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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Citrus leaves problem, what can I do?
« on: March 29, 2012, 06:32:03 PM »
Thank you for the info!
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I began using Fafard's 3B mix, it seems to work really well and holds moisure nicely also. I attempted to switch to "The Gritty Mix", spent a small fortune massing the ingredients, and eventually found that it made my trees look like they were growing in a bag of gravel.. I guess it all depends on the future intentions of the grower, whether you plan to plant the tree out, or maintain it in a pot. Also, depending on how the mix is composed, you can create a lot of work for yourself by requiring more watering. I like the even distrubution of the Fafard mix when it comes to the transport of nutrients and watering.
I have a tree NewGen, it has a few fruits right now but cuttings would probably be better.
-Ethan
Check out this dwarf spondias (Amberella?) tree. This is the seedling variety that fruits in 2 years from seed here in FLA although probably fruit much faster than that in Hawaii.
Cherimoyas have always been expensive in California. I remember paying $5 a pound for them 25 years back, so considering inflation they have gone down in price! Here cherimoyas have always been cheap, about $3 a pounds, but hard to get and not available for very long.
Right now some prices here:
Mangos $1 a pound
Pulasans $2 a pound
Rambutan $1.25 a pound
Soursop 75 cents a pound
Jaboticaba 75 cents a pound
Jackfruit 50 cents a pound
Mangosteens $3 a pound
Durian $2 a pound
Lychee $1.50 a pound
just kidding! Tourism is down and i thought this might help to drive it up again. HAHA The only true price was the cherimoyas, they really are $3 a pound. Maybe i should start a new thread: Prices We Would Like to See?
Too bad my last 2 trips to the islands were in December, not a lot of fruits or flowers. Awesome nevertheless, I never get tired of the island, tropical environment. What's this "island fever" mainlanders keep referring to? 
IMHO, the key to most containerized plantings is to limit the water table in the pots by keeping the particle size large. That is why soil and compost are generally not recommended. The smaller the particle size, the higher the water table. The small particle size leads to a water table in the pot. Some plants (jaboticaba) will tolerate that, but many will not.
I generally use with a large particle mix which has as it's macroparticles 4 parts pine bark fines, one part perlite; for plants that like sharper drainage, turkey grit is added in ~two parts. I have started adding Turface in 2 parts to all of the other mixes. I can't say enough good things about Turface. It holds it's weight in water, and it doesn't break down. You can grow plants in straight Turface if you want.
Here in MO I've fruited, Surinam Cherry, bananas, lychee, various citrus, dragonfruit, jaboticaba, sugar apple, different guavas, mangoes, and I grow several others expectantly...
Doing a lot of experimenting on fruit trees in containers. I have a similar setup where I grow all my fruit trees in containers. I have been trying to figure out which fruits are high yield producers in a container compared to in ground.
So far what I gathered;
Fruiting cactus seem to do very well in a container environment. Cereus, Opuntia, Dragon Fruit, etc. I believe this has to do with large water/nutrient storage capacity of cactus cladodes.
Foliar spray seems to work out a lot better for nutrient delivery rather then root drench. This makes sense, since the root zone is restricted and leaves stomata are more efficient.
Water quality has a big effect in a container environment. Water with a high ph or excess salts/minerals can cause issues in a container plant quickly.
Soil mix is one of the most important elements to healthy fast growing trees. Fast draining ,with good aeration, and a decent amount of water retention are the main goals.
Hey Newgen,
I had the same problem with the soil at my place being so clay-like. So. everytime I cut the grass or there were lots of leaves to pick up, I would go over them with the lawn mower to pick. I would then dump all the grass and leaves I got from mowing onto the soil and then dig it in and turn it over into the soil. It works great. After a few times of doing this, the soil is no longer rock hard, it has a completely different composition, and you are recycling your green waste. Even ask your neighbors for their grass and leaf mower clippings; the more the better.
Again, you could just dump it on top, but I found I got better results by digging it in/burying it, as well as spreading it on top. You'll be surprised how quickly chopped up mowed grass and leaves decomposes. You'll get this wonderful black humus type material that is great for the soil. Within a few months, you'll have completely different soil. It does wonders for drainage as well. I'd leave the heavier yard clippings and green kitchen waste to compost bins though.
- Jacob
