Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - 1rainman

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 19
1
What are you growing? I used a cheap full spectrum fluorescent bulb just a regular light bulb but fluorescent. Has to be full spectrum and look bright white. The orange ones are not good for plants other than trying to induce flowering in fall but they can’t feed on them. Then I mix that with a full spectrum bright white reptile fluorescent with uv. And put them near a window to get any sun that comes in. A fluorescent bulb alone has a very narrow spectrum that the plant uses so it works better with the reptile bulb which has a narrow spectrum that is slightly different from the regular then the tiny amount of sun they get kept my Meyer lemon doing ok during winter. Did not work on bananas. As mentioned above something like weed or tomatoes needs really bright light fluorescents can be used if the plant is almost touching the bulb but it will burn if it touches it because fluorescents alone you can grow plants with but they put out the spectrum and intensity of some more expensive bulbs. But those sunlight reptile bulbs do look like real sunlight. I like those for myself in the winter up north when the lack of sun is depressing so it’s like a dual use the light is beautiful and cheap. I think a reptile flourescent bulb is like $30 and the regular fluorescent is a few bucks. The plants don’t use the uv but it puts out a really nice spectrum similar to sunlight.

My stuff did better outside in summer but those bulbs would keep them going through winter. The regular fluorescent you can put about an inch from the plant. The uv sunlight bulb has to be a distance or plants can lose leaves. And only the sun bulb can sometimes cause leaf loss sometimes not. But the sun bulb and regular full spectrum together or alternating works best. I don’t know why maybe the uv burns it but it does improve the plant mixed with the other.

If you get a fluorescent uv bulb that is purple it can be used at a distance but they don’t use much of that spectrum. Those are the desert uv. Or an orange house bulb I don’t think they use any of that. As long as it looks bright white it’s good to use but if it’s uv don’t put it close to the plant. The main one they like is actually the cheap White House bulb. I used it on seedlings and they grew towards the bulb not the window.

2
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Chlorosis or something else?
« on: November 02, 2023, 07:22:22 PM »
I would guess that it's related to being indoors. First thing to check is spider mites. Second maybe light levels or duration indoors. It's probably semi dormant and spider mites.

3
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Pictures of flowering seedlings
« on: October 26, 2023, 10:31:31 AM »
Most citrus I've seen fruit in five to seven years but I have seen some that don't seem to ever fruit but I always assumed they would eventually

4
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Pictures of flowering seedlings
« on: October 25, 2023, 10:13:03 AM »
It's in a tiny pot with thin trunks. It needs to mature or be close to maturity to fruit. That looks like it could be several seedlings fused together. I would cut it down to one trunk and get a much bigger pot for fruit.

5
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Fermented fruit juice
« on: October 19, 2023, 04:45:28 PM »
You will need a good filter to filter out the yeast. Otherwise the yeast has a nasty sort of beer taste.

6
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Help! Meyer Lemon Trees Unhappy
« on: October 19, 2023, 04:43:06 PM »
Did you recently buy this tree? Looks like a baby that maybe went through shock and will recover. Looks grafted. For small bushes in a pot I suggest rooted cuttings. Even on dwarf root stock grafted roots get too big.

7
Citrus doesn’t like to be mulched

8
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Possible solution for HLB?
« on: October 04, 2023, 08:09:18 AM »
There was another recent article I saw with another solution. They spray resistant bacteria on the tree somehow it transfers resistance to the tree. This seems to be similar an antibiotic which probably came from bacteria injected into the tree.

People are selling their land for residential development because of insane population growth and land values in Florida. The Florida citrus industry will just be a shadow of its former self. Florida isn’t Florida anymore. The old Florida of orange juice, nature, 1960s style motels and strip malls not much left. It’s just city now with a different vibe and different culture to it.

Orange, tangerine and grapefruit juice is my favorite. I do want some good stuff on shelves at the store and some trees for personal consumption.

9
Its like weeds they grow on poor soil then rot and replenish it. Brazilian pepper tree in Florida grow like weeds in soil with few nutrients and over time the leaves rot and create top soil. I guess they pull nitrogen out of the air and I don't know how they get micronutrients. Just really big root systems that can scrape small quantities together i guess.

10
Citrus General Discussion / Re: SunDragon
« on: September 23, 2023, 06:15:14 PM »
It is more cold hardy than an orange due to poncirus and grapefruit ancestry. Like a really cold hardy grapefruit or pomelo. This might do well in southern Georgia, Alabama, north Florida where most oranges would struggle.

11
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: Poncirus hybrid crosses
« on: August 27, 2023, 03:40:10 PM »
When you backcross to the 1/4 level fertility is restored pretty much other than a few low vigor seeds. It's like that with grapes muscadine x euviris. First generation hybrids have low fertility many have low vigor. It just needs crossed again.

But if you are dealing with three or more distant species that is more problems.

12
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: Poncirus hybrid crosses
« on: August 22, 2023, 12:04:35 PM »
Sundragon is not related to flying dragon. It's 1/8 poncirus 1/8 grapefruit 3/4 orange roughly but looks and tastes like an orange with no off flavors. Large fruit similar to a navel. It's the best poncirus hybrid with hlb tolerance but as a side effect it's fairly cold tolerant for Georgia, south Carolina, Alabama type areas.

13
Over ripe I guess. Grapes can split from too much rain so I guess that's possible. Never had luck with watermelon or pineapple even though the plants are easy to grow. I can never tell when pineapple is ripe.

14
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: Poncirus hybrid crosses
« on: August 20, 2023, 04:08:28 PM »
Sour orange and trifoliate seem basically unaffected by hlb. Lemons and sugar bell seem barely effected. Sun dragon is 1/8 poncirus if I remember might be wrong but it has good fruit hlb tolerance and improved cold hardiness. I haven't been able to.get it anywhere though. I also wanted desert lime crossed can't get any.

15
The other thing don't pull up all the grass around it. Let it grow into the grass and don't mow it. It helps shade the baby melons from getting dried up. You would think the grass would eat up it's nutrients but it does better with it as long as it's watered.

16
My dad lived near a watermelon field and when it wasn't planted watermelon would grow wild and people would pick them. The fields are somewhat swampy which is typical Florida whereas normal plants would usually need raised up or better drained areas. Though it's so hot they get to dry out at times too. Literally it's possible to get fruit in Florida off them growing wild but it's not guaranteed watering it during days with no rain greatly increases your odds.

17
It required a massive amount of water to get melons and to keep them to maturity. It needs almost swamp like conditions, especially in sandy areas which is best. It has been a dry year. You need to water basically every day during hot summer. It is better to get them started before it gets too hot so they don't dry out. I have never seen disease problems just the struggle to get fruit. The plant itself will.grow wild on the side of the road though no fruit.

It needs to be in a ditch where water will collect and just water every day. Normally it rains like crazy in Florida in the summer so not too much of an issue but even in Florida have to keep them wet all the time.

Fertilizer needs are only minimum but some occasional fertilizer as well. It's one of the only things that will grow in Florida in the summer. Most garden plants don't do well in the summer in Florida.

18
A European grape like Cabernet Sauvignon only does well in California, maybe the northwest. They can't handle the cold in the northern united States or the heat of the south besides not being disease resistant. Kyoho might make it in a lot of places.

Even California has produced more resilient crosses. Ruby Cabernet is 100% vinifera cross of Cabernet Sauvignon but the wine flavors don't diminish in hot weather like Cabernet Sauvignon. Then they recently released grapes that are 94-96% vinifera with vinifera type berries but have a gene for pierce tolerance from vitis Arizonica. They have slightly better tolerance of fungus. But they were bred for California since traditional grapes are even having problems in Europe and California due to disease suceptiblity.

Europe has bred some vinifera quality hybrids but with improved disease resistance. Regent, malverina, laurot.

The ones for the north east or south eastern united states are a little more native need to be a little tougher but still good quality. Traminette or chardonnell etc for the north. Blanc du Boise, cab zehn etc in the south.

19
I would imagine a desert lime crossed with a sour orange would be a good root stock

20
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Aphid infestation??
« on: August 07, 2023, 06:53:02 AM »
Rain or a hard blast with the hose will knock out a lot but not all. Also can squish them with your finger. I spray some leaves if it's bad but avoid spraying leaves with lady bugs on them.

21
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Micronutrients spray
« on: July 27, 2023, 03:51:53 PM »
Rain water is far better than tap water if you can collect it. Plants will grow better. There's chlorine, salts, all sorts of stuff in tap water.

22
Cold Hardy Citrus / Re: Morton flowering again
« on: July 24, 2023, 02:32:00 PM »
I need those seeds. How do you know it's not selfed?

23
Citrus Buy, Sell, & Trade / Re: Budwood trade anyone?
« on: July 18, 2023, 12:39:29 PM »
Id like hybrid seeds. Maybe 1/4 Australian lime for the disease resistance crossed with an orange or something.

24
Citrus General Discussion / Re: Citrus potting soil qestion
« on: July 15, 2023, 08:45:44 AM »
What I'm saying perlite makes plants grow fast due to being light weight. They get more air, roots don't have to work hard to push soil. But if your problem is drainage which perlite is alway advertised as improving drainage. It does to some degree but perlite can get soggy. If your roots are too wet sand is the answer. Cactus and pineapple for example won't grow good no matter how much perlite you use. Even if it's 100% perlite. They need sand in the soil it's the only way to get the drainage they need. Though cactus dirt is usually peat moss and perlite compost just like normal potting soil but with five percent sand maybe ten. If you have really soggy conditions sand is the answer or growing cactus type plants. But for most conditions perlite works.

25
Citrus General Discussion / Re: graftingg additional roots on trees
« on: July 15, 2023, 08:36:02 AM »
For growing in pots it's better to do rooted cuttings. They have a shallow root system and grow small and bushy but will get big fast enough. Even with cuttings many varieties seem too big for pots. Flying dragon is dwarf but grows slowly. Everything else is too big for pots when grown from seed.

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 19