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Messages - FruitFreak

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1
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help slow release fertilizer.
« on: April 02, 2018, 09:42:09 PM »
Quote from: Cookie Monster on April 02, 2018, 11:51:00 AM
That's funny. I bought 2 bags myself at the 14 mark 2 weeks ago. I think they must have some sort of algorithm to increase price based on demand. Many of the folks reading this thread must have kicked the pricing algorithm into high demand mode. It was an awesome price at 14 bux.

As for minor element mixes, Helena's 0-0-6 is the best of any I've found. It's around $30 per 50 pound bag, but has an awesome micros package, with something like 14% iron.

Do you know of any OMRI minor element granule?

2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: best setup for growing passion fruit
« on: April 02, 2018, 08:51:03 PM »
I've been contemplating a multi-purpose trellis design and keep coming back to a traditional T trellis with posts spaced at 16'.  The 5' wide horizontal T's would be threaded with 1/8" galvanized aircraft cable (one on each side of the T) to a turnbuckle to earth anchor.  Grape and passion fruit vines could be grown in between the posts and cordons trained horizontally.  If both outsides cables are used two rows could essentially be grown on the same trellis.  I wonder if the inside shading would be a big deal?

3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango tree pruning gone wild
« on: March 27, 2018, 03:45:22 PM »
Would like to see pictures of the whole tree.  I cant see that prune helping your fruit set if your trying to fruit.  Otherwise it looks like a fairly good job imo although I would be inclined to remove those stubs around the knobs and definitely the panicle branch...  Definitely curious to see the entire tree in relation to your prune. 

4
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: First Mangos of 2018
« on: March 26, 2018, 04:09:42 PM »
Yes!

5
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: WANTED: White Sapote Tree 7g+
« on: March 26, 2018, 10:19:04 AM »
Did you have any luck at Lara?  Id like to pickup the same varieties.  Thanks.

6
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fabric pots opinion?
« on: March 22, 2018, 04:08:32 PM »
Quote from: waxy on March 22, 2018, 02:00:47 PM
I've used them and wasn't a big fan.

Pros
- Easy to store
- Great for air pruning
- Pack into tight spaces
- Encourages quicker root growth

Cons
- Twice the amount of saturation is needed
- Dries up much quicker since it vented all around
- Cannot stand on it
- Cannot stack
- Mold issues
- Clogged

If you live in drier areas and wind (San Jose), I would try it out first before you throw all your eggs in the same basket.

Those problems would arise from using the wrong medium/mix and not irrigating consistently/enough?  Why would you ever stand on your pots?  I knew a woman in Coral Springs who had been fruiting mango trees in 30gallon fabric pots for 6yrs.  She had a couple dozen scattered around the backyard and only watered them every 2-3 days with a hose and they looked fantastic.  If the wrong mix is used with any type of container problems can occur. 

Other advantages:
  • Can be sterilized and washed easily
  • Can be folded and stored neatly in totes for later use
  • Depending on the quality of plastic, fabric can last much longer
  • Not only quicker root growth but much, much, healthier root mass

7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fabric pots opinion?
« on: March 22, 2018, 09:21:02 AM »
Quote from: roblack on March 21, 2018, 09:29:38 PM
fabric pots are great for growing, but they don't look as good as other pots, which usually doesn't matter anyway. Need to be filled properly, can't partially fill them like a solid pot or they fold in.

As you can tell from other threads I'm a big advocate of fabric pots after seeing actual results.  One thing I have learned is its always better to go ahead and utilize the entire pot rather than fill one partially.  This prevents you from having to do double work on a single pot and its less stressful for the tree.  As far as fabric pots are concerned, all fabric pots are not equal.  material and construction varies considerably between different manufacturers/models.  If you go with the GroPro tan "premium" pots they do not fold-in.  Once again you get what you pay for.

8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Starting a new pineapple from the top of a supermarket pineapple
« on: March 22, 2018, 09:09:07 AM »
Quote from: pineislander on March 22, 2018, 07:10:56 AM
Has anyone tried stripping the leaves off a mature pineapple plant, cutting the trunk into 1" pieces and germinating these in nursery conditions?
This old 1955 article says you might get up to 100 plants.
http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/view/101699/97643


Haven't tried that but I do know that you can quarter a single top and get 4 pineapple plants from one top.  The only drawback is they take longer to grow back to size.

9
Tropical Fruit Discussion / NFF - night walk mango pics
« on: March 22, 2018, 01:14:52 AM »
Mango - Spirit of 76












Mango - Rosigold












Mango - Maha Chanok














Mango - Ice Cream
















Mango - Cogshall






Mango - Pickering










Mango - Angie (pushing through internal dieback)



10
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fabric pots opinion?
« on: March 21, 2018, 04:16:19 PM »
I have used hundreds of fabric pots for outdoor nursery applications and they performed amazing.  The trees surely appreciated the switch from conventional plastic nursery pots.  In this era, simple/cheap above ground irrigation from a hose bib with tubing and low flow emitters is a no brainer.  Black plastic pots definitely dried out much faster than any fabric pots with greater detriment to the roots.  I used tan colored gro pro's from 15-65 gallon and I would say they are best bet if exposed to direct sun.

11
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help slow release fertilizer.
« on: March 21, 2018, 10:11:44 AM »
For conventional, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Osmocote 15-9-12 (Everris).  Only having to apply twice a year is really nice.  I used the 8-9 month slow release and it worked great.

I'm still trying to find an OMRI slow release product with no luck.

12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango Tree Problems. Please help!
« on: March 17, 2018, 07:33:03 PM »
Quote from: chad6159 on March 17, 2018, 04:41:03 PM
Yeah I thought it could be anthracnose and that is why I have started spraying neem oil. Does anyone else know a good treatment for it?

I really want to trim this tree back since it has a few dead branches and it is not full. So I don't want to really treat it and then just prune it back far. That seems like a waste of time treating it to me. But what do I know?

Would it be okay to prune it and how far back should I prune it?

This post should really be in the mango disease thread.  I see bacterial black spot on the leaves and possibly powdery mildew on the panicles.  Anthracnose is a fungus and a more effective treatment should include a fungicide like copper.

13
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Plinia sp. Peluda de Alagoas, an early bearing variety of Jaboticaba (Grimal)
« on: March 14, 2018, 09:28:03 PM »
Quote from: FlyingFoxFruits on July 11, 2016, 06:43:39 PM
I recently transplanted some Grimal Jabuticaba trees from 15 gal, into heavy duty 25 gal pots with reservoirs built in at the base.

some of the trees have light crops, and some are bare...but one is going crazy..(this is the 3rd crop this year...one was light, one was heavy)

Admittedly, I have been over-watering them...although the trees don't mind, the fruits will split when they are close to maturity. 

You can see the minerals from the water on the skin of the fruits, making them look chalky. 










Adam.  Do you still have this tree? or fruiting Grimal?

14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Which mexican avocado tastes most like a California Hass?
« on: March 14, 2018, 09:25:33 PM »
Quote from: Mark in Texas on March 14, 2018, 08:32:43 AM
Quote from: Coach62 on March 13, 2018, 12:04:16 PM
I have an ON also, and I like it, but I have trouble figuring out when to pick it.  Some that look good didn't ever ripen / soften.  What is the best way to determine when they are ripe.  This is my second year with the tree, last year it was young and I only let it keep a handful of fruit.  This year it's blooming like crazy.

Thanks!

Bruce

Leave it hanging for a couple of weeks or a month after they turn black on the tree, then test one.  If it shrivels on the counter and never goes soft, then you picked it too soon.   The skin should lose some or all of its gloss.

March 2, 2017



March blossoms with fruit:



Nice.  Are those ON?

15
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Homstead / Redlands - Need help with mulch, hole digging for fruit trees
« on: March 12, 2018, 09:25:52 AM »
Quote from: Frog Valley Farm on March 11, 2018, 07:03:10 AM
OMG, there’s no soil.  I am so glad that has not been our experience.  Dealing with soil settling in the trenches would also be a major obstacle.  I would have cried and just moved to Hawaii.

Pineislander is that what you are dealing with?  The 7-10 hours a day I spend on my young 700 tree grove is just on maintenance like foliar spraying, weeding and mowing, adding other various inputs.  I planted by myself all of our trees, about 50 trees per day (1400 total), with a shovel.  While we were in the planting stage.  Unfortunately getting USDA organic trees is impossible so we cannot plant anything  conventional during this final stretch at acquiring our certification by thee end of the year.

Hi Eric.  Common nursery stock can be considered "Organic" after one year.  Why are you waiting, just curious? 

16
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Greenhouse, RootMaker pots for tropicals and fruit "porn"
« on: March 09, 2018, 08:49:27 AM »
Quote from: Mark in Texas on March 09, 2018, 08:13:30 AM
I expanded the Reed avocado pot yesterday to a whopping 100 Gallon!  Here's the step by step blow.
 
Mixed and transported soil to the greenhouse using my tractor.  Used almost the entire bucket on the pot expansion.  Soil is washed builder's sand, perlite, vermiculite, compost, blood meal, pine bark.  No measuring, just dump and mix.



Popped the cable ties and cut a longer set of panels for expansion.  Notice no root spin out, the pot works as designed creating a fibrous, very efficient root system.



The "new" pot is back filled half way now, notice the exposed fine white roots when the wall collapsed a bit.  Very healthy roots!



Backfilled and mulched.  This (recovering) Reed, now coming out of its shock after taking 18F for a few hours, should grow with a vengeance.  It is pushing green all over the stubs.



Wow those pots are awesome along with those roots!  More roots = More cados :)

17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Time to water?
« on: March 08, 2018, 06:59:33 AM »
Good thread!  Frequent irrigation is helping my younger trees survive all of the stresses they have incurred in the last 6months.  Everything has been about survival.  I’m still trying to select the best water delivery method as the importance of targeted deep irrigation seems to be a factor.  Current delivery method is spot spitters/shrubblers (because we had them) for 1hr every other day.  Our soil is sand and we are still piling on the mulch.  A TWC rep recently dropped off a new dripper product that looks promising.  I must concur in our sandy soil that frequent long period waterings is the single most important thing I have done for my young trees (1-3yrs).  They are flushing and blooming like crazy, lots of healthy green leaves.  It makes total sense that supplemental irrigation (as needed) during dry periods would be optimal for tree health, yield and quality.

18
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Drip irrigation over, under or through the mulch?
« on: March 07, 2018, 01:50:21 PM »
Quote from: TheWaterbug on March 07, 2018, 01:02:24 AM
Quote from: FruitFreak on March 06, 2018, 04:56:14 PM
Im using shrubblers and spot spitters just because I have the materials but would prefer something that will promote a healthy root trajectory.  Also big big benefits of precise drip is weed mitigation and if you want to fertigate


Yup! I use drippers for my vegetables for these two reasons.


I've also started experimenting with spot spitters. One nice feature of the Primerus spot spitters is that you can reverse them and plug your 1/8" hose if you move/remove/lose a plant, and then reverse it again to turn it back on when you need it again.

Im pretty familiar with spot spitters and they are very useful for container or nursery applications however I'm considering replacing most of mine in the orchard.  They install with ease however they get clogged all the time (even with a filter at the manifold).  They are not the best option for deep watering of planted trees.  Most of the water is lost to wind and evaporation.  If the "spot spitter" concept is what youre looking for I would seriously suggest using Maxijet nursery pot stakes.  They are a much better design and have a stop plug.  FYI spot spitters at my local irrigation supply house are about $20 for 100 blacks.

19
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Relative size between six mango varieties
« on: March 06, 2018, 08:06:55 PM »
Quote from: Cookie Monster on March 06, 2018, 07:58:11 PM
I don't have cotton candy or peach cobbler, but the other four would be in this order (most vigorous at top):

Lemon Zest - Upright and vigorous
Sweet Tart - Upright and semi-vigorous.
Carrie - Wide and dense. A fairly vigorous grower.
Mahachanok - Reasonably tame. Seems to have a sparse growth habit.

Quote from: pineislander on March 06, 2018, 07:39:03 PM
I'm planning a mango grove with multiple trees of several varieties and need to know the relative growth habits between them. I'm trying to determine which may be more or less vigorous or would need more or less space.
These will be grown in full sun conditions so if you have experience with these please let me know from smallest to largest.

Carrie
Mahachanok
Sweet Tart
Lemon Zest
Cotton Candy
Peach Cobbler

Jeffs descriptions are perfectly inline with what I have noticed in the short time Ive been growing these varieties.

20
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Drip irrigation over, under or through the mulch?
« on: March 06, 2018, 04:56:14 PM »
Quote from: Cookie Monster on February 19, 2018, 05:36:17 PM
The micro sprayers always clog up. I guess a filter might help. At any rate, I've had much better luck with drippers.

Hey Cook.  When you get a moment could you post the dripper spec you prefer?  Im using shrubblers and spot spitters just because I have the materials but would prefer something that will promote a healthy root trajectory.  Also big big benefits of precise drip is weed mitigation and if you want to fertigate

21
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Are pineapples really this heavy feeders?
« on: March 06, 2018, 04:53:02 PM »
Quote from: KarenRei on March 06, 2018, 12:48:55 PM
Quote from: FruitFreak on March 06, 2018, 11:33:55 AM
IMO even more important than supplemental nutrients is providing them with a nutrient rich organic medium with consistent supply of moisture.  I've been placing twisties directly in mulch and they are starting to look really good.  How the fruit turns out remains to be seen.

My understanding is that pineapples are obsessed with good drainage, which would run contrary to a rich organic medium that stays constantly wet.

Your understanding is correct that pineapples enjoy well drained soil.  They seem to be almost like pitaya being that they can handle very dry but seem to thrive with a consistent moisture.  There is also a fine line when it comes to watering all plants and trees.  Mine get 1hr of rotary overhead each day and are doing great.  Happy with the results of growing them in mulch so far but am curious to see how the fruit will taste.

22
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Are pineapples really this heavy feeders?
« on: March 06, 2018, 11:33:55 AM »
IMO even more important than supplemental nutrients is providing them with a nutrient rich organic medium with consistent supply of moisture.  I've been placing twisties directly in mulch and they are starting to look really good.  How the fruit turns out remains to be seen.

23
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Cacao Tree Loaded with Pods
« on: March 06, 2018, 11:29:27 AM »
Quote from: FloridaGreenMan on March 05, 2018, 09:31:28 PM
Cacao will fruit outdoors in Florida, even in pots...





Wow.  That is amazing in the container.  Can you tell me what variety that is and where can someone purchase a tree in SFL?

24
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mango Tree - Gummosis
« on: March 05, 2018, 04:01:31 PM »
Quote from: FreshOne on March 05, 2018, 01:03:06 AM


Can anyone identify what's causing the leaves to turn yellow?

If there are not any pests causing the leaves to look like that, then the tree is probably deficient from roots not up taking nutrients.  Pests tend to find unhealthy hosts in decline.  Is your soil too wet or too dry? What is that white paint on the trunk?  With that much bark dieback on such a young tree I would just replace it with a healthy one and move on.  How much sunlight does it get?

25
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Cacao Tree Loaded with Pods
« on: March 05, 2018, 03:54:53 PM »
Stunning.

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