The Tropical Fruit Forum

I'm scheduled to give a workshop explaining how to judge mango maturity on the tree.
I have some references already and a good video by JFP films out of Africa but am wondering if anyone on the forum might know of some other specific references I could use? I understand the basic rising shoulders, lenticels changing from white to yellow finally brown, and stem/peduncle drying out. Id like to go fairly deep, beyond what a homeowner might want to know.

Can anybody add some references to help me go deeper?
It doesn't matter if it gets technical chemically or metabolic processes, I will try to adapt the information to a less informed audience. Thanks to anyone for help!

Here is the best video reference in case you'd like to know. Excellent explanation,animation, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4qSHrepLL8

I'm planning to graft a seedling Indian jujube with the thornless "Thai Giant" variety.
Can anyone offer a tip or tricks?
What season is best?
What to look for in the scion?
What type of graft to make?

Note, this is not about the Chinese Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba)
this is Indian Jujube (Z. mauritiana)

I have two rows where I want to grow avocado trees. Each is a raised bed 120 feet long, and spaced 20 feet apart, with adjacent rows also 20 feet apart but other species, jackfruit on one side and sapodilla on the other. I have direct seeded avocado seeds to be grafted once they reach a large enough size, hopefully by early spring 2022. I planted 2-3 seeds at each position on a 4 ft spacing along these beds. Some seedlings are emerging now.
 
The close spacing is to asssure myself plenty of seedlings ready to use and also to eventually select the best trees to keep.

I understand that this spacing is too tight long term but if I get a good population for a very low cost I would be able to gradually thin the trees with little loss, then maybe even pot up some trees for sale. During the first years I may also get a very high production while the trees are small, almost an avocado hedge, with the option to remove trees as needed.

What are your thoughts about this, pluses and minuses, pros or cons?

Wanted, probably from someone in the Caribbean or Central America, 10,000 turpentine mango seeds. Must be prepared and cleaned of all flesh and delivered to Florida. This will require phytosanitary certificate to bring in. These are to be used for rootstock and probably will require a test shipment much smaller than the total, then once quality and process is assured can be delivered in larger quantities to make the total needed. I'm asking for a friend who needs the seeds and will connect you to the ultimate buyer. Feel free to send me a PM. Se habla espanol.

Want to buy/trade Palora Dragon Fruit cuttings.

The nursery inspector visited me for annual inspection and I asked about the Lychee mite progress.
I was told that an eradication program will begin soon beginning on the East coast and progressing to the suspected origin on Pine Island, Lee County SWFL. Trees will be defoliated and sprayed weekly over 8 weeks with wettable sulfur at no cost. All debris will be disposed, likely by burning.

Here is a .pdf fact sheet:
https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/91059/file/LEM_control_actions_Residential.pdf

Webpage with map:
https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Pests-and-Diseases/Plant-Pests-and-Diseases/Lychee-Erinose-Mite

FAQ on sulfur miticide:
https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/91056/file/FAQS-Elemental-Sulfer.pdf

Inside information from the inspector was that the effort was delayed by funding and getting an Emergecy Use Authorization for the use of sulfur as miticide on Lychee. I was told that insecticide companies are loathe to pay costs associated with getting their products "listed" for minor crops. He also showed me a GPS based phone App which had been developed showing all known infested trees in the state which is very detailed but still needs further work.

HE ENCOURAGED ME TO SPREAD THE WORD THAT DEPARTMENT OF PLANT INDUSTRY WANTS TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF ALL LYCHEE TREES TO MAKE THEIR EFFORTS EFFECTIVE. PLEASE CALL IN THE LOCATION OF AFFECTED OR NON AFFECTED TREES TO THEIR HOTLINE 1-888-397-1517.

I am propagating the vine from root cuttings off well established plants, one male and one female. They have been in the pots over six months and while they quickly established roots to the bottom of the pots no top growth has begun.
In the picture you can see a round growth at the top which has formed on one but seems like undifferentiated tissue not a vine sprout. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to spark some top growth in these? They are held in a shade cloth house with ordinary water and soil, not much fertilizer.

I practice some techniques that aren't always common in standard orchards. I interplant under over and around my trees with different plants trying to emulate something more like nature. I plant legumes, vegetables, herbs, flowers and ground covering plants dense enough that they form a community. Every so often I go through and trim these plants so they aren't competing for light, moisture or space. I call these cuttings "chop & drops" because usually the prunings are left in place as a mulch.

About 1-1/2 months ago I did a chop & drop in an area and this week noticed that two trees in particular had just taken a huge stride in growth. They had been poking along all summer and even though we haven't had any change in rain or weather something had really happened. They are nearly 3 year old Rollinia which hasn't really done too well, looked a little yellow and hadn't grown a lot through the season and a 3 year old Breadfruit . Around them was a great growth of a ground covering plant called Longevity spinach(Gynura procumbens). When cut it probably amounted to a wheelbarrow load of fresh green matter that I put aroud each tree.

I've heard some people speak of how pruning adjacent plants sends "information" out into mycelial networks communicating signals for growth and renewal. On the other side, when plants die off or senesce, an opposite signal might occur towards a reduction of growth or a dormancy and pulling back of resources. The reaction of these trees to just the stimulus of pruning around them has really got me thinking.

What do you think?

here is an article explaining some of what science research has found:
https://www.the-scientist.com/features/plant-talk-38209

here is the Rollinia, it has flushed better than it ever has, about a foot of growth:


here is the Breadfruit, it did Ok through the summer rainy season, but has suddenly jumped nearly 2 feet:

This grafted variety is known in the area and was propagated by the nursery which used to own my place. Does anyone have experience with it? I am waiting for this to ripen.

Two years ago I planted six soursop trees. Now that they are fruiting I have discovered they are Mountain Soursop (Annona montana) instead of ordinay soursop (annona muricata). I should have been more discriminating but was not very well versed and the vendor wasn't fully honest. The trees are healthy but I would prefer the muricata for fruit. I have a source for plenty of scions from ordinary soursop and may be able to get some named varieties.

My question pertains to how to go about the project. My options seem to be to either cut the trees low and graft onto sprouts or cut low branches and graft onto sprouts coming from slightly higher up. It seems to me that the difference would be dealing with rootstock sprouts later on and maybe healing problems of a large cut trunk compared to cuts on smaller branches. I have already been removing low sprouts anyways but have seen several soursop trees which seemed to have trouble healing damaged branches.

If anyone has done this I'd be interested in any comment, and especially from Har(Guanabanus) and Adam(Flying Fox Fruits) who I see as knowledgeable in this. Here is a picture of a typical tree in the row. They are about 8-10 feet tall and 3 inches trunk diameter.

This pineapple was grown from a grocery store top I believe it is an ordinary Dole Gold variety.
If my count is correct there are 12 individual rosettes on top of this fruit.
I'm not sure if it happened from a curse, nuclear radiation or alien influence but it sure is strange.

No fertilizer, no pesticides, no water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtO0Pa6tD8s

The cold weather this year has stimulated a very good fruit set on my pineapples.
Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ZCm6S1awo&feature=youtu.be