The Tropical Fruit Forum

Mark...Brogdon not mentioned, but here is some research on genetics of avocado.  It dispels some common knowledge of the origin of certain varieties (like Mexican, Guatemalan, West Indian).

http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/100/1/56.full.pdf

Don't know about the vendor, but Ethan (who frequents this site) gave me a "Sugar Loaf" pineapple ratoon and it has produced many pineapples over a few years.  It is only grown in my unheated greenhouse and the fruit is sweet and the core is soft and also sweet.  When ripe it fills the greenhouse with pineapple scent.  That one ratoon has provided many other pineapple plants/fruits as has the other reproductive parts (top of fruit, suckers under fruit, other ratoons).  We also grow afew from store bought tops.  They do well also but not as good as Sugar Loaf.  They are grown in 5 gal pots, minimal care.  Our summer temps are 40º nights, 75º days, the greenhouse is necessary to get required heat.  Texas might be a bit warmer in the summer? Check with Ethan.

Posted this before: My Paulista, sweet and large.

Problem with a seedling, of course, is that it will not be true to type.  One of the nurseries sells macadamia trees thru HD that carry a label identifying the tree as a "Cate".  On the reverse of the tag it is identified as a seedling.  I thought we were past this selling seedlings as a specific identifiable, predictable genetic type.  Given 10 years looking at a "Cate" seedling production and that of a true grafted or airlayered CATE, would lead to inevitable differences.  Growers need predictable outcomes, especially after an investment of time and $.  Ten years from planting the seedling's crop could just be junk.  Difficult enough differences caused by climate, soil, water quality, etc.  A seedling is a seedling, nothing more.  May be better, may be worse than parent(s).  To expect a specific outcome from a seedling's variability is unreasonable, and most people know that. So do the nurseries.

Of the 50 or so macadamias I raise, about a half are seedlings of unknown parentage.  Many, if not most, produce excellent nuts.  Some, not.  Of the 14 named varieties, grafted, nut quality corresponds with known standards. I don't think we should expect anything less.

Seedling trees graft easily as long as the scionwood is girdled about 3-4 months before cutting.  Results are close to 100%.

QUEEN   (Guat.)Introduced 1914 by E.E.Knight of Yorba Linda, CA, from near Antigua, Guat. Parent tree had 80 foot spread. Fruit season, July-Aug.; color, dull purple; weight, 20-30 ozs.; shape, pyriform; skin, rough, medium thick; flavor fine; oil, 13.5%. Seed, small.Illus. in CA. Avo. Soc. Yearbook 1927, & Cal. Ag. Exp. Sta. Circ. 43. Shipping quality good. Fruit too large except for special markets. (CAS Yearbook 1950) Grafted onto large rootstock at South Coast Research Station, Irvine, CA. field 44, row 10, tree 19, spring of 97. (Wood from Atkins nursery, grafted by Shaefer & Brown.) I've been told that Queen fruit make good Christmas gifts so they must hang through Dec. B flower type. (J.R. Frink 1998) Origin, Guat.; Race, Guat.; Flowering group, B (Lahav & Gazit)

DAILY 11   Perhaps the largest avocado grown in CA. At South Coast Research Station, Irvine, CA, one tree grows in field 46 another in field 44, row IX, tree 4., another at the Fullerton Arboretum. This fruit has been used by CA Rare Fruit Growers (Orange Co.) to impress people at the L.A. & Orange Co. Fairs because of its impressive size. Fruit is pear to odd baggy shape, green & of fair to good quality flavor. (J.R.Frink 1998) "Daily 11, a seedling of Queen, had been developed in Ventura County & had fruit larger than three pounds. It combined this size with a small seed & good flavor. Dr. Bergh's assistant later told me he had seen Dailys weighing five pounds." (Giant Avo. article,p.59,1980 Avo Grower)

http://brokawnursery.com/images/files.pdf./Hass_Carmen.pdf

It will be a continuous issue here in CA.  Some trees just don't get the mites, others do.  Stripping the leaves will result in lowered photosynthesis and not good for the tree. You may have avocado fruits, but they will not be very good without the tree leaves.  Old leaves will drop as they are replaced by new ones this spring.  New leaves will look great, until mid to late simmer when the effects of the mites can be seen by the necrotic spots.  Google Persea mite and there is plenty of info out there. Leave the toxics alone as they cause honeybee deaths and potential harm to humans who eat the fruit.  Horticultural oils are approved for this mite. 

Of the 50 or so avocado varieties I grow, about 10 are affected by this mite.  One of the worst is the Hass, so commercial growers are living with and dealing with this pest.

You are seeing the common Persea mite.  Damage is done and the population is low at this time of year.  It will increase greatly as summer comes.  The mite is usually found next to the veins and under a protective web so difficult to dislodge with just water.  Under the protective web are eggs and young mites.  The necrotic spots are due to the mite feeding on plant tissue.  These leaves will fall off and be replaced with new ones that will subsequently be attacked by mites.  They can defoliate a tree by the autumn.  Predatory mites are expensive and then you can't utilize other techniques as you will kill the good ones.  If you have one or two trees, use Volck oil or another horticultural oil.  It mixes with water, can be used with a hose-end sprayer to get high in the trees, and is not toxic to bees or people.  It should not be used in hot weather...follow label directions.  It smothers the mites and is very effective.  I have been using it on quite a number of avocado trees for many years.  Google horticultural oil or Volck oil for more specific information.

Checked my lucuma, thanks to the link I know it is the "dry" type (la dura o palo).  Fruit is more like a sweet potato, not really dry or crumbly.  The tree is about 10 feet tall, survived without damage this year's 24 degree frost.  Last freeze (19 degrees) it was killed down to 3 ft from the ground. Two fruits are hanging.  Tree was obtained from David Silber many many years ago. Lots of blossoms each year, but just 3 or 4 fruit yearly.  Seeds germinate readily allowing me to have several other lucumas growing around.

Hey!

I have several trees of C. tetrameria, which here in CA we call yellow sapote. I also have a collection of white sapote.  These graft to each other easily, but can have serious dwarfing results.  The fruit (on CRFG selected varieties from a taste test years ago) is large, but shaped more like a mango than the round white sapotes.  The seeds are much smaller than in the white and flesh is ample.  Skin is not necessarily bitter (some white sapotes have bitter skin), but the flavor is quite unlike the white sapote.  I prefer the sweetness of all the white sapotes over the stronger flavor of the yellow sapote.  It is still sweet, but has an aftertaste. 

Google FIREBLIGHT.

Am growing Randia megacarpa...fruit is the size of a fig, black, sweet.  I am in Baja now trying to get more seeds.  Fruits were ripe in June so maybe not.  My tree, shrub is about 4 ft tall but has not fruited.  Local ranchers say the fruit is very good.