The Tropical Fruit Forum

This Sugar cutting has been in the ground for weeks, nothing.  I'm beginning to think I have it upside down.     Should the cut side go in or the point?   

Note, this starts at 9 minutes. The beginning of the video shows how to prune or re-train an older commercial mango farm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh1AnvNa6mc&t=541s

Any one have any luck rooting annona sticks?  As soon as they arrive I plan on trying it by using different hormones, one being Clonex.  Thoughts are to wrap the stick with buddy tape leaving at least one node treated and underground.  It's the node that has the most dormant buds which will pop first.

Mark

Got a few bottles on sale at Home Depot, like 80% off.  Called Bonide tech help for some answers to questions.  Will share.......

1.  For starts the product is an ultra refined paraffinic oil that does not require any surfactants or a spreader-sticker.  2-3% of the product contains emulsifiers which also acts as a sticker.

2.  Found a small bit of mealy bug and scale on a Sweet Tart mango that is putting off a lot of large, tender red leaves, so, the question was "will this young tender foliage be subject to phyto toxicity if applied below the recommended application temps of 90F?  Rep said they have never had a problem with leaf burn on young tender foliage.  I'll hit some trees this morn and see.

Here's the product - http://www.bonide.com/products/insect-and-disease-control/view/210/all-seasons-horticultural-spray-oil

Wife and I tried to get thru a medium size Sweet Tart yesterday, couldn't do it.  It was actually too rich (yes, i know this sounds weird) so we put the rest back in the fridge.  IOW we need to pair it with a meal to balance out the experience.  This may be a case too of us not being accustomed to great mangos.

I followed the advice of several by supplementing the trees with calcium........top dressing the pot with Gypsum about 3 weeks ago and using my well water which is super high in Ca and Mg bicarbs.  Brix of a Lemon Zest came in at 28* and the complexity is just crazy.  Have more to go on these young, first year fruiting trees and here it is September!

Just pulled more Sweet Tarts and Lemon Zest.  Will zest/juice the key limes and freeze them.

About 2 mos. ago sprayed my greenhouse citrus with a dormant spray and surfactant.  Had to, had a few branches and fruit covered in scale.  Temps got over 92F.  Noted immediate young tender leaf damage so I water blasted the next day.

Now, most of the new growth has leaf margin cupping, a symptom of moisture stress.  I've been growing citrus for 40 years and this one has me stumped.  No insects noted.

Cotton Candy, Pineapple Pleasure, Fruit Punch, Juicy Peach, 7 grafts total on a stubbed Mallika.  I used the shoots to do 6 cleft and one veneer.

3 days ago. 



This morning, the 1st. Some leaves are a good 10" long!   Last year's (small) grafted Sweet Tart is in the background holding 7 fruit.  That ST taste is just incredible.   

Now we know what everyone is talking about!!! DAMN! We have never tasted anything so fine, so exotic and complex. You just can't stop wanting more. Doesn't taste like any "mango" we've had either, probably cause store bought are no good and the breeder Gary Zill is sooooo GOOD at what he does. Wife didn't like Mallika. She loves this. Rob was right, it was a bit over-ripe but not mushy.  No fiber.  Brix = 19*. Will pick one tonight that is just showing color for the wife who'll make her famous mango salsa using red onion, serranos, etc.
 
Using a large S/S spoon it was easy to scoop out most of the meat as a big chunk.  I put an edge on one side of the spoon with a WorkSharp and 80 grit belt, then a 220.





Eyes closed, gnawing on a bone like a dog, I'm in mango heaven! 

My Reed cado is a late bloomer, March, and just saw this.  Blooms the end of June, WTH? 

This young 5' tall Lemon Zest mango has 20 something new leaf flushes. My assumption is it should be able to support more than 3 fruit that's left after its post bloom fruit drop. Any one know if LZ is prone to dropping alot of fruit? My Sweet Tart by comparison has 1/3 of the canopy but is holding 8 nice fruit.  It had a lot of large blossom panicles.

This tree was topped down to a 10" tall stick when planted spring of 2016 so it's growing extremely well.  Am thinking fruit/canopy load and there's plenty of foliage.

Mark

PM - apparently Postimage is down.  Tried to post a pic quite a few times.

Brazilian producers have been celebrating - the famous Adalgiza avocado, a local favourite, has been officially recognized as an avocado variety. The main differences between this variety and the Hass are: the shape of the trees, (the Adalgiza grows inside the treetop where it is better protected than the Hass avocado), the shape of the fruits, (which are more rounded), and the taste and texture (the Adalgiza is more buttery and less fibrous). 

http://www.freshplaza.com/article/173493/Brazil-The-Adalgiza-Avocado-new-variety-is-officially-recognized

My farm is located on a south facing hill that is subject to high winds, especially spring and summer.  3 days ago we had gusts in the 40's for example. So, about 10 years ago I planted 16" tall liners of Leyland Cypress and Arizona cypress C. "Carolina Saphhire" and "Silver Smoke" to shield my fruit trees and veggie garden.  These have grown to 20' H and as much across.  Afghan pine seedlings were planted in between and have been smothered out.  Once established, the 2nd year, they require little to no water, love drought, are pest free.  Highly recommend these for any place that isn't a wet area and has constant high humidity.

Characteristics of the tree (vigorous vs compact), heat tolerant, fruit taste and number of seeds, etc.

Thanks,
Mark