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Messages - zands

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76
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Winter weather Florida..so far so good
« on: January 06, 2018, 11:41:26 AM »
Quote from: Orkine on January 06, 2018, 11:28:08 AM
Quote from: Carbo on January 01, 2018, 10:55:23 AM
I don't care what the weather psychics are saying,  there isn't a chance that the temp in central Broward County breaks below 40.  If you believe that I have a bridge for sale. . .

Curious how low it got in Central Broward?
With the Water Conservation areas full, they should keep your temperatures up a couple of degrees.

We got to the mid 30s (35/36 in the Jupiter area.  Were your at about 45? or did it drop lower?

The best I could do or find for central broward was the temps at the Miccosukee Indian reservation https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/@4164256/historic

Low was 45 degrees. You look right about all the water in the conservation areas moderating the temperature. This was 8 degrees warmer than 33321/Tamarac in Broward which is 10 miles west of the Atlantic ocean. Miccosukee Indian reservation must be what? 60 miles west of the ocean?

77
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What is a productive mango to graft onto my ataulfo rootstock?
« on: January 06, 2018, 11:29:23 AM »
Quote from: simon_grow on January 06, 2018, 10:19:35 AM
I would pick Sweet Tart over Maha. Maha is a good mango but Sweet start is excellent.
Simon
Never ate a Maha but don't people rate it very high on the taste scale? I have seen them on the tree and they are the most exotic looking mango. Also off tree and given to people it will impress them greatly. We all want-like congratulations and ego boosts. Sweet Tart frui looks like a nothing.
So just to make your choice more difficult I am throwing this into the hopper.

You could grow it as a Maha Chanok on yr ataulfo rootstock and graft sweet tart onto same tree later. This would be quite a combination.

78
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Making changes after this freeze
« on: January 06, 2018, 09:27:23 AM »
Quote from: achetadomestica on January 05, 2018, 08:32:39 PM
I also have tortoises and I have to deal with them. Hopefully this is the last night below 40F, but the
last few years the coldest nights have been mid January to mid February? The Earth is 4.54 billion years old, after 3 years of data I can't
predict crap

Peak winter is January 20th or so. One month after the winter solstice which is the darkest day with the least daylight hours. This is similar to the hottest time of day not being when the sun is highest in the sky (~noon) but one hour afterwards and in the hours after that.

So I agree with your mid-January to mid-February being the coldest days and nights or at least having the most potential to be the coldest.

79
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Winter weather Florida..so far so good
« on: January 06, 2018, 09:12:29 AM »
My guarana plant leaves have not been burned off or destroyed by our 37 degree lows which is amazing. I thought guarana was too tropical to survive this well.
Some mango trees are showing signs of budding out. Carrie and Nam Doc Mai, Pina Colada, Gold Nugget are in the lead.

The cold winter of 2010-2011 was followed by a v poor mango production season. Hopefully no 2018 repeat of poor production. My theory was too many pollinating insects were killed by cold. One morning it was 27 degrees and had ice on my car windshield I had to scrape off.
It is very dry outside. Be sure to water your potted plants outside.

>>>>Less budding on sweet tart mango. Brogdan avocado is budding though maybe into new growth. Remains to be seen

80
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Chilly Florida AM
« on: January 06, 2018, 08:57:26 AM »
Quote from: palmcity on January 05, 2018, 06:38:30 PM
Quote from: zands on January 04, 2018, 05:04:08 PM
So cold that the green iguanas are falling off the trees they like to climb. They stiffen up and fall off. Also so cold the birds are wearing little mittens to pull worms out of the ground.

Only a few invasive iguana that i've seen in Martin County but they have reached this far north and I am not pleased with my little lizards being eaten by the bigger faster iguana. Also, the possibility of eating mango when bigger leads me to desiring there removal.

You tube has some cleaning and cooking videos if you can get them while stunned by the cold for easy removal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM6sJsb1jJs How to clean... Very graphic video if unable to gut a fish... etc.... do not watch this....

In 33321 we have had larger curly tail lizards drive out the smaller ones over a five year period. That was a gruesome video of skinning an iguana for gringos to eat and to amuse n entertain them. I heard gringo voices in English in the background. I will pass on eating iguana until I am ship wrecked on a tropical island. But I would eat them.

Gutting fish...I do not mind. Gutted large frozen sardines last week that I bought at Broward Meat and Fish. Eaten as sashimi.

81
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fast growth rate megathread
« on: January 06, 2018, 08:50:49 AM »
My 2¢ worth on bananas. First banana I planted took two years to make fruits. To produce quicker and more consistently I would plant 3-5 bananas together to try to form a banana mat quicker. One or two varieties planted together......3-5 of them 15" apart Then for results you can wait for...then plant other varieties by themselves in three gallon pots or 5 gallon buckets are better, more room for roots. Just one banana plant is OK but will take longer to fruit. Bananas create that tropical look that you want for Iceland that will get you ooohs and aaahhhs and bit coin donations. Iceland is one of top bit coin miners.  (lulz)

Anyone who does not know what a banana mat is go look it up. Creating that banana mat quickly is key to faster fruiting results. Bananas love to be part of a communal banana mat and put out new pups.

For faster banana liftoff plant some close together.

82
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Chilly Florida AM
« on: January 05, 2018, 09:23:54 AM »
Quote from: BohicaBob on January 04, 2018, 10:10:58 PM
It's so cold the birds hope to get warm on my cats ...  :-[

Napping cats are solar collection devices that can warm up birds. Garden ornament cats are an unknown.

83
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Chilly Florida AM
« on: January 04, 2018, 05:04:08 PM »
So cold that the green iguanas are falling off the trees they like to climb. They stiffen up and fall off. Also so cold the birds are wearing little mittens to pull worms out of the ground.

84
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fig vs Loquat, which deserves the sunny spot in my yard?
« on: January 04, 2018, 10:28:55 AM »
Quote from: Tropheus76 on January 04, 2018, 07:53:05 AM
Going to have to try that fig in a bucket trick when I get back to the world next year. I never thought about it but my ingrounds die off pretty rapidly while my potted does great until its roots go through the bottom of the pot and into the top soil, then I notice a decline. Really weird since my neighbor back in GA lives on a very rich soil island and has a garden most of us would be jealous of and he has a row of in ground figs that are huge and spread out.
Lots of YouTube videos on container figs and a few on 5 gallon bucket figs

85
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Last minute cold prep SE FL
« on: January 03, 2018, 05:51:36 PM »
consider heaping up dirt woods chips or anything at the base of trees and above the graft line so that if worse comes to worse the trees can sprout back and live again. Heaped up material will protect again wind chill. Then remove this heaped material as the sun heats things up tomorrow.

86
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fig vs Loquat, which deserves the sunny spot in my yard?
« on: January 03, 2018, 04:50:24 PM »
Quote from: ExpertPruning.com on January 02, 2018, 09:54:56 PM
I've heard that fig trees do not fruit as heavily when planted in the ground. Something about their roots being restricted in a pot triggers their fruiting. Is this true? And given that, should that sway me towards loquat?


These San Diego people can give you an answer about figs in containers. http://www.sdedible.org/fig-trees.html

If you plant loquat get one with highest flesh to seed ratio.

87
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fig vs Loquat, which deserves the sunny spot in my yard?
« on: January 03, 2018, 04:42:26 PM »
Quote from: sidney on January 02, 2018, 09:50:58 AM
I have added two LSU gold and two LSU purple this year and trying a method of planting I saw on YouTube planting them in a 5 gal. Bucket with the bottom cut out buried in the soil leaving a 1 inch lip. So far a few fruits but not tasty. Personally I would the figs over loquats any day.

I have grown desert rose in pot and in ground and in pot it does better. Plus people have told me this is the case. I hope to try that 5 gallon bucket method for figs. Will look for the youtube video. But I will not bury the pot more that a few inches so I can move it if I like. But will cut out the bottom. Figs seem to like growing confined. A few years ago I saw a few photos of a fig grower in Vancouver Canada with lots of fig varieties in 5 gal buckets. In ground too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ7w3DivukI

88
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Winter weather Florida..so far so good
« on: January 03, 2018, 12:49:56 PM »
Cold front blowing in this morning but 7° warmer than the prediction of four days ago.

89
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango tree Christmas lights
« on: January 02, 2018, 08:01:22 PM »
Quote from: Jani on December 30, 2017, 12:24:04 PM
Speaking about Christmas...Christmas trees good for mulching tropicals?

It will acidify a bit but will not conquer alkaline soil. Maybe a ton of chipped Christmas trees would move the needle a bit  towards acid.

90
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Winter weather Florida..so far so good
« on: January 02, 2018, 07:51:50 PM »
I am putting in one caution. Today is rainy but before this we had minimal rain for 4-5 weeks. Despite this the morning dew has been heavy. This dew is what can promote fungus in mango panicles. We need less dew and more cold fronts...at least we have one coming in tonight.

On the other hand my lawn loves the dew that has kept it green in the absence of rain so I have a lawn vs mango production conflict.

91
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fig vs Loquat, which deserves the sunny spot in my yard?
« on: January 02, 2018, 07:46:55 PM »
Quote from: ExpertPruning.com on January 02, 2018, 04:25:16 PM
I'm in San Diego, 5 miles inland. I'm in zone 10a
I would grow fig. You have the dry weather they like and that concentrates their sweetness and flavor.
Loquat is also good but only if its a variety with high flesh to seed ratio and is a prime variety in other respects. For loquat I  would visit a Chinese or Asian owned nursery. They might have some excellent varieties from Taiwan China etc.

92
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fig vs Loquat, which deserves the sunny spot in my yard?
« on: January 02, 2018, 02:24:10 PM »
Quote from: ExpertPruning.com on December 29, 2017, 09:04:33 PM
.
Do you plan on saying thanks to those who have given you advice?
I would say something about fig vs loquat but have no idea where the f you are in California which has a million different climates. I see that all people replying to you have their locations listed.

93
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Possible Snow in Central Florida?
« on: December 30, 2017, 07:10:56 PM »
for what it is worth: A 33 degree low on Jan 4th


94
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Mango tree Christmas lights
« on: December 30, 2017, 10:11:04 AM »
Hung on a tree in my front yard.  Cold white LEDs. 20 meter string by 200 leds. I will probably order more for next year.









-

95
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Growing fruit trees in pots
« on: December 22, 2017, 10:24:00 AM »
 Thanks for all the advice. I am going to try drilling many holes on the bottom and fewer holes on the sides. I like Cassio idea with expanded clay on the bottom. Many times at nurseries you see older trees in pots that do not branch out enough and are not leafy. The test of pot culture is to have your fruit trees nice and leafy.

I never thought of root pruning but this seems essential. I have an avocado tree in an unfortunate location that I will put in a pot next spring. This tree has grown back beautifully after being scalped down at ground level. I scalped due to HOA pressure. So get it into a pot and see how this root stock tree does.



https://imgur.com/a/n8Z8Z
Anyone know what the most likely root stock is? It had a Pine Island nursery tag.

My soil is too alkaline for citrus. I am going to get some ph neutral soil and try Persian limes or pink grapefruit in a pot this spring

96
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Growing fruit trees in pots
« on: December 20, 2017, 10:10:45 AM »
  • Would drilling 1/8 inch holes in the bottom of the pot help drainage and other problems? I am talking hundreds of 1/8 inch holes.
    For more benefits -- How about doing the same to the sides? For aeration and drainage.
  • Any real good and tested soil mixes for avocado and citrus?

97
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Forum no longer sending email notification on new PMs
« on: December 16, 2017, 06:24:00 PM »
Thanks CM for straightening out the email notification in time for the growing season!

98
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango bloom one mile from my house.
« on: December 15, 2017, 06:37:18 AM »
Quote from: simon_grow on December 14, 2017, 10:50:15 AM
Nice blooms onthat one part of the mango tree. I’ve never seen guarana before, do you make a drink with it? There’s caffeine in the plant IIRC.

Simon

You use as much guarana powder as coffee.
To experiment w guarana buy 4-8oz on ebay. Amazon might be reasonable too? Guarana capsules are a total rip-off.

99
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango bloom one mile from my house.
« on: December 15, 2017, 06:33:28 AM »
Quote from: KarenRei on December 14, 2017, 04:27:50 PM
Lol, looked at the pictures before reading your description.  I was trying to figure out the words for how to break it to you that those were guaraná and that mangoes look nothing like that  ;)

AFAIK, they're processed just like coffee.  Remove the skin, thoroughly dry, dry roast (but don't burn), and grind in a coffee grinder.  If there's another way to eat it, I don't know about it.

I have bought guarana seed and ground it up in a Krupp's grinder. Did not bother roasting it. You simmer it in water and its about as strong as coffee. Black coffee tastes better but guarana's caffeine stimulation is smoother.

100
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Overmulching?
« on: December 15, 2017, 06:26:51 AM »
I have over mulched in soggy Florida. Really over doing will cut off O2 here. I have not done this so far but I do see thinner/minor tree roots growing upward into the mulch layer after many years.

In your dry climate it will be very difficult to deprive tree roots and soil of O2 via too much mulch. So get as much tree chips as you can. ALSO away from your trees, You can also pile it up and let it rot for a while like a compost pile.

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