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Messages - Giant Gecko

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1
New lower price on the Eugenia plants. This discount is for friends using PayPal friends and family. Add 5% on total cost if sent regular PayPal. Thanks and have a great day.

2
Wow that is fast for a Eugenia!

3
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Help. Me
« on: March 10, 2024, 08:17:47 PM »
bellamytrees.com, andersontropicals.com, exoteninsel.com and seedshuntershop.com

You really can’t go wrong with any of these suppliers.

4
Auctions close tonight! I still have the Eugenia rotundicosta and E. oblongata available. If you win an auction you can add one or both of these for not much additional shipping cost, around $2 more per plant.

5
Looking good, I have a few nutans coming up over here from Helton as well





When older I hope the new leaves look as good as this one.

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Looking good, I have a few nutans coming up over here from Helton as well

Awesome Kevin. It looks like a really good species. I think it’s the first time he has offered seeds. He may have grown seedlings in past years. Seems similar in looks to E. longipedunculata/ blastantha, I’m just hoping it grows a little faster which so far it is if my memory is right. It’s supposed to be closely related genetically to E. pisiformis and I’m going to try some grafts in the future. For the time being I have a E. astringens that I’m going to try an approach or cleft graft with E. pisiformis. I think the approach might be higher % success.


7
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186330633527?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=zGee3RFfQ0-&sssrc=2524149&ssuid=zGee3RFfQ0-&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Here is the auction for the Psidium sp Novo Araca Restinga. This is a newly found Psidium in Bahia Brazil. This is the only extra plant I have to offer. Seed from Bellamy Trees. Also I changed my eBay name from davingo328 to Giantgecko, same name as on here. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186330633527?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=zGee3RFfQ0-&sssrc=2524149&ssuid=zGee3RFfQ0-&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY






9
Curious if the rose apple scions can be rooted or are they typically grafted?

I have gotten good success rooting cuttings +75% take in a peat moss perlite mix, bottom heat 75f to 80f, in a humidity dome, and dipping in clonex gel.

Curious what length cuttings rooted the best for you?

10
Hey fellow rare fruit growers, I have limited seedlings for sale. 1 seedling of Psidium australe var suffruticosum, only 1 I’m offering here and another will be on eBay starting Tuesday. Seeds of this very rare low growing Cerrado species were sold at $15 each. This seedling is Sold.














Myrcia sp Argentina      Sold








Eugenia rotundicosta Sold












Eugenia oblongata community pot of 2 seedlings for $20. They should be separated this Spring. Sold











I also have some stratified Pawpaw Asimina triloba seeds. They were kept in moist coir in my refrigerator since November and ready to plant anytime. 30 pack for $10. I will ship the plants using USPS Priority and passing the discounts from pirateship to you. Cost depends on distance from NC,typically it’s from $8-$18 and adding a plant might add a dollar or 2 on that. Any ? please ask and have a great day.

David

11
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Two one gallon pawpaws have shipped . . .
« on: February 23, 2024, 12:25:31 PM »
I have a pawpaw seedling.
The leaves burn faster than cherimoya.
I’m hiding it under an avocado tree.

Yeah, shading it that way is a good move.  I've read that seedling/small pawpaws just getting established in the ground need to be kept shaded for the first year or so.  Later on they can be given full sun once they are welll established.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

With it being grafted using an adult scion branch it will have much better tolerance to full sun especially if it’s dormant now when you plant it. The new leaves will adapt as they grow out but that’s here in NC, in FL I would guess a few hours of midday shade wouldn’t hurt though. The rootstock shouldn’t matter much if it’s from seeds collected from wild plants or from named varieties.

12










Here are the led Quantum board style lights in my 39”x39” grow tent. 4 boards at 60w and one 240w driver. I could have made all 4 on together on 1 frame but wanted to be able to have one side higher if needed for taller plants. This light is bright which is needed for many of the Cerrado species I grow. For plants that are used to shadier environments 2 of these 60w boards would be enough in here. Spent around $150 to build this setup.






This is my seedling tent which is a tent laid on its side so now it’s over 6ft in length and only 2.5ft tall. This I used 2 120w drivers and they are very bright so I dim them to about 75% output. This gives a very even coverage of light. The boards are very versatile to whatever space you have and light intensity needed. Spent around $180 on this 4 board setup due to separate drivers but it was easier to build, install and more flexibility in this situation.

13
I need to get some clarification, are these grow lights for a grow tent or do you want it to illuminate a corner of a room? I’m also assuming you just want to keep the plants healthy during the cold seasons and bring outdoors in frost free conditions.

For my grow tents I bought Atreum led grow boards for a very good deal, they are basically a knock off HLG Quantum boards 4K spectrum with Samsung 301B high quality led diodes. Each panel does best at 60W which will illuminate roughly a 2x2ft grow tent. I built 2 together riveted on aluminum angle and connected to a 120W led driver. It comes out cheaper to buy a bigger driver than separate drivers for each board.These are very energy efficient for how much lumens they produce.

For bigger tents or larger room areas the best bang for the $ would be the 315w LEC ceramic metal halide. They are still quite energy efficient but do put off more heat than led which during Winter wouldn’t be a bad thing. I’d go with a 4K spectrum bulb too. One of these lights up a 3x3 tent brightly up to a 4x4. In a room with 8 ft ceiling, 6x6 to maybe an 8x8 area max. As for discrete they are bright aluminum color but could be painted on the outside with high temperature resistant paint to help blend in with your walls or ceiling.

14
 Ask yourself if this variety is so special why would they stop selling it for years? Why is there no mention anywhere of this special variety on Google, Facebook or here? Able to handle more cold than others but was selected in Hawaii and seeds grown on warm Pine Is. FL? You want us to show you the proof, how about you show us the proof that this variety is legit? I’m not assuming anything, I’ve just never heard or read anything on this “special” variety that has already produced fruit in the USA. Yeah let us know in 10 years when they fruit that you were the only one making the assumptions.


[/quote]


I get it! I just need prove. "I heard" does not cut it as far as proof. BTW, I messaged Top Tropicals about their Red Volcano. The rep told me, "They were grown from seed on Pine Island. They are faster growing and bit more cold hardy variety" They have not had these for sale for years. If I can pick one up for a few bucks I'm going to examine the leaves and compare with my Sabra and others ,let it grow, and taste and compare. Not just make assumptions from the "rumors I heard on the "internets."

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XNvfpFL-26E
[/quote]

15




This winery is buying locally grown Jaboticaba in Hawaii with no mention of it being a special variety at all, more than likely most is Sabara. Think about it if it was some crazy rare special variety would you sell the fruit for $3.50 a pound when you can make at least that much per seed?

16
I would not buy from a site saying that yellow jaboticaba is plinia glomerata... :P :P :P
There are numerous times something like this has happened in the community, but it is ultimately one's own call :)
Just putting in the evidence.


I agree with you, all sellers of seeds and plants occasionally makes mistakes on accident but these are just blatant. Either they are ignorant or they think the buyers are ignorant, either way I have to question everything they sell. Especially when they say a Myrciaria glazioviana is Eugenia cabelluda (Plinia glomerata) - Yellow Jaboticaba. Also $80 for M. glazioviana for 1-3 gallon? Is it 1g or 3g because there is a huge difference. I’d pay $80 for a real deal M. glomerata 1g but certainly not this. If the Volcano Red Jabo is a special variety from Hawaii why haven’t I seen any grower or seller from Hawaii sell or even talk about this special variety. Use your heads people.

17
Yes excess calcium carbonate can be a big problem in tapwater. Here in the piedmont of NC I’m lucky that our tap water from the Yadkin River has low calcium hardness but I still collect rainwater to use also. Excess calcium inhibits iron absorption so the plant will become iron deficient, same reason they tell us to take iron and calcium supplements several hours apart from each other. I would check your water supplier for their testing to find out calcium hardness. Use rainwater when possible, if soil isn’t ideal keep them in pots with soil mix with mainly peat moss and do iron supplementation by foliar and regular when needed.

18
Auctions ending tonight after the Super Bowl. If the team you are rooting for “ pun intended” wins, win an auction or 2 in celebration. If the team you are rooting for loses, win an auction or 2, it will ease the pain of defeat especially when you become the MVP receiver of a new plant(s).Have a great day, enjoy the game and your plants.

19
Hey my fruit friends,

I have a Psidium australe var suffruticosum seedling up on auction on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186286296840 The seeds of this species sold out in less than 24 hours at $15 each at Bellamy Tropicals, that’s just how rare these are. This is probably the first time they have been imported into the USA that I know of. I also have a Psidium ganevii Caatinga, Psidium sp Folha Estrieta e Lisa Caatinga and a Eugenia punicifolia var Caatinga Roundleaf. I pass all of the eBay shipping discounts to the buyer and I combine shipping to save you $ when multiple auctions are won.













Also have a community pot of 2 Eugenia oblongata seedlings in a deep tree pot for $24 plus shipping. I can ship with any of the eBay auctions or separately using pirateshipping for discounted rates. By itself should be around 5lbs 16x8x8 box from 27295. This species was found in Bahia Brazil and the fruit is reported to be very good with sweet and some sour taste. Very ornamental plant too.








20
Kevin is right a grow tent is a game changer in germinating seeds and growing seedlings. Even if I had a greenhouse and when I do build one I’ll still use the grow tent inside for germinating. There is just a higher level of control and with that comes consistency. I think anyone doing 2 trays or more would benefit greatly using a grow tent. I was using my 3x3 along with bigger plants moved in for Winter and eventually ran into issues of space and different lighting heights so I bought a 2x2.5 Gorilla Lite on a Black Friday deal just for seedlings. I placed the tent on its side on the top rack of my 6’ metal stand I already have for aquariums. With it being higher off the floor it stays several degrees warmer than at floor level and now have room for 5 trays plus a little space for potted seedlings. Another recommendation is the SwitchBot temperature humidity sensor, it connects to your phone’s Bluetooth and you can see the fluctuations over time. It’s also just another backup for peace of mind if a thermostat or heater fails. Bought it on Amazon for about $10. This picture shows what’s going on in my 3x3 grow tent. I just have 1 so I move it around to check different locations like my germinate tray but will get more of them.


21



Thank you. Just to confirm, I should measure the temp inside the dome and adjust the thermostat accordingly. if I set the thermostat to 77 F, it will not necessarily make it 77 degree?   

It will keep it around 77F + or - a degree or 2 as it turns it on and off which is no issue. Sometimes the thermostats can read off a few degree too, I would confirm with a reliable thermometer or put the sensors in a plastic bag then submerge in a small cup of ice water. It should read 32F but if it not you know how off it is to adjust to desired temperature. Also I place the sensor near the middle of the seedling tray laying on the top of the media in a pot.

Thanks! I appreciate your detailed explanation ! One last question.. :)  How long do you keep your grow lights on?  12 hours a day or longer?..
[/quote]

12 to 14 hours a day seems to do well. I run mine on 13 hours a day right now but may bump it to 14 before Spring. Most Cerrado species do best with strong lighting with good duration right after germination.

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I should probably jump for one with a thermostat.  What I have been doing has been working for me, but that doesn't mean I can't dial it in.  Anyone got a recommendation?

I’m a big fan of the Ink Bird 306, I trust them with all of my fish tanks too. They typically cost about $10 more than others but I think it’s worth it. They are a little more complicated to set up but they can be calibrated accurately using ice water. Sometimes they go on sale on Amazon around $28. Vivosun has a new one that looks exactly like this model of Ink Bird, probably is but just with the Vivosun name, saw it at $30 plus 15% off. The BN Link ones for around $19 seem to be very popular and good reviews but I haven’t used those personally, just their timers which work great.

23



Thank you. Just to confirm, I should measure the temp inside the dome and adjust the thermostat accordingly. if I set the thermostat to 77 F, it will not necessarily make it 77 degree?   
[/quote]

It will keep it around 77F + or - a degree or 2 as it turns it on and off which is no issue. Sometimes the thermostats can read off a few degree too, I would confirm with a reliable thermometer or put the sensors in a plastic bag then submerge in a small cup of ice water. It should read 32F but if it not you know how off it is to adjust to desired temperature. Also I place the sensor near the middle of the seedling tray laying on the top of the media in a pot.

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What temperature should I set it to?

77F air temperature in the humidity tray is ideal for most.

25
You can do thermostat if you want, I think some people have regulators on them to keep it exactly where they want it to be.   I have a thermometer but I do not really use it since mine is always on and at same temperature.  I am sure some people on here could I answer better, I am just an amateur using the one mat and hoping for things to pop up.

Thank you. I will try without using thermostat. Let's see if it just works fine.

My heat mat will be way too hot without a thermostat, like, into the 100s. I would strongly recommend a thermostat.

They're less than $20.

Exactly right here, can find a heat mat with thermostat combo for $25 on Amazon. That’s maybe only $10 more to add the thermostat for a consistently higher germination rate and growth but also peace of mind. Kind of like the saying “ Don’t let a nickel hold up a dollar.” Also to me if we are going to receive rare seeds from Brazil we should make sure to do what consistently increases  success growing them to spread them around in cultivation.

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