The Tropical Fruit Forum

Have seeds from two different orange trees. My boss has trees on his land that have been growing there since about 120-130 years ago. Not necessarily the same trees but successive generations planted by seeds. His parents planted the originals in the very early 1900s. He's an old guy himself. He claims they come up more or less true from seed and are sweet and good. Said they are Valencia but I can tell there are two distinct types. First time I went to pick some today. Definitely aren't any graft marks on the oldest trees and there really is many from different generations. They are really good that is for sure. Sweet and juice worthy without sweetening. After seeing them in person I do believe him. Kumquats too from seed and are good as well as and a white grapefruit. He says they do take a long time to produce but they always turn out good just the same.

One type is a thinner skinned one and one is thicker skinned. Wanted to offer them since I juiced a ton and want not to toss all the seeds since I can see they really do end up good from seeds. If you pay shipping I'll send some to FL members. Definitely willing to trade for stuff too. I'm particularly looking for cold hardy edible nuts, fruits, perennial veggies and herbs, or annual heirloom veggies or herbs.

Thanks! DG

Since most avocado are tropical to at best hardy to nearly 15°F I figure I'd post in here. However around 15° is about how cold it can get here but usually not often. I'd love to get ahold of some seeds for cold hardy types to attempt to grow here. Grafted trees are nice but I don't mind the wait or possible variability of fruit.

Thanks! DG

Hello all! Just getting settled at my new zone 8 location. Have erected two greenhouses but not of the greatest resistance to the 20s° F nights here right now. Many of my prized plants have gotten cold burnt already but most my important ones still live and could perhaps make it through at this point. However the 20s are here to stay for another week or so at night...

Right now I've strung up my best plants with old incandescent Christmas lights and also covered them with sheets even inside the greenhouses. Hopefully that will help get me through the week...

However outside what I've done with my little buget at the moment is there any tricks up your all's sleves? I don't have huge barrels for the water heat retention and radiation at night thing. Probably cost way too much to put a space heater in thin plastic greenhouses and could be even more a fire hazard than what I've currently done...

One greenhouse is 20'×10'×10' and the other 10'×10'×10'. Did double plastic them too on the top at least and the long sides on the biggest one.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! DG

Have a single pot with about ten jack fruit seedlings together in the pot. Would love to trade it for some zine 8 hardy plants such as fig types or satsumas etc. Have a thread with a long "I want" and "have for trade" list in the temperate fruits trading section. Please take a look if interested and send me a PM!

Thanks! DG

Hello all! Will be moving to my new homestead in a full zone 8a environment. Wanted to hear suggestions for your favorite edibles for this zone fruits or anything edible or medicinal. Wanting to compile a list of things to procure over time to plant there. I'm into exotic stuff as well as run of the mill fruits like apples. Let me know what y'all think!

DG

I've had this plant many times but it is notoriously hard to keep alive. However I want another go!

Tons of trade media or will pay! Will ask to see pics of the leaves. There's so many misidentified species out there.

I really need to get efficient with grafting. I want to be actively doing this regularly. I've tried a few types of plants including citrus and cactus with never a single take.

What time of year should one attempt grafting in zones 8-10 for these species:
Loquat
Mango
Avocado
Citrus
Star fruit
Guava
Apple
Pear
Peach
And similar species or general time frames.

Any tips on what grafts work best in general or by species? Good video links?

Thank you all! DG

Been trying to research citrus from seeds and likelihood of true to type or at least quality fruits.

A few online articles suggest against conventional knowledge some citrus will in fact grow true or at very least produce good fruit. Then there's also the argument that if no one planted seeds there would be no creation of new varieties nonetheless. A third argument arises in that even if you grow citrus from seed and it doesn't produce good fruit you still have a nice tree with its taproot ready to graft good varieties onto. Another seemingly logical argument suggests if your seeds came from a store bought fruit it likely came from a grove of nothing but the same type of fruit and unless it came from the margins of the grove even cross pollination between middle grove trees cannot result in bad fruits or far from true fruits because they could have only crossed with themselves which are all good genetics. Too much to consider without growing seeds yourself and waiting.

Can anyone shed some personal experience on this? Not asking for the conventional answer here but for people who may have grown fairly true citrus from seed to share their thoughts and experience.

Thanks! DG

I have fresh harvested guarana seeds grown right here in the USA. I'm looking for a few things I've wanted for a long time. I guess they have to come from members within my state. I'm open to other rare plants that fruit or are edible, medicinal, or useful and are hardy from zone 8-10.

Glycosmis pentaphylla
Fingerlimes
Flying dragon orange
Kaffir lime
Small grafted lemon for containers
Pineapple guava
Vanilla orchid
Dwarf banana types no more than 6-7 ft
Rare not common types of papaya non GMO
Dragon fruit types
Rare pineapple types
Rare edible/medicinal gingers black tumeric etc
Open to other things even entheos just make offers
Want the top of the list most

Want to trade 3-4 people maybe a pack of five seeds each or so. Not easy seeds to come by totally fresh harvested within days!  Would love small live plants but am open to seeds. Sorry can only accept a few offers please don't be sad if I don't pick yours!

Inquiries via pm!

DG

I ask of you fruit gurus what in fact is this fruit???

I have a few Tejecote seeds to trade. Its a small fruit in the hawthorn family. Grainy like texture but lightly sweet and smells like grape soda. Grainy texture due to high pectin content which is a good quality really. Supposedly one of the more useful hawthorns. Have only about 15 seeds to trade.

Looking for any random smaller tree or shrub that produces good fruits here in zone 9-10. Please make an offer if your interested. Also have star fruit seeds from my own seed grown tree. This tree actually produces big juicy fruits albeit a non grafted tree.

Thanks! DG

Would love some kaffir lime and finger lime seeds/plants of good lineage. Tried messaging people whom have made offers to no avail. Maybe its because I'm new here??? However I've traded with several of you already and bought seeds from several of you.

Can someone I've exchanged with chime in here to show my legitimacy? Maybe that'll help??? Not sure how you build reputation here. I've got tons of rare plants to exchange people and am only looking to diversify my garden more!

Thanks! DG

Have about a foot tall cherimoyas and tamarind trees to trade.

Looking for container capable citrus. I don't know if all these are container types but I'm interested in the following:

 Blood orange
Sweet orange varieties
Key lime
Lemon
Finger lime
buddha hand
Open to any crazy weird stuff too as I like abnormal stuff.

Thanks!