Author Topic: Filling the March/April fruit gap  (Read 3222 times)

yoski

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Filling the March/April fruit gap
« on: April 06, 2022, 06:25:49 PM »
I am looking for any decent fruit crops from late February to early May in central Florida. Loquat, Surinam cherry, .... and?
The last Avocados come off the tree in early February and the first Mangoes (Rosigold) make it around early May, but not much in between.
Trying to bridge that gap. Any bright ideas?
Thanks
Mike

CowboyFig

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2022, 07:20:36 PM »
They’re not super filling, but mulberries would fill that gap nicely. Tasty yard snack and kids love them too.

nullzero

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2022, 08:40:40 PM »
Physalis peruviana and other Physalis sp. of course Tomatoes as well. Loquats are good as well.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

RS

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2022, 09:17:58 PM »
Also in Central FL. Jaboticaba, mulberries, loquats and bananas have been ripening here since March. Peaches, Surinam cherry, Australian finger lime probably later this month. Local blueberry farms are in season now.

Stomata

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2022, 09:29:57 PM »
A reticulata!

roblack

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2022, 10:01:16 PM »
Reticulata, rollinia, guanabana, sapodilla, banana, mulberry, papaya, lemon drop mangosteen, kumquats, some eugenias.

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2022, 10:20:42 PM »
Wow! You have some awesome recommendations here. I especially like Jaboticaba, loquat, Pakistani mulberry, and thorny blackberries (thornless ones ripen later in my experience) for ease of cultivation. Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are a little harder to grow for one reason or another but make excellent fruit. We also had some really good starfruit in March this year. I need to figure out how to make it bear more consistently at that time. Another one that has not been mentioned is Purple/red Mombin aka Hog Plum. I have had some that were really good--unfortunately mine has not made high quality fruit at this point. Not sure if it is variety or cultural care.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2022, 10:27:55 PM by Galatians522 »

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2022, 10:23:01 PM »
Physalis peruviana and other Physalis sp. of course Tomatoes as well. Loquats are good as well.

I really like your recommendation for Physalis. I actually just bought some seeds for the New Hannover Ground Cherry from Baker Creek. I hear that they are really good.

nullzero

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2022, 10:46:10 PM »
Physalis peruviana and other Physalis sp. of course Tomatoes as well. Loquats are good as well.

I really like your recommendation for Physalis. I actually just bought some seeds for the New Hannover Ground Cherry from Baker Creek. I hear that they are really good.

I tried a bunch of strains in the past. I found the Peaceseeds, Physalis peruviana Giant Groundcherry to be one of the best so far. I have 3 plants in a 7 gal fabric and they produce all year round cherry size sweet and sour fruits.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

yoski

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2022, 10:09:02 AM »
Thanks for all the recommendations. Blueberries are very difficult to grow (4.5 to 5.3 soil ph). I looked into it but decided that it is too much maintenance (pine fine) to mess with it. I have Surinam cherry that does fine and going to add Loquat and mulberry. Strawberries and tomatoes are easy to grow. I have 2 Jaboticabas, but they probably take a few more year before they produce anything

JakeFruit

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2022, 11:29:12 AM »
What Mulberries do well in South-Central Florida (particularly very near the Gulf)?
I looked into growing them awhile ago, but it seemed like the ones that sounded the best needed a cooler climate than we have (Sebring being about the same latitude as me but with bigger temp swings).

mangoba

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2022, 12:07:42 PM »
What about citrus?

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2022, 09:24:27 PM »
Thanks for all the recommendations. Blueberries are very difficult to grow (4.5 to 5.3 soil ph). I looked into it but decided that it is too much maintenance (pine fine) to mess with it. I have Surinam cherry that does fine and going to add Loquat and mulberry. Strawberries and tomatoes are easy to grow. I have 2 Jaboticabas, but they probably take a few more year before they produce anything

We grew blueberries commercially years ago. I don't think they are a good option for home owners. They suffer from phytopthera root rot and need to be netted to protect them from birds (which is a lot if work). There are a couple farms that do U-pick in Sebring: Sunshine Blueberries off the Parkway north of the round about and another behind Robbins Nursery. I think there is a place in Avon Park off 27 behind the Cemetary, too. Once your Jaboticabas come into full bearing you will be loaded with fruit this time if year. I have picked several gallons at a time off one large bush.

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2022, 09:31:14 PM »
What Mulberries do well in South-Central Florida (particularly very near the Gulf)?
I looked into growing them awhile ago, but it seemed like the ones that sounded the best needed a cooler climate than we have (Sebring being about the same latitude as me but with bigger temp swings).

The Pakistani (Black Pakistan?) We got from Pine Island years ago fruits well here.

brian

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2022, 09:49:47 AM »
What about citrus?

My grapefruit still has fruit hanging, but everything else was done by winter.

We grew blueberries commercially years ago. I don't think they are a good option for home owners. They suffer from phytopthera root rot and need to be netted to protect them from birds (which is a lot if work)

I agree... I tried blueberries and they never thrived even with acid soil and birds stole every crop anyway.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2022, 09:51:38 AM by brian »

JakeFruit

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2022, 10:13:33 AM »
The Pakistani (Black Pakistan?) We got from Pine Island years ago fruits well here.
And the fruit is tasty?
I know taste is subjective, and I might be more finicky than some/most; I'm surrounded by loquats and Surinam cherries I couldn't be less interested in. I love sweet, tangy, complex flavors.

K-Rimes

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2022, 04:32:44 PM »
Thanks for all the recommendations. Blueberries are very difficult to grow (4.5 to 5.3 soil ph). I looked into it but decided that it is too much maintenance (pine fine) to mess with it. I have Surinam cherry that does fine and going to add Loquat and mulberry. Strawberries and tomatoes are easy to grow. I have 2 Jaboticabas, but they probably take a few more year before they produce anything

We grew blueberries commercially years ago. I don't think they are a good option for home owners.

Of all the plants I grow, blueberries are probably the hardest overall - and that says a lot considering how much zone pushing and weird plants I'm doing.

That said, they are one of the only plants producing for me right now. My eugenia calycina is full of fruit sets but probably won't be fully ripe till May. Golden berry kind of works, but I cut mine back to the ground so there isn't much going on at the moment. Jaboticaba is flowering now but no sets.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2022, 04:36:49 PM by K-Rimes »

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #17 on: April 08, 2022, 10:02:10 PM »
The Pakistani (Black Pakistan?) We got from Pine Island years ago fruits well here.
And the fruit is tasty?
I know taste is subjective, and I might be more finicky than some/most; I'm surrounded by loquats and Surinam cherries I couldn't be less interested in. I love sweet, tangy, complex flavors.

I like them better than Suriname Cherry but not as much as Loquat. For a Mulberry they are quite good, but I don't think of mulberries as tangy or complex. You can pick them a little more red if you like extra tart, though.

RS

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2022, 09:14:38 AM »
@Galatians522 do you know which variety of starfruit was fruiting for you in March? Mine stopped in early Feb.

Thought about trying the FL native evergreen blueberry, Vaccinium darrowii, but yes blueberries sound like a lot of work.

Thai dwarf mulberry seems to fruit well here.

My thornless blackberries are also fruiting. I ripped them out several years ago because they weren't fruiting much and apparently need lots of irrigation to fruit well, but one persistent straggler stuck around and has now been a consistent producer with no irrigation (go figure).

pineislander

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #19 on: April 09, 2022, 09:17:46 AM »
What Mulberries do well in South-Central Florida (particularly very near the Gulf)?
I looked into growing them awhile ago, but it seemed like the ones that sounded the best needed a cooler climate than we have (Sebring being about the same latitude as me but with bigger temp swings).
"World's Best" is the variety, but any of the Thai Everbearing types are good. Get the large fruited types, some "Everbearing" just make tiny fruit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a9L8jvyhqo&t

Galatians522

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #20 on: April 10, 2022, 01:50:56 PM »
@Galatians522 do you know which variety of starfruit was fruiting for you in March? Mine stopped in early Feb.

Thought about trying the FL native evergreen blueberry, Vaccinium darrowii, but yes blueberries sound like a lot of work.

Thai dwarf mulberry seems to fruit well here.

My thornless blackberries are also fruiting. I ripped them out several years ago because they weren't fruiting much and apparently need lots of irrigation to fruit well, but one persistent straggler stuck around and has now been a consistent producer with no irrigation (go figure).

The star fruit is a Sri Kembangan. I think that star fruit can be induced to bloom through pruning, though.

In my experience, V. Darrowii has tasty but very small (pin head sizel) fruit. For some reason I never find much fruit on it either (maybe it needs cross pollination or the wild animals eat it first?). Shiny Blueberry is more productive and has a little larger fruit, but it is a little dry. I think Eliott's Bluberry is the largest and best tasting wild one that I have found so far. I would like to try deer berry, though, I have found green fruits, but none that were ripe. I hear that it is very good. Sparkle/Farkle berry is like a cross between cranberry and blueberry in taste and makes a huge tree/bush. I have also had a tasty huckleberry, but I don't know what species it was.

Bobooshki

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #21 on: April 10, 2022, 05:11:05 PM »
Jaboticaba for the win! Some produce almost the entire year, like red hybrid and scarlet.
Robert

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2022, 05:45:41 AM »
Sorry wrong post

skhan

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2022, 08:04:44 AM »
I am looking for any decent fruit crops from late February to early May in central Florida. Loquat, Surinam cherry, .... and?
The last Avocados come off the tree in early February and the first Mangoes (Rosigold) make it around early May, but not much in between.
Trying to bridge that gap. Any bright ideas?
Thanks
Mike

For central Florida, I go with loquat, mulberry and peach (UF best is pretty early, I already picked most of my tree).
You can always fill the gaps with Plinias and Eugenias, I treat them as treats and not a production fruit like Starfruit (possibly due to the size of the trees).
If you can manage to grow them I'd also add Custard Apple and Starapple

RS

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Re: Filling the March/April fruit gap
« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2022, 08:33:40 AM »
The star fruit is a Sri Kembangan. I think that star fruit can be induced to bloom through pruning, though.

In my experience, V. Darrowii has tasty but very small (pin head sizel) fruit. For some reason I never find much fruit on it either (maybe it needs cross pollination or the wild animals eat it first?). Shiny Blueberry is more productive and has a little larger fruit, but it is a little dry. I think Eliott's Bluberry is the largest and best tasting wild one that I have found so far. I would like to try deer berry, though, I have found green fruits, but none that were ripe. I hear that it is very good. Sparkle/Farkle berry is like a cross between cranberry and blueberry in taste and makes a huge tree/bush. I have also had a tasty huckleberry, but I don't know what species it was.

I didn't know sparkle berry is edible! Cross between blueberry and cranberry flavor, have to get this one. This is great info, thank you. I'd love to find a native FL jujube (Ziziphus celata, has anyone tried this?) it's rare/endangered.

My baby Sri Kembangan starfruit is leafing out again after it "died" in the Jan freeze, hoping it fruits on a different schedule than Kari. Or like you say prune, or crack the limbs to induce blooming.

Pitangatubas and peanut butter tree are also blooming here, but haven't set fruit yet.