1
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Filling In My Yard - Zone 10a
« on: March 26, 2023, 02:29:27 PM »
Why not go for an Artocarpus?
very tall- need your climate and good fruits
very tall- need your climate and good fruits
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2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Macroalgae -> Fertilizer Trials
« on: March 26, 2023, 01:27:33 PM »
They were frustratingly light on the details there!
interesting about the foliar and watering applications- the point around pH makes with the standard for aquariums being around 8 but I never thought of acidifying it
It also seems like they may mainly be talking about mangoes, which IIRC, are a pretty salt tolerant species.
here is a pic of the Caulerpa after a day in the sun
interesting about the foliar and watering applications- the point around pH makes with the standard for aquariums being around 8 but I never thought of acidifying it
It also seems like they may mainly be talking about mangoes, which IIRC, are a pretty salt tolerant species.
here is a pic of the Caulerpa after a day in the sun
3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: how to germinate Annona crassifolia aka crassiflora
« on: March 26, 2023, 11:59:22 AM »
oh boy-
my ga3 speech
Gibberrelins are natural plant hormones released during the seed sprouting process- by treating seeds you can sometimes "trick" seeds into thinking germination has started and then the molecular machinery is in motion.
The issues with proper use of GA3 are many, here are a few to consider if you are going to use it
As you mentioned you need to solubilize in alcohol- I aim for a 1% final alcohol concentration of my stock GA3 solution. Beer (the shit kind) is 3% alcohol and I would not pour it on my plants so if you can get closer to a 1% final solution of alcohol it is better. I have not had issues with solubilizing large amounts of GA3 in small volumes of pure ethanol.
Next the concentration which is beneficial is variable for species- and overdosing or underdosing will kill your seed or be ineffective respectively. Since there is very little research on the species we grow here, a general recommended starting dose is in the 100-500ppm range. There should be online calculators available where you can put in the volume of water, concentration you want and it will tell you how much GA3 to weigh. Solubilize that amount of GA3 in the minimal amount of alcohol and dilute with water to the final volume. I generally make a stock of 4000ppm and then dilute that 1:10 for seed soaking.
Finally, GA3 actually inhibits root development if it is in the planting medium. If you plan to use it, soak the seeds in a GA3 solution for 24-72h and then remove from the solution and plant the seeds in your favorite medium. (mine is 100% vermiculite bvut you have to be careful about asbestos)
This method has worked for many old seeds in a few trials I ran- but is laborious. GA3 expires as well so you will need to make new solutions every once in while. That said 1g should last you years
my ga3 speech
Gibberrelins are natural plant hormones released during the seed sprouting process- by treating seeds you can sometimes "trick" seeds into thinking germination has started and then the molecular machinery is in motion.
The issues with proper use of GA3 are many, here are a few to consider if you are going to use it
As you mentioned you need to solubilize in alcohol- I aim for a 1% final alcohol concentration of my stock GA3 solution. Beer (the shit kind) is 3% alcohol and I would not pour it on my plants so if you can get closer to a 1% final solution of alcohol it is better. I have not had issues with solubilizing large amounts of GA3 in small volumes of pure ethanol.
Next the concentration which is beneficial is variable for species- and overdosing or underdosing will kill your seed or be ineffective respectively. Since there is very little research on the species we grow here, a general recommended starting dose is in the 100-500ppm range. There should be online calculators available where you can put in the volume of water, concentration you want and it will tell you how much GA3 to weigh. Solubilize that amount of GA3 in the minimal amount of alcohol and dilute with water to the final volume. I generally make a stock of 4000ppm and then dilute that 1:10 for seed soaking.
Finally, GA3 actually inhibits root development if it is in the planting medium. If you plan to use it, soak the seeds in a GA3 solution for 24-72h and then remove from the solution and plant the seeds in your favorite medium. (mine is 100% vermiculite bvut you have to be careful about asbestos)
This method has worked for many old seeds in a few trials I ran- but is laborious. GA3 expires as well so you will need to make new solutions every once in while. That said 1g should last you years
4
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Macroalgae -> Fertilizer Trials
« on: March 26, 2023, 11:03:43 AM »
Janet!
Always coming in with the best resources- I am still going through that edible leaves book
This is some great inspiration!
thank you
Always coming in with the best resources- I am still going through that edible leaves book
This is some great inspiration!
thank you
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Yangmei (Morella/Myrica rubra) thread
« on: March 25, 2023, 07:18:07 PM »
Thanks Janet!
for some reason the hardest advice for me is always "do nothing"
for some reason the hardest advice for me is always "do nothing"
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Macroalgae -> Fertilizer Trials
« on: March 25, 2023, 07:17:00 PM »
This was one of my questions-
I thoroughly rinsed the outside to remove those salts, but they themselves have a lot of internal water-
presumably this is maintained at ion concentrations the plant can handle but when you dry them those concentrations will go up-
The Caulerpa is crispy after 1 day in the sun
I thoroughly rinsed the outside to remove those salts, but they themselves have a lot of internal water-
presumably this is maintained at ion concentrations the plant can handle but when you dry them those concentrations will go up-
The Caulerpa is crispy after 1 day in the sun
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Yangmei (Morella/Myrica rubra) thread
« on: March 25, 2023, 03:17:20 PM »
simon-
I sent you a pm but figured I would also post here to try tog et the wisdom of the crowd-
My Biqi from the last order has just started to push, but at a bit of a weird location
Would you (anyone) trim the wood that is above the new growth? leave it be?
cheers
I sent you a pm but figured I would also post here to try tog et the wisdom of the crowd-
My Biqi from the last order has just started to push, but at a bit of a weird location
Would you (anyone) trim the wood that is above the new growth? leave it be?
cheers
8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Macroalgae -> Fertilizer Trials
« on: March 25, 2023, 03:13:22 PM »
Hey All-
I wanted to use this thread to document another hair brained idea- turning the excess macroalgae from my coral reef fish tank into a "seaweed" fertilizer. I do not recommend this for people to try- I am concerned about the salt levels and very likely will kill some plants before dialing this in, but currently this is a waste product for me that I would like to try to recycle back into my system rather than throwing away.
I have a 110 gallon reef that is a split style tank with the bottom functioning primarily as a refugium for said macroalgae and various invertebrates. Here is the main farming patch right now-
The known species are
And there are a few unknown/hitchhiker species. In the long term I may incorporate asterina starfish and other pest aquatic species into the mix as well.
For now I only had an overgrowth of the Caulerpa and so I trimmed some, washed it, and have placed it in the sun to dry.
I will then powder it and apply in small quantities to test plants that I have a multitude of the species.
I wanted to use this thread to document another hair brained idea- turning the excess macroalgae from my coral reef fish tank into a "seaweed" fertilizer. I do not recommend this for people to try- I am concerned about the salt levels and very likely will kill some plants before dialing this in, but currently this is a waste product for me that I would like to try to recycle back into my system rather than throwing away.
I have a 110 gallon reef that is a split style tank with the bottom functioning primarily as a refugium for said macroalgae and various invertebrates. Here is the main farming patch right now-
The known species are
- Chaetomorpha spp.
- Caulerpa spp.
- Halymenea spp.
And there are a few unknown/hitchhiker species. In the long term I may incorporate asterina starfish and other pest aquatic species into the mix as well.
For now I only had an overgrowth of the Caulerpa and so I trimmed some, washed it, and have placed it in the sun to dry.
I will then powder it and apply in small quantities to test plants that I have a multitude of the species.
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Need advice on moldy Atemoya cuttings
« on: March 25, 2023, 02:58:34 PM »
I agree with the 10% bleach but if you dip it will kill any exposed tissue- including your grafting site cambium
I would apply externally to the bark- using a wet towel or paper towel
IME peroxide is not great in biological settings for getting rid of mold but amazing in other settings
I would apply externally to the bark- using a wet towel or paper towel
IME peroxide is not great in biological settings for getting rid of mold but amazing in other settings
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Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Sabara
« on: March 25, 2023, 12:38:37 PM »
Received my seeds promptly and in great condition-
thanks acheta
thanks acheta
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Annona scions disinfection with bleach
« on: March 16, 2023, 06:02:18 PM »
If you want to use bleach-
1:10 dilution, I would not dip but rather put some liberally on a paper towel and damp all around, excluding the ends with exposed cambium
fwiw- there are many beneficial molds that often keep pathogenic molds at bay, IME bleaching creates a clean surface for pathogenic molds to colonize while beneficial molds take a bit longer to develop
1:10 dilution, I would not dip but rather put some liberally on a paper towel and damp all around, excluding the ends with exposed cambium
fwiw- there are many beneficial molds that often keep pathogenic molds at bay, IME bleaching creates a clean surface for pathogenic molds to colonize while beneficial molds take a bit longer to develop
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Cocktail/Multigrafted trees - Garcinia, Plinia, Eugenia
« on: March 15, 2023, 10:28:53 PM »
Welcome to the forum nofspeppers!
I feel your struggle and also share the desire to create cocktail trees, unfortunately it is not as simple as with stone fruit or citrus for the species you described-
Plinia is probably the easiest- I currently have a tree with three varieties (four if you count the rootstock) on a Sabara rootstock- This is often recommended for grafting as they apparently have a very strong root system. The problem is getting scions of a sufficient size, many people are hesitant to trim their trees as fruit appears on old growth but if you are patient you will find some.
Eugenia is probably the most difficult- people on here have many stories of even different varieties of the same species being rejected. (i.e. Cherry of the Rio Grande Varietals) I think barring some exceptions, cross species Eugenia grafting fails.
Garcinia is probably the least well known. Commercial grafting of G. mangostana is performed in many tropical areas but to my knowledge mostly G. mangostana or G. cowa are used as rootstocks. The main advantage of grafting Garcinia is the incredibly long juvenile period can be bypassed. See NissanVersa's grafted G. brasiliensis to see how a small tree of 2-3 years old can bear fruit. Other than that I think there will be few and far between experiences with grafting Garcinia
If you decide to go down this rabbit hole please share your experiences! Much of this stuff is just now being figured out and the more reports the better
I feel your struggle and also share the desire to create cocktail trees, unfortunately it is not as simple as with stone fruit or citrus for the species you described-
Plinia is probably the easiest- I currently have a tree with three varieties (four if you count the rootstock) on a Sabara rootstock- This is often recommended for grafting as they apparently have a very strong root system. The problem is getting scions of a sufficient size, many people are hesitant to trim their trees as fruit appears on old growth but if you are patient you will find some.
Eugenia is probably the most difficult- people on here have many stories of even different varieties of the same species being rejected. (i.e. Cherry of the Rio Grande Varietals) I think barring some exceptions, cross species Eugenia grafting fails.
Garcinia is probably the least well known. Commercial grafting of G. mangostana is performed in many tropical areas but to my knowledge mostly G. mangostana or G. cowa are used as rootstocks. The main advantage of grafting Garcinia is the incredibly long juvenile period can be bypassed. See NissanVersa's grafted G. brasiliensis to see how a small tree of 2-3 years old can bear fruit. Other than that I think there will be few and far between experiences with grafting Garcinia
If you decide to go down this rabbit hole please share your experiences! Much of this stuff is just now being figured out and the more reports the better
13
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Any Info on Clavija euerganea?
« on: March 13, 2023, 04:29:38 PM »
I'd expect nothing less W.
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fruits with Side Effects
« on: March 13, 2023, 11:34:03 AM »I think white sapote also has a soporific effect.Correct- they are sometimes called the sleepy sapote
Also the seed in incredibly toxic
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Any Info on Clavija euerganea?
« on: March 12, 2023, 11:21:28 AM »All I know is that the Clavija seeds I bought from Trade Winds two or three years ago did nothing for me except rot after a while. I don't think I bought Clavija euerganea, though, since mine was described as an edible species.
I could have sworn this one rotted- was very surprised to see a sprout-
I got it because of the unknown cold tolerant while growing at a relatively high elevation and it seems a good candidate for container culture given the bush-like habit
Seeds apparently have a long germiantion time with this one coming up ~6 months later
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Any Info on Clavija euerganea?
« on: March 11, 2023, 11:21:26 PM »
Bought a seed in October of last year and it just sprouted-
I got the seed from tradewinds
An interesting rain forest tree, with bright orange, round fruits having orange pulp that looks like marmalade. The fruits grow to about an inch in diameter. Little information is available about this species. The fruits could be edible, as several other Clavija species have edible fruits, but care should always be taken with unknown fruits. Native to mid-elevation tropical forests in South America. Short, bushy growth to 6-12 ft / 3-4 m.
I got the seed from tradewinds
An interesting rain forest tree, with bright orange, round fruits having orange pulp that looks like marmalade. The fruits grow to about an inch in diameter. Little information is available about this species. The fruits could be edible, as several other Clavija species have edible fruits, but care should always be taken with unknown fruits. Native to mid-elevation tropical forests in South America. Short, bushy growth to 6-12 ft / 3-4 m.
17
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Rare Subtropical fruit species, dry and wet climate!
« on: March 11, 2023, 01:22:38 AM »
Every time I have ordered from Marcos I have been happy, with my most recent purchase being no exception-
Especially for zone pushers- this is a wonderland
Especially for zone pushers- this is a wonderland
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What are some tasty rare tropical fruits you’re adding to your collection?
« on: March 10, 2023, 11:27:21 PM »I just added a couple of Kwai Muks [Artocarpus parvus - wrongly called A. hypargyreus] which are in 5 gals. but have taken off briskly right after repotting them, already making new terminal growth and leaves. They are supposed to be cold tolerant down to 25ºF so we'll see if they are after a warm season of growing this year.
Also added two small Olosapos [Couepia polyandra] out of curiosity. These will have to be given some protections from the cold I suspect, but they're worth a gamble.
Fingers X-ed!
Paul M.
==
I have found the Kwai Muk cliams of cold tolerance to be untrue- I hope you have a different experience-
C. polyandra is delicious and worth the work
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Double planting (specifically garcinias)
« on: March 09, 2023, 10:41:21 AM »Many garcinias are self-fertile, but often when mature. Younger trees like to party.
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Eugenia dasyblasta taste report
« on: March 08, 2023, 11:20:18 PM »Unfortunately, Trade Winds, though overall a good seller, is not 100% accurate, and those mislabeled seeds become a big problem when growers buy them, invest years of time and effort growing them into fruiting plants, and get something completely different for all their trouble.
Completely agree with you on this front- ridiculous to put so much time and effort into something that isn't what you wanted
BUTTTTTT in this case I think you may have ended up okay kittycatus-
How would you describe the flavor of the real dasyblasta? Is it worth growing?
It is a good surinam- maybe a bit sweeter and less resinous but the small fruit size and sameish seed size make me say it is just a collectors plant-
If I could only grow a few it would be one red and one black
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Eugenia dasyblasta taste report
« on: March 08, 2023, 10:44:52 PM »
to reduce the resinous flavor place the fruit in the fridge overnight before eating-
great job!
Also definitely not a dasyblasta- i have had trhe fruit and they are maybe a quarter to an eighth of the size
great job!
Also definitely not a dasyblasta- i have had trhe fruit and they are maybe a quarter to an eighth of the size
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What killed my greenhouse banana?
« on: March 07, 2023, 10:28:46 PM »
watering regimen?
looks like rot to me
looks like rot to me
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Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Fruiting INGA 45 gal in So Cal
« on: March 07, 2023, 03:45:31 PM »
Steal
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Cherimoya bonanza
« on: March 05, 2023, 11:54:47 AM »
Way to go Platinyum!
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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Aerogarden Aguaymanto (Physalis peruviana)
« on: March 05, 2023, 11:00:11 AM »
love frisee, mesclun and tatsoi- I will have to try the dragons tongue as spicy greens are my favorite
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