The Tropical Fruit Forum

So, 6 years ago I purchased some seeds from Forest House in Cameroon. I have ordered from them several times, including special orders that they tracked down for me.  Never had any problems.

Well, a seed grew into something it shouldn't. With help from Forest House, I was able to determine that it is a rare plant, but also a vine that has been eating my greenhouse. Gnetum africanum. IUCN listed as near threatened and declining.  Couldn't find it in any other botanic gardens other than one in Cameroon.  In spite of some sources saying it was common, I have not found that to be the case. Anyway, I started a hunt for a new home for it.
And... the Huntington Botanical Gardens has agreed to take it!!!!!

Yay!

So as soon as the weather warms up, it is off to sunny San Marino, California!  I plan to visit it down there in the future...

Cheers,
Carolyn

So, I have been trying to air layer my Miracle Berry plants.  But after 4 months, all I have are little nubbins instead of full-blown roots.  Every time I open the ball there are earwigs in the peat moss. The moss is staying nice and moist.
Could the earwigs be eating the new roots?
Can I go ahead and cut it and plant it anyway, with just nubbins? Will the roots take off an grow once it is in soil?
Any help would be great, pictures shortly!

Carolyn

Hi,
Well, I just got ripped off from an Etsy seller.
I just want some ackee seeds from Florida, so I don't have to deal with the permit.

Anybody have some???

Thanks!

I have tried to grow these from seed a couple of times with no luck. Just bought one from a friend who wanted room for other things. Six feet tall, nice and bushy, blooming profusely right now and setting a few fruit,
Very exciting!

So last year, a local nursery was selling 'Cipo' orange trees in 12" hanging baskets. I didn't get one this year, but was thinking of one for next year, and moving it (Soon? Eventually?) into a regular pot on a stand.
The pictures that Logee's has shows a VERY small grafted plant with a bunch of oranges... 

Has anyone grown this tree?
General thoughts on hanging orange trees actually producing?

Carolyn

These are all sold now. Thanks for playing!

I have 8 fresh babaco papaya cuttings for sale!
US only. Will ONLY send Priority.

$5 each plus postage of $20 per box.
They are sent in a Medium Flat Rate Priority mail box. I can get 1-8 in the box.

These are large (1"-1.5" x 12.5"-13") cuttings and should root quickly and bear fruit fast.
See photo of actual plant the cuttings will come from (fruit not included).

Carefully packaged with bubble wrap, and heat pack if needed (it is getting cold here in Idaho!), all cuttings are marked as to which direction is "up"

PM me if interested

Thanks!
Carolyn

I collected some ripe olives off the ground, from under some many-centuries-old olive trees, and planted the seeds.
The seedlings are now several years old.

One has leaves that are much larger than the other two.
I am reasonably certain, though not 100% positive, that all the seeds that sprouted were from the same tree. I collected from several locations, and the germination rate was very low.

The branch under my thumb has larger leaves than the other tree in my fingers, and in the background.
Other than that, the leaves look the same, similar color, branches etc.
They are exactly the same size and age.

Do they grow true to seed? If so, one may be from a tree at a different location.
If not, then I am still thinking that all the ones that sprouted were from the same tree.
They are not a cultivar that was labeled. These were VERY old trees.

Thoughts???

Ok, not as splendid as the one of Brian's greenhouse (especially when I go blank on names of plants that I have had for years, good grief), but not bad. I have never used YouTube before, and for some reason the video is not very sharp.  It looked fine when I played it back on my phone.  I must have some setting wrong...
Anyway, here it is!

Come visit!

https://youtu.be/_se4EvRvauQ?si=Lfba9g1wTDudR47y

Carolyn

Hi All,
Hubby found these for me. Here is what I know -
Not from a palm (that is the extent of his tree knowledge).
1 inch diameter. Looks lsimilar to dried raspberry. Black in color.
Mayans used it as medicine.
Dried, hard, lightweight, smells like coffee or toffee.
Nothing inside so I am thinking it is an aggregate fruit and each drupelet is a seed or contains a seed.
Drupelets have no taste, but are quite dried up.


Ideas???

Thanks!!
Carolyn

Well, my kids are back from their farm in Belize, and the grandkids have been returned to them, happy and in one piece.
Before they left I had gotten a permit for some cacao pods, most of which are destined for the Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland where my son does a presentation and lets everyone taste the cacao pulp and seeds.

Here is the really nice Mayan farmer who gave him some ripe pods, and his trees. His name is Filipetech, and he wanted to make sure he got on Facebook! On his farm, they don't make the distinction between criollo, forestero, etc. It is all just a mish-mash.  They also make an interesting local chocolate out of UNfermented roasted cacao beans, sugar and allspice that they cream together with a mortar and pestle.  The result is very soft, sort of grainy, with a very deep, primitive chocolate spice flavor.


And my portion of his treasure. After all, it WAS my USDA permit that got them in. I am going to use it again on our cruise next month and try to bring back more.

So I bought a fresh Sweet Thai jackfruit at a local Asian market. It is now ripe, but my tree pots won't be here until Friday. How long can I hold the seeds, and how? Wet paper towels?

Thanks!
Carolyn

So, you would think with all my connections with local nurseries, being a Master Gardener, and belonging to two garden clubs, I could find a greenhouse sitter for when we are on vacation!

But, aaarrrggghhhh!

Lights are on automatic, ventilation is automatic, foggers/misters and watering, other than 10 minutes a day to hit small pots etc, is automatic. You DO have to hook up the drip once a week and manually turn the water on. Heat is mostly automatic but needs to be monitored twice daily in the winter.

But really, no matter what I do, the place is like a toddler, and needs constant aupervision. The drip system has helped, but isn't a total solution.

People I have had so far either are not reliable/can't follow instructions, or cost too much (the pet sitting service did a great job but they charge $50 per day!!!).

My ONLY sitter right now is my sister. She adores the birds, is free and super reliable, but has the worlds brownest thumb and can't tell when things are in trouble. Plus, we can't go anywhere together!

If we have to be gone for more than a week, it is a crapshoot as to what will die while I am gone.

Where do y'all get your greenhouse sitters and what do you pay (takes 30 minutes twice a day)?

Carolyn