tree has not had any leaves for a year?

Yep. I keep thinking it will flush, but it just puts out more flower buds! It is 6 years old and did really well up until last winter.  All the leaves dropped, and no amount of light or fertilizer would help. I will go get a pic right now. Soil drains well.

Hi Mikey,
I had the same idea when growing full sized pineapples in my greenhouse.  I would strongly recommend the plastic coated wire shelving. Get the black or dark green ones.  Silver looks yucky really fast. These are sturdier and more adjustable than the plastic shelving.  At Home Depot, it is something like this -

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-Black-5-Tier-Steel-Wire-Shelving-Unit-36-in-W-x-72-in-H-x-16-in-D-21656PS-1/203846576

These shelves never rust, never wear out, and can hold a lot of weight.  I have some in my greenhouse that are 12 years old and look brand new. 

You will need at least 3 feet between shelves, so you can get three shelves if you buy a 6 ft tall unit. 

I don't grow pineapple anymore, just because they took up so much room, but I use the racks now for citrus.  I hang vapor-tight LED fixtures from the bottoms of the middle and top shelves, to make sure all layers get adequate light.

I used to buy these at Home Depot, but our local restaurant supply wholesale place has them cheaper, and I can get a variety of widths of shelves.  Plus, since I always have extra shelves because I space them so far apart, the restaurant supply place lets me buy just the legs, so I can make extra shelves. I have at least 6 sets of these in my greenhouse right now.

Good luck!
Carolyn