The Tropical Fruit Forum

Good luck fliptop. I hope they mature and ripen for you.

Looks like I'm now 10b but I certainly didn't notice any change.

I just discovered this morning my Maha is popping out blooms all over.

Just adding my 2¢ worth here . . .

There is a parisitic wasp release program underway in Gainsville aiming to help control the Asian Citrus Psyllid populations in Florida.

That program is providing free vials to release of the tiny Tamarixia (non-stinging) wasps that feed on ACPs.  These wasps predate both the ACP adults and their nymphs by laying eggs in them or simply feeding on the adults ACPs. ACPs are the sole food for this Tamarixia wasp species.

The aim of the program is over time to drastically lower the ACP population that is affecting Florida citrus.

Interested parties may contact Amy Croft at the 'Methods Development & Biological Control
Division of Plant Industry' in Gainsville, FL at [ Amy.Croft@fdacs.gov  ]
to inquire about this free Tamarixia release program and details about it including instructions for ordering the wasps.

I released several free vials of these tiny Tamarixia wasps in my yard here in Tampa back in late spring and now no longer notice any ACPs on any of my citrus trees.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

The wasp release program for backyard citrus will do nothing for trees that are probably already infected with HLB.

Amy Croft sent me a few vials of wasps last Winter. I attached the vials to the foliage in my two small trees. The tiny little critters exited the vials and in a day or two they were gone. The next week or so there were more psyllids.

Assuming the wasps took care of the psyllids in your yard, I suspect they flew away to parts unknown to find another infestation. This immediately left your yard vulnerable to ACP's. What I'm leading to is, what use are the wasps if they just hit and run? UF will need to breed tens of trillions of those wasps for state-wide release if there is any chance such a strategy will work.

I don't know what your greenhouse looks like or how big the trees are, but speaking of citrus down here in HLB infested Florida, my tangelo (3', planted in Spring 2023) and Tangerine (4' planted January 2023) are pest free and disease free. Both are very dark green and covered with citrus screening. I am sure that aphids, mites and other pests and disease can penetrate the screen, so there's no doubt that luck has been on my side. Never sprayed anything on them except foliar nutrition (Jack's citrus with micros). The screening will come off in a couple of years once the trees begin producing enough fruit to mean anything. You might try getting some screen "tents" and give them a try, but if all I had to worry about was scale and mites I'd just treat them with pesticide.

For my citrus, mangos and bananas I use granular Sunniland Citrus 6-4-6 Fertilizer with micro nutrients,
and water soluble Jacks Classic 20-10-20 Citrus also with micros. Works well for me.

Dixie comes in as late as September. Really good tasting grapes.

Wrap the trunk in a tube of plastic like those for sale signs you get at Home Depot. Hold it together with duct tape.

Quote from: Calusa on September 25, 2023, 11:35:32 AM

Craigslist Tampa is your friend if you don't mind driving to Plant City or Pinellas County.

Calusa, I'm not at all a fan of Craig's List so if possible could you maybe be a little more specific about
who or where in Plant City or Pinellas County your reply suggests?

Cheers!

Paul M.
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https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/grd/d/plant-city-banana-tree/7662902176.html

https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/grd/d/saint-petersburg-banana-plants/7667052110.html

Thanks!

I tried growing some Jewels a couple of years ago in a raised bed filled with a mixture of topsoil and pine bark, which is supposed to provide the acidic spil blueberries like. They grew for a few months, produced a few berries, then declined, turned brown and died one by one. At a total loss as to what happened but I give up on any further attempts. Additionally, what berries they produced were snatched by birds just as they ripened. How can you grow berries when the birds swipe them?

Has anyone been shot yet? Asking for a friend.