Blech. I do not like the Japanese persimmon. It is very astringent, and resinous, and disgusting, tasting like rotten vomit. I would not eat it if my life depended on it. There is only one fruit I HATE more than that, and that is the western wild cucumbers (Marah oreganus) that grow here. The plant is beautiful, but just the tiniest bit of fruit is disgustingly bitter and stays in your mouth for about ten minutes, and the disgustingly bitter juice sticks to your fingers if you even touch the skin, cannot be washed of by water (easily).

I love it ! Indeed home for the one sock!

I figured that although peat moss is good at protecting from mold, extended periods of time bring out the worst. What is a small bag shape, for holding the seeds, and is made of ultra clean, bleached fibers? This is where man-made items come in handy (and I think everybody has a few that are spare or ripped), the sock. Heehee!

I use bags containing wet socks. One contains eleven lychee seeds.

It used to be very difficult for me to germinate seeds, because most larger than a pea went to the dark side- mold. I found that placing seeds in a clean, damp sock, which in turn is placed in a ziplock bag is the best method. A clean sock is rather difficult to get moldy. I have done this with medjool dates and baobab, and got 100% germination. I am currently germinating both sugar apple and soncoya using the wet sock in plastic bag method.

That is so sad!

Are these compatible with chirimoya rootstock? If so I would like scions in a couple of months.

I can eat
1. Sugar apple all day
2. Cherries while watching TV
3. Watermelon after meals instead of just plain water.
4. Mango for snacks
5. Durian for a job well done (whatever it is  )

Why can't I stop laughing!? Watermelon I eat instead of water, too. When I'm sick, when I'm dehydrated, watermelon is my #1!

Very interesting! Thanks, Shane!

I lived where you lived before...

Wow. Maybe I should bonsai it, or give it to the zoo. If it is bonsai, will it fruit at some point?

Quote from: CoPlantNut on August 04, 2013, 01:00:42 PM

Quote from: Sanddollarmoon on August 03, 2013, 07:06:40 PM

Is it possible to use male pollen from any other garcinia species to pollinate the purple mangosteen? Has anyone tried it?

I have no experience, but was under the impression that purple mangosteen does not require pollination to set fruit, though most other Garcinias do.

Yes Kevin is correct, purple mangosteen doesn't require pollination. All the plants are female, they have totally done away with males, and can still produce fruit. Please don't tell the woman's liberation movement about this! 

I know... I read up on them. very weird plants. But could you create a hybrid, as mangosteens produce fruit from the cell wall of the ovary without male pollination. So what would happen if you gave it male pollen from a different species? Would it be compatible? And don't worry, Oscar. I will not tell them. 

At least I think it is from earth. I know what a baobab is, but nothing about it. I have heard that a baobab has a tan, hardshelled fruit that needs a chainsaw to open, but I also heard that it has a purple, thinskinned fruit that you can eat out of hand. I have heard that they mature in three years, but I have also heard that they take five hundred years. If anybody is growing this and knows a thing or two about it, please tell me. This is mine, which is serious competition growth wise for cacao (they are related, I know that).

Could this plant, the guajilote, a.k.a the candle tree (parmentiera edulis), make for a good sugar replacement? This plant of the Bignoniacea (trumpet flower, sausage fruit) family, has a fruit 6-12" long and 1-2" wide, which is described as having a taste reminiscent of sweet peppers and sugarcane. It has a very high sugar content, which is fermentable, and when the dried fruit is ground, can be used just like sugar. It has been in a number of scientific studies and lowers blood sugar as it has a low glycemic index. So perhaps it is more than a sugar replacement, it is actually good for you. It can also be pickled. It is thought that it was the food of the giant sloth, as the seeds grow best when the whole fruit is ingested, but even without the extinct sloth, the plant can be very weedy. The blooms are large, pink and white to green, with a trumpet-like shape and are cauliflory, growing from the rough and lightly colored bark. The leaves are serrated and lobed, with the plus of being evergreen. The seeds are flat, and seed leaves are heart shaped, like a radish. The plants are hardy to 32 degrees fahrenhight for a brief period of time, but can only stand 40 degree for extended periods of time. The like lots of water, full sun, and can grow up to 30 feet, although usually staying 10-15 feet, feet with proper trimming, and does good in a container.