The Tropical Fruit Forum

The giant Lula tree has blossoms, but we might have to wrap the trunk with sheet metal to keep the squirrels from destroying all the fruit, like they did this past fall/winter.

John, are those trees on opposite sides of the house? What I am seeing with the Simmonds is heavy sun exposure to the reflected light and heat off the side of the house. That can literally cook the buds and leaves, and sunburn the trunk and branches. The tree has lost so many leaves it can't shade itself.

One way to solve the issue is to plant something against the wall to absorb the sun energy and prevent the reflected light. I have had good success with very tall Canna Lilies planted up against the wall. The tallest I have found is the Musifolia type, they have darker leaves and get almost 8 feet tall.

Another option would be to shade the tree by surrounding it with some potted plants that can handle the heat and light.

The Simmonds may be toast at this point, but I think anything you plant in that spot would struggle without some protection as a juvenile tree.

Yeah, recently I came to the conclusion that this was a bad location (super-hot) to plant an avocado tree.  I should have planted my Cecilove mango tree there, and the second avocado tree on the same side of the house as the Monroe.  That said, even the west side of the house where the Monroe is located does get several hours of direct sun in the summer.  The Monroe thrived even with the heat, but Day, another sensitive, low-vigor variety, which was planted next to it, didn't like the sun at all and refused to grow.  I still think there's a good possibility that the right variety of avocado might be tolerant of the location.  I see several avocado trees in the neighborhood thriving under similar conditions.

Quote from: pineflatwoods on March 14, 2025, 01:31:54 PM

I'm all signed up to Volunteer, hope to make it.

I signed up to volunteer too.   

(How do you go about volunteering?  Who do you contact?)  Never mind.  I found it.

Three-year-old Monroe tree.  The first year with blossoms.  This tree has been super healthy and vigorous.





Simmonds, on the other hand, has not been vigorous but has been problematic, attacked by the lacewing last year.  I removed the center of the tree to encourage bushier growth.  I'm going to give it another six months to shape up, literally and figuratively, or it faces the ax.  I've given it supplemental calcium, magnesium, and azomite, and mulched it well.  It carried one fruit to maturity last summer.  Its replacement would have to be a vigorous tree.  I only have room for 2 trees so they have to be productive.

Are any of these Indian mangos considered “insurance mangos,” in terms of high productivity and disease resistance?

Interesting question.  I wonder if enough of them have been grown here to tell at this point.

Quote from: HSP on March 11, 2025, 05:52:35 PM

For those that don't have a license to buy from a wholesale location.

Even without a license most of us buy from Zill but through a middle man.

How does that work?

I'm bumping this in case Alex shows up. 

Thanks, Galatians.  What you've said makes sense.    Would you plant a Sweetheart lychee tree in Port St. Lucie?

It's been said that Hak Ip and Sweetheart are the same variety of lychee.  Is this true?  Does anyone have experience planting both?

A good durian is the best IMO.  There are plenty of no so good durians, unfortunately, that could give novice tasters a distorted impression. 

Frozen durian doesn't compare to fresh.  I would agree with the poster recommending frozen Musang King-if you can find it.  It's good frozen and fantastic fresh.   Frozen Montong can be OK too, but never buy the entire frozen fruit with any variety.  Rather, buy the wrapped flesh sections only.

I have a cultivar known as "Hawaiian D-123" with fruit quality that's highly variable.  Sometimes it is yucky-practically inedible in my opinion, other times quite good.

My favorite varieties tend to be the sweeter ones such as Red Prawn and D-168. Here in Hawaii there's a variety that goes by the generic name of "Kob" that is quite good. 

Seedling or otherwise unknown heritage durians are usually OK, with a few quite good a a few just terrible.

I forgot about Hawaii.  That would have worked when I lived in Los Angeles.  Kauai was the place I first tasted lychee more than 40 years ago.

Trees n more is a good place to go.

In Palm City area, Martin County, if you're looking to buy trees.

Brix is a primary indicator of fruit quality.  It puzzles when someone talks about a fruit being too sweet.  (Exceptions are, of course, lemons, limes, and olives.  No kitchen is complete without those.)

Is Costa Rica the closest place for a Floridian to try durian?  Is it grown in the Caribbean--Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, or tropical Mexico?