The Tropical Fruit Forum

I have not purchased from him because it is too cold right now, but I have communicated with him. Seems like a nice guy. They get all their trees from Puerto Rico. It sounds like he has some family or business connection down there.  He was careful to explain that the plants are inspected and fumigated.  I would imagine they come to him bare root, but I don't know for sure. I may try an order once it warms up a bit.

Cheers,
Carolyn

I still think you could keep the bottom and sides intact, and use that to hold the groundwater out.  Throw in a foot of gravel, then soil, and water carefully.  I have over a hundred fruiting tropical trees in 20 gallon pots, using WAY less soil than that, and they do great.  Cover the pool with a frame and mesh, throw plastic over it during rainy periods, and viola! 

Well, I am in zone 6/7 and everything I have is in pots. So for me, it is less about the soil, and more about the nutrients that I am feeding.  I did conduct my own tests a few years ago, where I bought the organic food that contains mycorrhiza and beneficial fungi that was supposed to improve your potting soil.

I had a bunch of pots with different soils or soilless mediums and fertilizers, both organic and synthetic, grew the plants, observed them, then sent the plant and soil samples off to a lab and spent a huge amount of money for the results.
What I discovered was that potting soil is just not that good at holding microorganisms.  Too fluffy and inert.

The thing is, all the helpful symbiosis that occurs between plant roots and organisms in the soil are really only advantageous in the case of stress.  My trees all lead a pretty stress-free life, so anything that I WAS able to achieve in the soil wasn't needed.  Sort of like those boxes of emergency food kits that sit in your closet for 20 years, taking up space.

So now, after my very costly "experimental phase", I just use a really good complete synthetic fertilizer, top off my pots every so often with fresh soil and worm compost (because I have the worms, not because I think its magic...) talk to my "leafy kids" a lot, and enjoy my completely unscientific greenhouse.

Happy New Year!

Guess I'm dumb. I can't figure out how to vote.
I am a Yes"...

Everything I have bought from them does really well.

However, I NEVER buy 2 or 3 seeds. I buy a dozen, to hedge my bets.

Then they all come up, and look so happy I don't cull them, then they take over my greenhouse. I think I still have some visitors from last month lost in the jungle out there...

 

How fun! Your plants will be stars!

What kind of window is it? Old single pane? Newer double pane?
The newer windows let in way less plant-usable light, so you may want to pick things that do well in lower light. 
I use a PAR light meter to see how many PPFDs are actually getting to the plant.  You may need to invest in some really good lights right above that location.

And if you can't meet the light requirements, just rotate them out frequently so they don't suffer from being in a "cave" for very long.

Carolyn

Because it is a Theobroma, I am guessing that the stamens/anthers are hidden under the fleshy white petal cups, just like cacao. You will probably have to dissect the petal cup to get at them.  The stigma is, more than likely, way down deep inside the ring of staminodes.  When I am pollinating my cacao, I wear a jewelers loupe or I would never see anything...
They may be like cacao also, in that the flower can be open for days, but the ovary is only receptive for the first few hours it is open.

Carolyn

I so wish I could do this!
If anyone goes, please post pics, for those of us living vicariously through traveling fruit hunters!

Carolyn

When my greenhouse trees are looking pale and puny and I am not quite sure what is up, I hit them with some Southern Ag Citrus Nutritional Spray.

Carolyn

So, two things -

1. As far as a dolly goes, I had a PotWheelz and LOVED it! I had the smaller kind, but it still worked really well.  It is just like a hand truck, only it holds potted plants. I sold mine after I totally quit moving plants more than a couple of feet around the greenhouse. I suppose if you have a welder, you could turn a hand truck into a pot dolly.

2. I disagree on the dragon fruit.  There are some REALLY tasty varieties out there, and you can keep them pruned down.  I have three varieties.  Get the self-fertile ones, makes it way easier!
A guy here in Nampa Idaho (zone 6/7) is growing them commercially in his backyard greenhouse! As each new variety fruits, he does a little video and rates them.  He sells the fruits for $6 each and rooted cuttings for $20 each.
Our Master Gardener group visited his setup. The plants you see in the picture are fruiting size, and some are actually fruiting now. He has four plants, four different varieties in each pot.
You can check out his fruit-tasting videos on Facebook at Treasure Valley Tropical Fruit LLC

I don't think monstera fruits could kill you. The unripe fruits have so much calcium oxalate that you spit it out. Feels like you are eating shards of glass.

I would add darned near all the solanums. Eat a few pounds of green tomatoes and you can die. Garden huckleberries, and most of those nightshades with small black fruits are poisonous green and/or raw.

Apples, peaches and kiwis are the fruits most likely to cause anaphylaxis in allergic individuals, and if we broaden the category we could include all the nuts. Of course, allergies don't apply to everyoone...

Fun game!

Carolyn

Awesome! I have to brush up on my French!