The Tropical Fruit Forum

I just got back from the BTFC Fruit Tree Sale in Melbourne and what a disappointment.   I downloaded the inventory list last night and got up at 6:00 AM, so I could make the 50 minute drive and be there early to have a shot at some of the rarer items (such as a green jabo).   So I get there, wait in line, and am one of the first people inside.  Low and behold, no green jaboticabas to be had.  So I go to the second item on my list, none.  The third, none.   

It turns out the sale gets cherry-picked by the club members right up until the sale time.  So the publicly published list is a fairy tale, totally fictitious.   Let me put it in perspective.  This is the equivalent to Best Buy advertising a black Friday special....  5 laptops $199 only 5 per store.  So you drive 50 minutes, wait in line, are the first person into the store, and there are no laptops.  You ask the manager "I'm the first person in, where are the 5 laptops?"  He says, "well, we let the employees shop first, before the public, and they bought them all".   It's false and misleading advertisement.  It's unethical, and it's wrong.

The answer is, don't publish a list.  A list creates the reasonable expectation, that even though quantities are limited, the item is ACTUALLY AVAILABLE to the public.   So, if you travel far, and get there early enough, you have a reasonable expectation you will get what you went for. 

The thing is, the list is a marketing tool, a hook.  It draws people in.  It doesn't matter if the list is real.  Car lots have been using this tactic for years.  Had I not been one of the first people into the sale, had I come later in the day, I would have assumed they just sold-out.   I would have thought to myself " have to get here earlier next year", and may have bought something else. 

At the end of the day, it's just a fruit tree sale, not anything all that important in the grand scheme of things.  The drive up US 1 was beautiful along the water and not a total loss.   It's just disappointing because I would expect better from a such an organization.   Now that I know the deal, I won't go back.  Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.




Richard

Anyone know what kind of tree this is?  A coworker brought the leaves and "fruit", so I haven't seen the actual tree.





Richard

I've never tasted a canistel before, so I bought a couple last week.  They were yellow, but rock hard.  The guy said they would ripen in 2-3 days and it's been 5.  They are a little soft, but not overly so.  How do I know when they are ripe enough to eat?  I know it's probably a stupid question, but since I don't have any previous taste experience with these I would hate to form a bad opinion because they are under or over ripe.


Richard

I recently obtained some rollinia seeds and wonder if they are still viable.  The ends are broken, they seem dried out, and they all float on top when placed in water.   I don't have much experience with fruit tree seeds, and maybe this is normal for rollinia.  Does anyone have experience with these seeds?  Any guidance would be appreciated.


Richard