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Messages - FloridaGrower69

Pages: [1] 2 3 4
1
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Pineapple thread
« on: April 05, 2024, 09:14:06 PM »
They look like classic ananas bracteatus.…they come in a few different cultivars including some variegated/stripped versions.

Beautiful plants with serious spikes. Lol

There’s no real way to test the fruit ripeness other than getting an instinct for it after growing them awhile. Mine flower with all the rest…around march…and when my other pineapple are looking ready, I pull the bracts in as well. Not very sweet, but definitely edible. Nice when mixed in a fruit salad.

Planted in sun they grow gold color. In shade deep green. The flower is beautiful. Nice plants.





2
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Brazilian Red Pineapple
« on: April 05, 2024, 08:48:52 PM »
Sorry guys - was away on business. I’ll answer everyone tomorrow.  Thanks!!!!

Brett

3
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Brazilian Red Pineapple
« on: March 27, 2024, 10:05:57 AM »
Pictures of slips added - had questions about size. These are super- healthy, excellent sized material. 😊





4
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Brazilian Red Pineapple
« on: March 26, 2024, 05:00:46 PM »
Hi fellow growers.

I have some extra Brazilian Red Pineapple slips for sale.

This would be ananas bracteatus.  The fruits are red skinned and have a light, but sweet flavor when ripe. The specialty produce companies like Miami Fruit and Melissa’s sell these fairly successfully when in season. 

I grow them both for fruit and as a decorative plant. I know some growers that like them for a security hedge, as they are prickly and grow up 3’ high.  https://miamifruit.org/products/brazilian-red-pineapple-plant. Link leads to some extra info. Pictures attached.

I ship these dry root and clipped down a little to keep postage reasonable.  I have a limited number - $10 each. Buyer pays shipping. I will quote total after scaling at P.O. for those interested.

Thanks
Brett
Sebastian Pineapple Ranch











5
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Sebastian Pineapple Ranch - Season Starter Snapshots
« on: March 19, 2024, 06:10:03 PM »
Some snapshots of pineapple flowering from the Pineapple Ranch just in case anyone would be curious.  A mild, but fairly soggy, Central Florida winter left the pineapple in good shape this year.  A few bolts, but most plants flowered in the beginning of March.  No forcing necessary.  The usual plants continue to struggle a bit.  Josephine, Manzana, Japanese Peach:  Delicate plants that are having a tougher time adjusting.  The rest seem to be thriving.  Philippine Red, Mauritius, Queen Victoria, and an interesting African 'Sugarloaf' from Benin arriving soon.

Wishing everyone a quiet weather season for 2024.


























































6
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: March 05, 2024, 09:45:11 AM »
Catching up to this string - been travelling. 

From what I understand - Nature Farms (Mark Dellerman) has had the Hybrid mixed in with the MD2 for a long time, the result is some of the fruit he offers has stronger coconut flavors than others.  All have an excellent vanilla taste... but some go further.

I hope to sit down with him in the future and ask him some questions about his best practices as he has a lot of invaluable growing experience I hope he'll pass on. 

In the meantime, the way I've gone about working with his growing material is buy a lot of fruit when it's available and taste test it.  The outstanding fruit crowns get saved, the 'good' fruit crowns get put in the compost pile.


7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: March 01, 2024, 01:47:19 PM »
Just caught the educational zing.  That's funny.  LOL

8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: March 01, 2024, 01:36:27 PM »
Apparently my first reply didnt make it over sorry

Mark Dellerman is local farmer with a small farm here in Wabasso, FL.  He's getting national notoriety and is affectionately titled The Pineapple Man here in the County.  All he grows is Dellerman pineapple. 

So if you are pulling over to his roadside, once-a-year weekend, sale - you're getting his fruit.  2 other small businesses carry his fruit in season:  AKOHO, a bakery next to his farm in Wabasso - and Sturgis Lumber in Vero: both have some bins of fruit as well.  He personally restocks those, so again - you're getting Dellerman Gold fruit.

The problem is:  The fruit goes fast.  The big fruit is often sold out within days.  I will post on the forum when he is ready to sell.  Other than the crowns of his fruit, there is no other way to get his material.  Hey may offer up slips... but I've never asked. 

On the fruit, some of the fruit have good coconut flavor.  Others have a hint.  All have good vanilla highlights and are incredibly aromatic.  I try to buy 12 a year and taste them.  Strongest coconut fruit crowns go in pots, the others get tossed.   

And to answer your question exactly ... the tops are planted - yes.  If you taste the fruit and screen for best taste... you get great plants.

I offer a dozen or so slips and crowns a year at the end of the season - and surprisingly to me, the requests for Dellerman Gold material surpasses even Antigua Black.  Which says a lot about Mark Dellerman's work. 

Bottom line, that would be the way to get the plants - from his yearly sale.  Again, I will post the harvest date when he announces it.




9
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: February 29, 2024, 05:59:22 PM »
Hey John,

My favorite would the Dellerman Gold since he's a local farmer with a really unique MD2 variant.  I've tried a lot of pineapple and that one scores high because of the light to medium coconut taste ...depending on the plant... and the very hefty aromatics.  It smells amazing.  So I'm a bit opinionated on that one.  I've tried getting the material out to different members on this forum and I'd be interested what success they've had. 

Another favorite is Cayenne Hilo - which has a good, complex flavor with a little hint of tart. 

My wife's favorite is the Cabezona hybrid that's grown on the western side of Puerto Rico called Las Marias (that's the home town to the woman who hybridized it)  Supposedly it's Cabezona (bulls head, a very prickly and large fruit) cross pollinated with something called PR-167.  It produced a very strong vanilla flavored fruit that can grow quite large.  Though it's a prickly monster and tending to it can be like wrestling a Cholla cactus <kidding>.  LOL


I have Japanese Peach ('soft touch') coming along and that will be a real test to see if I can get the same strong aromatics and flavor that the Japanese farmers' fruit produces.   We'll see.

Picture of a Las Marias below next to a Giant Paun to show globe shape of fruit and beautiful color and some other images from the grounds.







10
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: February 29, 2024, 05:38:31 PM »
So.....

With Del Monte, they have 3 market leading pineapple patents:  Honeyglow (which I was able to get a copy of and seems robust), Pinkglow, and now Rubyglow.  The are all cultivars appear to have MD2 in the mix - the patent applications sometimes list the hybridization families - but I haven't checked.  I know of another breeder in Costa Rica who was working on a similar project - the amount of time spent trying to pair strong red color AND get a brix of 16-18 was incredible.

What seems to me a little wonky (unless you see the exclusive marketing component in it), is launching a pineapple grown in Costa Rica - to a very large audience in China.  Clearly there is a 'limited production' call to action with this launch intended to drive the fruit connoisseur to market.  I believe Del Monte has watched patented pineapple like Maui Gold, Meli Kalima, Mango Pineapple, and especially the Japanese Gold Barrel and Peach pineapple command eyebrow raising prices.  But most of those pineapple are domestic-only, fresh to market items.  So it will be interesting to see how the Ruby fruit fare on their air-freighted ride across the Pacific to China.  That's why I was questioning the amount of ascorbic acid that was bred into Ruby Glow - as it acts as a sort of natural preservative. Ascorbic acid goes up and sometimes brix goes down and the fruit gets a bit tangy. 

The pineapple in the picture was a one-off bred fruit.  A no name at this point.

Del Monte plans on launching the red pineapple in China any day now - though I heard it's a little behind schedule.   If it makes a good show there then I would suppose we'll see some marketing here in the U.S. by late summer.   Pink Glow is a bit pricey compared to the ubiquitous supermarket pineapple.  I'd wager a bet that the Ruby Glow will fetch $30 - $40 at market. We'll see. Maybe. LOL






11
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Kauai White Sugarloaf Pineapples
« on: February 29, 2024, 03:41:23 PM »
All the same family as Brad rightly points out. Agreed.

Contributing to the conversation my experiences w/ them .... some might value the input if choosing a white pineapple.

Here are some very subtle differences in how they perform here ... which may differ greatly from other growing regions/zones.

Here at my property in Central FL (hot/humid then cold/dry) traditional sugarloaf (like the cultivar bought at big box stores or through Agri-Starts) tends to 'stack' (gets taller and taller) without producing fruit.  One of the plants that I had in a good spot reached about 5' high, which compared to others is enormous.  Sugarloaf often produces as many slips as my queens - which is impressive.  Those are removed for the obvious reason it saps energy and can slow inflorescence development.

White Jade is very similar - but even with the same sun/feeding/watering... it does not tolerate chilly weather as well.  It struggles where I grow it.  i have 6 plants from 2 different farmers and they all struggle in winter.  the fruit is very good though.  My plants are prone to  'bolting' - or flower at the first chilly cold front passage, even when the plants are just 1 year old.  This produces very small fruit - and no slips or pups.

Kauai White tends not to stack - but instead the plant's spread is wider.  It produces fruit consistently w/ out forcing (calcium carbide) - and produces  3-4 pups, - but i my case, very few slips.  It handles the chilly winter winds well - and flowers predictably.  The plant material is from Jude and Paul's farm on Kauai.  Plant and the fruit are absolute winners.  If you haven't tried their fruit - you should consider splurging - creamy Vanilla.  Amazing.

Again, these are results from Sebastian Florida - others may have different experiences.

Giving Jude and Paul's farm story page a plug - It's interesting reading material  https://kauaisugarloaf.com/about-us/

Good to see people growing the white fruits - they can be higher-maintenance growing in some areas.  Great to see many are having solid results.


12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Kauai White Sugarloaf Pineapples
« on: February 28, 2024, 08:01:52 PM »
The original cultivar (according to the old breeders) was ‘Monte Lirio’ - supposedly…the original white fleshed pineapple. I heard a similar story of how it was smuggled onto the island.  An article I read in an old issue of PRI Pineapple News backed that story up - according to the author, white pineapple wasn’t grown en mass on Hawaii because Dole wasn't sold on the cultivar, saying the mainland U.S.market wanted gold fleshed pineapple. 
They missed out - a great pineapple for sure  - Great pics btw!!!!.



13
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Red Skinned Pineapple with high brix?
« on: February 28, 2024, 07:41:54 PM »
https://www.fruitnet.com/asiafruit/del-monte-launches-red-shelled-rubyglow-pineapple/258135.article

https://www.freshplaza.com/north-america/article/9595163/red-shelled-rubyglow-pineapple-launched/

I hope it has enough ascorbic acid to transport well.  Pink Glow didnt quite impress me its brix readings. Maybe Ruby Glow ywill. We’ll wait and see.



14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Meli Kalima Pineapple
« on: February 28, 2024, 07:28:41 PM »
That particular pineapple’s growing matrial is under lock and key.  Though… I’ve heard from someone who’s up on pineapple tasting that the Taiwanese Mango pineapple is very similar.  Tainung 23.  Frankie has done a great job with keeping his Meli Kalima patented and tightly guarded. And finding the Mango pineapple in season is tough unless you are visiting Taiwan or Japan in July/August. The story below about that particular pineapple is interesting.
   


https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/04/05/2003797351

15
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Pineapple thread
« on: February 20, 2024, 04:02:08 PM »
Looking at the newest growth (core), I’d say they look finest kind. Healthy plants.

16
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Pineapple thread
« on: February 17, 2024, 09:22:30 AM »
Just some thoughts on potting medium. You nailed it: what ever drains best. MG is expensive.  Part of that cost is the addition of pelletized fertilizer - which is nice, but not necessary - as these plants like foliar feeding best. There are other brands out there that do the job as well. Just try to find one with pearlite and peat moss. The white pearlite keeps the soil loose when it eventually starts to compact and the peat helps retain moisture after it’s soaked. Most important detail with potted pineapple is to keep the pots in a place where they can drain fully.  Mine are on crushed stone or on pavers. If the bottom third of the soil gets soaked and stays damp - the roots will eventually rot and you’ll see the leaves brown up and curl. A good way to check on bottom pot soil quality is to wiggle the plant after its been potted for a few months. If the plant wobbles, there’s a good chance the bottom soil is not draining and the plant needs repotting.  Hope this is a good start

Brett
Sebastian Pineapple Ranch











17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Pics from the garden
« on: February 16, 2024, 09:08:08 PM »
Sweet pictures - awesome. 👍

18
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Queen Natal Pineapple Slips - Ltd Qty
« on: February 16, 2024, 09:51:19 AM »
Question was asked to the difference between similar thorny Pineapple in this cultivar family:

Queen Natal, Queen Victoria, Mauritius, Nanas Pada, Cheesepine:

All similar in regards to leaves and growth. 

Queens - The actual queens produce prolific slips.  Some queens will divert growth to slips if the slips aren't removed and not product fruit.  Queens tend to produce higher brix (sweeter fruit, less fibrous flesh.  Queens also tend to handle higher altitude climates/chilly temps well.  Natals seem to have a slightly larger fruit than Victoria - which are most likely the little grenade sized gift fruits you occasionally see being sold by specialty fruit box retailers.  Both are exceptional.  Still a popular pineapple propagated in South Africa - with Natal referring to KwaZulu-Natal, and Drakensburg Mountains where I bought the sample of the fruit I now grow.

Nanas Pada/Sawit - larger fruit - almost as sweet.  Less slips.  Doesn't handle the cold as well.  I tend to move these around during the FL winter to avoid the chilly wind, as it will slow growth and in some cases cause the plants to look anemic/yellow.  Originally developed by accidental cross pollination in the Sarawak region of Malaysia.

Cheesepine is actually a variant bred/developed in Central America.  Larger fruit. VERY sweet with some vanilla flavor on good examples. Less robust grower than Pada or the Queens.  Less slips.  I tend to watch over these more carefully as they require a little more care - but the fruit is remarkable.

Mauritius (more-ree-shus) much larger fruit, larger plant, good number of slips, doesn't handle chilly temps as well as above.  Seems like thorns are more aggressive/larger.  Fruit flavor is very sweet, but the variants I have from the island of Mauritius have a lemon/citrus flavor with a very slight tang. This was at one point, India's most popular export pineapple - now less popular among commercial growers as MD2 is widely planted.   

The long answer to short question.  :)


19
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Queen Natal Pineapple Slips - Ltd Qty
« on: February 14, 2024, 08:54:00 PM »
Hi Everyone -
I have a limited amount of slips available for Queen Natal Pineapple. This plant is a direct descendant of USDA plantlets received a few years ago.  Like most queens, these plants can be slip prolific - but unlike some other queens, these produce large, VERY SWEET fruit - consistently.  Large for queen, that is.  Thorny but worth the frustration IMO. Also tolerant of chilly weather. Attractive burgundy color leaves if put in full sun.  Top pictures are plants w fruit in winter and lower pics are the plants showing their leaf color in summer. 

First come, first served. Limited qty, largest slips go first. If interested, pls msg me to confirm I still have qty you need.
$20 per slip, buyer pays shipping, which I will quote once pkg is scaled.

Thank you -
Brett
Sebastian Pineapple Ranch














20
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Last pineapple of the year
« on: January 02, 2024, 12:57:14 PM »
I might also chime in and agree that the size of the pot definitely has a limiting factor on the size of the plant and resulting fruit.  I grow many plants for slips and pups, but not fruit size.  I can fit more plants in my growing space if I use smaller pots - so I have various sizes.  The MD2 and smooth cayenne plants I let go 'free range' in the soil where there is good sun - and I get consistently large fruits w/ high brix from those.  The problem we have here in Central Florida are the nematodes in the soil (lol, not the beneficial kind), so most of my rare ananas are potted up (plus potted plants can be moved to shelter in case of hurricane or frost).

I also agree with Brad and the group that pineapple love fertilizer, esp. during growing season.  I stick to foliar feeding - every region will probably require different regimens, ... but for Central Florida in growing season I feed via spray every 2 weeks with diluted Jack's Citrus Feed 20-10-20.  It keeps up the magnesium and iron - keeps soil PH at about 5.  In-soil fertilizer here...esp the organic kind ... attract the fire ant colonies...so I stick to foliar programs.

Boiled down:  Pot size and feeding definitely play into a fruit size. 





Good luck - those are great looking fruit!

Brett - Sebastian Pineapple Ranch
Sebastian, FL

21
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Pineapple identification
« on: December 30, 2023, 09:01:02 PM »
The red leaf looks like an ornamental - I’ve seen them with white, pink,red fruit. Very bitter. To be honest there are so many ornamentals it’s hard to pin point an actual variety unless you know what the mother plant was or in the case of hybrids - what was cross pollinated.

The one thing that’s apparent to me is the Medusa plants I’ve seen were all thorny.  Both of these look to have smooth leaves.

Beautiful plants though. Should fun to see what they grow into.

22
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Las Marias Pineapple
« on: December 03, 2023, 11:07:21 AM »
A while back I was asked to share an example of the fruit from a Las Marias pineapple. This is a fruit found exclusively on Puerto Rico that’s apparently an accidental or deliberate cross between a cabezona and smooth cayenne or MD2 pineapple. Large and globe-shaped when given a big pot or put in ground, this is an aromatic, thorny variety produces a very sweet fruit with light vanilla flavor.  Dark green to burgundy leaves. Robust grower with usually 3-4 pups and 3 slips. Puerto Rico had two primary farmed pineapple before the mass shift to MD2: Cayennealisa (from Florida, PR) and Cabezona. My last trip to Lajas yielded only MD2 samples.  Other pineapple are tough finds … sometimes they show up in season at (late June/July) farmers markets and small farms. PR also has a wild Arawak pineapple called Rascana thats worth checking out (thx Bryan at MontosoGardens)👍










23
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Pineapple pups ship to Spain
« on: November 29, 2023, 10:13:50 PM »
I have 30+ varieties of piña here in florida - I’m willing to trade.

Sebastian Pineapple Ranch. 

Email for faster response: demello.brett@gmail.com












24
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: BORNEO fruit season 2023: Tropical rare fruit seeds for sale
« on: November 29, 2023, 10:06:11 PM »
Hi. Was wonder ing if you ever come across nanas madu or any other nanas?  I do academic work and am looking for nanas growing material in sarawak or sarikei area.

Thank you😊

Brett

25
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Mealy Bugs and Fire Ants
« on: August 31, 2023, 09:01:22 AM »
For pineapple I shy away from systemic pesticides and work on a ‘control’ schedule of neem oil and natural pyrethrin. The neem wipes out the mealy bug population and the pyrethrin knocks out the ants. 

Again, here at the farm its control vs eradication. The ants will always return and other than stings when tending the plants they dont do much damage. Some of the systemics have chemicals I wouldnt want family or friends to take in when enjoying the fruit.

I have to give the fire ants some credit though. They are tough bastards. 



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