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Topics - Calusa

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1
Citrus General Discussion / Anyone's citrus blooming right now?
« on: December 11, 2023, 02:32:49 PM »
My Tango tangerine is in full bloom, a little early I'd say. Anyone else getting blooms?

2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Should I stop the nitrogen on my mangoes now?
« on: September 05, 2023, 10:28:29 AM »
The last time I applied any fertilizer to my Maha and Glen trees was in March 2023. They've grown magnificently, the Maha (below) started out 2 1/2 years ago at 3', and is now about 8-9' high by about that much wide. There is a pine bark mulch surrounding it and my lawn mower throws clippings on top of that. I really want a great fruiting season for next year so I don't want to mess it up with too much fertilizer. I'm thinking should apply something that doesn't have nitrogen but not sure about the best analysis to use. Is the pine bark providing nitrogen? Any help is appreciated.


3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / First Nam Wah bananas for 2023
« on: June 26, 2023, 11:02:41 AM »
Tree fell over a week ago from the weight of the fruit. Divided the stalk in half and brown paper bagged them. Delicioso!

Show us your crop.


4
Citrus General Discussion / Why has my Sugar Belle stopped growing?
« on: May 04, 2023, 01:32:30 PM »
I planted this Sugar Belle 3 months ago and most of the foliage seen in photo #1 below was on it when I planted it. It added a few shoots of growth immediately after planting, but it seems to have gone dormant the past couple of months and it's gotten paler and the sheen is gone from the foliage. Sugar Belle is a vibrant, fast growing citrus. I received it in the mail from a Florida grower and it was little more than a twig with a few leaves. It started sprouting new foliage while it was in that little citrus pot, so I know it can really put on some growth. I keep it watered, fed with liquid Peters with micro nutrients and a good water soluble granular.  Any ideas as to why it's so pale, and dull looking and not growing? Trees are covered in citrus netting.

Sugar Belle


By comparison, here's a Tango tangerine I planted at the same time, 10 feet away from the Sugar Belle. Its foliage is dark green, its robust and put on a few fruits.

TANGO



5
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Bananas On The Way
« on: March 03, 2023, 07:13:01 PM »
Two of my Nam Wah's are making me proud. Hoping they are bigger than last years' crop.




6
Citrus General Discussion / Florida Buyer Beware - Publix Citrus
« on: February 04, 2023, 03:52:38 PM »
Came home from Publix today with a bag of California Minneola Tangelos (Sunkist) that were beautiful but a little on the small side. Just tried one and it was almost as sour as a lemon. No kidding. Not one iota of Mandarin flavor. They are going back right away.

Last week in the same store they had a sample table with plugs of "Sumo" laid out. Tried one of those and it tasted a lot like water with a few drops of sunny delight stirred in. Needless to say I moved along .... also from California I believe.

Not to intentionally knock California fruit, but dang!

7
UF says now with HLB in the picture it's beneficial to use a CRF with enhanced micros. But I can't seem to find any online.

Anyone have a link to a retailer? Thanks

8
Citrus General Discussion / imidacloprid/Citrus Greening
« on: December 30, 2022, 12:35:40 PM »
I may be beating a dead horse here, but my search on the forum didn't produce anything specifically related to a few questions.

1. Using a systemic such as imidacloprid, if the psyllid larvae has to chew into the foliage, thereby infecting the tree with HLB, what is the point in using it?

2. Does the psyllid larvae bore into tender new growth only? So when the new growth has hardened the larvae will not bore?

3. If one or a few larvae bore into foliage does that automatically infect the tree, or does it take an infestation to cause HLB?

4. Has anyone here experienced success using imidacloprid to keep HLB at bay?

Thanks

9
I was just reading a study by UF IFAS about using IPC's to keep psyllids off the young plants during the most vulnerable early years of tree growth. They say after 3 years the IPC can be permanently removed. I don't understand this because it is my belief that the psyllids can infect a tree of any age.

Anyone got anything on this?

10
Citrus General Discussion / At my wits end with these two citrus trees
« on: December 27, 2022, 10:16:54 AM »
Two trees, in the ground for about 2 years. Planted in 3' wide, 3'deep hole filled with improved soil. Yard has a lot of limestone fill. This is the first fruit crop for each tree. I irrigate when dry and fertilize every 3 months with granular with micronutrients. They are about 5-1/2' tall.

As you can see these trees are lacking something but I just don't know what. Maybe they are infected with citrus greening? The tangerines are still in the ripening stage and should be ripe by now. I picked the ripest looking one the other day and the fruit looked perfectly normal, but sour. The fruits are undersize, about the size of a golf ball. The close up photo of the leaves show what I am referring to.

The tangelo - small fruit as well, and there is some die-back on the branches, which is a sign of citrus greening. From my citrus growing experience this tree (and the tangerine) should be twice as big as it is. It's just scrawny and sickly looking. During the past Summer I noticed that it was very wobbly and unstable at the root base, so I added some support stakes. I can't understand why that would happen. Too wet maybe? Close up photo of the leaves show the problem with the tree. Someone please help me identify what the problem is, and if these trees are a lost cause and should be taken out. Thanks

TANGERINE TREE


TANGERINE CLOSEUP


TANGELO TREE


TANGELO CLOSEUP

11
Citrus General Discussion / Who's got Tangerines Ripening?
« on: December 08, 2022, 10:22:32 PM »
My little 7' tree (Dancy) has about 3 dozen or so tangerines that are about half orange-red and getting more ripe each day.
I expect mid-January will be picking time. Look forward to it.

Anyone else?

12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Maha blooming on one side only
« on: December 06, 2022, 04:22:00 PM »
What causes a mango tree to produce blooms only on the North side of the tree? That's what I have right now. The tree is right in the middle of my backyard. Not a big deal, just wondering.

13
The buds started showing a couple of weeks ago and I wonder if they would survive any cold snap that might come our way,
and if another flush will happen in late Winter or early Spring. The tree has been in the ground for a year and a half, is about 7' tall and has great branching and is very sturdy. Thanks

14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / What's wrong with these bananas?
« on: September 13, 2022, 08:42:49 AM »
My NamWah put out its first bloom in the 1st week of June. This is their size as of today, they just don't seem to be growing any larger. I wonder what's going on with them. Shouldn't they be almost ready to harvest by now?




Now the photos below are of my Blue Java. The bloom came out in late June and now it looks like the entire stalk is dead.
What could have happened?




15
Hi, this Glen mango has been in the ground for one year and has really grown well at the top. However as you can see the trunk is not keeping up and it pretty limber considering the mass of foliage, and requires a tripod of stakes to protect it from wind. I bought the tree in this general shape but much smaller and thinner at that time.

The top is 5 feet wide, the trunk is 4 1/2 feet tall from ground to foliage, and is 1-1/2 inches thick. I am afraid that at some point in time the trunk will not be able to sustain the top foliage, so I am asking if there is a specific formula of fertilizer that will focus on growing and strengthening the trunk; ordo I need to severely cut back the top; or is this tree a lost cause?

Appreciate the help!


16
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Oriental Fruit Fly Pinellas County
« on: June 25, 2022, 11:10:42 PM »
Let's hope this doesn't turn out to be another invasive Asian disaster.

https://www.fdacs.gov/News-Events/Press-Releases/2022-Press-Releases/FDACS-Announces-Exotic-Fruit-Flies-Found-Quarantine-Established-in-St.-Petersburg-Area-Of-Pinellas-County

Jun 24, 2022
Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Pinellas County. A quarantine has been established in the St. Petersburg area prohibiting the movement of fruit, vegetables, and nuts without a compliance agreement from the department.

“This detection highlights the importance of our world class exotic pest surveillance system,” said FDACS Division of Plant Industry Director, Dr. Trevor Smith. “Our staff, working closely with our federal partners, has begun a treatment program to eradicate this destructive pest.”

The initial flies were discovered during routine trapping and additional flies were discovered during expanded trapping activities. State and federal agriculture inspectors monitor more than 56,000 fruit fly traps statewide as an early detection network against exotic fruit fly introductions that threaten Florida’s agricultural well-being.

The Oriental fruit fly has been trapped several times in Florida since 1964 and each time has been successfully eradicated.  This species is considered one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm.  It attacks more than 436 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including fig, loquat, mango, orange, peach, plum, sapote, soursop, Surinam cherry, tangerine, tropical almond and guava.  The fruit flies lay their eggs in host fruits and vegetables.  In a few days, the eggs hatch and maggots render the fruits or vegetables inedible.

Treatments are being conducted in a 1.5-square-mile area around the fly detections. The treatments consist of male annihilation technique (MAT), foliar spot treatment, soil drench treatment and fruit removal. MAT treatment uses a bait and insecticide mixture, killing the flies when they feed on the bait. It may be applied weekly to the upper portion of utility poles, trees and other inanimate objects out of the normal reach of people and pets. Treatments are applied for a period of two life cycles of the fly (approximately 60 days) past the date of the last detection. Foliar spot treatment uses Spinosad, an insecticide derived from naturally occurring soil organisms and commonly used by organic growers, to spot treat host trees in the area. Soil drench is used on the soil under host trees with fruit known or suspected to be infested with larvae, pupae or a mated female fruit fly. Fruit removal is necessary when larvae is found in infested fruits or vegetables. Fruit from host trees is removed, placed in double bags and properly disposed so flies have no host material to lay eggs.

State and federal agencies will work with local governments and community organizations to keep the public informed.  More information can be found at the department’s website at www.FDACS.gov/OFF, or by calling the Division of Plant Industry Helpline at 1-888-397-1517.

17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / New Mango Growth Concerns
« on: May 06, 2022, 12:57:22 PM »
Hello - My young mango trees don't appear to be putting out typical robust new growth since I removed the blooms a couple of months ago. The first photo shows the Maha Chanock, with one new growth appearing only a couple of weeks after I removed the blooms, but is stunted. It's been that size for over a month. The 2nd photo shows the growth buds that began appearing a month ago. They are very slow to pop out.




The next photos show my Glen Mango with some peculiar growth -  one photo shows one new growth growing downward, the others just very tiny and weak looking. Maybe I'm a overly concerned but need some opinions. I have fertilized these trees with a good mango/citrus fertilizer with micronutrients, and keep them watered in between the infrequent rains in West Central Florida this Spring.






18
Citrus General Discussion / Is this HLB?
« on: October 11, 2021, 09:51:12 AM »
I fear that the responses will not be good news regarding a new condition that I noticed yesterday on my young Minneola Tangelo. I think it's citrus greening but before I dig up this tree I would like to hear from people who know. Here are photos of the leaves. Thanks





19
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Looking for Jonathan Apples
« on: August 15, 2021, 10:59:53 PM »
I know this may be a somewhat odd request for this forum, but do any of the more northern US members have a source for me to order true Jonathan apples? I have been unable to find them locally for years and it's my favorite eating apple. The best I've had came from Virginia, and some really good ones from Michigan.
The hybridized apples in grocery stores here in Florida are absolutely bland and tasteless.

If anyone knows where I can mail order some of these great apples please let me know. Thanks!

20
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Mango Tree Growth Question
« on: August 05, 2021, 10:37:34 AM »
Good morning!

I planted this Glenn mango tree a couple of months ago. It's right at 6-1/2' tall and the trunk is about 1-inch in diameter. As you can see the top is growing well but I'm concerned that the top will continue to outgrow the trunk that supports it.

Will the trunk catch up or do I need to do something with the top growth?



21
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Blueberry Pollinator
« on: May 18, 2021, 03:57:44 PM »
I have a few Southern Highbush Emerald blueberry plants I need to get planted. Do they require another variety to pollinate?

22
Can anyone tell me what is causing these yellow spots on a tangerine tree I found at a nursery?








UNDERSIDE OF LEAF


23
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Best tasting small yellow mango
« on: June 19, 2019, 05:59:53 PM »
The Ataulfo, NDM and other small yellow curved mangos, your opinion and comments on your favorite please. Thanks

24
Tropical Fruit Discussion / What is wrong with this mango?
« on: June 12, 2019, 06:03:28 PM »
This mango came from my mother in law's tree last week and it has always produced a ton of wonderful, delicious fibreless fruit. The fruit still on the tree didn't appear ripe but this one was on the ground and not ripe either. When I cut it today this is what I saw. I tasted a little piece that looked normal and it tasted good as always, but tossed the rest. The other 8-10 I picked up off the ground had the same rotten spot inside, and some of those had black splotches on the skin.

Does anyone have an idea what variety this is and what is the problem with that ugly spot inside. Thanks


25
After reading a lot of articles on Citrus Greening and associated research to find a cure or viable treatment, I found this article that totally contradicts everything I've read. It's pretty interesting and encouraging to read about successful results rather than more and more research with no end in sight except more research.

If you can spare about 10 minutes to read this article and let me know your thoughts I'd appreciate it.

https://gmwatch.org/en/news/latest-news/18803-expert-says-there-s-a-cure-for-citrus-greening-so-why-is-it-being-ignored


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