The Tropical Fruit Forum

Since there is a major Arctic blast up north and even though I shall be spared. I'm still taking inventory of what I have so I can build on it. So for freezes with significant wind my Arsenal is lagging. I have two on the tank propane heaters and zero trunk wrap. So I just ordered a outdoor electric forced air heater 15 amps and some trunk wrap. So worst case scenario I would want to put four heaters under my most valued trees and trunk wrap all the rest. I don't want to get into stockpiling Mulch and sand so I was thinking how I could enhance my trunk wrap. I was thinking of adding heat tape on top of the trunk wrap to at least save a couple of feet above the graft Union. So my question is would it just cook the trunk of the tree.









Exhibit A

Wonder how many of these I can run on 20 amp breaker

https://www.phillyorchards.org/2024/05/15/plants-of-the-pop-learning-orchard-paw-paw-cultivars/

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/pawpaw-production-guide/

Reflecting on last season the mango tree that is etched in my memory is PPK. I appreciate it's low maintenance no spraying early season which it gets better later in the season. When it's at Peak flavor it's awesomeanous is off the chart. So if I had to start over PPK would be the first tree I would plant followed by Buxton spice and Carrie.

As left the house to go to work. for i heard aHoot Owl. I wish him happy Hunting no limit on squirrels.


Part of my retirement plan to get reprieve from this hot humid Florida Summers I've got 40 of them under my belt

Since you fellas made me aware that there are many varieties of Paw paw. And I have access to these wild paw paws. Which some are tall and lanky. If I topped or pruned one of them about 5 ft. Could I graft onto new growth multiple varieties like you would a mango tree. I could potentially Buy multiple varieties and plant them then harvest the bud wood to make a cocktail tree. Has anyone done this what are your thoughts.

Potential cocktail trees

Up here in Central Illinois taking a hiatus from Central Florida's blazing heat and humidity walking a fence line cutting trees when I was about to cut a branch and thought I saw a mango. Been working from sunrise till way after Dark baling hay so I may be delusional







Found one that had a soft side to it had a hole in it but these things are really good even if I have to share it with the bugs I guess that puts a little more protein in it

I declare whatever this is is better than the bolt mango LOL not as good as the Dirty Sanchez LOL

I think overall i fared very well. Cuz of the ideas Learned from this forum props out to the Cali crew🙂 Also a lot of thought on my part. As someone pointed out on this forum that squirrels are territorial and when one population is eliminated another group of Bad actors show up on the scene. Each groups preferences also change. Each spring Great Northern owls hunt in my neighborhood. The first they go after are the Mockingbirds I know this feathers on the roof and on the ground then the squirrels are next .Owls are very efficient. So when I say preferences change. Three seasons ago the group preference was ripe guava very little interest in mangoes. Two seasons ago the group preference was green guavas wiped out my entire crop in 2 days. As I observe their behavior of the different members  in the clan. I assign names to them along with a description of their physical characteristics So that my family can give me reports on who was spotted doing what. So this year's cast of actors was Wiley who had a mangy tail Riley and Willie. These three bad Johns were connoisseurs of mango had no interest in guava. I was able to distract them for a period of time with three 5 gallon buckets of acorns that I collected in the spring and poured around the bottom of the oak trees across the street at Peak Harvest.
Crop loss report on protected trees. I lost only one orange sherbet drop to a rabbit.
To Malika's cuz I had a nursery pot too close to the tree which gave them a elevated launch pad to grab a low hanger. The last zero Buxton spice  and Dot.On unprotected tree I lost about a dozen apks and equal number of ice cream. So next season will give them a little more protection. I have this large Valencia Pride that produces so many mangoes that is the sacrificial tree. I don't really eat many of those I do ship some. So my analysis thought process is if you can make things a little difficult for them and provide alternative food sources they usually tend to go for the easy meal. I'm hiding from the Sun the reason I'm writing such a long thread. Sun extracted a lot out of me yesterday the thing that keeps us alive it's also killing us LOL☀️



This is Wiley gorging on acorns

I have been working with a crew lately that talk about RC cars boats and drones. So they got me thinking of spraying small quantities of sulfur at the top of the trees  on the bloom might be  realistic possibility anyone doing this? I'm trying to avoid ladders as much as possible

 Cotton candy Zinc Buxton Spice M4 Juliet  Orange sherbet also Malika and Valencia Pride Little Gem









Just pick my last coconut cream still have one Dwarf Hawaiian hanging



 And this White Pirie

Next season should be even more spectacular with Super Julie Carrie
And yes I'm already thinking about La Nina and a wobbly polar vortex

Any collectors out there growing white Alphonso?
Tried using humor which is not approved by the West Palm Beach Bridge Club. They think this forum should be serious at all times but to me mangoes are fun I enjoy them but I do take this forum very seriously. As Har once said this is not a paid academic Forum so there is room for humor. I used the term white elephant to get folks attention.Hopefully I did not offend anyone.
But this mango has been in circulation in South Florida for quite a few seasons otherwise I wouldn't have been able to attain it from my very reliable source. The two major sources I have in South Florida are quite busy this time of year and I wouldn't trouble them with Chit Chat unless I was actually there. Which is a fur drive for me just to ask a question. So I'm thinking there has to be someone out there who's actually tasted this mango🙂

Humor ie West Palm Beach Garden gnome
Fruit Loop 5 and the Hollywood Florida Youtube Stars.

Sleepy

Yesterday my wife spent talking her sister off the side of a mountain and another relative away from the river.
Hurricane warnings across the Windward Islands: Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Tobago’s meteorological service also issued a red-level warning for the island – their most severe weather alert – and residents are urged to take action to protect their lives and property, including securing food and medicine or evacuating if their homes are vulnerable

I don't monitor Julian's website consistently because mango is my priority but now I have my Grove fine-tuned I am starting to revisit other plantings. I have a  Younghan White Sapote and now I need something else to focus on I would like to get a Campbell to use to graft onto younghan. Does anyone have any insight when potentially Julian Lara farms has that tree available. On the blue moon?

We were over in that area last Summer
and we stayed in Punta Gorda. The school marm is on summer break she'll want to get out of town so maybe I can get her to bankroll a nice hotel. Last summer we stayed at the four season hotel Punta Gorda and got to meet some fellow Forum members. Will anyone be attending this event? Last Summer the grandbaby had a wonderful time eating pizza at the tiki hut in Punta Gorda telling everyone she was a princess from Oklahoma so since this event has a petting zoo should be easy sell to school marm. I heard tell there's a gift horse flip top mango in that area🙂



https://www.gatheringsgrove.com/general-8