EVERY "Mexican cream" guava I bought from Lowes or HD (well over a dozen) were a horrid flavored guava with a bumpy skin fruit that bore no similarity to every description of  "Mexican cream" I read, don't waste your money there, find a reputable nursery instead.

Here's my two cents...

I grew up in the northeast U.S where the most exotic fruit was cherries and oranges.

I moved to So. Flo in 1976 and by the early 80's "discovered" mango, banana, and sugar apple.

Not knowing when to pick them, the sugar apple had ripened fruits that became infested with ants. The banana died for not having enough water (remember there was no internet for advice back then) and while the mango (an odd small one called "peach mango) grew to huge proportions and while I liked the mango my ex became a PITA about dropped fruit and vermin (2 and 4 legged) taking it.

Fast forward to 2009 (post divorce) I planted my yard with many fruits and am now enjoying them. Thanks to Gardenweb.com and most of the members who moved here, I had sufficient information to have some moderate success.

So I'll say I "get" why peeps don't grow tropical fruit and I'll say ignorance of varied selections are the main reason. And BTW, many who have never tried the more rare tropicals have little exposure to them in a retail environment and the few they sampled like Brian above...

"Java plums are awful.  Jujubes are inferior to apples.  Breadfruit is gross.  Soursop is meh.  Star apple is mediocre.  Sapodilla is too sweet.
I love sapotes but my wife didn't like them, same with surinam cherries.  I love jackfruit but my brother says it smells awful.  I tried a ton of different types of bananas in India and still like Cavendish the best"

I see why some don't "get" it :-0

I doubt a tree / plant ripened starfruit, Jabo, pineapple, lychee, canistel, sugar apple, guava, persimmon and more picked from a private collection would get a meh response from many.

 

Hi all. New here.

>>SNIP<<

I have read that it takes 3-5 years to flower and produce fruit. I am on the 4th year, and no sign of flowers. I think that given the flowering/fruit cycle in the tropics, as I recall sometime in January-February, this years flowering opportunity is gone. However, are there any techniques such a lighting and/or temperature control that would trigger flowering in these trees?

Thank you in advance for any ideas/tips/advice.

M

I bought mine in 2014 as a 6' tall very full tree. It's been in ground since 2014 here in south Florida and it flowered a few times but no fruit.

I can say for certain that 3-5 years to fruit may not be typical.

How about a sign...

WARNING, these trees are infected with a newly
discovered Pathogenic bacteria that can be trans-
mitted to humans with undesirable effects on them.

In order to save the trees they have all been
inoculated with an experimental agent considered
dangerous in California and the EU.

DO NOT EAT THIS FRUIT!

Failing that release a big dog on them every time you see one, or walking the yard with a baseball bat may send a message too :-)

How old was your bush? Mine was 8, very hardy and in pretty good sandy / loamy soil with regular care and fertilizer. The only thing that made them palatable was sugar. I ultimately pulled it because passersby took most of the fruit leaving only runts for me.

Concorde and Muscadine nothing else well except the new cotton candy (in moderation) white grapes.

I've never known an Acerola to be anything but fairly bitter.

My Madame Francis gave up a dozen today. I brought them to my GF's house and we had them for dessert. They were so refreshing after a winter of a lot of unripe store bought fruit we all relished them. 

Are there any other cultivars ripening?

> Why in the world does our Government allow exotic pets to be imported and sold?

For the same reason that it allows exotic fruit seeds to be imported and sold

Yeah but if exotic trees run wild they can be located, and controlled... fish and reptiles likely will never be controlled.

I have a number of Fairchild #2 seedlings, Local So.Flo pickup only, PM me if interested.

PS, they are from the crop of 2018, and are about one foot tall for grafting root stock or take your chances growing them for fruit.

Thanks for the pics. I have 2 trees that are fruiting for the first time this year. How do you know when to pick them?

Like some of my other trees, saps ripen maddeningly S-L-O-W-L-Y and my first few crops I took to the scratch the skin method, but that left me with a bunch of fruit with unappetizing looking scratched fruit that looked like it was in a cat fight.

I took to giving the ones I could reach a gentle squeeze and tug. Ripe fruit give slightly in the hand or pull off.

For fruit higher in the tree, I shake the tree, what's ripe falls to the ground. Some may like them less ripe than using my second method of shaking the tree, but I'm not about to get a ladder out every day to test squeeze / pick saps.

Going against the grain of those in the know who have low expectations on Avo seedlings, and against my better judgement I planted a Lula seedling I grew from seed off a friend's tree. Hers was 25+ years old, had ZERO care... no water, fertilizer, trimming, or pest control and despite that the tree was extremely precocious. The last I saw it the tree was in very sorry shape weeping copious amounts of sap and white flaky crusty "stuff" , I expect it's gone by now.

If my tree bears fruit anywhere near as good as hers and is amenable to regular care, I'll be very happy.

Things look good though, I had it in my "murder, death, kill" cement pot that killed every single tree I put in it and lived in it for around three years happy as a clam. It's been in the ground a week and not one bud died after snatching it out of the pot and it's ALREADY taken off like a rocket.

Based on the horrid green ones I see in my supermarket those are all due to be shipped last week :-)