Does anyone have experience topworking a Jackfruit tree?  I have 4 seedling jackfruit trees.  Two have borne fruit that wasn't very sweet, so in a year or two I may be topworking them. 

I asked Chris Rollins about it.  In simplified terms, he suggested stumping it.  Then culling the shoots that grow out to get preferred shoots.  Graft on the the preferred shoots. 

I have a Borneo Red, Bangkok Lemon, Mai 2, J-31, Papi, Fairchild Sweet, and Blackgold trees to serve as budwood.

A number of fruit nurseries/organizations have new varieties of jackfruit (Excalibur, Fairchild, Pine Island, and Lara Farms).  I am preparing an objective taste test and would appreciate feedback to help ensure an objective tasting.  This is the initial planning stage, so many things may change.  I intend to invite each of the RFC's in the region (including central FL) to send two tasters; if you are interested in participating as a taster, please contact your local RFC.  We would need volunteers to clean the jackfruit as well and they would get to taste the jackfruit as well.  I am looking for comments on evaluation criteria, improving the methodology, etc.  We plan on photographing the trees with the fruit.  Photographing and weighing the fruit.  The tasting would be setup, so each organization participating would get some value from participating in the event. 

Blind Tasting

Place pieces of cut jackfruit on numbered plates on a long table.  The number should be stapled to the plate to prevent mix-ups.  Each taster will eat soda cracker and drink water to cleanse the palate between each tasting.  The tasters will be divided into three groups, with one group starting on the front to the table, another group starting at the middle of the table and the last group starting at the end of the table.  The jackfruit would be tasted fresh and frozen.  The frozen tasting would be at the end of the jackfruit season with all of the varieties.  The tasters would do their taste test and after recording their ratings, then the growers/propagators would do their own taste test under similar conditions. 

Tasters

Each RFC and participating organization can provide up to 2 tasters (# could be increased depending on interest).  The tasters must like jackfruit to be eligible.  To ensure objectivity, the tasters cannot have any affiliation with a nursery that propagates Jackfruit.  Involving various organizations will help to ensure impartiality and credibility.

Growers / Propagators tasting

An identical, second set of plates would be created for the jackfruit growers/propagators conduct a blind taste test as well.  This would allow jackfruit growers/propagators to evaluate their competition.  The idea is to create value for the growers/propagators.

Tasting Events

Jackfruit is a relatively long season, so there will be two or three tastings during the season.  A portion of each jackfruit will be frozen and tasted at the end of jackfruit season.

Possible Evaluation Criteria

Taste
Texture
Taste after being frozen
Amount of latex - ease of cleaning
Tree Productivity
Color - would be noted, but not affect ratings.
Seed count

Again, this is in the planning stage, so a lot can change based on developments.  Thoughts? 

"Mango Baller" = person with 50+ lbs of mangoes in their kitchen.  Any ideas on how to process large quantities of mangoes for freezing?  I want to eat mango in December.

I started freezing whole mangoes.  You can peel it and eat it as it is defrosting.  I froze about 20 whole mangoes, but they take up a lot of space.  I am currently peeling and then freezing a bunch of mangoes, but it is a lot of work.  I am trying to keep them organized by variety, but I have about eight varieties at this time of year plus figuring out which are ripe, overripe, etc.   Dehydrator is currently reserved for a bananas.

A generic Glyphosate label states, "This product is a foliar applied plant growth regulator to hasten ripening and increase the level of sucrose in sugarcane.  It is effective in both low and high tonnage sugarcane.  When applied as directed, under the conditions described, this product will hasten ripening and extend the period of high sucrose level in sugarcane."

See Section 8.9 Sugarcane:

http://tirmsdev.com/Loveland-Products-Inc-Makaze-Herbicide-p22270#.VvWi_fkrKUl

Could it be used to hasten the ripening of mangoes and increase sucrose levels in mangoes?  Spraying Glyphosate on my mango trees would not be my first thought for increasing sugar content.  I haven't tried it, but is anyone aware of any research for mangoes? 

I have some 99% pure copper sulfate powder to control anthranose on my mangoes.  What is the recommended dosage?  I plan on using a spreader sticker.  Thanks!

I found this article on 4-4-50 and 8-8-50 mixtures.  4 lbs copper, 4 lbs lime, and 50 gal water and 8 lbs copper, 8 lbs lime, and 50 gal water.   https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-69-w.pdf

This translates to about 0.67 to 1.33 tablespoon of CuSO4 per gallon.  Is this correct?

I had a few of my jackfruit on my Bangkok Lemon split when reaching ripeness.  Is this normal?

Recently I heard Tropical Storm Erika could be headed for south Florida and may reach hurricane status by then.  So I began thinking...what can I do to fertilize the trees in preparation for the hurricane?

I was thinking of applying fertilizer containing Nitrogen a few days before the storm, so that the trees have the nutrients to replace limbs/leaves already in its system.  Then another dose after the rain waters leave.  Thoughts? 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...this is the tale of three Pickering mangoes I had early this mango season.

The Good:  The first was properly ripened Pickering and was one of the best mangoes I have had so far this year.  It was sweet and creamy...it was very good.  The competition included:   Coconut Cream, Edward, Glenn, and Mahachanok (knocked off of the tree by my dog prematurely and counter ripened, not a fair test).  I may be eating my CC under ripe.

The Bad:  The second, was slightly under ripened.  It was hard and bland... just bad.  It was difficult to believe it was the same variety as the first mango.  Probably two days under-ripe, but it made a world of difference.  This helped me to understand why many members of the forum trash the Pickering.

The Ugly:  This was an over-ripe Pickering...skin was falling off, but I was curious.  It was nasty.

If your first Pickering experience was a disappointment, you might give it another try. 

My Bangkok Lemon Jack has two fruit about the size of a baseball.  The trees diameter is about 6" at the base; tree height about 12 feet.  About how long will it take the fruit to develop and ripen?

Farmers rotate crops to replace nutrients in the soil.  Has anyone tried that for fruit trees... rather than actually rotate crops, I was thinking of planting some ground covering near my fruit trees.  Thoughts?

Saturday, March 28, 2015 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

South Florida Fair Grounds Agriplex, 9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33411

Free Admission; free parking.
http://www.pbrarefruitcouncil.org/event-1807097

This is my Pineapple Pleasure Mango Tree 1-31-2015.  Does anyone have positive productivity reports on PP Mango?

The title says it all, has a light bloom of flowers, now forming very small mangos.  It was planted 3/24/2012, I'm debating on cutting the fruit off, to give the tree more energy to grow...