Author Topic: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida  (Read 18750 times)

Tom

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #50 on: December 17, 2016, 11:43:05 AM »
La Casa, Dekopon is not usually sold in stores until February and some of those are less than exceptional in my opinion. A note on ethane, a friend with a pick and pay Meyer - Sastuma planting puts his green Meyer lemons in a large clean plastic trash can with several apples when they are slow to mature. He puts a good tight lid on the trash can.  The apples came from the grocery store and he says they use a lot of ethane on apples. The apples give off ethane and it helps his lemons turn yellow ! I'd think you could do the same thing on a smaller scale with an apple or two in a heavy plastic bag in the frigerator if you wanted to 'gas' them. The same guy told me they do it commercially with lemons for uniformity . I think they use big wagons like peanut drying wagons. They have a false floor and pump ethane gas up through the produce. I guess you could do it in a large cooler but need circulation.  With peanuts they usually have a gas burner and huge fans to force hot air up through the peanuts to dry them. You have to be very careful to not cook the peanuts.
Tom

Ilya11

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #51 on: December 17, 2016, 12:28:56 PM »
The gas is ethylene, not ethane. It is a naturally produced plant hormone for fruit ripening.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Tom

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #52 on: December 17, 2016, 02:13:32 PM »
Thanks. My bad ! I knew it didn't look right. Ethylene does naturally occur in fruit. It occurs in some fruit types more than other fruit types as the fruit decomposes. I'm pretty sure they use ethylene to help mature fruit rapidly, like lemons and bananas. It can also cause fruit to spoil prematurely. Dare I say my store bought bananas spoil because the chemically manufactured ethylene causes me a problem with fruit spoiling faster than that caused by naturally occurring ethylene. It can be a good guy or a bad guy depending on circumstances. 'Guy' being used figuratively in this instance. Merry Christmas ! Tom
« Last Edit: December 17, 2016, 02:34:58 PM by Tom »

LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #53 on: December 17, 2016, 08:00:32 PM »
Well Ill say this- the heaters help temp with two running at 70. The second cold night I ran one at lowest setting and found it held 47-49  with an outside low of 32. The ethylene, if there was any produced, did not seem to ripen the fruit in the greenhouse. The dekopon and navel look the same in color. Im really surprised how long this fruit can hang- dekopon- as it tastes sweet now. 

Dekopon update-
No flush of growth since summer. The second dekopon still shows no signs off growing or dying. It just kind of is frozen in time. Been this way now for 6 months at least.  . Perhaps a little moringa juice foliar spray is callled for.  Supposedly it has a growth hormine in it that will increase growth by 25-50 percent. Blend the leaves in a blender then pull out the juice... mix with I think it was 32 parts water.  Too bad I dont have any moringa.. yet. Purchased seeds over the net and will be germinating them in the next few weeks.

Here are some interesting links on this:

http://www.moringacare.co.za/Moringa_About_6.html

http://researchonmoringa.blogspot.com/

Sounds too good to be true... will see this summer.




LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #54 on: December 17, 2016, 10:06:46 PM »
La Casa, Dekopon is not usually sold in stores until February and some of those are less than exceptional in my opinion. A note on ethane, a friend with a pick and pay Meyer - Sastuma planting puts his green Meyer lemons in a large clean plastic trash can with several apples when they are slow to mature. He puts a good tight lid on the trash can.  The apples came from the grocery store and he says they use a lot of ethane on apples. The apples give off ethane and it helps his lemons turn yellow ! I'd think you could do the same thing on a smaller scale with an apple or two in a heavy plastic bag in the frigerator if you wanted to 'gas' them. The same guy told me they do it commercially with lemons for uniformity . I think they use big wagons like peanut drying wagons. They have a false floor and pump ethane gas up through the produce. I guess you could do it in a large cooler but need circulation.  With peanuts they usually have a gas burner and huge fans to force hot air up through the peanuts to dry them. You have to be very careful to not cook the peanuts.
Tom

Good idea here Tom. i usually leave 10 or so  on the tree until using. The remainder I juice and freeze in ice cube trays. Then bag. the cubes. This way I can make lemonade though out the year. Kids love it.. and so l.  Ill try leaving next year a few in the apple tray to see how it works with the ripening.


LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #55 on: December 21, 2016, 08:50:15 PM »
Getting closer.  The Dekopons still have the slightest tint of green.  I  decided to pick another tonight. Much sweeter. The acidic bite is gone. So far the smaller ones Ive eaten are noticable sweeter than the larger. 29 of the original 39 left. Enough to carry on this for a while weekly.

Millet, you mentioned keeping yours until March. Have you tasted one yet? That would be two more months of ripening. Id almost say Jan 1 forward would be prime. The again if they continue to sweeten until March..

Not a single leaf drop at all.

Curious if carrying fruit and flowering at the same time would actually reduce yielld as the plant would be expending energy on both while looking to find extra for any spring flushing as well.

Millet

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #56 on: December 24, 2016, 03:10:20 PM »
Picked my first shiranui  yesterday (12/23/16).  It was somewhat sweet but definitely not yet worthy of the appellation Dekopon.  Although completely orange in color, they are still a good month away from being called "Dekopon".
« Last Edit: December 24, 2016, 03:20:29 PM by Millet »

LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #57 on: December 28, 2016, 04:44:52 PM »
Pulled another 12/27 improving taste. Mine are completely yellow now as well


LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #58 on: December 28, 2016, 05:48:05 PM »
Seeds galore. Im getting 5-10 per fruit. Anyone interested in seeds let me know.

patchofpentaphyllum

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #59 on: June 28, 2017, 09:07:26 PM »
This thread is very high on the google search for dekopon. I just signed up for an account and if it's ok I would like to keep the thread going as there is some solid info here regarding Dekopon which is hard to find. I am a big ponkan fan and I am adding quite a few dekopon. So far Ive only had conventionally grown store bought sumos and I can tell there is potential. I am considering a trip to Japan on my next trip to Asia for the sole purpose of finding out more about the extra steps that make dekopon extraordinary.
Tuned in

Millet

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #60 on: June 29, 2017, 02:54:53 PM »
Most citrus varieties are not pruned, but let to grow into their common round shape.  Dekopon is different.  In Japan Dekopon are trimed almost exactly as a peach tree is pruned.

patchofpentaphyllum

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #61 on: June 30, 2017, 08:02:28 PM »
Thank you Millet for receiving me. Can you point me to any and all sources on Dekopon? I had heard some similarities between dekopon and peach farming but cant recall where. Any sources appreciated.

Regarding cold hardiness, satsuma being among the most cold hardy, and ponkan also cold hardy but less so than satsuma, I would think as stated already dekopon should have some cold tolerance, but I am curious for any specific info. Being 50% ponkan and 38% satsuma I assume it has about the same cold hardiness as Ponkan. Can anyone confirm any hard info on dekopons cold hardiness? I have done some weather research about the major dekopon growing regions, and dekopon's desire for daily hot and cold contrast. Trovita which makes up 12.5% of dekopon also has a preference for drier air conditions if I understand correctly, not sure if that is passed on to the dekopon. If so it could be the reason dekopon has performed better in Ca than it has in FL. Any info is appreciated.

Millet

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #62 on: July 01, 2017, 12:30:00 PM »
patchofpentaphyllum in Florida you can purchase Dekopon (aka shiranuhi) from Harris citrus.  Just type in Harris Citrus into the Internet and you will easily find them.

patchofpentaphyllum

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #63 on: July 01, 2017, 09:54:45 PM »
Oh thanks, by sources I meant any reading material

Millet

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #64 on: July 01, 2017, 10:21:55 PM »
Any reading material on Dekopon that I have ever found is on the Internet, such as some o of he links shown throughout this thread.  Typing in the word Dekopon will of course bring up many articles..  I've never seen any info in book form.

LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #65 on: July 20, 2017, 09:44:50 PM »
July 19 2017 notes

This year Dekopon 1 which produced heavily has not set any fruit. Dekopon 2 finally broke its 6 month transplant shock and has 10 fruit in mid development.  Enclosed now in an open sided greenhouse both suffered early in the season from mites which Ive killed off finally. Temperatures here approaching 95 every day have not affected them at all.  I took liberty with Dekopon 1 to soil drench with Macho 2.0 as the tree is not bearing. No leaf miner damage. 
 Ive found several articles from South Korea suggesting that the plant is alternate bearing with on and off years. Dekopon 1 has exhibited this as it did flower heavily but set no fruit.

Ive noticed as well it is difficult to granular feed these trees now with fertilizer as rain no longer provides the soil flush necessary to pull nutrients to the root zone. I poured five lbs worm castings around each and worked into the soil. Ive been usingDyna Gro liquid fertilizer  added to 10 gallons and watered in around the base once every other week at full strength dilution. Seems this fert is more for tropicals but has show to be effective over the last few months as deep green leaves and no nutrient difficencies.






« Last Edit: July 20, 2017, 09:57:37 PM by LaCasaVerde »

LaCasaVerde

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Re: Dekopon Log Zone 8b/9a North Florida
« Reply #66 on: July 20, 2017, 09:54:35 PM »
The denser the dekopon becomes it seems more new offshoots appear from the main . Ive removed these offshoots to keep growth focused on major limbs. Doing so also has eliminated leaf fungus..looks like greasy spo... for me  as the tree gets more airflow/sun. Had the same issue with peaches..