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Messages - Epicatt2

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76
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Requesting Germination Info for Surinam Cherry
« on: February 15, 2024, 11:27:08 PM »
Quote from: agroventuresperu on February 15, 2024, 09:13:04 PM
Must be some sort of spodosol. Good luck with that. Have you added a lot of inputs over the years?

I just rake the leaves up each spring from the several oaks (and the one elm tree in my back yard) and toss 'em into the flowerbeds to rot down as mulch.  (Why waste 'em?)  And that's also my source for rotted down humus which I incorporate into the potting mix that new tropical fruit seedlings get planted into.

The suriname cherries in the back yard along the fencelines are all volunteers, and from where originally, I do not know, but I keep routing them out to create space to plant other fruit trees.

Am doing nothing special or particular for those suriname charrries in the back –except routing out any new ones that pop up occasionally.

Paul M.
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77
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Requesting Germination Info for Surinam Cherry
« on: February 15, 2024, 12:27:53 PM »
Likewise, Peru, I have suriname cherries all along the fencerow in my back yard and one big one at the front of my house.  They all fruit and drop the fruit so I see dozens of seedlings that pop up shortly afterwards. (I just loophoe them all under.)  And yes, BTW, these new seedlings all have really skinny stems!

My yard is mostly Florida sand, the same in the front but with a layer of leaf mulch in the flower bed there.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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78
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Got to try a Golden Soursop!
« on: February 10, 2024, 02:02:03 PM »
This varietal looks interesting.  And the taste reports seem positive, too.

That said, is this Golden Soursop any more or less cold tolerant than the
usual green fruited varieties?

This doesn't seem to be a tree suitable to try growing here in Tampa, FL,
zone 9b (and not even if we're now 10a per the USDA).

Just wondering.  Any thoughts out there about its relative cold tolerance?

Paul M.
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79
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Zone 9b/10a Driveway Hedge
« on: February 08, 2024, 02:28:20 AM »
I'll also chime in here to recommend suriname cherry.

We had a twenty-foot long hedge of that along the side of our house growing in a 15-inch wide strip of soil between the house and the concrete driveway.  It was kept trimmed to about 3 ft high and that was the only care that it got.

It persisted and was healthy for the 35 years we lived there and even though kept trimmed so small they still occasionally made a few fruit and that whole hedge was black-fruited suriname cherries(!) which had problably been growing there since the house originally was built in the mid-1920s

Alas when the house was sold the new owner ripped out that whole hedge and I was able to rescue one bush but it had been lying out on the ground for several days and so did not survive.

So I would recommend suriname cherries –either red- or dark-fruited ones– as a sturdy option which, once  established, need little care overall other than occasional pruning if you want to shape the hedge.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

80
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: Im lokking for passiflora
« on: February 07, 2024, 01:09:45 PM »
Quote from: mcoambassador on February 07, 2024, 07:40:10 AM
A month or two ago I planted a bunch of seeds of four passiflora (quad., ligularis, popenovii, alata)
species.  Waiting for germination. If I have luck, and you’re still looking, I’ll reach back out.

Hey mcoambassador,

Would also like to try a few different Passifloras –if you get enough germintation to
share some eventually.

Please keep me in mind for any that would do well here in 9b.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

81
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Which fruit trees are ok with being 'buried'?
« on: February 07, 2024, 01:56:08 AM »
If I (and 'I' only -not AI, thankyouverymuch) were going to raise the soil around the base of a tree
I would do so in very small increments and over time, giving the tree plenty of time to acclimate to
each new level of soil build-up.

JM2¢worth . . .

Paul M.
==

82
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: How quickly can rollinia seedlings bear fruit fruit?
« on: January 31, 2024, 02:59:10 AM »
Quote from: Filozophr on January 31, 2024, 01:21:54 AM
[ snip ]  I've been desperate to try a Rollinia during my life; it's a hard wait.

Filozophr,

I keep hoping that someone in south Florida somewhere might offer up some biribá fruit for sale.

I would be willing to buy several to try 'til my tree produces some fruit . . .

But who knows when that might happen?

And do they even ship well??

Fingers X-ed

Paul M.
==

83
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: How quickly can rollinia seedlings bear fruit fruit?
« on: January 30, 2024, 06:11:30 PM »
Filozopher, mine is six years old now and about the same size as yours, or a hair larger, and it made
about eight flowers this past summer but none of 'em set any fruit.  That was a first bloomng so I'm
hoping for better luck this coming summer.

Right now by the end of January it is partially deciduous but still holding 2/3 of its leaves.

Soon as the worst of the chilly weather has passed here I'm gonna give it a nice little bump of fertilizer
and hope for the best.

Good luck with yours!

Paul M.
==

84
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Why doesn't my guava bloom or set any fruit?
« on: January 28, 2024, 06:27:17 PM »
The most prolific guava trees I ever saw were in a damp cow pasture here in Tampa where the cows
crapped all over around near where the trees were.  The trees were often so heavily laden with fruit
that they had to be propped up so that they wouldn't fall over or so that their branches wouldn't break
under all that weight.

And hey, isn't cow poop largely nitrogen?  So I'm a bit curious about withholding it.  Maybe adding some
cow poop could maybe be an answer . . .

Just some further pondering . . .

Paul M.
==

85
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Why doesn't my guava bloom or set any fruit?
« on: January 28, 2024, 03:03:18 PM »
Quote from: Galatians522 on January 28, 2024, 01:05:36 PM
I'm wondering if you got a seedling. Airlayered Guava should have bloomed the first year and then bloomed again after it was cut back.

It is possible that it was a seedling; it was sold to me as a hybrid 'x Ruby Supreme' (went back and checked
my records to be certain).

But it has been in the ground now for about four years and grew so tall and thick that it needed to be cut back.

Maybe it should've been cut back last year earlier than March, but even so it has grown back with a vengeance!

Or possibly it needs more or different fertilizer than a 10-10-10 applied.  But how frequently and starting when?

Or might it better benefit from being thinned out to three or four main upright stems?

Gaahh!  I really want some guavas off this thing.  I'm having withdrawal symptoms!!

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

86
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Why doesn't my guava bloom or set any fruit?
« on: January 28, 2024, 01:44:29 AM »
Been growing a 'Ruby Supreme x Barbie' for four years now.  it grew to eight feet tall and needed to be cut back. 
It got a haircut in March a year ago, trimmed down to four feet then grew back to six feet by June but never bloomed.

It gets irrigated reasonably frequently and it was fertilized a couple times with 10-10-10 because I know they are heavy feeders.

Maybe my timing is off somehow on the watering, feeding, and pruning.  The plant grows well but why no fruit?

Also have a few Psidium catleyanum but they're not large enough to fruit.  Next year maybe....

Asking for some suggestions.  All welcomed.  I love guavas and would like to get that dumb plant to fruit.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

87
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: ISO - Xanthosoma brasiliense / X. hastifolia . . . ?
« on: January 26, 2024, 01:10:39 PM »
Have been searching without sucess for this edible species.  The only offers I can find for sale are
from foreign sources.

I'm still hoping that maybe one of our TFF members is growing this –or knows of someone who is
and could maybe, kindly, advise me of who that might be. 

Fingers X-ed!!

Paul M.
==

88
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / ISO - Xanthosoma brasiliense / X. hastifolia . . . ?
« on: January 23, 2024, 12:24:05 PM »
Does anyone know of a source for Xanthosoma brasiliense or X. hastifolia?  Some common names
for this edible aroid are Tanier spinach, Tahitian taro, belembe, quelembe, calalou . . .

My neighbor is searching for this for one of his customers, and I wouldn't mind trying it out, either.

I did a Google search but all I could find for sale was in Australia or India.  Need domestic sourcing,
if anyone knows of a seller.

TIA

Paul M.
==

89
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: ?!!!
« on: January 21, 2024, 04:13:43 AM »
I found some in a feria agricultora (weekly farmers market) in Alajuela, Costa Rica one summer probably in 2012.

I thought they weren't anything special because I'd had canned ones from an Oriental store in Tampa that tasted far better.

My best conclusion is that the ones I tried in Costa Rica likely were a bit too far past their prime, since I didn't really know at that time how to judge the ripeness of mangosteens.

Never have had an occasion to try fresh ones again but if I do I may well change my opinion.

Paul M.
==

90
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Problem with 'Sabará' . . . .
« on: January 19, 2024, 01:24:00 PM »
Quote from: kapps on January 18, 2024, 08:28:01 PM
My jabo mix is anywhere from 75-100% peat and the remainder of perlite. A very small amount of hollytone mixed in is fine. It’s basically Adam’s standard mix and it’s worked well for my potted jabo’s.

Kapps,

When you say 'peat' do you mean 'milled sphagnum'?  That is very different from 'bog peat'.  Just wanting to be sure . . .

Quote
If it is entirely leafless, I would pot DOWN to the smallest size the rootball can fit in, and bang off all the soil I could get off of it. I do not include sand in my mixes, but perlite and pumice is always good stuff.

And K-Rimes, thanx for the suggestion on down-sizing into a smaller pot.  Should all the fine dead branches be trimmed off if they are really dead or is it better to wait 'til the plant starts to leaf out frist?

TIA

Paul M.
==

91
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Problem with 'Sabará' . . . .
« on: January 18, 2024, 01:34:36 AM »
UPDATE . . .

Saucer or no, I'm trying to decide whether my 'Sabará' should maybe be repotted while it's still cool/cold here in west central Florida.

It's in a mix of 1/3 ea. builders sand, milled sphagnum, and humus (out of my azalea bed).

Should I include some perlite and some extra sand to lighten the mix and make this 'Sabará' happier?  Would the mix also benefit from the addition of some bark or charcoal chunks?  Remember, this 'Sabbará' outwardly appears dead but the main stem at the base is still green under the bark.

Suggestions welcomed!

TIA

Paul M.
==

92
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What soil mix are you using for your container plants?
« on: January 13, 2024, 03:40:44 PM »
Good suggestions for potting media mixes, but to lighten a commercial mix
like those mixes at the big box stores, etc., so that it is aerated and drains
better, can't we just add a percentage of perlite?

What percentage would be good?

Just curious . . .

Paul M.
==

93
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Problem with 'Sabará' . . . .
« on: January 12, 2024, 07:56:02 PM »
Quote from: kapps on January 12, 2024, 06:06:41 PM
I agree. Get it in some new soil.  Water it when it starts getting dry but don’t let it sit in water. The shade is good.

Also, when you pull it out and take look at the roots, is it pot bound?  A 1” trunk means it must be 4’ tall or so.  That’s way too big a plant for a 5gal pot. I wouldn’t do anything drastic since the plant is in shock but a slightly bigger pot might be in order and definitely after it leafs out.

Thanx for the suggestions, y'all.  I'll have to take a look at the roots and condition of the soil.

As to its size, the plant is only about 2 ft. tall but very branched.

And as to the saucer, it always drank up the water quickly and due to the intense summer heat
here in Florida, saucer was always empty by the next day, and then the plant would start to wilt
shortly after that.  (That sounds like the 'larger pot' recommendation that was made.)   Anyway,
once it would get watered again its leaves would plump right back up.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==


94
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Problem with 'Sabará' . . . .
« on: January 12, 2024, 01:26:13 PM »
I have a 'Sabará' in a 5 gal pot.  I set it in a saucer because It kept wilting from the Florida heat this past summer and that seemed to be the only way to provide it with enough water.  It also sat under a shaded pergola with 1 gpm misters (4) up above the pergola area that I could  run for it and the other plants under the pergola.

But the 'Sabará' eventually wilted and its leaves turned brown and dried up, and later fell off.

I checked it yesterday because it has shown no regrowth so I scraped it with my thumbnail at the base of the trunk, which is about 1 in' in dia., and it is still green under the bark.

So . . .   Looking for advice for how to get this 'Sabará' to 'come back to life.'

Any and all advice and suggestions welcome.

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

95
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Nematodes and Fruit trees
« on: January 11, 2024, 11:42:25 AM »
Quote from: Tropheus76 on January 11, 2024, 09:16:17 AM
Some trees are especially vulnerable like fig trees and there is NOTHING in Central eastern Florida grey sand that can be done to prevent them. Havent tried the mustard seed thing. Might be worth a try since it grows pretty well here. [snip]

Hadn't heard about the mustard as a nematode deterrent. That's good to know.  French Marigolds –and the smellier ther better– I have long heard are an effective deterrent to them.

Quote
I grow figs in pots on concrete tiles to prevent errant roots from contacting the soil.

My figs, 'Celeste', 'Green Ischia', 'LSU Purple', 'Brown Turkey', all are in pots set onto concrete tiles, too, for that very same reason.  What I'd like to know is what any of the fig growers on here are using for medium in the pots.  Does the best medium for figs contain a large percentage of (builders?) sand, or is a specialized potting soil mix better, or what? 

And how large a pot is needed for figs?  Also, what fertilizer is best for them?

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

96
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What’s a fruit tree that you would -NOT- recommend growing?
« on: January 11, 2024, 08:57:43 AM »
Quote from: spaugh on January 11, 2024, 02:06:56 AM
I'm just not a fan of the flavor.  I have probably consumed more of them than most people here as a young adult.  But now that I am all grown up and my taste has matured, I know better than to consume such inferior citrus.  It's basically the red headed step child of the citrus world.  It does not taste like a proper lemon or a proper orange.  It has a bad after tatse and serves no real purpose in any actual worthwhile culinary undertaking.  It should be immediately stopped of all future propogation and left to die off like the neanderthal, dodo bird, or any other useless mishap of nature.

Thanx for the observations on the Meyer Lemon, Spaugh.  It just goes to show that we all have different tastes.  That's not a good thing or a bad thing, just different.

Now, as to canistel, I'm undecided.  I'll need to taste some different cultivars more than just 'Trompo' to be able to decide about that particular fruit.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

97
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: What’s a fruit tree that you would -NOT- recommend growing?
« on: January 10, 2024, 10:39:07 PM »
Quote from: spaugh on January 10, 2024, 10:02:56 PM
Myer lemons are useless.

Could you please elaborate further on your comment on Meyer Lemons?

What are it's cons?

Does it have any pros?

True it is less tart than a true lemon, but I have a tree and they seem to make a nice glass of lemonade.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

98
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Choose your best annona and why
« on: January 10, 2024, 11:00:27 AM »
Sorry, but I cannot just choose one Annona as my favorite!

For me it is ilama (either red or white) and biribá.

Annona squamosa, too, because sugar apple is so easy to grow and is also precocious, producing fruit in only a couple years from planting.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

99
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: New Banana Plant Grower here, give me your best advice!
« on: January 08, 2024, 11:51:30 AM »
I'd recommend putting in the ground in a protected spot, if possible.  I'd wait, though until
our cold weather has passed.

Then once planted in the ground be sure that it gets plenty of water and also that it gets
fertilized regularly.  Bananas are such heavy feeders that you can't overfeed them!

I use 10-10-10 fertilizer about one a pound per stalk in the mat every six weeks, and even
while the plant is holding a rack of fruit.  Willam O. Lessard in hs book recommends using
 9-3-27 fertilizer, but I don't know where to find that. Maybe someone else on here knows.

Good luck!

Paul M.
==

100
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Re: What's More Profitable to Sell - Cuttings, Seeds, Seedlings, or Grafted Trees?
« on: January 07, 2024, 05:49:29 PM »
I'd like to add that for me (and likely other older persons), as a fruit aficionado I'm inclined
to opt to buy larger or several years-old sapling trees because I know that my time here is
limited so that I tend to prefer planting things which will ideally produce within a few years
time so that I have a reasonable chance to enjoy them.

Ths doesn't mean I don't plant smaller/younger things that I am curious about.

And, being a 76 yearold can present a person with various uncertanties, nonetheless we
just go forrward and continue to do the best we can!  But that still doesn't to stop me from
planting new things.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==


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