Author Topic: Tip of the Day  (Read 11576 times)

FlyingFoxFruits

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Tip of the Day
« on: February 14, 2013, 06:25:40 PM »
when I can, I'm going to post a "Tip of the Day".

I'm going to encourage others who have interesting, valuable, or important tips  to post them here periodically, to share with the world.

to get things started, the first tip I have to offer is the following:

Eugenia uniflora seems to be a compatible rootstock for E. pyriformis.

I have yet to confirm this, but my grafts are looking great so far,  and I've heard from reliable sources that they are compatible.

I think E neonitida might actually be compatible with uniflora...contrary to my observations of failed graft attempts.  It might be worth trying again.


what's your tip of the day?
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roboto212

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2013, 10:57:12 PM »
when you go to plant a tree, always remember the green end goes up

Hollywood

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2013, 11:00:42 PM »
Black sapote seedlings can use help- gently take the seed head off the sprout several days after it comes up. Otherwise, the whole thing can fall off.

bangkok

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2013, 12:39:33 AM »
Spray your flushing pomelo or citrus tree's with a hard ray of water every day and those caterpillars and other insects have no chance to eat the new leaves. Spray upside down because the eggs will hang under the leaves.

LEOOEL

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2013, 03:16:51 AM »
Don't eat pesticides, eat organic fruit and vegetables and live to 200.  ;)
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2013, 06:12:04 AM »
Never buy trees that are seriously root bound or trees that are in very bad shape...the recovery and establishment of these trees will take longer  ;) And always look for the union of the graft!
Time is like a river.
You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Enjoy every moment of your life!

FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2013, 08:31:57 AM »
thanks to everyone for contributing!

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FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2013, 10:31:34 AM »
Tip of the Day,

some jaboticaba varieties can be eaten early, when full sized, but still green.  Such varieties include, but aren't limited to, Myrciaria trunciflora, and Myrciaria cauliflora (red jabo especially), I assume M. phitrantha and M. aureana exhibit this feature to some degree...although I've never eaten one.

This can mean the difference between having fruits to eat, or a pile of scraps to look at, left by rats.  I've learned to always harvest the fruits early, especially if you want to make sure to get all of the seeds.  Even though animals usually leave them behind, they're much harder to recover, once they've been removed from the fruits.
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nullzero

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2013, 11:20:27 AM »
When fertilizing plants, its always better to go with less fertilizer on a more frequent schedule rather then more on a less frequent schedule.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2013, 12:31:34 PM »
I noticed a string on kepel (Stelechocarpus burahol) a while back but it was WAY late to comment on that.  If anyone is starting kepel, be sure to give them PLENTY of time to sprout.  I got my seed from Oscar at Fruitlovers so it was fresh.  It took 10 months for the first couple to break the surface.  Then nothing for 2 months.  Then 2 more.  Then, again, another lag and then by about 15 months the rest germinated.  I think I ordered 25 seed and about 1/2 germinated.  So, don't pitch those ungerminated kepel seeds too quickly.

John

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2013, 01:06:53 PM »
The enemy of good is better

don't overwater, overfertilize or over-do-it with anything

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2013, 04:12:12 PM »
When fertilizing plants, its always better to go with less fertilizer on a more frequent schedule rather then more on a less frequent schedule.

This is very good advice! The way i put it to people is to not subject plants to a feast or famine treatment, but to feed them regularly, like they feed themselves.
Some plants in particular need constant feeding: like mangosteens and bananas.
Oscar

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2013, 06:10:55 PM »
Don't let your puppy/young dog watch when planting a tree. They may come along later and decide to "help" and dig everything up. I lost a carambola and an acai palm this way :-(

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2013, 06:35:55 PM »
If rain and sun fade the permanent markers writings on the tags on your plant, then use a pencil. Sun doesn't affect graphite, and if the pencil was hard enough, it isn't easily washed away either. 
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fyliu

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2013, 08:38:07 PM »
If rain and sun fade the permanent markers writings on the tags on your plant, then use a pencil. Sun doesn't affect graphite, and if the pencil was hard enough, it isn't easily washed away either.
Very good. I switced to silver markers myself. I guess silver is actually a metal rather than a pigment.

bangkok

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2013, 10:32:40 PM »
Don't let your puppy/young dog watch when planting a tree. They may come along later and decide to "help" and dig everything up. I lost a carambola and an acai palm this way :-(

Last week my passionfruit-seedlings were dug out by some animal. When i replanted them i found a big sharkbone in the pot (which a neighbour likes to feed all dogs in the street). Our dog (which is here temporary) looked very guilty when i asked her who did that.

So always protect small plants against animals is what i do from now on.

LEOOEL

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #16 on: February 16, 2013, 12:34:36 AM »
To have fruit year round from your fruit trees, be mindful of how much space you have and choose your fruit tree cultivars wisely.
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

bsbullie

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #17 on: February 16, 2013, 01:00:54 AM »
If rain and sun fade the permanent markers writings on the tags on your plant, then use a pencil. Sun doesn't affect graphite, and if the pencil was hard enough, it isn't easily washed away either.
I would not recommend pencil as pencil naturally fades over time and would be a very poor choice to use in making long term tags for plant records, or any other records for that matter.
- Rob

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #18 on: February 16, 2013, 01:18:03 AM »
#2 pencil is one of the longest lasting markers for plastic pot labels in our climate. It outlasts most markers. The pencil does not fade for over a year, despite our high UV rate. What happens is that lichens and moss will start growing on the plastic labels after about one year and make the pencil markings hard to read.

OK, here is my Tip of the Day. Use #2 pencil, but push the plastic label into the pot soil. Only leave 1/2 inch sticking out so you can see it if you want to pull out to read. The pencil markings will last a very very long time if not hit by UV and the mold, moss, and lichen, will not grow on the label when it's in the soil. (This took me 20 years to figure out!)

You can also leave the label above soil level and mark both sides of the label. The side that the sun hits will fade a lot more rapidly than the back side.

Another very good marker is the China wax markers. With these you can write right on the pot...no need to buy labels. You can buy these at art supply stores.
Oscar

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #19 on: February 16, 2013, 01:25:30 AM »
#2 pencil is one of the longest lasting markers for plastic pot labels in our climate. It outlasts most markers. The pencil does not fade for over a year, despite our high UV rate. What happens is that lichens and moss will start growing on the plastic labels after about one year and make the pencil markings hard to read.

OK, here is my Tip of the Day. Use #2 pencil, but push the plastic label into the pot soil. Only leave 1/2 inch sticking out so you can see it if you want to pull out to read. The pencil markings will last a very very long time if not hit by UV and the mold, moss, and lichen, will not grow on the label when it's in the soil. (This took me 20 years to figure out!)

You can also leave the label above soil level and mark both sides of the label. The side that the sun hits will fade a lot more rapidly than the back side.

Another very good marker is the China wax markers. With these you can write right on the pot...no need to buy labels. You can buy these at art supply stores.
Sorry, totally disagree with you.  I see pencil fading on tags on a regular basis...whether from water, light, or whatever, I have pulled many a tag out of pots tat were once legible and have become no longer legible (some in only a year or so's time). 

I have also seen pencil fade on paper in  an inside office setting from just being in files with no light or outside elements affecting it.
- Rob

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #20 on: February 16, 2013, 01:39:41 AM »
#2 pencil is one of the longest lasting markers for plastic pot labels in our climate. It outlasts most markers. The pencil does not fade for over a year, despite our high UV rate. What happens is that lichens and moss will start growing on the plastic labels after about one year and make the pencil markings hard to read.

OK, here is my Tip of the Day. Use #2 pencil, but push the plastic label into the pot soil. Only leave 1/2 inch sticking out so you can see it if you want to pull out to read. The pencil markings will last a very very long time if not hit by UV and the mold, moss, and lichen, will not grow on the label when it's in the soil. (This took me 20 years to figure out!)

You can also leave the label above soil level and mark both sides of the label. The side that the sun hits will fade a lot more rapidly than the back side.

Another very good marker is the China wax markers. With these you can write right on the pot...no need to buy labels. You can buy these at art supply stores.
Sorry, totally disagree with you.  I see pencil fading on tags on a regular basis...whether from water, light, or whatever, I have pulled many a tag out of pots tat were once legible and have become no longer legible (some in only a year or so's time). 

I have also seen pencil fade on paper in  an inside office setting from just being in files with no light or outside elements affecting it.

Rob, not making this up, been using pencil for over 20 years on plastic pot labels. There are different kinds of pencil. Are you talking about #2 pencil?
Oscar

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #21 on: February 16, 2013, 01:44:27 AM »
#2 pencil is one of the longest lasting markers for plastic pot labels in our climate. It outlasts most markers. The pencil does not fade for over a year, despite our high UV rate. What happens is that lichens and moss will start growing on the plastic labels after about one year and make the pencil markings hard to read.

OK, here is my Tip of the Day. Use #2 pencil, but push the plastic label into the pot soil. Only leave 1/2 inch sticking out so you can see it if you want to pull out to read. The pencil markings will last a very very long time if not hit by UV and the mold, moss, and lichen, will not grow on the label when it's in the soil. (This took me 20 years to figure out!)

You can also leave the label above soil level and mark both sides of the label. The side that the sun hits will fade a lot more rapidly than the back side.

Another very good marker is the China wax markers. With these you can write right on the pot...no need to buy labels. You can buy these at art supply stores.
Sorry, totally disagree with you.  I see pencil fading on tags on a regular basis...whether from water, light, or whatever, I have pulled many a tag out of pots tat were once legible and have become no longer legible (some in only a year or so's time). 

I have also seen pencil fade on paper in  an inside office setting from just being in files with no light or outside elements affecting it.

Rob, not making this up, been using pencil for over 20 years on plastic pot labels. There are different kinds of pencil. Are you talking about #2 pencil?
Cannot answer that as I was not the one writing on the tags and have no knowledge of the type of pencil.

As far as writing on office paperwork, my dad was a CPA and as you may know, it was pencils only.  I have seen many of pencil written papers and the writing has definitely faded.  I would bet he used #2.  Possibly being kept in a file/folder or even the paper may have something to do with fading in that type of situation.
- Rob

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #22 on: February 16, 2013, 02:02:06 AM »
Rob, yes writing on paper is very different than writing on a plastic pot label. Also different pencils will last differently. As i said on my post, while pencil is not perfect, it will last a whole year here without a problem, and lasts longer than most markers. I've done tests comparing them. So of that i'm very sure. And our climate, with intense sunlight, and rain throughout the year is VERY tough on markings on labels. If you push the label into the pot after writing it i'm guessing it will last several years without fading. Don't have an exact number on how long that will last as i just started doing that about a year ago. So far so good, no fading. Because marking labels here is so challenging i've paid a lot of attention to this issue. Nothing more frustrating than loosing the ID of valuable seedlings or plants.
Oscar

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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #23 on: February 16, 2013, 06:30:05 AM »
I would not recommend pencil as pencil naturally fades over time and would be a very poor choice to use in making long term tags for plant records, or any other records for that matter.

I'm speaking from experience. I have tags i made in 2003 on my cactus and pencil is still visible.
The major issues with those tags aren't the pencils that is washed away, but the fact that sun, after some years, make them frail and they broke. But pencil still stays there.
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Re: Tip of the Day
« Reply #24 on: February 16, 2013, 04:55:42 PM »
I would not recommend pencil as pencil naturally fades over time and would be a very poor choice to use in making long term tags for plant records, or any other records for that matter.

I'm speaking from experience. I have tags i made in 2003 on my cactus and pencil is still visible.
The major issues with those tags aren't the pencils that is washed away, but the fact that sun, after some years, make them frail and they broke. But pencil still stays there.

Yes you are right. The plastic label also breaks down with the UV. Another reason to bury the plastic. Here with high rainfall we have moss, lichens, growing on the plastic, and covering up the pencil marks. Also avoided by burying the plastic into the pot's soil. Here the pencil marking will definitely not last 9 years, like in your location, but 1+ year with no problem. If i see a pot with fading markings or disintegrating tag i just replace the tag.
Oscar