Cherry of the Rio Grande Blooming

[Kevin Jones]

A couple of my COTRGs are blooming now. I'm including one of my "Nelitas" in that group. They are all in pots in my greenhouse... and it is too soon for bees... so I am hand pollinating with an artists paint brush.
Or at least I am trying.
It's too soon to tell if they are setting fruit... but I am hopeful.
I've had to add an extension to my brush... because one of them is over 8 ft tall.
I also noticed one of my Sweet Uvaias - Eugenia pyriformis is budded up.
Just curious if anyone has some insight or feedback to share about this process/culture.

Thanks.

Kevin

[greenman62]

last year i got 40-50 flowers if i remember right
it was its 1st flowering and i got about 5 or 6 fruit
only tasted 2 the squirrels got the rest.
this year i hope to see lots more fruit.

i did nothing to pollinate, but i do have lots of insects.
maybe try growing basil, milkweed, local flowers... to attract local insects.

[SeaWalnut]

You can catch a bumblebee queen this spring and keep her in a box ,feed her sugar water and pollen ( you can buy it from beekeeping shop).
She will make a small colony on her own and they start polinating .
During winter you can keep them in the greenhouse( but you will have to feed them sugar water and pollen) and the queens that the colony makes them ,you can keep them in the fridge until you need them or you can release them into the wild.

[ScottR]

Nice Kevin and Greenman keep us posted on taste of "Nelita" I've got a couple tree's but haven't flowered yet!

[Kevin Jones]

Here's a few bloom images:

COTRG "?" 01

COTRG "?" 02

Nelita Bloom

[Kevin Jones]

Once the weather warms a little... I will have all the pollinators I need.
Bumble Bees primarily.
Until that time... I will have to substitute for them.
The last couple of years I used Thai Basil as a lure... they are crazy about the stuff!

Kevin

[spaugh]

Nice Kevin!  I got a surinam doing first time blooms but nothing yet from COTRG. 

[Kevin Jones]

Here's a photo of one of my "?" COTRG fruits:


I call it my "Mystery" or "?" specimen because out of a batch of typical green COTRG seedlings, this plant displayed salmon-red characteristics in the leaves, buds and blooms.























Adam at Flying Fox kindly helped me with the ID... and he feels it is Eugenia Calycina.
The leaf and flower characteristics are different from my "Nelita" plants... but similar in coloration.

So far I've managed to successfully make 3 grafts with this onto COTRG seedlings.
My only grafting success so far!


Kevin

[Kevin Jones]

last year i got 40-50 flowers if i remember right
it was its 1st flowering and i got about 5 or 6 fruit
only tasted 2 the squirrels got the rest.
this year i hope to see lots more fruit.

i did nothing to pollinate, but i do have lots of insects.
maybe try growing basil, milkweed, local flowers... to attract local insects.

Looks like your New Orleans winter temps are OK for COTRG.
I would be afraid to plant mine in the ground.
That being said... I have a dozen seedling mandarine orange plants that have been growing next to my house for nearly 15 years. No protection at all. Never bloomed or fruited... but they grow some wicked thorns to keep the ner-do-wells at bay!

Kevin