The Tropical Fruit Forum

Used to feed plants black water from freshwater cichlid tanks packed with fish, plants, and driftwood . Never bought fertilizer for the house and porch plants, as the back water was fantastic. Have considered keeping freshwater fish again, partly for the wastewater.

I would be afraid to use skimmate from a protein skimmer. Not sure if the salt is transferred well in the foam, but who knows what is in the cup. Marine tanks, water, and fish usually end up getting dosed with all kinds of stuff, including antibiotics and copper. Even if it is good for plants and fruit, doubt enough could be produced and fed to plants to make much of a difference.

Gotta have mulberry
Passion fruit
Loquat
Garcinia Intermedia or improved lemon drop
Jujube

Super cool vine and fruit arch you are working on there! Love it.

An extended soft brush could help with hand pollinatio, if needed,

pm sent

any info on wampee?

Quality of life here a bit south of Miami is quite good for adults, probably a little less so for kids. I only drive to work once every week or 2 though, and work from my back porch garden area. I usually don't have to deal with the bad traffic. So my experience is not typical in terms of traffic.

Better money opportunities here for many people (depends on what you do), although costs of living and real estate are high.

There's lots of cool stuff to do here. I can go snorkeling, diving, kite surfing (haven't tried yet), biking, kayaking, fishing, and adventure out in the boonies or the Keys (not far). South Beach and Key Biscayne are close, as is downtown. Concerts, plays, museums, art galleries, and events. This weekend we have Chocolate Fest at Fairchild, and Chinese New Year fest at Smorgasburg, the mass food truck event they have every weekend around the graffiti Walls of Wynwood.

Restaurants! Many good ones.

Oh, and lots of growers nearby, with all kinds of fruits and ornamentals.

Think I need a mountain home too, but I really love it here.

Surest way to avoid the worst impacts of a hurricane is to not be near the coast, waterways connected to the coast, in a trailer, or in the midst of a bunch of tall trees.

Mangoes are probably the most cold sensitive of the fruits listed. How far north are people growing without cold troubles, and what varieties fare best?

I liked Merritt Island and the surrounding area when living in Melbourne for a few years. Good surf, great restaurants, and beautiful ecosystems. Vero may have some cool areas to grow, more inland. Will ask my friends near Okeechobee and Clewiston how the fruit trees are holding up and producing. West Palm Beach area or a little north of there might be worth looking at.

Down here in the burbs south of Miami, only cold protection needed is for small seedlings so far. But the most tropical plant I grow is g. mangostana (and just added breadfruit). But, lots of mangoes and lychees are appearing to flower and fruit less over the years. When you do pick your spot, pick some mangoes wisely based upon how far north or south you are, and also zone push your favs.

Homestead and the Redlands are agricultural areas south of Miami.

Hialeah has great soil, at least at my mother in law's. Digging a hole for her reticulate was like spooning butter.

No need to buy boxes. I usually pick them up at stores especially stores like dollar general where all their boxes are conveniently in little carts next to their dumpster area. In most cases depending on weight(up to a few pounds) shipping priority mail package in your own boxes with dimensions no longer than 22 inches and wider and or talIer than about 10 inches is cheaper than flat rate by a few dollars. If the package is exceedingly heavier than 5-6lbs flat rate might be cheaper also depending on where the package is going too. There's so much packaging waste from boxes to bubble wrap/newspapers etc is a shame anyone buys boxes and packing materials at all.

Makes total sense to me D.

...try to keep received boxes and material that can be potentially used again in the future, but the laundry room and garage have become difficult to navigate at times with all the cardboard and bubble wrap.

Seems stupid, the waste that takes place in shipping and packaging. Ordered passion fruit that came with foam wrap around each fruit. Asked them to not send the foam next time, more foam. Fruits were good though. Glad my plants are producing again, and no foam. 

The houses that dont have city water are required to have a 10,000 gal tank and a 4in hydrant for fighting fire with.  You could definitely put sprinklers on the roof and eves.  Ive got like 6 or more fire hose hookups all connected to my tank and sprinklers around the house and on all my well equipmwnt and solar panels.  If theres a fire Ill be staying right here and protecting all my crap.

You ARE the fire department, Brad. I salute you!

Agreed, the market is crazy, with many new players.

I've got tons of Surinam cherries. They all suck so far. But no fruits of the dark variety yet, so hopeful. The hedges have that nasty petrol taste.

Involcruta was good. Reinwardtiana was nice, but quite mild. Had one araza, tasty and sour.

Waiting on several others.

Glad I bought a nice stash of m. cerifera about a year ago. Nice sized for grafting now, and hardy plants.

I recommend you buy some m. cerifera seedlings and grow them out, and graft in summer. Just baby your new yangmei trees in the meantime.

Thai/Indian jujube would be best to grow in Australia. Just ate one off one of our trees; crunchy, refreshing, and lightly sweet. As mentioned, all the Chinese ones need cold to flower. Would be growing them if I could.