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Topics - Epicatt2

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1
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Pomegranate for Concord, NC - cultivars good for zone 8a . . .
« on: December 13, 2024, 03:05:58 AM »
Hi All,

Wanting to give a gift of a pomegranate to a friend who lives in Condcord, NC. 

Are there decent self-fertile, low-care varieties that would be suitable?

My friend lives in a section of old Concord.

Any suggestions for suitable varieties would be welcomed.  And for that area when is the best time to plant a pomegranate?

Paul M.
==

2
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Are Any Recent New Zealand Feijoa cultivars suitable to Florida's climate?
« on: October 29, 2024, 06:19:14 PM »
To any who are successfully growing feijoas in west central Florida,

Are any of the more recent New Zealand Feijoa cultivars that have been brought oveer to the
US now available in Florida (or elsewhere)  –AND will they tolerate Florida's warm climate?

The several cultivars that I have tried from stateside vendors do not seem to handle the heat
here very well and all have just slowly died.

Any suggestions welcome . . . . .

I'm in Tampa Zone 10a (or is it still 9b?).

Paul M.
==

3
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Curious about some Eugenias . . . ?
« on: September 11, 2024, 03:59:53 AM »
Got to thinking about Eugenias and which of the more commonly grown species
might be:

1]  seasonal,
2]  ever-blooming, or
3]  sporadic bloomers,

in Florida.  I'm mostly talking about:

Eugenia uniflora (Pitanga) = sporadic throughout the year

E. brasiliensis  (Grumichama)  = ? ? ?

E. calycina  (Savannah Cherry) =  ? ? ?

E. candolleana  (Rainforest Plum) = Spring in Florida when it's dry so needs some irrigation

E. luschnathiana (Pitomba) = seasonally limited

E. selloi  (Pitangatuba) = seems to be lightly sporadic for me throughout the summertime

E. stipitata  (Araça Boi) = sporadic or continuous once mature


OK, the above what I coulld find readily online.  I'm sure that some of our Florida TFFers
may have some useful input to add (or to just correct me).

Paul M.
==


4
Tropical Fruit Discussion / My guava refuses to bloom . . . .
« on: September 06, 2024, 03:52:06 AM »
I bought a 'Ruby Supreme' guava about five years ago.  Four years ago it went into the ground.

It has grown like gangbusters and two years ago in June it was cut back to fence high (4 ft.). 
It rapidly grew back to 8 ft tall. in about four months' time.

This following year it was trimmed back again to 4 ft tall in June.  Again no flowers or fruit.

So far this year (2024) I did not cut it back and it's at least 8 ft tall again but again no flowers
or fruit.  Plant seems perfectly healthy and robust but refuses to make any fruit.

It has been fertilized occsasionally each year and has gotten plenty of water both from rain and
city water (when there's not enough rain).

Does it sound like I'm doing something wrong with this guava?  (Maybe it's too happy to bother
with blooming or setting fruit!)

Help, please . . . !

Paul M.
==

5
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / WTB – Psidium guineense, live plant or rooted cutting . . .
« on: September 02, 2024, 12:15:03 AM »
Have been looking for this sepcies around online for a few months now without success.

Does anyone of our TFF members have any seedlings or rooted cutting from a selected
variety available for sale at a reasonable price?

Lemme noe, please . . . .

Paul M.
==

6
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Will Commercial Citrus Potting Soil Mix work for other various genera . . . ?
« on: August 28, 2024, 12:01:28 PM »
I have had problems with small 1 gallon mangos that have been in my usual mix of
1 part ea. of builders sand, milled sphagnum, and rotted down mulch that's harvested
from my flowerbeds.

The small mangos start presenting burned leaf edges, leaf-drop, and ever-smaller flushes
of leaves, then the plant dies.  This has happened several times.  I don't believe that it is
a case of overwatering and definitely not over-fertilizing.  (This has not happened with any
3 gallon or larger mangos that I've bought; only with small one gallon sizes.)

So, I'm considering buying/using  a commercial citrus potting mix which apparently offers
better drainage. 

With that in mind, will such a citrus mix be suitable for other tropicals that get started in pots
to begin with?  So would it be suitable for Eugenias, Garcinias, mangos, Passifloras, or others
for getting them started in one gallon pots and over time moving them up to five gallon pots,
before they get planted out into the ground?

So . . . . Have any of our TFF members had success using citrus potting mix for other than citrus?

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

7
Tropical Fruit Discussion / New Lobo avocado picker . . .
« on: August 25, 2024, 02:53:50 AM »
On Spaugh's suggestion elsewhere in this thread, I checked out and decided to buy the Lobo
Prods. avocado picker.  [ https://loboproductsinc.com ]

It was on sale (apparently) at $89.00 and it arrived promptly, well packed and in good condition.
(It even included two bolts to secure it to an extension pole.)

Upon arrival it appears very well made and sturdy, with an attached bag to catch the picked fruit,
but it obviously needs an extension pole to make it properly useful.

With that in mind I ordered a 12 ft telescoping extension fruit picking pole also from Lobo which
also came with an offered discount.  (I'll update this once the pole arrives.)

This picker will be helpful for harvesting the many soon-to-ripen fruit on my "Mexicola Grande'
tree and I'm eagerly anticipating acodados after a two year lapse of the tree not setting fruit.

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

8
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Anyone in Florida growing Sichuan Pepper . . . ?
« on: August 24, 2024, 03:12:53 AM »
Is anyone in Florida successfully growing Sichuan peppers?  Its range is apparently zones 6 thru 9.

I haven't been able to determine clearly whether this tree is dioecious or not so do not know
if sexed plants are available for sale in the US. Also not sure which species of Xanthoxylum is
the right one for true sichuan peppers.

Still, it might be nice to have fresh seeds available to cook some authentic regional Chinese dishes with.

Anyone growing this species who has comments or advice on growing it is encouraged to reply.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

9
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Picking avocados . . ..
« on: August 16, 2024, 02:05:45 AM »
Just curious....

Is it better to pick avocados, pulling them off the tree? –when they're ready of course.

Or... Is it better to clip them off with a bit of the stem still attached?

Then they have to sit on the counter for a few days to ripen, but I noticed that both
the fruit that got knocked off my tree in a recent windstorm got a slow rot staring at
the stem end, starting before they hd softened up enough to eat.  One I lost to the
rot and the other softened about the same time it was ready to eat.

Advice or suggestions for how to pick these is welcomed!

Paul M.
==

10
Tropical Fruit Buy, Sell & Trade / Buying frozen durians . . . . Worth it?
« on: July 03, 2024, 01:03:57 AM »
I recently noticed that one of our local Oriental Markets here in Tampa (FL) has frozen
durians, either whole or peeled and sliced offered for sale.  I'm so far undecided about
whether to try them.

What should I look for –or ask the store personnel about, when considering trying what
the store is offering?

Comments and suggestions are welcome . . . .

Paul M.
==

11
Tropical Fruit Discussion / UPDATE on my Plinia edulis . . . .
« on: June 27, 2024, 03:43:09 PM »
My Plinia edulis (cambucá) is now about five years old at least.  Earlier this year [April 2024] it got moved up from a 3 gal pot to a 5 gal pot and shortly after that move it flushed a lot of new leaves.

Because of that and because it was about 18 inches tall and nicely branched, it then got planted into the ground around the start of June this year.  It is now in full sun most of the day and seems to be flushing new leaves, with no scorched leaves in its new position.  It is getting plenty of water now that the rainy season has started here, and it is in humus-enriched but well draining soil.

With it acting happy where it is now should it be fed?  With what and how much -and how often?

Once our rainy season ends after August and in the hotter part of summer on toward fall when we are in the mid-90s for sometime weeks on end, will this cambucá benefit from being shaded, at all?

Comments, suggestions for feeding and/or shading welcomed.

Paul M.
==


12
Tropical Fruit Discussion / What's the deal with Physalis peruviana . . . ?
« on: June 21, 2024, 03:45:44 AM »
So I bought several small Physalis peruviana (aka, Cape Gooseberry or uchuva) back in March and they have all grown like gangbusters to almost six feet tall, but are not making any flowers or setting any fruit.  What gives?

I have refrained from fertilizing them, as advised. They get plenty of water, though, or they wilt.  They seem to be pretty much water pumps, the way sunflowers are.

I'm wondering whether –not unlike their relative, the tomato– that when the temps get too hot they won't flower or set fruit.  We have been running into the mid-80s up to the mid-90s recently here in west central Florida.

Any thoughts about this, any of you TFF members who've tried growing this species in central Florida?

Paul M.
==

13
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Asimina triloba (pawpaw) cultivars for Florida zone 9b . . .
« on: June 06, 2024, 11:12:11 PM »
Are there any Asimina triloba (pawpaw) varieties that have been developed which will thrive and fruit here in Florida 9b in the vicinity of Tampa?

I know that there are some wild A. triloba that have been reported growing as far south as just south of the Florida state line in the Apalachicola river basin, so am hoping there might be some cultivars that have been developed that need minimal chilling ours.

Maybe member D-Grower in N. Fla. will have something to add.

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==


14
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Do bael fruit all have spines?
« on: June 06, 2024, 02:11:53 AM »
I was given a couple of small bael fruit seedlings a year ago or so, then forgot to label them.

I found what I think is one of those that was struggling in deep shade and brought it out into more sun. Then it got a little too dried out with the leaves starting to dry out and fall off, too, so I repotted it from a 4" to a 1 gal. pot and gave it less sun and watered it well.  Now it has pushed four new leaves.  They look like baelfruit leaves but the plant, one stem about 8in tall, has no spines on it.

So are there some baelfruit tree varieties that do not make spines?

Just wonderng . . . .

Paul M.
==


15
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Which Banana buds are edible? . . .
« on: June 03, 2024, 04:06:20 AM »
Got to wondering if many (or any) banana flower buds are edible.  I know some are eaten in Asian countries. But don't know if the buds on all banana cultivars are edible.

I know the practice is to remove the flower bud after no further fruit is forming so that the plant's energy will be directed into maturing the fruit.

My 'Dwarf Namwah' has just bulled and it's already shooting and showing two hands of newly formed bananas.  I kinda hate to waste the bud if it's edible but I have no notion for how tp prepare it; but I have PR and Asian neighbors neaby who might like the cut-off bud.

Just wonderng . . .

Paul M.
==

16
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Feeding a fig . . .
« on: June 03, 2024, 03:49:08 AM »
I have several fig cultivars in 5 or 7 gal. pots.  The pots are sitting on patio stones to prevent contact with the ground and potential contamination from nematodes, etc. They get plenty of full sun and are watered regularly.

At first I got a mnimal amount of fruit on these cultivars but now three years later next to nothing!

To be honest, they have not been fed much or frequently, so my question is what to feed them with and when and how often?

Prolly wouldn't hurt to place a layer of mulch on top of the soil in their pots, but again, what kind and how much (how deep)?

BTW: these cultivars are: Brown Turkey, LSU Purple, Green Ischia, and Celeste.

All suggestions and advice welcomed . . .

Paul M.
==

17
Tropical Fruit Discussion / OT – some avocado humor . . .
« on: May 30, 2024, 12:59:57 PM »
NOT YET . . .

NOT YET . . .

NOT YET . . .

NOT YET . . . EAT ME NOW !!!! — TOO LATE!

AIN' IT DA TRUT?

Paul M.
==

18
Tropical Fruit Discussion / How many years for Plinia edulis (cambucá) to start fruiting?
« on: May 25, 2024, 11:43:18 AM »
My Plinia edulis (cambucá) was just moved up to a 5 gal. pot a month ago and
since then has pushed a bunch of new growth and it's pushing past 3 ft tall. Up
until now it has been a very slow grower, starting in a 4" pot originally at about
6" tall. 

I'm thinking that it should go into the ground pretty soon.  Will it take/prefer full
sun here in west central Florida?  But I'm guessing that it'll need to be regularly
irrigated here in my sandy Florida soil. Should I line its planting hole with layers
of newsprint to to create a sort of hardpan bowl to hold the water a bit longer?

Meanwhile should I see it start to fruit anytime soon?  It is five years old now.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

19
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Longest (long-necked) avocadoes — Just curious . . .
« on: May 24, 2024, 01:02:50 PM »
What are the avocadoes with the longest fruit?  I know that 'Russell' is one of those.

But which other varieties produce anntenuated, lengthy fruit? What are they called? Long-necks?

And do these tend to be derived from the Mexican, Guatemalan, or the Caribbean races?

I ask because I am curious and have never seen any of this covered on TFF.

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

20
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Physalis peruviana blooming — care question . . .
« on: May 13, 2024, 03:59:00 AM »
My Physalis peruviana are full of flowers but have not yet begun developing fruit.
That will be very soon Im sure since the first of the flowers have begun to open.

I have been told not to fertilize these plants or they'll just grow and grow and not
set any fruit.

Still is there anything to feed (very lightly) to these plants to gently encourage the
continued blooming and setting of fruit during the hotter months here in Florida 9b?

They are in a five gallon pot with a 1.5 inch deep saucer under it that I need to keep
filling every other day to keep these water-pumps-of-plants from wilting.

I'm guessing that someone on here will have a useful suggestion or two. . . .

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

21
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Physalis peruviana blooming, whoopee!
« on: May 10, 2024, 02:14:20 AM »
Got a couple Physalis peruviana (Goldenberry) from a TFF member about six weeks ago.  They were planted out immediately into a five gallon pot with a 4 ft tall tomato cage.  That seemed too tall so I replaced it two weeks later with a three ft cage, since these plantlets were only about 8 inches tall then.

Now six weeks later the plants are six inches above the tomato age, which surprises me more than I thought it would since the original plantlets were comparatively so short.

They have never been fertilized (I was warned not to or they'd just grow and grow and never flower) but the pot finally had to have a large saucer placed under it since these plants are truly water-pumps and will drink up the water in the dish in a mere two-day's time and then they'll last for one more day before going into a major wilt.  (Adding the saucer and not allowing it to remain empty for more then one day has kept the sulky wilt from reocurring.)

And most amazing to me is that there are sudenly now flower buds all over these plants.  (It is also amazing that the little flower bus look so much like tomato flower buds.)  I was told that these were precocious but I'm still surprised at their rampant growth!  I hope that this fruit's flavor holds up to expectations.

Plants are sitting on the edge of my front porch where they get morning sun up 'til about 10 a.m.  Is that enough or do they want more hours of sun?

Anyway, I'm hoping that they'll set some fruit soon.

Foingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

22
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Dwarf jackfruit varieties for zone 9b . . . ?
« on: May 05, 2024, 03:21:32 AM »
Got to wondering recently whether there might be some jackfruit varieties that stay dwarfed
or which can be kept as a smaller tree.

There must be a few varieties that fall into this category.

And then of those which are smaller, which variety has the best flavor profile and also the
lowest latex content when ripe?

The last quality for any of these above described small-treed varieties is whether they will
be cold tolerant enough to survive in Tampa, FL.

All suggestions welcomed!

Paul M.
==

23
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Planting out Cambucá in full sun? Advice please . . .
« on: April 17, 2024, 02:06:55 AM »
Gentle Tropical Fruit Lovers,

How large / old / tall does Plinia edulis, i..e. cambucá, need to be before it is safe
to plant it out into a full-sun situation here in zone 9b?

Mine had slowed down in a 3 gal pot so I moved it up into a 5 gal pot and doing
that seems to have jump-started it into a big flush of new leaves.

It's about two feet tall now and I keep a saucer under its pot as a water reservoir
to allow it to drink freely.  It tends to use up the water in its saucer in one day.

Any advice or suggestions welcomed.

Paul M.
==

24
Tropical Fruit Discussion / Pint-sized pineapple introduced in Costa Rica
« on: April 14, 2024, 11:31:01 PM »
Apart from the complaints about Del Monte in Costa Rica, Fresh Del Monte is introducing the 'Honey-Glo':

Quote
Fresh Del Monte has announced the launch of a personal-sized pineapple, weighing between 0.6 and 0.9kg, grown in Costa Rica. This new product complements the well-known Honeyglow, Pinkglow (pink pineapple), and Rubyglow (red-shelled) varieties.

Precious Honeyglow will be exclusively available in the United States, catering to the needs of consumers in single-person households, thereby reducing food waste.

There is more to this article posted April 10th in Costa Rica's online newspaper, "The Tico Times', and for those interested, the rest of the article may be read here:

Precious Honeyglow: Costa Rica’s Personal-Sized Pineapple
https://ticotimes.net/2024/04/10/precious-honeyglow-costa-ricas-personal-sized-pineapple

Wonder how long it will be before we see these pocket piñas in US supermarkets?

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

25
Tropical Fruit Discussion / 'Mexicola' & 'Mexicola Grande' spacing — help, please. . . .
« on: March 30, 2024, 02:02:24 PM »
Gentle Avocado Aficionados,

How near to one another can I sensibly plant 'Mexicola' and 'Mexicola Grande'?

My 'MG' has now been in ground for five years and is about 18 ft tall.  My 'Mexicola' is in a 2 gal pot and about 18 inches tall but needs to go into the ground asap.

How close together is it practical to plant the two of these without causing possibly too much of an unreasonable overcrowding?  My yard's space is slightly limited so I'm wondering about planting how close I can get away with.

I plan on keeping the 'MG' cut back to about 10 to 12 feet tall but it's already setting fruit  for this season plus it's initiating a second blooming now, right after the first.  Prolly will do the same pruning eventually with the smaller 'Mexicola' once it gets established and growing well.

Any & all spacing suggestions appreciated.

Paul M.
==

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