The Tropical Fruit Forum

Interesting - today I noticed Mealy bugs being herded by fire ants. I’ve read about this phenom, but have never seen it happen (the ants get a reward for protection with a honeydew the Mealy bugs produce). When I opened the pineapple plants leaves, the fire ants took notice and rushed to pick up the Mealy bugs and move them out of sight. Fascinating.  Anybody else run into this? 

Gerald - as per the PM, here’s Kauai White. More vertical, no stacking. Center image/largest plant.

Not a slip producer - no offspring. Just likes to look good at this point.

Frank - holy cow. Amazing. Yup. Probably going to try and squeeze a mango tree in here. That yellow mango. Intense. Thanks again. 




Brett

Sold Out - Thank you everyone.  Appreciated.

Talking specifically about Dellerman's fruit, his traditional MD2 and the fruit referred to as 'Gold' are visually exactly the same. One of these days when things slow down I've got to talk with him about what the original 3 cultivars were that contributed to the hybrid.  I've noticed some of the hybrids have spikes at the end of the leaves as well as mid section.  But again, visually - almost impossible to tell the difference.  The way to positively identify the difference is to taste the fruit.  My wife is the tester in that department and she says the flavor can vary a surprising amount.  Every once in awhile we purchase an amazing fruit from Mark and she just says...'wow.'  LOL. They really are something special. 

I have 4 different MD2 strains from central and South America - and an MD1 strain from Hawaii and they don't taste even close.  Great tasting - juicy - sweet: Yes, ....but not on the same level.

After reading I think I missed that question.  Josepine compared to Dellerman Gold or a typical supermarket MD2 maybe what you were asking.  Josepine is very sweet with a hint of tart if picked and eaten at the right time.  It has a flavor that is hard to describe, but is unique.  It is a finicky, temperamental pine to grow - it's taken me a couple years to get used to its seasonal and life cycle rythms.  But worth the effort.  Fruits are globe - orange.  I have 30 varieties of fruit on the 'ranch' here - most have a unique color to the leaves, size of the spikes (or no spikes at all), plant stature, and the way the plant 'lays out' ... that make them noticeably different. 

Fellow TFF Growers, I have a few slips to sell if you're interested.  First come, first served.  PLEASE msg or email me w/ what you'd like to make sure I have what you want.  I'll try my best to describe the different cultivars and my experience growing them - everyone has different growing conditions and habits, but I'll try and offer some characteristics.  Cost is $20 per slip - buyer pays for postage which I can quote if you send your address w/ what you'd like.  Most orders go out in a padded envelope which has worked well and keeps postage reasonable.  If you need a specific carrier - please advise (Some folks do not care for USPS service carrying delicate plant material.  I get it, and can work to accommodate).

Cheesepine - Good sized plants with Excellent flavor.  Very hardy.  Spiked variety.  Few slips, but will produce pups under fruits.  Clip them early for larger fruit or leave them attached for additional plants.  Loves fertilizer, few pests... even nematodes go easy on these.  I have 8 good sized pups.

Las Marias - A beautiful pineapple from the West Side of Puerto Rico up in the high country above Lajas.  Large globe fruit that matures to caramel brown to orange.  The larger the pot, the bigger the fruit and these plants can push big fruit.  Very tasty, very sweet. Spiked variety. Few slips.  Produces in places where others struggle - with part sun and a lot of rain I still managed to get great results.  I have 4 pups.

Antigua Black - An iconic pineapple that is surprisingly hard to find.  Grows (supposedly) the sweetest pineapple at 17-18 brix.  These samples came from a plant I sourced from the famous Clemmies Fruit Stand at Cades Bay, Antigua.  Prefers lots of sun and dry conditions.  Spiked variety that produces both slips and pups if fertilized frequently.  The more you fert, the more offspring.  Conversely, lower fert actually produces a larger fruit.  Sounds counterintuitive.  Not as robust to cold and rough handling as some of the other spiked varieties, so should be grown in an area protected from high wind.  Fruit quality is very good.  Flower and fruit are beautiful.  Fruit starts out blackberry colored and turns dark orange when it is ripe.  Narrow barreled fruit.
I have 2 pups.

Nanas Pada (or Sawit). A pineapple from the North side of Borneo in Malaysia.  Has delicious fruit - some compare it to a very large Queen (if Queen were to get that large). Tolerant of high wind and a cold snap.  Robust, stout plants with spikes.
Can produce both slips and pups (it varies by location and plant apparently) - and large fruits can be grown if the grower keeps the slips and pups clipped.  Another variety that will push big fruit if you grow it in the ground or in a large pot.  It's root stock holds firm when other plants tend to lose their grip if the medium gets soggy - which is a positive trait this year in Florida.  A keeper in my book.  I have 7 slips.

Dellerman Gold - A pineapple that is getting more and more attention as people find out about it.  Sold traditionally at a roadside stand one or two weekends a year - the fruit is now becoming more sought after by people driving down to FL from upstate and GA.  The best hybrid fruit has a strong hint of coconut and/or vanilla.  Complex fruit flavor that is absolutely unique and world class.  I have 18 plants that were chosen from hundreds of taste-tasted fruit to provide the strongest genetics.  The slips I offer are from strong flavored fruit stock.  For a video that shines some light on the local grower and his fruit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J_kix8Lsms.  Loves fertilizer - will handle a cold snap well, but obviously pull the plant indoors if there's a frost advertised.  Cold will cause this plant to bolt (or produce an off-timed, early flower) leading to smaller fruit size.  Still delicious results regardless. Once the plant produces a flower, the time to fruit maturity is relatively quick, compared to many of the other cultivars - typical of MD 1 and MD2.   I have 12 slips.

Thanks everyone.

I will have some of those slips to sell in the buy/sell/trade section
in a few weeks - along with some other pineapple material I’ll separate from fruiting plants. Should have Dellerman, Antigua, Sawit (Nanas Pada), Las Marias,  and maybe a couple Queen.  Not a lot, but a few items.

Msg me your address. I’ll chk and see if I can find a crown.

Just a note for those who love great tasting pineapple, that Frank Dellerman has his fruit for sale in Sebastian and Vero Beach.  These are the pine that have a vanilla/coconut taste.  Available for those in the East Central Florida Coast area. He runs out quickly though.

Happy 4th everyone.




Fruit stand at Akoho and Sturgis Lumber on Rt 1

I promised some growers I would check in on how the Japanese peach pineapple crowns have taken. Out of the four, all survived. Even though the grower cropped the crowns, new growth is popping up.
Next to the Gold Barrel pineapple, I think these are possibly the most interesting tasting pineapple you can find, and so far, well worth the expense of finding and importing.

You might look to see if Japanese Gold Barrel or Peach pineapple are available. Often exported to Singapore markets.  Late June/ Early July -possible.

John,
I only sell plants from time to time, as my pineapple produce material, but Mark Dellerman
has excellent pineapple in Sebastian …10 miles south. Worth checking out in Mid July.  He sells out in 2 weeks or less.  Updates on timing:

https://twitter.com/naturefarmsinc?lang=en

Brett

On fertilizer - whats been working very well for my plants is Jack’s citrus feed. Started by using it on a few select plants and it has out performed others, both soil and foliar. Very effective at getting anemic plants from yellow back to green - and with good drainage, healthier root stock.

First MD1 fruit - nice brown color. Lighter flesh than MD2.  A keeper cultivar.

https://www.amazon.com/Peters-52524-Classic-20-10-20-Fertilizer/dp/B00FSI2J30/ref=asc_df_B00FSI2J30/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193139379506&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7371340409544577835&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011841&hvtargid=pla-307722525555&psc=1