Ok so this is kind of like a rant. I hate living up north and I hate trying to grow plants that won't grow in ground unless they are 600 miles south of here. It's so unfair that you people in tropical climates can grow whatever you want (for the most part) without having to deal with heating. For the most part, all my plants did fine. That is until I got a decently sized greenhouse and started to put plants in ground. There were a whole plethora of problems instead of a plethora of plinias (if you know, you know
) the plants in ground started to get droopy as there was no wind. so I installed a roll up side...still need to do the other one. need more airflow. So the plants that were droopy had to be hard pruned back. And not I realized that the rollinia has root rot...that mother refrigerator. I realized that annonas are a futile attempt up north unless grafted to the legendary mountain soursop or the alligator apple...Legend has it that it is the best tasting annona in the world
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And also, my guava...it is growing like a beast, but when I gently move the trunk, it moves a lot (the rootball). Way too much? Any ideas on what is happening? our soil is heavy clay>>>Is that causing a problem? Is it root rot? The tree is growing so fast I wouldn't think anything is wrong with it? Am I over worrying? A cardinal decided to make its nest in the guava tree, so now I am extra careful around it and try not to disturb it...couldn't you be respectful of my personal property
. To you people in FL, this is the equivalent of a random person showing up at your house and living there without your consent and eating all your mangoes. Just kidding...I'm glad to see life other than plants in my greenhouse. Just not those donkey hole squirrels and raccoons.
I'd move down south, but because of where I am in life it's gonna be some time before I can do anything myself. High school is cool, but I want to keep on moving on. I just want to grow up and grow trees
I just finished finals yesterday so I am able to put more time on trees now. A in microbiology-yay!
Anyways, everything else is doing great. Just counting down for the trees to start flowering and fruiting. I think I'll be double my age before some of the stuff I have fruits...if they even decide to. Yes I'm talking to the plinias and garcinias. They grow so slow. Even if they do lots of new growth, it's barely anything. My oldest jabo is going on 8 years from purchase and I'm tired of waiting, but patience is good for us all right? I've been in this hobby for the last decade or so and have been interested in nature ever since I was alive. Sometimes I think its better to get a new hobby? But I can't leave the plinias as I am the plinia simp!
The first genus of trees I loved was first artocarpus, but then I realized there is something better than growing stuff that will die and never fruit. We hit a record of around 10 different types LOL. Now, I have since downgraded to the plinia simp life. I try to collect as many types as I can with the gold in my coffers. Unfortunately, all that glitters isn't gold and I found out that the gold I have is actually fools gold! So now I am dirt poor with a whole bunch o plinias. Unfortunately I am sick with the plinia disease and there is no cure for it. The only way to appease my pains is do annually migrate to FL to get some more. All jokes aside, they (the plinias) do great in greenhouses and are pretty cool to look at. The fruit isn't too bad either, but to be honest, the grimal jaboticaba tastes exactly like a muscadine...Muscadines are bigger, have smaller seeds, and grow up here for free. BUT, it's name is Vitis rotundifolia, not Plinia sp. peluda de alagoas.
Yes, they all have different flavor profiles for the most part as I haven't eaten many.
There are many, many people who have influenced me in growing fruit trees. Whether it be giving me new ideas or techniques or trees or fruit, you people are the best. I've been down to the wonderful land of FL many a time and always am glad to meet new faces. It's awesome that just a hobby can bring people together despite having different beliefs. I've been needing to do another trip to FL now as it's almost been a year since my last escapade. Trying to hit peak mango season. Last summer, after a week of mango gluttony, I was done, done, and done with mangoes. Now, I am back with a vengeance. If you are in a 400 mile radius of me, I would hire a professional guard unit to watch your mango trees. He he he ha.
I know this post is really long. I also know that this is probably not written in standard english. I also know that this is just informal writing.
I don't know what I want you (the reader) to get from this post. Just realize that tropical fruits are cool and get out and keep growing. If I'm still growing rare fruits, so should you. You, (the reader) most likely live in a tropical climate. You, (the reader) can grow tropical fruit trees.
So go out and grow rare fruits.
-Ryan