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Messages - Jack, Nipomo

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26
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Persian Mulberry Fruits - in SoCal
« on: August 03, 2023, 05:31:17 PM »
Maybe someone knows differently, but it was my understanding that for full flavor and good production M. nigra needs to be in the ground.  My M nigra "Kaester" has an extensive root system (on fruitless mulberry rootstock, tho) and seems to really like water.  Here roots are constrained by drippers in pure sand.

27
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Persian Mulberry Fruits - in SoCal
« on: July 31, 2023, 09:13:35 AM »
I have enjoyed the Persian mulberry here for many years.  It is a selected variety called "Kaester" obtained from a collector.  Cutting was small so I bought a fruitless mulberry and grafted it and now have a big tree.  Fruiting now, and being enjoyed by blue jays and other birds.  Used to have a tortoise that enjoyed the fallen fruits.  As a science teacher used trhe leaves to grow silkworms in the classroom.

28
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Tape Types for use grafting . . . .
« on: July 22, 2023, 01:34:10 PM »
An old time member of CRFG and a friend had a different technique (John Moore of Santa Maria).  He used Wilhold white glue to seal the scion after wrapping the union with tape, string, etc.  Served like our use of parafilm and allowed the buds to penetrate the seal.  I have used Wilhold glue (it is water soluable and can be thinned) after removing taped union to protect the new tissue under the tape.  Glue stretches with growth and breaks down.

29
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: White Sapote Fruit Shapes
« on: July 01, 2023, 01:45:38 PM »
Fortunate to have been able to get scions from Bob Chamber's orchard.  The most unusual was "Nettie" which looked like a pear, and about the same size.  All of the white sapotes and some yellow sapotes seem to like our climate and drop "bombs" frequently.  I have found that the unsmashed part of the "bomb" is perfectly ripened.  When picking, I look for a color change from darker green.

30
Brad, sometime in the winter.  My Reed is feeling the effects of drought and plugged drippers, have not seen fruit for a couple of years.  Hellen hangs for most of the year and ripeness is determined by local raccoons.  If it's OK with them, I pick some.  I have a couple of Hellen (2 L's) and both produce well, small seed.  The variety was suggested by Julie Frink.  Not watery, just a very nice fruit.

31
My best in the Central Coast iare Hass, Pinkerton, Jan Boyce, and Hellen.  I have GEM, small tree, smaller fruit, not very productive.  Of the 35 varieties (grafted) my favorite is Hellen.  Lesser production, but a very large avocado with great flavor is Choquette. Hass and Pinkerton are excellent also. 

32
Had an early CRFG friend (John Moore) who put a 4 in rubber or plastic tubing over the top of the scion.  The tubing was then filled with water providing continous hydration.

33
'tis brillig then and the slithy toves are in the wabe.  Good luck!

34
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What pineapple guava should i grow?
« on: May 05, 2023, 06:44:32 PM »
Janet...like many of us, Frank left behind a legacy of his selections for others to enjoy in the future. 

35
Using 110 VAC on raccoons might have unintended consequences on dogs, children, or even the poster.  Much safer is the hotshot version which is very high voltage with low current.  It works with large animals like horses and cattle and they learn to avoid wired areas.  Been dealing with raccoons for almost 50 years, tried many things.  In my trapping days, I removed many only to create an opening for another one to move in.  Watched many viscious fights between raccoons from indoors.  Our population seems stabil now and we sometimes pass in the night, but garden and ponds are left alone (still electrified.)  Electric fence chargers are pretty cheap.

36
Raccoon are common here and essentially own the night.  Have dealt with them in my pond and also the garden, but enjoy having them around.  Not so much when they enter the house through the dog door (now just close it at night.)  We have used an electric fence used for cattle, dogs, etc.  Wires are not very visible and it has kept them out of the pond and garden.  Now and then I hear a grunt or cry from an encounter with the electric fence. They don't come back to that area.  We now have few issues with them.  Integrated Pest Management from UC: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/raccoons/pest-notes/
It is illegal to relocate them, but I have used a Hava-a-Heart live trap previously and moved some to nearby river locations where they can live out their life.

37
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What pineapple guava should i grow?
« on: May 03, 2023, 02:44:03 PM »
Having tasted and grown most of Frank Serpa's varieties (https://feijoarecipes.wordpress.com/2017/11/19/frank-serpa-fremonts-feijoa-king/) from Edenvale Farms, I believe my New Zealand varieties Mammoth and Triumph surpass them in size and flavor.  Had a good friend in John Moore who collected many and even named his favorite (Moore). The Edenvale varieties, Improved Cooledge, Edenvale Supreme, Edenvale Late are quite good, but really enjoy the New Zealand ones.  Pointed out before is their hardiness and productivity in suboptimal conditions that warrants their being planted.


38
Sartre guava, the Arrayan fruit is botanically known as part of Psidium sartorianum and I have had it growing for around 12 years here in Nipomo.  Small tree, fruits abundantly, never bothered by frost.  From Guadalajara Mexico, it is used for "waters" or to flavor drinks. 

39
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: CHIRONJA GRAPEFRUIT
« on: March 13, 2023, 08:27:42 AM »
Nice thought...just a luck of the draw with seedlings obtained from Puerto Rico.  Have a second tree (different seedling, same batch).  Have not had fruit from it yet (competing with two large macadamias)  Sure is a beutiful tree.

40
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: CHIRONJA GRAPEFRUIT
« on: March 12, 2023, 07:07:53 PM »
Been growing Chironja here in Nipomo for about 15 years.  Seeds were from Puerto Rico.  Big tree like a grapefruit, green and full leaves.  Fruit looks like a grapefruit.  Grapefruit here on the cool CA coast are sour and bitter. Pummelo are better.  Just picked a bunch of Chironja to juice and they are not quite ripe yet. Usable. Another month... We do not have the heat to have a real grapefruit, but the Chironja is a nice combination of orange and grapefruit and develops good sweetness during the year.  Here it is more like a large orange, full of juice, peels like a navel orange.  As good as a Temple Tangor, but larger fruit, more productive.  An orange with a bit of grapefruit taste. One of my favorites.  Frost concerns: it is never bothered, but our short-time low this year was 26 and damaged several 3 ft tall mangos (that I should have covered).

41
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Best way to root feijoa cuttings?
« on: March 10, 2023, 08:40:56 AM »
Just dug up several branches on my Triumph that were ground layered (thanks B2B).  All were well rooted in multiple places and cut into sections and potted.  Buried branches of my Mammoth for later cutting after they root.  Ground is wet thanks to lots of rain.

42
Yellow Sapote (Casimiroa tetrameria) is thought to be part of the genetics of Suebelle (fuzzy underside of leaves) and Suebell is as a result smaller than the typical White Sapote (Casimiroa edulis).  My Pike is a giant and I can't reach around the trunk with both arms.  Unbelieveable amount of fruit is produced.  The Yellow sapote on their own roots are sized much smaller.  These trees are well over 20 years of age.  Interestingly, grafting a white sapote (like my giant Pike) on a yellow sapote rootstock causes extreme dwarfing and a tree about six ft tall, producing normal sized fruit.  No delayed incompatibility so far in over 20 years.  I have 4 dwarfed white sapotes on yellow rootstock, some 4 ft tall, some 7ft tall after more than 20 years. .  A much younger person needs to experiment with a varied interstock of yellow sapote on white sapote to regulate ultimate size of the tree.  As an aside, a friend dried some white sapote fruit (sliced) and it was exellent, described as the flavor of "gummy worms". 

43
I do think the two NZ selections I have are superior in size and quality compared to others I have and  have tasted.  I do have to admit, sometimes there are seedlings with an intense great flavor, but only come in a miniscule size.  The trees/bushes are bullet-proof here with regard to cold and heat (we don't get much of either).  Don't seem to need much water to prosper.  They fall when ripe, and have a thick skin.  Best when eaten out-of-hand.

44
I live in a relative cooler climate in Central Coast of CA.  low 40's to low 80s, with a few extremes.  See https://feijoarecipes.wordpress.com/2017/11/19/frank-serpa-fremonts-feijoa-king/ about an early Feijoa pioneer in CA.  I have 4 of Frank Serpa's cultivars along with some other selections (from others) and New Zealand's Triumph and Mammoth ones.  The Edenvale Late, Improved Cooledge, and other Edenvale are surpassed by the New Zealand varieties in both size, production, and taste.  Unfortunately, over the years, the Edenvale varieties have had to survive shade and competition from some huge avocado trees.  Mammoth and Triumph are well established (6ftX6ft) and taken care of with no competition.  The Edenvale group are being eaten by avocado roots and debris so it is an unfair competition.  I was introduced to CRFG many years ago by a friend, John Moore, who really knew his Feijoas, connected me with Serpa, and even selected one (Moore) for outstanding characteristics.  He told me there was a red one he encountered.  I would suggest there are some excellent Feijoas out there like New Zealand selections and worth finding them. 

45
I have a male and female Kei apple, on opposite sides of property.  Plenty fruit produced, in my opinion one of the most sour fruits I have encounted.  Good flavor, have not tried with sugar.  Giant thorns, use them to clean sprayer orifices.  Stepped on one once, went through shoe to foot, good 2-3 inch thorns.  Read the plant is used to surround villages to keep large creatures out. I stay away from it (female).

46
Tropical Fruit Discussion / White Sapote bombs
« on: January 16, 2023, 11:26:58 AM »
Rain has helped harvest white sapote fruits. Mainly Pike and Vernon.  Rotting well, smell of vinegar, don't walk there.


47
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Is my white sapote sick?
« on: January 10, 2023, 12:16:28 PM »
The tip of the leaves being necrotic is usually a consequence of accumulated salts either from fertilizers or inherent dissolved solids in irrigation water. Transpiration takes the H2O out leaving the dissolved salts behind. The concentration of dissolved solids is usually greatest at the leaf tips.  Looks like the remainder of the leaf is healthy. The leaf petioles appear limp, if so that would indicate a root problem affecting the entire plant. During the quiescence time in the winter for plants they cannot utilize much nutrition nor water.  I would suspect that if you let the plant dry out, divert rainwater, by the middle of July you will have a happy plant.  Report back and let us know.

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Is my white sapote sick?
« on: January 09, 2023, 06:52:08 PM »
Recent fertilizing?  Have not seen that before, resembles avocado starting to drop last year's leaves, but the leaves look fresh.  I barely water my white sapotes, not at all with the recent rains.  The trees here (similar to your climate) are pretty bullet-proof, more like weeds. 

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: macadamia tree in container?
« on: January 09, 2023, 06:46:47 PM »
No reason to not try!  So many successes are atributed to just doing it.  Report back on your results and techniques.

50
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: macadamia tree in container?
« on: January 09, 2023, 02:05:38 PM »
What Scott said! 

I have around 39 mature macadamia trees and have potted many for sharing. In my experience, they just don't like pots.  Poor ragged little trees just take off when planted in the ground.

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