Author Topic: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba  (Read 9493 times)

luc

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Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« on: July 21, 2012, 07:22:06 PM »
Although it is probably one of the more common Eugenias grown in the US I never had good luck keeping them alive ( no idea why ) I only have one plant left , doing good , and hoping for fruit soon , some report them fruiting very fast 2 - 3 years , is that correct ? Is this another sour one ?
My fasted fruiting Eugenia 1 year after planting the seed was Eugenia pitanga , the dwarf , only one fruit but still a performance....
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edself65

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2012, 07:28:23 PM »
Luc I managed to kill Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba 4 years in a row in Texas so I just gave up on it! I planted some seeds this year that are growing well! So I am hopeful again!

Ed

luc

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2012, 07:50:12 PM »
Hi Ed , another ' fast ' one is the E. itaguahiensis , 3 years . Similar to Grumichama with firmer flesh.
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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2012, 07:55:15 PM »
Luc I have 6  E. itaguahiensis seedlings! They are growing well for me! I think they will be a good one to fruit in containers!

Ed

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2012, 09:24:16 PM »
Hi Ed , another ' fast ' one is the E. itaguahiensis , 3 years . Similar to Grumichama with firmer flesh.

Isn't itaguahensis fruits very similar to brasilensis, but on a more dwarf plants?
Oscar

luc

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2012, 09:26:47 PM »
Yes Oscar , plant was 40 - 50 cm when it started to fruit.
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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2012, 09:28:31 PM »
I have one small pitomba from Alan Carle and have heard mixed messages about the quality of this fruit.I am very interested in hearing more about E.itaguahiensis.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2012, 09:34:47 PM »
Although it is probably one of the more common Eugenias grown in the US I never had good luck keeping them alive ( no idea why ) I only have one plant left , doing good , and hoping for fruit soon , some report them fruiting very fast 2 - 3 years , is that correct ? Is this another sour one ?
My fasted fruiting Eugenia 1 year after planting the seed was Eugenia pitanga , the dwarf , only one fruit but still a performance....

Hi Luc.......pitomba is not all that  common here in the States.  They do have a major problem with die back.  I have killed several.  Only one left that was planted years ago.  Its a worthwhile and non-sour fruit if you can keep the darn thing alive. Think of a  eugenia version of apricol as far as flavor. Of the ones I have tasted they seem to have all been roughly similar in flavor.  I am sure there is some variability in its native range.

Harry
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Tomas

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2012, 10:03:16 PM »
Hello

I thought pitomba was easy to grow. I haven't given mine any particular TLC and they are just as happy. Perhaps they are not tolerant to nematodes? I have all mine in pots so I don't know. I may do something right and I don't know about it.

Tomas

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2012, 10:32:35 PM »
Although it is probably one of the more common Eugenias grown in the US I never had good luck keeping them alive ( no idea why ) I only have one plant left , doing good , and hoping for fruit soon , some report them fruiting very fast 2 - 3 years , is that correct ? Is this another sour one ?
My fasted fruiting Eugenia 1 year after planting the seed was Eugenia pitanga , the dwarf , only one fruit but still a performance....

Hi Luc.......pitomba is not all that  common here in the States.  They do have a major problem with die back.  I have killed several.  Only one left that was planted years ago.  Its a worthwhile and non-sour fruit if you can keep the darn thing alive. Think of a  eugenia version of apricol as far as flavor. Of the ones I have tasted they seem to have all been roughly similar in flavor.  I am sure there is some variability in its native range.

Harry

Yes, i've tasted pitomba in Brazil and some trees were definitely better than others. I tasted them here also, a bit on the tart side. I think the jury is still out on this one. But i'm sure there are very good ones out there to be had.
Oscar

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2012, 11:38:07 PM »
I've killed many a plant myself still have two alive in tall tree pots and trying to keep them on the dry side. I have them in my greenhouse.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2012, 12:27:33 AM »
luc,

the only two reasons I could imagine would be high ph, or lack of irrigation.

I think these two factors contribute to die back of branches of both luschnathiana and involucrata.




Although it is probably one of the more common Eugenias grown in the US I never had good luck keeping them alive ( no idea why ) I only have one plant left , doing good , and hoping for fruit soon , some report them fruiting very fast 2 - 3 years , is that correct ? Is this another sour one ?
My fasted fruiting Eugenia 1 year after planting the seed was Eugenia pitanga , the dwarf , only one fruit but still a performance....
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Berto

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2012, 12:56:26 AM »
Luc,
In my opinion, pitombas are very fragrant and the taste is kind of acidic.  However, I can eat them out of hand.  As far as growing them, no problem.  I have a couple of them in very tall pots getting water every day.  They seems  as happy as ever, no dieback yet. They are easy to grow, and they also get fed at least once a month.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2012, 08:25:33 AM »
I've killed many a plant myself still have two alive in tall tree pots and trying to keep them on the dry side. I have them in my greenhouse.

Me too, my 18" tree if flowering, no fruit yet.  Very sparse as far as leaf density goes, kind of strange that way.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2012, 09:21:23 AM »
I'm also growing one, started as a small 1gal that was shipped from PIN. It's never looked all that great. Keeps dropping leaves as quick as new ones grow so it's only ever half full. But it do not water it often, maybe this is one I am actually under-watering.

-Luke

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2012, 09:34:22 AM »
enduser,

let the pitomba  become soft and fragrant...it will fall into your hand off the tree when ready...I noticed when I picked the full sized and fragrant fruits (from my tree from PIN)  I had to still pull it off the tree and it didn't just fall into my hand...the fruit could have ripened longer.

they will become an almost more lustrous and shiny orange color, the will be soft, juicy, and extremely fragrant...you may be able to pick them and let them ripen a day or so after  off the tree, this may sweeten the taste.

I hope you like it!  just don't eat it too early, or I think the flavor could be off-putting.

please let us know how it tastes...Looks like it's only a few more days away from ripe...and I think this is very late in the season...I had mine about 2 months ago!!  although it did try to flower again about the same time I harvested my first and only two fruits.

I got mine last year from PIN. When I saw this thread I decided to check on mine since it sits in the nursery area of my yard. To my complete surprise it has a single fruit growing on it. All that I have none with it is give it some peters 3x20 once a month if a remember. The nursery area is on a drip irrigation timer so the plant never gets dry. How do you know when it is ready to pick?



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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #16 on: July 22, 2012, 11:56:13 AM »
I get yearly dieback on my pitomba, but get more growth than dieback, at least so far.  I have amended the area around the pitomba with a huge amount of wood chips/oak leaves and found they responded very well to the high organic matter. 

Enduser-  I find that my CORG is great some years and not so much in others.  This year they were barely edible.  Last year they were extremely good, better than the grumichama.  I don't know why the variablity between years.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #17 on: July 22, 2012, 12:55:17 PM »
jb fla,

your statements seem to reinforce my theory about poor irrigation and alkalinity being factors in plant decline, and branch die back.

thanks for posting.

are you in South or central FL?

I get yearly dieback on my pitomba, but get more growth than dieback, at least so far.  I have amended the area around the pitomba with a huge amount of wood chips/oak leaves and found they responded very well to the high organic matter. 

Enduser-  I find that my CORG is great some years and not so much in others.  This year they were barely edible.  Last year they were extremely good, better than the grumichama.  I don't know why the variablity between years.
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luc

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #18 on: July 22, 2012, 01:02:54 PM »
I noticed that all or most of the Eugenias are perfectly ripe when they release without pulling . This is specially true with the Cederbay sherry , tasteless when not fully ripe , OK to decent when they fall on the ground , the nice thing is that they produce abundantly over several months .

I know several of you have the E. subterminalis growing , how are these doing for you ? I am struggling to keep them alive , only in the rainy season ( high heat and humidity ) they seem to thrive .
Luc Vleeracker
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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #19 on: July 22, 2012, 01:25:10 PM »
Thanks Adam, I'm looking forward to tasting this fruit for the first time. Lets see if it lives up to all the hype. So far Grumichama and the Red Jabs are to my liking. The Cherry of the Rio Grande has so far fallen short on the taste and flavor department. The birds beat me to all the SRG on the tree and left me with just a scrawny one.

Cherry o rio is quite variable like most eugenias...and I have two cultivars that are grafted, and supposed to be superior...the same grafting technique I showed you yesterday can easily be employed to propagate cherry o rio....so when mine have fruits, I will make sure you get to taste some, and then take some bud wood if want...but because these are precious to me and hard to come by it will cost you!!!! .....absolutely nothing!  ;D Just give me your opinion about the fruit!!  ;D

You know I can't have everyone learning my secrets and getting all of my rare budwood that I worked so hard to obtain, for FREE!...I need cash for every branch, seed, and fruit that leaves my property...or else I'll lose my whole life's work, and I won't be special anymore...and everyone will start grafting my same special trees...and I won't be able to compete.   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D    ;) ;)

But really, you know how old Asaffron feels (of course everyone has secrets they just can't share)....BUT, "CARING IS SHARING"....and if you put a little love in your heart, the world will be a better place, for you ...and me...just wait and see.

When I think of my fellow man, I wish everyone was grafting as much as me, enduser, behlgarden, nullzero, cookiemonster, guanabanus, Ed, Ethan, Ohiojay, and many other grafters I've noticed on the forum (God bless your important work).

It seems that if we lent more people a helping hand (unabridged and unconditionally), they might know how to most effectively and successfully graft (propagate).  As a result, we'd have access to many more nice fruit trees I bet...and more varieties worth keeping would possibly be preserved, or available cheaper and more readily.


so when it comes to sharing info about plants (propagation, cultivation, etc), I do unto others as I'd have them to me...You see the grafting season is getting late, so please don't hesitate....and Jackie DeShannon says it best.


 :)

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« Last Edit: July 22, 2012, 01:27:05 PM by ASaffron »
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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #20 on: July 22, 2012, 07:49:01 PM »
Pitomba is a real slow grower here. My one big bush is getting munched by rose beetles. They might like lower pH soil? Her pH is about 6. That's just a hunch. Try mixing in and putting peat moss as mulch and see if that helps? I will also try this myself and see if it speeds em up? Need to do some research on their native soils and clime, that is always best guide.
Oscar

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #21 on: July 22, 2012, 11:10:02 PM »
Another grower here pondered over wheather pitomba are held back by phytopthera. I tried a spray of phosacid. My 2 ft plant responded with vigrous growth soon thereafter and decreased dieback, as did the Cherry of the Rio Grande (which is far worse for dieback in my experience). I'm a bit lazy, so havent made up a routine for spraying and recording results, but I plant to do this in the near future to see if that will bring the best out of these Eugenia that keep getting knocked about.

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Re: Eugenia luschnatiana - Pitomba
« Reply #22 on: July 22, 2012, 11:34:57 PM »
Luc,

these plants are a nightmare for me...they are probably the most sensitive eugenia i've ever grown,as far as high ph being a problem.

Fe drenches don't even seem to help...but I haven't given up...sometimes it takes much more product than you'd think, to revive a small seedling thats started to decline and turn chlorotic.

Good luck with your subterminalis...i think they love acidity, humidity and warmth.

I noticed that all or most of the Eugenias are perfectly ripe when they release without pulling . This is specially true with the Cederbay sherry , tasteless when not fully ripe , OK to decent when they fall on the ground , the nice thing is that they produce abundantly over several months .

I know several of you have the E. subterminalis growing , how are these doing for you ? I am struggling to keep them alive , only in the rainy season ( high heat and humidity ) they seem to thrive .
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