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Messages - LivingParadise

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51
Embrace the mistake as the beginning of a new lifestyle. Roundup has cancer-causing chemicals that poison your yard and our water reserves, and cause abnormalities in local wildlife due to runoff. On the other hand, most plants referred to as "weeds" actually are edible, highly medicinal, anti-inflammatory and/or anti-cancer, plus are native and grow without any supplemental water or fertilizer or care or chemicals. They can save you a ton of money in produce at the grocery store and medical costs every year. The way you're doing it now actually it all backwards... so embrace the mistake!

To start you off, learn about the amazing health benefits of purslane, dollar weed, amaranth, and dandelion, which are 4 common Florida "weeds" which have high nutritional value, and are favored in other countries for their flavor in foods, not to mention their amazing medicinal properties. There's a huge amazing world out there we know next to nothing about, which would cure nearly all the ills of our "modern" society" if we were not so beholden to corporate interests that we kill the food and medicine that grows in our yards for free.

52
Had a huge surprise today. I had pulled one of the tiny Livingstones a number of months ago, and left it on my counter. It's so small, I forgot about it. I went to try to cut it up finally today to eat it (just for fun, since it's not even really an inch long), and it had sprouted a tiny stalk of leaves! YAY.

So excited, because although I have not searched the yard thoroughly, I am not too optimistic right now that any of the spuds I left in the ground survived to make new plants. We are just edging out of the dry season, so I hope to be pleasantly surprised. But if not, it turns out that a good way to get these started may simply be to leave them sitting in a slightly warm area indoors with no care whatsoever, and they may start all on their own! I had assumed it would take plenty of rich soil and watering and some sun... but apparently not. But having said that, I don't see any sign that the 20 or more that I left in various locations in the ground and in pots have done absolutely anything as of now. But hope is not dead!

53
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Black Ironwood
« on: June 01, 2017, 07:34:03 PM »
Excited to see this thread! I was going to start a thread on fruiting South Florida/Caribbean natives, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm growing Black Ironwood (and a few other Ironwoods) but it's not fruiting size yet.

I too have Lignumvitae, although it's medicinal and not edible. I have several, but none of them are big enough to flower yet.

We have a number of other delicious fruiting natives, some of which are rare and classified as endangered or threatened. A number are native only to the Florida Keys here, that no one else is likely to have heard of. But all are very interesting plants, most are beautiful to look at, and most are also medicinally useful. A few others off the top of my head are what we call Pigeon Plum, Cocoplum, Marlberry (good ones taste like a cross between cranberry and blueberry!), and Simpson's Stopper. There's also Maidenberry, which are tiny but pretty, and of which I'm a fan. And Beautyberry, which tastes a bit like flowery soap but oddly I've come to almost crave. Quite a few others are edible, but I have not had a chance to taste them yet because all my plants are still young.

I very much look forward to tasting my Black Ironwood fruit, and if I get a chance to get another tree, I will certainly make it a priority!

54
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Sun Protective Clothing - Lifespan
« on: May 29, 2017, 11:42:39 AM »
I have used Coolibar and Champion brand Vapor. They can be ordered off of Amazon. The Vapor long sleeve shirts are really cool and comfortable so far, even in the high heat. Coolibar also has a neck gaiter that helps cover the back of the neck - which is my most prone spot - and can be pulled up to cover part of face or over the ears. There is another brand called Kalily that has neck gaiter/bandanas that have more color and pattern options.

I use these for swimming in the ocean/snorkeling, as well as yardwork. Sunscreen has a lot of chemicals that often can cause cancer and hormone imbalances themselves, not to mention has to be constantly reapplied. Plus, sunscreen has been proven to be killing the local reefs. So since I live in a climate where one is exposed to harsh rays basically every time one steps outside, and we are surrounded by reefs and ocean, it is a time saver and probably better for personal health in the long run to wear these instead of applying sunscreen every few hours for life - especially given that I am someone who has very fair skin and burns within minutes (and have a weakened immune system that makes me especially susceptible to cancers). The long sleeve versions, as well as pants if you feel like buying those, have the added benefit of being cool while helping to keep off mosquitoes and other bugs.

A note that some of our beloved plants can help with the sun, both as a natural sunscreen (I haven't figured out a strong formula yet, but some of the oils are beneficial for basic SPF), and oils like Neem, CBD, and others [as well as baking soda] have been successful in treating skin cancers. There are people out there who rely only on that, and have self-reported cure/remission... but of course do diligent research to determine your own course of prevention and treatment. Not all skin cancers are the same, and not all individuals may respond exactly the same way to a particular treatment.

55
In my experience, green caimito was sort of like a cross between grape and lychee, but a bit more mild, and less aromatic. Very pleasant. Maybe more like a longan, but with more of a gelatinous texture. Not my favorite, but certainly worth growing to me. My seed didn't take from my last one, so I'm looking forward to trying again.

56
I've contributed to other threads about this. My Hasya has been flowering heavily for 2 or3 years now, and is a very healthy tree. But I've had I think 4 fruit from it so far. It just finally produced a 5th, and I will wait another 6 months or so to be able to eat it. The fruit was delicious, but what a long wait! I think in my case it's a pollination issue, and I've tried hand pollinating but have not fared much better. It also might be tied to periods of more watering. But it's not like all the flowers drop off. They stay there for months, and no matter what I do to try to pollinate them, they just don't seem to want to set fruit. Maybe it is an age thing. But right now, the idea of a Makok or other variety sitting there loaded with fruit at a young age is certainly tempting.

57
Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles / Re: Cacti thread
« on: May 19, 2017, 09:58:35 AM »
Wow, that's amazing. Sounds like some very rewarding projects you're working on. Thanks for sharing - you have in a pretty fascinating place!

58
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Goji Berry in the Tropics
« on: May 19, 2017, 09:44:18 AM »
No time to take and upload pics still, but it is fruiting PROLIFICALLY! And I don't have to go out there and pollinate by hand either. I bagged the entire bush with netting because it's so tiny, and I don't want any pests to get to the fruit before me, and it seems to still be producing fruit even with limited access for pollinators - probably because the pollen the flowers make is plentiful, which I always prefer on a plant because they're so easy to fruit usually - it seems like it might be pollinating itself by the wind.

Turns out they are red goji. I tried a few (which thanks to my netting were still there waiting for me), and I might have tried them too early because they tasted like bell pepper - I'm used to dried ones, which taste sweeter. So I'm going to try to wait longer until they are older and a little wrinkly, and see if that makes them taste more fruity rather than vegetabl-y. :) I only had like 3, but did notice an improvement of circulation about 30 minutes later. Such things are noticeable on me though, because my body is profoundly ill. I look forward to eating the leaves in between berry crops, when the plant is big enough for me to be willing to risk it. The other tiny one I have that didn't flower, is now flowering too! But less, which may potentially be a function of less sun, or simply that the plant is smaller/weaker/younger (I bought them together, but this one is more of a runt than the other).

If they do end up dying due to heat or other factors, I think I will buy again from Ken's, and keep them in a pot. I'm thrilled that they seem pretty drought-tolerant, as well as tolerant of terrible soil, both of which are very important here in the Keys. So far very happy with my experience! [And that there are a number of other things around the yard that are starting to produce or grow really well, to offset the plants that are not! For the most part, all my Ken's stuff did really well, better than my Top Tropicals or Pine Island, or other local nursery stuff. They're surviving at almost the same rate of native plantings, which says a lot because this is a really harsh environment, and I planted them kind of late in the season when most of the rain was already over. I'm short of money and energy now, but when I have some more I will probably go broke again buying more! :) Got my eye on a bunch of stuff...]

59
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Papua New Guinea fruits
« on: May 19, 2017, 09:27:11 AM »
Tell these friends to share pics of their adventures, please! :)

60
Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles / Re: Cacti thread
« on: May 16, 2017, 04:53:10 PM »
Amazing pics of the local landscape - so glad you shared!

I have never seen anything like that pitaya in my life!

61
Am I missing something? They all say "out of stock"... how do you order?

62
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Sour sop plant
« on: May 02, 2017, 01:17:21 PM »
I had a sour sop in partial shade (50%) that was never watered. It didn't put on any size for 3 years. After giving it full sun and water, it fruited 2 years later.  I have 3 other soursops that got irrigation and full sun and fruited in 3 years.

This is a fair point. My tree is in full sun most of the day, but it is in mostly shade for maybe 2 hours at the end of the day. I also don't give it much supplementary water - just like once a week. I want to grow more guanabanas around the yard, since they do so well down here, but I just haven't gotten around to buying more. I'd have to go get them in person, which is a long drive from here. In the future I'll plant them in various conditions around the yard and I'll better be able to tell how they do best.

But as a comparison, my sugar apple is in the exact same conditions as the soursop and fruited in only 1 year. The one that fruited in only 9 months, was a seed I dropped on the side of the house that gets 75% shade and no supplemental water at all! So I'd still say they're much faster. Plus similar - but not the same - health benefits to graviola. [Here are a list of 24 health benefits: https://globalfoodbook.com/benefits-of-sugar-apple-fruit]

63
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Goji Berry in the Tropics
« on: May 02, 2017, 01:07:11 PM »
I don't have time to post photos now, but thought I would share some surprising and happy news...

I bought Goji berry plants from Ken's Nursery just in I think it was Oct, and only 6 months later several of them are flowering and fruiting like crazy! They're such tiny little plants, but they seem healthy and don't seem to care how small they are. I was very concerned that they would not do well in these conditions, as most temperate plants don't - I have terrible high PH soil, salt in the soil, desert climate half the year, high temps, and vicious spider mite issues in the dry season... but even so, with nothing but minimal supplementary watering, these things fruited. They never had a freeze or much in the way of chill hours, so that is not necessary. They have very pretty purple flowers, so I can see them being grown just ornamentally, although I'm not sure how long it will take for them to get to any big size.

So flowered profusely, and some didn't flower at all though. All are in partial sun conditions. So I'm not sure the reason, although they get somewhat different amounts of sun, and at different times of the day...

I'm really hoping they make it through the intense heat and flooding of our wet season in the next few months. So I'm not bothering to slow down the fruiting for now of the vigorous ones, because who knows if they'll even be here next year...

I also have fruiting from another tiny plant from Ken's, which I lost the tag for so I'm not sure which plant it was. I think it was a Spondea though...? So that plant too is probably just a year old from seed or so. Overall most of those plants have been doing really well, plus I got them at great prices because I bought at the end of their season. Far better experience in every way from Top Tropicals, plus WAY cheaper. Like 1/4 of the price because I got everything in bulk, plus free shipping, plus on sale.

So I'll update with photos hopefully at some point when I have more time. I don't even know which Goji this is. I planted black goji seeds I got off an Amazon seller from China, but they never came up. I've planted 2 other plants in the past of red goji (I think it was barbarum?) but they never lasted through the summer the last time, and never reached the point of flowering. So I kind of thought it might be impossible down here.

Really looking forward to watching the fruit turn color and getting to taste them! Goji leaves are also extremely healthy and can be eaten raw or cooked. I hope at least one of these plants makes it through the summer and gets big enough so I can pick leaves regularly to eat, even when it's not fruiting...

So if you live in an area that never freezes, even if the conditions like mine are unfavorable for other reasons, consider giving goji a try. From the right supplier, you might still have good luck. I will try to update if it lives past this year. If we get a bad flood, I'm doubting it. But it might be a great candidate then to grow as an outdoor container plant, and then I can bring it in if it gets too hot or if a hurricane's a-comin'.

64
Tropical Fruit Discussion / TR Hovey Papaya question
« on: May 02, 2017, 01:05:03 PM »
So I had a young TR Hovey plant, and I am soooo mad that after a flood this Winter (yes, I said Winter, in the middle of the dry season - thanks sea level rise!), it killed my TR Hovey after it was probably months away from its first fruit.

Anyway, learned my lesson, I now want to plant a bunch in various areas of the yard to see which is less prone to brackish water flood so I can get fruit. But buying a bunch of plants is expensive, and I don't know of a local supplier so they'd each have to be shipped. Plus, since I've never tasted it, I'm not even sure if I'll like it enough to spend that much.

*I see lots of advertisements for seeds - but do TR Hovey seeds come true? I also of course wonder how reliable these sellers are in term of correct variety, but I prefer being able to buy online anonymously on Amazon, Etsy, or Ebay, to making arrangements with people on the forum. (Recommendation of specific sellers on any of those 3 sites that you know would be the correct variety and viable seed would also be appreciated.)

65
Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles / Re: First Gac fruits
« on: May 02, 2017, 01:02:22 PM »
Wow, that is so cool! Congrats! Can you tell us about the growing conditions? I have been eyeing these for a few years and would like to try them out someday.

Can you compare the taste to anything? Recipes to share?

66
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Anyone grow melons in South Florida
« on: May 02, 2017, 12:24:53 PM »
I did watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe. But I did it in our winter, because those are the best temps down here, and they did better in containers indoors in the window than they did in-ground outside, because the soil is way too dry then and they need too much watering. But we have excellent drainage here. It's not worth watering them every day to me. But I might try again in the future.

67
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What's wrong with my Papaya?
« on: May 02, 2017, 12:21:33 PM »
Spray with Neem oil. You might need to do it every day for a while if the infestation is bad, but that won't be forever. It's worse when the air is dry (even if the roots are wet) - so if you can boost the humidity around the plant by planting others nearby it, that might help. A strong jet of water once every week or two will also help to keep spider mites at bay. Spray Neem on the stalk and under the leaves, as well as around the ground at the base, because the mites often come up from the ground or underneath things, so you can stop them where they're starting.

68
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Sour sop plant
« on: May 02, 2017, 12:16:26 PM »
Based on my tree alone, I think the answer is forever. Lol.

But to be fair, my tree has been in-ground 2 or 3 years from being a 3-gal, and it is a good 8ft tall now, and I never give it any special attention or extra watering or fertilization. It's big and healthy, but no flowers yet. Really hoping this is the year!

On the other hand, I had sugar apple which fruited at only 9 months! So if you're looking for fast, go with sugar apple (but do try to let it be 1-2 years old at least before you let it hold fruit, if you want it to last and be healthy). Otherwise, guanabana will take I've heard an average of 5 years.

69
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Miracle fruit tree - still alive?
« on: May 02, 2017, 12:09:50 PM »
I still have my original plant and it too nearly bit the dust.  Got to a really nice size and produced hundreds of berries.  One year, it started dying back bit by bit to the point where there was nothing left but 8 inches of trunk.  No branches.  No leaves.  My wife kept saying "It's dead".  But it was still green beneath the bark.  Stayed that way for nearly 2 years.  Then one day it started coming out of its funk.  Not quite as large a canopy as before but still very nice.  So unless it is dead dead for sure, don't give up!

I've had multiple experiences like this too - if it still has green, it's not dead. I have had plants that I gave up on and forgot about, leaving them to fend for themselves, and then a year and a half or two later to my surprise find they're suddenly sprouting up from the roots or making new leaves! All is not lost until there's no life left inside the plant. They want with all their being to SURVIVE, so they will keep trying.

I had a lot of experience growing, and even fruiting, plants indoors. Get some pure Neem oil and spray regularly to keep indoor pests like scale, mites, aphids etc. at bay. It smells gross indoors, but it's natural and not harmful - it actually has health properties that benefit humans too. Scale is not going to multiply and end up all over your apartment - the ones you picked off were probably crispy because they were already dead. But it's not normal for your plant to have them on the trunk - that's a pest, not part of the plant. It is very possible that the plant is suffering from several problems at the same time. It's hard to tell from your post, but if the plant started showing problems after you moved it to new soil, then it probably was suffering from some transplant shock. You have to be really careful to preserve the roots and not rip them when you move the plant, and sometimes the change of soil - even if it's better soil - can shock the plant from the change. Also, it's highly likely you don't have enough light for the plant, if you are not giving it a special lamp. Any time you see that a tropical plant likes being grown in shade, that usually means in partial or full sun for colder climates, unless you have a full greenhouse setup. Your miracle plant looks like it's in the shade in a cold climate house, so that's not going to be enough sun. If it's a South-facing window, that will help, but it would do better with a lamp added. Even a full-spectrum bulb from a normal lamp will help plants indoors.

Aside from the scales, I think the other issue you probably have is temperature. You left the house in the winter. So, either you cranked the heat up to help the plant - and made it too hot (I killed a lemon tree I loved like it was a family member by accident when I lived in NY, by placing it too close to a radiator I didn't realize was faulty and got too hot), or you turned the heat down because you were away and it got too cold for the plant. They really don't like temps below 60F. It's right near the window, and with the draft it will feel to the plant easily like close to or below that, especially if the heat is lowered. So it might have lost all its leaves, but then they might grow back if there is still green under the bark. Plus, you might have a had a problem with watering and humidity. Maybe when you were gone it got too dry. People in cold climates and with indoor plants tend to overcompensate by overwatering, which can rot the roots but then the air is also too dry. So that could also be a possibility if you watered a lot before you left and it was sitting in wet soil without enough drainage. I'll bet you anything the air in your home was extremely dry when you were away - so that means the plant had to deal with desert-like air, and miracle fruit wants HUMIDITY. Keeping a bag over part of the plant to help keep some of the humidity and warmth in will probably help it a lot in future, as long as you make sure the container it's in has great drainage at the bottom so it never sits in water to rot or get moldy. You might have also had a problem of poor oxygen-to-carbon dioxide ratio in the air while you were away.

I believe growing these plants successfully indoors IS possible - consider for instance the huge illegal pot industry, so much of which was grown indoors in people's closets and whatnot. You don't actually need a greenhouse if you can't afford one. But using some plastic wrap to help with humidity, some Neem oil to prevent pests, and also using aluminum foil wrapped along the backside of the container facing the window so that light is reflected upward to more of the plant so it doesn't have a dark side, can make growing plants indoors a lot easier and more successful. Then you just have to work out issues of how to keep the soil in the right amount of moisture, and how to keep the temp preferable for the plant but not the rest of your house. Many people find using string white holiday lights wrapped around the plant and the container for the roots makes them happy. Adding a lamp will help too - but usually they prefer SOME hours a day of rest - at least 6.

Growing indoors is a different skill from growing outdoors. It takes different equipment, and to some extent, different know-how. But if you get it down and have the time, it can actually be easier than growing outside, because you have a lot more control and can make different conditions for each plant.

You have two different things going on there - you have scale, and you have buds which may be growing at the ends (can't tell in the picture, but if they're growing and the plant is green underneath, you're all good). You have to brush all the scale off - use a toothbrush with soapy water, and then spray with Neem thereafter.

If you can't save this one, you'll learn for the future. Indoor growing of tropicals takes a lot of patience, and you have to expect some losses in order to learn and build up your knowledge. You'll be even more successful if during the summers you can drag the plant out for some fresh air and partial sun.

A partial list of what I grew inside without a greenhouse: Watermelon, Honeydew, Strawberries, Soybean/Edamame, Amaranth, Lemon, Lime, Okinawan Spinach, Thai chili peppers, Blueberries, Tomatoes, Mangosteen for 2 years, etc. etc....


70
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« on: April 27, 2017, 07:13:37 AM »
I have been around Africa a bit. If it is native African species you want then there are a few biomes you might want to visit.Kenyan/Tanzanian/ethopia, highish areas,

My experience of Ethiopia was that it is a beautiful country, with amazing culture and mouthwatering food - FAR better than any Ethiopian food I've ever tasted in the US - but not that it was great for rare fruits. The most produced crops are mango, banana, papaya, avocado, citrus, grape, and pineapple. I had guava there. The fruit was delicious, and they have favorable growing conditions for a lot of fruits. But, there is not really an incentive to grow much variety in that region since money is made off of crops like coffee, teff, etc. Anybody who has the ability to intentionally grow something, will tend to grow what supplements their income - not just their personal tastes. This is also reflected in what you can buy in the local markets. Also you have to keep in mind that the Eastern/Horn of Africa region is heavily affected by dry vs. rainy season. The winter will be dry season for them. So most areas will have desert conditions. I was there in the rainy season when the Blue Nile was overflowing and looked like Niagara Falls.

I would highly recommend it as a country to visit, but not for rare fruit unless you have a specific contact you know of who can hook you up. On the other hand, rare and unique culture (including exotic dishes), they have plenty of! I spent 3 weeks there, traveling all over the country, and made lifelong friends and had amazing experiences that changed my life. I long to go back soon.

If you wanted to give it a try, I would focus on the market in Addis Ababa - Addis Merkato - which is the largest market in Africa. If you can figure out how to navigate it (probably with a guide), you might be able to find the unusual fruits (and probably also vegetables) there. But it is HUGE, and what you find is going to be hit or miss. Like any market, time of day is also a big factor.

https://migrationology.com/addis-mercato-market/

Consider time of year in your destination selection. The time you're going is going to limit you in a number of areas of the continent. You might need to focus on the rainiest areas for largest fruit selection.

I would agree that West and South might be better choices. Ghana and Senegal are easy to visit. Here are a few fruits you can find there: http://www.itfnet.org/v1/2011/12/african-indigenous-fruits-with-potential-health-benefits/  West African crops also greatly influenced the Caribbean through the Atlantic Slave Trade. You can find fruits like ackee and miracle fruit there, as well as jaboticaba and june plum. They also grow katemfe fruit - Thaumatococcus daniellii - there. Palm fruits are a major industry in the region so you my also have some luck trying some you've never had.

Here's a list of some of the South African crops by month: http://www.leadsa.co.za/articles/7258/seasonal-fruit-and-vegetables-in-south-africa and if you're interested it trying new-to-you varieties of more common fruits: http://veggiebunch.co.za/fruit-growing-seasons-in-south-africa/

The main problem is indeed the stigma of eating indigenous food, thanks to the scourge of colonialism. It's thus not profitable to grow or sell, so most of these amazing and life-giving crops are treated like weeds in favor of more industrialized and less nutritious plants. Finding the rare stuff involves serious hunting in remote regions, where local contacts and language/culture knowledge are going to be important, and where safety concerns can become more of an issue both because of wildlife, and because of a few uncool people who make life difficult for everyone. But the same could be said if you wanted to track down rare fruit in Alaska, or pretty much anywhere else... it's rare for a reason - because it's hard to get to and there's little money in making it easier for people. Remote areas pose the same risks all over the world for the most part. I will go into pretty remote areas, but there is a point at which I draw a line, particularly as a woman traveling. Jungle hunting is usually where that line has to be for me. But maybe as I get older that will be less the case, if people start viewing me as more of an elder, and less of a target. 

There is a rare West African fruit I really want to try, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it right now. It's a sour orange fruit that's really popular locally, and supposedly has a delicious flavor. I think it has health benefits too. But I forget where I found it, and where I wrote down the name! I do remember though that I was trying to find a source so I could grow it in my yard.


71
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Florida Special Pineapple
« on: April 18, 2017, 04:36:53 PM »
I had a good experience ordering pineapples from Kens Nursery so far. None have fruited yet, but I haven't had them that long. They arrived pretty big and healthy-looking, and they have several varieties, for reasonable prices. If you order enough plants, you get free shipping, and may also qualify for a discount. One of the ones I got from there was Florida Special, which I've never tasted, so I'm happy to see a post on it and hope to hear reviews on taste!

72
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Sugar apple hand pollenate issue
« on: April 18, 2017, 04:34:06 PM »
A note, I never heard that about sugar apple being pollinated in the morning before, and I did NOT pollinate mine in the morning, but they still made fruit from the flowers I hand-pollinated. I always did it in the late afternoon. Perhaps doing it earlier would result in better numbers, I don't know. But it's not impossible even if you're a night owl like myself.

73
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Sugar apple hand pollenate issue
« on: April 18, 2017, 04:32:18 PM »
I don't know what instructions you followed, but you do need to start with those that open and are becoming brown, because those are the ones with the pollen. They start off female, and become male, and then fall off. So, you need to wait for one to become old enough to open all the way and have pollen inside, and then take that pollen and put it up inside a female one that is still green but just opened enough to get the pollen in it. If you only have one tree, this is challenging, especially if the tree is young. It may not hold them all either, if the tree is too young to hold many fruit yet. What I did last year is to put a few old male flowers in a tiny ziploc seed bag so I would have pollen available, and then use the pollen on the new female flowers, because the male and female were never open at the same time. It seemed to work, because I got a few fruit, and got no fruit at all except those that I hand-pollinated. I expect to have more than one tree flowering this year, so that will help. But mine are still young and relatively small. I don't have any flowers yet on my trees, so another problem could simply be that's it's a bit earl in the season, and it's also very dry ot and they will probably hold better when there is a lot more rain.

So maybe something I mentioned in here will help you. I know last year I had a lot of trouble figuring this out, but after a number of tries I finally got it.

74
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Grimal Grove April 2017
« on: April 17, 2017, 03:54:23 PM »
Thanks for this - so awesome! I never manage to make it there when it's actually open. I hope to in the next few months. I didn't know they had a nursery! Is it easy to find? I never saw it when I was there last.

I'm amazed the scorpion didn't sting you.

The land there is harsh, but at least they have fresh water. Here in the Upper Keys, we don't even have the water - it's way drier than other parts of FL, as I have learned since moving here. Then again, we don't have to worry about Key deer constantly chewing up the plants up here, just constant iguanas.

Great to have another member who is familiar with the area, and who works on Marathon! Hope to see you post often.

75
Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles / Re: Pau D'Arco
« on: April 13, 2017, 11:11:30 PM »
Thanks for this, I had not heard of Pau D'Arco previously! I would think this is the place to post - as I understand it "other edibles" in the forum title was meant to refer also to medicinals, and even in some cases landscaping/ornamental plants. I think it was a catch-all for non-fruit tropicals, but they struggled with a name to call it, without breaking off and creating too many subsections as happened previously.

Just in case this is relevant to you since you said the need is immediate, this is a relatively inexpensive brand that seems to have gotten very good reviews on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Way-DArco-Inner-capsules/dp/B00014DZCK/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492139160&sr=8-3&keywords=Pau+D%27Arco
And it is selling for half the price on Swanson, which I can say I have personally had good experiences with as a company so would not hesitate to order from: https://www.swansonvitamins.com/natures-way-pau-darco-inner-bark-100-caps?SourceCode=INTL4055&gclid=CL6jmOr7otMCFUdDhgodyh8Pxw

I can't vouch for this specific supplement, as I say I've never heard of it before, and there may be better out there (searching through Amazon reviews is a good way to identify what works best for the purposes you need it for, since it can work on many different things, even if you don't end up buying from there). But while you wait to obtain and grow it, at least there are options.

Best of luck on getting the medical needs met as soon as possible!

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