The Tropical Fruit Forum

Thanks Kaz for providing fresh, healthy mulberry cuttings! In the previous order, I’ll give you an update...

The Black Pakistan cuttings were rooted. No leaf growth yet, but I did the scratch test on the bark and most are still green.

The Red Himalayans were grafted. To my surprise, most are still green and a couple of leaf buds on a few cuttings are showing signs of growth.

Now the bummer part. Not sure if it has to do with rootstock and scion compatibility issues or my grafting technique, but already many Australian Green grafts have dried out. It appears Australian Green variety is even more finicky at grafting than the White Shahtoot variety. I think I would like to try a few more Australian Green cuttings and, hopefully, I can get that bad boy to graft successfully...

Yeah in Asia the tiny, wrinkly seeds are usually referred to as chicken tongues due to the resemblance. Anyhow, from what I can tell from the description it appears to bear some resemblance to Kohala longans, with a crop having a mixture of regular and chicken tongue seeds and tends toward alternate bearing...Its fruits are also quite delicious!

Can you give me some of the merits of the Sakip longan?
I’m looking for varieties with a good number of fruits with “chicken tongue” seeds and also high productivity is a plus. Land is at a premium so if I’m going through the trouble of watering, weeding, and feeding, just need to know I’m getting a decent return for my investment, thanks!

I may want to get some achacha selecto seeds.
What about “Singapore” jack fruit, is it the crunchy type or is it the chewy type?
I’m a big fan of crunchy jackfruits with few latex...

Don’t you just love mulberries?!?
They are able to be grafted onto each other quite easily. Wish more fruit trees are that compatible...

I've had way better success just planting the seeds, endocarp and all, and letting them go through winter outside and sprout in late spring.

I agree...Sometimes the best way to plant a rare, stubborn seed is to just plant it in the ground, keep it relatively moist, and give it some time and be patient. Like most expensive wine require time and patience to get to that desirable level,  so do difficult seeds. Give nature a chance to give it a nudge and wake it up! Our fast paced society wants it bigger, faster, and stronger. But I think nature takes her own time!.

We are out of space and cannot add anymore trees.

Yup, when some people are fine at paying $2500 a month for an itsy bitsy studio apartment in NYC, us fruit enthusiasts would prefer to be out and about enjoying the pristine air of the great outdoor. A reasonable number of us are also looking for more land to feed our seemingly endless desire for fruit tree varieties...👍😁

Thank you for the link to your video Benjamin. I see your place received some much needed rain. Well I’m happy to say that my area had just received some much needed rain too. 2+ months of hot, muggy weather without hardly any actual rain in the forecast can make you ask the question of why have a garden in the first place. But when the rain finally arrives and the temperature begins to somewhat moderate and you finally got the chance to pick a 1.5 pound Thai giant guava, then you’ll remember why it’s worth it...

Received some awesome fresh ilama seeds; I feel there will be a decent germination rate in this batch. Great seller, thanks!!

Wanted to say that after talking with many people and doing trials myself, I now come to the conclusion that yangmei will do well in zones 8 and up. Now I don't know the max though as chill hours seem to be required. I know many people who are hesitant to try yangmei down in south FL and PR as the lack of chill hours may be a problem. Now, there are many cultivars, so I think it's only a matter of time till we find one that does well in tropical climates.

Since yangmei is historically native to the Southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi, near Vietnam, and interestingly enough, those provinces also happen to be the native habitats of the venerable lychee! So what am I trying to get here? Since lychee trees are known to grow and fruit in some areas of South Florida, I think it’s only a matter of time when yangmei will begin to adapt to the South Florida climate like their next door neighbor, the lychee...

Ha, at first glance I thought they were small bananas!
Nice looking inga beans btw...

Chempedak is the stinky cousin of the jackfruit. If you like durian, as I tend to, you could possibly fall in love with its special funky aroma, lol.

Unfortunately, from personal experience, a chempedak seedling is one of the most difficult tropical plants to grow in a subtropical climate. I had personally seen the leaves begin to wilt at just the slightest dip of the mercury to the mid 50s (F). And if that weakness alone isn’t enough, it is also highly prone to root rot. The growing medium should be an above average well draining mix to even have a chance at growing that ultra tropical. On the flip side, like its hardier cousin the jackfruit, fruiting can take as little as 5-7 years. There are even rumors of seedlings in prime condition beginning to flower in 3-4 years...