The Tropical Fruit Forum

They are in the ground 10 years or more. Full sun.

A few meaning, say 15 beans out of all five trees.

Everyone says they are prolific, which is why I am mystified.

Carrie seedling - mature, none
Carrie - few
Angie - few but much damaged by hurricanes
Maha Chanok - lower undamaged limbs with flowers, above and damaged areas, none
Jean Ellen - full bloom
Pickering - packed with blooms

I have had many jabos that seem to be thriving dry up and die.
I believe it has to do with the soil becoming anaerobic. So even though the soil
is wet the tree cannot absorb water. I was reading some material and it said
by adding green compost to your soil it will keep the soil in balance.
In one of Adam's videos he mentions repotting jabos yearly and this also
could help keep the soil in balance. By keeping soil wet all the time it
makes the soil become anaerobic. Jabos love water in the right soil.

I remember being told by some expert - too long ago to remember who - that Jabos take a lot of water and flooding in the Amazon but it is moving water, ie fully oxygenated. So I think you may be correct about keeping the soil aerobic.

I have two seedling jaks from a delicious Whitman fruit growing in 25 gal pots. They do flower, the fruits rot when small.  But, they are in the shade and I’m sure that impacts fruiting.

By now, they have grown out of the pots and into the ground. I’ve no idea what to do with them at this point.

K-Rimes, are you using commercial chicken manure, or do you have a source for fresh/composted chicken manure.

If commercial, are the microbes still present after commercial processing?

Thanks, Paul,

I will look into Top Tropicals as a pomegranate source. I have not had good luck with them, but it has been a long time since I bought plants from them.

I wonder why Excalibur carries only Indian Red, if it does not do well in SFLa

It sounds like you have soil similar to mine. Very sandy and low nutrients. Its a struggle to grow anything until it gets established.

Erica

Is anyone in the southern half of Florida state growing Pomegranates?

I have found only two nurseries offering it. Excalibur has Indian Red only. Florida Hill Nursery sells a dwarf Red Lady they say is self-fertile.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Erica

I'll try to make it up there. My last appointment in Port Charlotte is at 5 pm, shouldn't last more than an hour and then a half hour to get up there. Always nice to hear a good mango talk and meet people from the forum.
Erica

In my experience, spider mites do not create such a major web. It looks more like tent caterpillars from your photo. If so, you should find little caterpillars inside, in the process of growing bigger. A brief google search shows that tent caterpillars do grow on sweet potatoes.
Erica

I have 20 acres of downed trees, many of them oaks; it occurred to me that perhaps I could get some benefit out of Irma by cultivating edible mushrooms. I have done some googling. According to various sources, shiitake (Lentinula edodes.)  is actually from southeast Asia and there are warm weather strains. Also there is a warm species of Pleurotis pulmonarius that will grow on sweet bay, which is the other downed tree in abundance on my property.

I am wondering if anyone on this forum has been growing mushrooms in a tropical or subtropical environment?

Erica

I remember the prop trick now that you mention it, from my experience in Naples when some really big mango trees went down. Can't remember if it was Wilma or Charley or what. That was when I lived in town and had professionals come and put them back up.

Just a safety reminder: We were using a 4x4 four wheeler and come along to pull up the biggest tree today. Had secured it with a 1" thick rope. Rope broke and the recoil whacked my right hand pretty good. Luckily nothing was broken. Just a swollen hand/fingers.

The ones I have heeled in and the ones I have pulled up and staked are looking pretty good. The ones that broke off are already pushing new growth. Nature is amazing in its capacity for rebirth.

Erica

I'm no expert, but have been through a number of hurricanes and/or close calls. Here is what I do: I lay them on their sides in a protected area which will not flood. Now that I am out in the country, I put them in the thick stands of palmettos. When I lived in town, I put them in areas that by educated guesstimate will be subject to less wind. Do not put them where they could be blown into your pool. I can tell you those trees drowned. :-(

Erica