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Messages - BloomAndSprout

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1
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Wanderlust nursery
« on: November 05, 2024, 01:16:24 PM »
I've been a long time friend of Matt, actually from before he officially started his nursery.  We're both in the Seattle area.  He has many very interesting plants and some of my largest and nicest plants in my collection originally came from him as small seedlings from years ago.  A very knowledgeable plant scholar that I've learned a lot from.

Wanderlust was the first place I got plants from when I really started this hobby, and they spoiled my expectations for some future plant trades.

2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Breakfast of champs
« on: October 31, 2024, 05:00:54 PM »
21 days? I could clean up all those rambutans in an hour!

That would give me the biggest sore throat in the world!

3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: When is a jaboticaba mature?
« on: October 22, 2024, 11:36:26 AM »
Found this pic from a few years back for a better size reference




Jaboticabas have such a visually appealing growth form.

4
Two things:

Organic isn't always great, or even necessarily so. Everything is a chemical, and not all chemicals are bad or affect humans negatively

If this makes seedlings grow faster, then at some point the chemical will leave the plant and regardless it will be safe to consume.


That study is on the effects of paclobutrazol on zebrafish. I'm not advocating for the use of paclobutrazol by any means, but we are not zebrafish. If we use that logic, we shouldn't eat onions since they are toxic to dogs.

I do agree with you and others though that I would rather wait than use chemicals on my plants.

Fish are very sensitive to chemicals that humans are not.

5
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Going to rip out my Lulo (sniff sniff)
« on: October 04, 2024, 12:34:29 AM »
Always in a cycle of culling trees that don't make good fruit or are taking up unnecessary space.
Even if I had the space, why on earth would I plant a muntingia tree? ;D

What's wrong with them?  I believe I have some seeds here I've been meaning to germinate; the description of the fruit sounds good.

Its not that they are bad. There is just no wow! Factor to them. Kindof like the typical white Dragon fruit. The flavor reminds me of how your mouth feels after eating cotton candy but with very little sweetness.

Oddly enough I have seen some very positive descriptions of the fruit online, which is partly why I obtained the seeds, not that they were expensive at all.  Is there possibly a large variability in the quality of fruit, or (in your opinion) are some people likely just easily impressed by something "different?"
I enjoy them in a pot as a patio plant but I can perfectly understand why people don’t plant them out, they are extremely vigorous and apparently shoot up suckers yards away from the mother plant. The fruit is difficult to harvest because it never really ripens all at once and they’re very small usually. It takes a lot of pruning to keep the fruit reachable. The fruit is mildly sweet to very sweet with some varieties having slightly bitter skin (mine is very sweet with slightly bitter skin but I just spit it out, it’s not noticeable unless you really chew and I’ve had others that don’t have this issue). Some I’ve had are less aromatic and some are more (mine has a good amount of that candyish aroma). I know for a fact they grow super well and super fast from cuttings, I’ve rooted and fruited a few personally within a year. I could sell you some cuttings if you’d like

HMMMM... let me think about that.  Seems like quite the underrated potted fruit tree.

While they root easy from cuttings , I have never seen them sucker, even in big 20’ x 20’ tree’s.

Super sweet is kinda the opposite flavor profile of bland white flesh dragon fruit.

Kind of what I was thinking by that  description, I was thinking that meant "mostly flavorless."

6
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Going to rip out my Lulo (sniff sniff)
« on: October 03, 2024, 08:52:59 PM »
The nice thing about Lulos and some similar Solanums is that they fruit so fast, you don't necessarily need to keep them around. I germinated some in January or December that have fruit growing on them now, and they weren't always kept in ideal conditions or repotted properly.

7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Going to rip out my Lulo (sniff sniff)
« on: October 03, 2024, 08:13:42 PM »
Always in a cycle of culling trees that don't make good fruit or are taking up unnecessary space.
Even if I had the space, why on earth would I plant a muntingia tree? ;D

What's wrong with them?  I believe I have some seeds here I've been meaning to germinate; the description of the fruit sounds good.

Its not that they are bad. There is just no wow! Factor to them. Kindof like the typical white Dragon fruit. The flavor reminds me of how your mouth feels after eating cotton candy but with very little sweetness.

Oddly enough I have seen some very positive descriptions of the fruit online, which is partly why I obtained the seeds, not that they were expensive at all.  Is there possibly a large variability in the quality of fruit, or (in your opinion) are some people likely just easily impressed by something "different?"

8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Going to rip out my Lulo (sniff sniff)
« on: October 03, 2024, 06:04:04 PM »
Always in a cycle of culling trees that don't make good fruit or are taking up unnecessary space.
Even if I had the space, why on earth would I plant a muntingia tree? ;D

What's wrong with them?  I believe I have some seeds here I've been meaning to germinate; the description of the fruit sounds good.

9
Yes

Seem to me that your suggestion might damage the roots of tree sapling.

Poking holes in the container?  Nah, not if you're careful, I think it's a fine suggestion. And remember, the alternative is potential root rot.

10
delete this admin, double post

11

But complaining about a ~2 week delay is nothing and needs some perspective over what's going on in the background.

2 weeks and no communication. Personally, at this point I'd assume they're out of stock and are fighting silverfish seeing what they can throw together from the Y2K bin that hasn't yet turned into a puff of dust.

Like I said, communication is sometimes the weak point they may sometimes have that should be addressed, but complaining about not shipping within 2 weeks is silly.  OneGreenWorld and Wanderlust don't even ship within two weeks a lot of the time. These people are hobbyists that sell a little for some extra cash, very few make this, or can make this, their full-time dedication. When you traffick in rare and exotic things you have fewer buyers, and then must balance a full-time job on top of this along with family and every other obligation. You may say, "well, don't get in business if you can't dedicate everything to it," but then we wouldn't have the access to these rare seeds and plants to begin with. There are very few sellers of these rare seeds to begin with.  Hell, this forum is somewhat small and very old school (I love it) and yet is the largest forum dedicated to this hobby by a wide margin, there's just not enough interest in these things universally to be able to be on top of things all the time.

If you don't get an answer over email then shoot them a message on this forum. I think almost all are on here.  Email these days is a somewhat unreliable medium due to spam, spam filters, etc unfortunately.  That has always remedied communication lapses from the seed sellers I've had.

And this is by no means common to just seed sellers.  Large corporations can be even worse.

Tradewinds is a little different, I have absolutely no idea who runs that website but I think that actually is their full-time business and their stock is incredible, but they have higher prices, don't specialize in the more obscure plants that Bellamy, Brian, Anderson, etc do, so I think they are able to be more consistent and quick and also make money on common seeds like garden vegatables, flowers, and the like.

I agree communication needs to be better! I've been frustrated and angry and afraid I've gotten ripped off in the past too. But all these people are reputable and you have to keep in mind that these are essentially part-time businesses by people with busy lives. When shit happened they bent over backwards to make things right. The main names on this forum won't let you down, and complaining about an order not being shipped in 2 weeks is silly.

12
Hi,

Here’s a shorter version in point form:

Duguetia (Slower-growing, but a few faster options)
Duguetia furfuracea (Araticum): Relatively faster, fruits in 5-7 years.
Duguetia lanceolata: Slightly faster fruiting, depends on climate and care.

Annona (Faster-growing)
Annona squamosa (Sugar Apple): Fruits in 3 years.
Annona cherimola (Cherimoya): Fruits in 3-5 years, prefers subtropical climates.
Annona reticulata (Custard Apple): Fruits in 3-4 years.
Annona muricata (Soursop): Fruits in 3-4 years, best in warm, tropical climates.

Tips for Faster Fruiting
Grafting: Speeds up fruiting, especially for Annona species.
Climate: Ensure tropical or subtropical conditions with plenty of sunlight.
Soil: Well-draining soil and regular watering.
Fertilization: Use balanced fertilizer to promote growth and fruiting.
Hope this helps!

And it really needs to be stressed to use a well-draining soil for annonas and duguetias especially.  Starting out, I was using too heavy a soil and it's quite clear that these plants really do not like that. They seem to have somewhat sensitive roots since they're not big fans of being repotted either.  I think mixing in a fair amount of coco coir or such is essential if you're keeping these in pots.  Actually this seems to be true of the majority of these tropical plants, but annonacae especially need it.

13
Www.Raindanceseeds.com
www.seedshuntershop.com
www.bellamytrees.com
Www.happajoesnursery.com
Www.tradewindsfruit.com
Www.andersontropicals.com
Www.wanderlustnusery.com
Bellamys shipped my order the next day
Anderson it's lik five days
For raindance well. It's been nearly 15 days till. Today no shipping
For now. Bellamys website is the best

Very much agree with this! I've had problems with a couple sellers on this list and they did not resolve the issues in a manner worthy of note or just straight up ignored me.

I highly recommend Kameron with Bellamytrees. Every time I've reached out with an inquiry, concern, or problem he resolved it in a favorable way. IMO, hes the best professional seller in the exotic seed biz. His customer service is unparalleled and nothing short of incredible.
Brian laufer raindance s the worst seller ever 16 days and no shipping
No réponse to my emails nothing
I just want to give him more chance but damn 16 days with no shipping is not sweet
If he is reading this please respond
Dude is not even responding I think I throw my money just like that

For Andersons he have a fantastic seed set
But till now 6 days no shipping and no response
For bellamys he is the best seller for me ships in the next day
I tries also
Tradewinds and they have good service

Dude, even many of the major nurseries take over two weeks to ship out plants from date of order. Everyone does these tropical seeds part-time.  While I think many of the seed sellers could improve their avenues of communication, they have lives and this hobby doesn't have the mainstream interest to allow for these people to hire other people to handle this stuff full time. Therefore personal issues and obligations sometimes delay these things.  With Bellamy I once had a big order fall through the cracks and take many months to get back to me, but Kameron apologized profusely and made things right. I've ordered seeds from many of the more dedicated sellers on here and every one of them has exhibited integrity and passion in what they do.  Anyone who has been on this forum doing this for years  has been doing something right, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do this. From Marcos to Raul to Kameron to Brian to the people I only know their usernames, most everyone here is doing a phenomenal job. These people sourcing in these rare and fascinating plants/seeds are making this hobby great.  If you're new to this I can understand your concern, especially starting out the fear of getting ripped off is real when you're not really able to identify plants as well and you don't know who to trust or what's a good deal, but the regulars on this forum are really top notch.  But complaining about a ~2 week delay is nothing and needs some perspective over what's going on in the background.

14
I actually prefer the slower growth as it does give me time to pplan out on what I can do with them later on
I live with my parents and I keep all mine during the winter in the 2nd garage (don't judge, I was going to get a house with a savings after I relocated to where they retired, then the economy pulled the rug from under me) and I'd be in BIG trouble if everything grew fast.

15
Of my annonas my A. macroprophyllata grow the fastest and are the largest right now.

16
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Is this Sri Kemban Starfruit grafted?
« on: September 29, 2024, 10:25:05 PM »
Sorry, pics wouldn't load right initially. They're now included. It's definitely not air layered and shouldn't be a seedling.

I myself have two starfruit.  A grafted Kari and a seedling-grown Sri Kemban that is 4 or 5 times larger.  Earlier this month, the Kari (smaller than yours!) produced a fruit that fell off (when I tugged up the pot I discovered and inadvertently ripped away roots had been growing in the ground, and so I repotted it) but the Sri Kemban, about as tall as a man, has not even flowered. I'd guess it's a seedling.

17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Grafted Carambola?
« on: September 29, 2024, 04:48:31 PM »
I'd guess it was an air layer or seedling then.  I'm not seeing any pictures, however.

18
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Couple new fruit I tried
« on: September 29, 2024, 04:46:07 PM »
I enjoy reading these taste reports.  Always very helpful to anyone growing out a collection.  Many of the fruits discussed on here have very little description of the actual flavor and qualities of the fruit anywhere... one person describes the taste of one exotic fruit here, then it's quoted everywhere on the internet verbatim without considerations of whether the taste was affected by harvest time or growth conditions--literally one person describes the fruit and it becomes part of the Internet hive mind. Just look at what they say about procimequat--the description of the flavor originates here, and I don't think I've ever seen a description of its flavor that wasn't quoting that post verbatim.  It really gets me that most scientific papers on these plants don't even attempt to give a description of the taste and just describe the physical and visual characteristics of the fruit.  Not saying that procimequat doesn't taste as described, I've yet to try it, but I have one of those and it's the example off the top of my head.

19
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Jabo45 anyone know if he's all good?
« on: September 29, 2024, 12:46:36 PM »
Apparently no torrent from the heavens nor wild squalls can interfere with the grand designs of the Jaboticaba Lord.

I just wanted to say something stupid.

20
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Help. Me. Out
« on: September 27, 2024, 11:24:57 PM »
You can never have enough coco coir.  Mix it with peat moss.  Add fertilizer.  This is a problem I'd love to have.

21
How's the squirrel population there?

22
Received my plants in great condition! Fantastic vine. I'm shocked by how sour the leaves are. Thanks!!!!

23
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Small seed lot permit and vermculite
« on: September 20, 2024, 11:15:33 PM »
I just imported some of Raul's Olosapo seeds.  Beforehand I called up the USDA office near me to confirm what was allowable.  They stated vermiculite was allowed so long as it didn't obfuscate the seeds totally.  They cleared inspection and I received today so it was fine.  Ymmv so just call them.

Good to know, thank you.  I went with Jaboticaba45's advice and used the ATL inspection station.

24
does anyone here enjoy eating noni? i have never had it but I have heard its... special. I have heard that velvet apple smells like cheese and socks but tastes good. interesting. i tried a frozen durian once and didn't really like it, we have some durian ice cream and I have been tasting it to try to acquire the taste. i want to get an engkala plant at some point

I've had the same harrowing experience with frozen durian that you have had.  I'm told that it really does need to be fresh to be good.

25
Tomato 😘

But, more what you are looking for...

Durian
Noni
Nance
Peanut butter fruit
Persimmon
Medlar
Jackfruit, probably

Are more well known ones... Less certain about the lesser known fruits...



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