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Topics - fruitmonger

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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Annona Montana- Mountain Soursop

« on: June 23, 2025, 10:45:45 AM »

So I have been growing a seedling "soursop" that finally went into the ground about 1.5 yrs ago.

Got a fruit set a short while ago and what I thought (and was told) was guanabana is now confirmed a Mountain Soursop.

Pretty tree and very vigorous and disease resistant but I am pretty bummed about it because I never really wanted Montana and I feel like I wasted my time and effort on it.

I know that soursop (Muricata) will graft to it and some have reported Rolinia will as well.

Anything else that takes on Mountain soursop?

PS....I have another tree in the ground about the same size from the same nursery and I am guessing this one is Montana as well.

If anyone close to Homestead wants it let me know.....Otherwise I may feed it to my chipper.

Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles / Red Ginger (zingiber officinale var.rubrum) WTB

« on: April 28, 2025, 12:20:11 PM »

Looking for anyone with information or availability of live Red Ginger rhizomes.

Specifically I am looking for Zingiber officinale var. rubrum.

Not a huge quantity....enough to start to grow some for personal use/consumption.

Thanks in advance for your attention to my request

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Mango identification-best guess

« on: May 24, 2023, 01:28:34 PM »

Where I work there are two mango trees that seem to bear fruit every other year.

This year they are loaded. Nobody here knows a variety on them and they are likely seedling trees.

Wondering if some of you could look at the images included to say....they seem a lot like....

The ones showing a marked blush are my favorite from here....no fiber....very sweet with some piney tones to balance.

All opinions welcome

Thanks

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Rolinia advise please

« on: May 11, 2023, 12:25:55 PM »

So I have this Rolinia tree in the ground.

Tree has been in ground over a year and the tree was over 2 years old when I got it.

This is a grafted tree on pond apple rootstock.

It has been through some cold snaps that have defoliated it and last year the caterpillars (horn worm) were brutal on it.

The tree has not flowered yet and this year the foliage is a pale yellow.

I have applied chelated iron to it twice in the last 8-9 months.

Can anyone recommend anything that might improve the growth/vigor of this specimen.

All recommendations are welcome.

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Annona reticulata Seed toxicity-question

« on: May 09, 2023, 03:34:55 PM »

So I was given a custard apple today and it seemed to be ripe.

Ripe enough where some of the skin would slough off with gentle pressure.

I began to eat it and noticed the following.

As I ate of the flesh I chewed on the harder parts and came in contact with seeds.

The majority of these seeds were sprouted and as a result split in half and sometimes fell to pieces from gentle chewing.

I am used to these seeds being so hard that no matter how firmly you bite them they stay together.

My question is this....before I stopped eating the fruit I may have crunched 6-8 seeds.

The first one or two really came apart.

I slowed my roll and began to pick it apart before eating but finally I gave up because even doing it by hand the seeds were splitting in half.

I am not feeling ill....it has been maybe 20 minutes.

Anyone ever have this happen to them?

Any ill effects?

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Laurel Wilt Avocado (Stump or Remove)

« on: December 01, 2022, 11:58:29 AM »

After 8+ years of surviving Laurel Wilt and producing fruit relatively undisturbed my lone Monroe tree has finally succumb to the effects of this disease.

About 3 years ago the tree sustained a rather significant die off of many stems which were quickly trimmed off.

This trimming seemed to stimulate new growth and the tree came back relatively strong in vegetative growth.

Fruit production was looking pretty good for this past season but all of a sudden after fruit set the tree again had some wilting and all but a scant few fruit aborted.

Those fruit that held matured and the matured fruit were very tasty...ot many but delicious.

A few weeks ago I noticed that the tree was now showing marked die off in most branches and all but two branches off of the main trunk and a sucker coming out of tree base were toast.

I decided to stump the tree and just wait and see what happens.

I feel torn...as if my decision to keep this tree is putting other trees in the neighborhood in jeopardy.

To tell the truth I am not super attached to the tree but removing it seems like a giant pain in the ass.

My yard is solidly packed limestone fill about 2-3" below the top soil....there are pockets of dirt but taking it out and breaking it up to remove the infected roots sound about as fun as a root canal without anesthesia.

I hear many folks are opting to stump vs remove to see if the tree has enough vigor and healthy tissue to establish new moisture and nutrient flow to new limbs that can replace what was lost.

The tree has managed to do just that several times....again....not sure this is a responsible thing to continue to do.

Anyone's thought on this are welcome.

I am attaching a few images...

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa) The "big" ones

« on: August 25, 2022, 02:02:09 PM »

3yr old tree. Put out 13 finished fruits this Spring/Summer.

These were the last and best.......8 in all that I left to the very end.

I wanted to see how long they would hang on and how big they might get but one fell off by itself and I decided to go ahead and pick them all off.

Plus there are new flowers forming everywhere for the fall crop.

Here are the ones I thought were "pretty"

The taste on these is amazing.....no grit at all....seed count low for sugar apple standards and they are all big and well formed....I imagine they will germinate well.

Enough talk....here goes the fruit porn

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa) best so far this year

« on: August 09, 2022, 10:33:59 AM »

I have had quite a few this year but his one I had this morning was spectacular.

Soft flesh like custard. Seeds easily separated from flesh and were not too much trouble to sort in my mouth.

This one was fairly large and has shown a yellow blush for a while....picked it and it came off of the tree firm but turned very soft within 24hrs.

Delicious.....wish they were all this good.

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Sugar Apple (Annona Squamosa) how many fruits per tree is "normal"

« on: July 22, 2022, 02:56:12 PM »

I have two Sugar Apple in containers...15 gallon.

Each is holding more than 10 fruit.

One had 16 set fruit and the tree aborted 3. Now holding 13 that I believe will hold on to maturity.

Other tree flowered a good bit later than the first and also set 10+ fruits and is now holding 11 ad different stages of maturity.

So....question is....what is optimal....how many is too many?

I am guessing more units per tree will lead to smaller individual fruit.

At some point I stopped hand pollinating because I figured......13-16 fruits seemed like a lot for pretty small trees.

What do you guys think....any advice from personal experience?

Thanks in advance

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Annona Pests

« on: March 10, 2022, 11:50:11 AM »

A few pictures of my Annona squamosa (sugar apple) with new Spring leaves and early flowers.

Along with images of young annona leaves of squamosa and muricata (guanabana) infested with aphids and Gonodonta nutrix (citrus fruitpiercer) caterpillars.

Caterpillars were plucked and crushed and aphids are on their 2nd day of insecticidal soap dousing.

Really hate those little sap suckers.

The nibblers (caterpillars) are satisfying to squish.....the aphids....idk....spraying them off with the hose makes me feel like the ants will just gather them up and go deposit their succulent little fat bodies on some other plant I am trying to baby.

The soapy water i know will kill them eventually but the way they are still there and looking fit as a fiddle for a few days like they are just waiting for a bath makes me hate them even more.

If you haven't noticed yet having just a few trees makes it to where I can lavish a ridiculous amount of attention to each of them.

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Guanabana-Sour Sop- Anonna muricata (forcing/ecouraging flowering-question)

« on: February 23, 2022, 03:37:08 PM »

Annona experts and enthusiasts. Can anyone tell me from experience or knowledge on the matter if there is a way to encourage vigorous flowering on Annona muricata?

I know (from my reading) that most annona respond very well to being defoliated and "enthusiastically" pruned to induce vigorous new growth and flowering in the early spring after dormancy or when many have already shed most of their leaves.

I also know that muricata will do whatever it can to put out new leaves after being nipped by low temperatures....many times to it's detriment. It does what it can to remain evergreen...not deciduous like many other annona.

So....is there some way to trigger vigorous flowering on Guanabana?

Any and all insightful comments are welcome.

Thanks to all

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Please help identify tree in S FL resembles Quararibea cordata (Chupa Chupa)

« on: February 10, 2022, 11:59:25 AM »

I have driven by this tree hundreds of times and have meant to stop for a closer look.

Finally did and I am stumped.

Very pretty tree that suffered in last years temperatures but seems to be a long lived specimen.

It is covered in fruit and active blooms.

From afar I thought this might be Quararibea cordata aka Chupa Chupa.

But while the leaves and tree seemed to resemble Q c the fruit shape is clearly something different.

Can anyone shed some light?....any help would be greatly appreciated

Tropical Fruit Discussion / Need advice. Preparing sites (holes) for a few purchased trees

« on: February 02, 2022, 08:39:08 AM »

I live in a house in Homestead Florida. Our ground here is basically a few inches of topsoil on top of the limestone base.

Dig that few inches and then you hit the rock and dig that out with a pick or whatever else needed to get the hole dug.

I have a few plants in containers that are ready to go in the ground.

Chempejack (2) and a Rolinia. In addition to these I am also adding a few mango, a mulberry and one or two more trees...sugar apple or soursop.

In making these holes and getting them ready to accept the trees what should I put in there?

I have read everywhere that putting the 'native soil' back in the hole is best...but seriously it is little more than rock and the tiniest bit of dirt.

I have read advise against using store bought soil because it can promote root rot.

So....what is the best thing to give these trees their best start.

I don't really care if it is a bit expensive....it is my house and I wan the trees to have their best chance at thriving.

Any advise on anything to do with this would be appreciated...anything from the size of the hole to any suggestion on best soil mix to use to fill the holes.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can lend

Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Australian Finger Lime (seedlings)

« on: July 20, 2021, 12:58:25 PM »

Australian finger lime seedlings.

Ready to step up or go in ground.

$25/each

Open to discount on multiple plant buys.

Located n Homestead Florida

Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Chempejack 3 gallon

« on: July 19, 2021, 04:14:27 PM »

Beautiful Vigorous and healthy trees. Started from seed.

Ready to go in the ground. Parent tree produces fantastic fruit.

One at a time....$40.

Group buy option.....when 10+ plants can leave at a time....we can discuss a discounted price.

Trying to gauge interest before I go moving or stressing the plants.

Feel free to post or PM.