The Tropical Fruit Forum

I guess some will call it a good problem to have, but I have an alano sapodilla I guess around 6-7 years old (from a 3 gallon). It's  around 7 feet tall, but the thing is it reached that height over 3 years ago.

Since then it's been in a constant cycle of fruiting and any growth has been negligible, occasional leaf growth. At any given time theres 20-30  fruit in various stages and it flowers every few months. 

The fruit are good, but I want the tree to grow. I try to push growth by fertilizing and other nutrients more regularly than I would, I've never pruned it just because growth is so few and far between. Any suggestions?

Oh I should add that it's technically on ground. But it was planted a 25 gallon pot partially sunken (to get around some HOA rules for the front yards) about 4 years ago and it's roots have long ago broken into the ground.

Anywhere in Broward County I could get a couple decent sized scotch bonnet pepper plants?

I know there are other threads, but the answers aren't clear and I need a quick answer because of hand pollinating timing concerns.

This flower partially opened up today..there are several that seem like they are a day or two behind this one...

Is this female or male? Do i pry it open or wait til it opens up (tomorrow morning?) and then try to collect pollen?

Thanks..

Have some new growth (including what looks like some flowers) emerging from my sugar apple tree. Some of the edges around the new leaves are black and brittle...

Sun burn or something else I need to spray for?

it doesn't get much if any morning sun, and while it's been warmer recently it hasn't been all that hot, at least I dont think so...It does gets plenty afternoon sun.

thoughts?

So I have (until now) a perfectly healthy alano sap, it's been potted for about 3 years now in my back yard where it's been somewhat shaded. I recently moved it to the front yard, still in the pot but half-way buried, so it can eventually be in ground (it's a way around our association rules for fruit trees in the front). Anyway that was last week and now I'm noticing a rusty discoloration on many of the leaves (especially the older ones). I did spray with some foliar nutrients after moving it, nothing the tree is unaccustomed to, and was wondering if it was staining...was also wondering about sun burn and shock from moving into full sun...but it hasn't been that hot or that intense re: sunsine...

Fungus maybe?  But now it's getting more air flow than ever before...

the changes seem so dramatic and quick its hard for me not to connect it to the move..

here are some pics:

I know there's a lot of annona info on this board, but just have a quick specific question(s)....have a couple spots on my walkway from the street to the house that were being held by some potted citrus ...I'm still very new to Annonas so wanted to know about some good options, if any, that can do well in our S. Fl climate and stay potted indefinitely....

Something that can remain smallish and easy to manage, and it would be cool to have a less common variety.

Productivity is a bonus only,  not too fussed ..if I can get a couple fruit in a reasonable time would be good enough.

Thoughts?

Thanks

Hey Guys,

Before someone directs me to do so, yes I know there's a wealth of info out there on this forum, and I've tired to sift through, but there's really little introductory to get started in this family of fruit, and I'm pretty lost as to what the best options are...So that's why this post. Most of the conversation on the forum assumes previous experience with these fruit.

 A little background first: growing up I was familiar with soursop, sweetsop and custard apple, and wasn't really fond of any. But reading these fruit forums makes me realize there's tons of other varieties out there, and I particularly like that these can produce fruit beyond the typical mango and lychee fruiting periods in the summer.

I'm ready to abandon all my citruses now and make space for something else.. I give up. Too much disease, pests, fungi etc.  Just not worth it anymore, and all the fruit they produce are compromised.

And I really don't want to go with yet another mango, lychee, sapodilla etc. Already have enough of those.

So talk to me about the custard apple family please...: When i hear you guys talk about annonas, rollinas, atemoyas, cherimoyas etc..I'm lost.

I'd like something pretty easy to manage, that wont grow too big, with sweet fruit and highly productive, and preferably fall/winter bearing.

What do you recommend, and especially for this area (South Florida)?


Also, is there any place locally to try any of these varieties that would have them now? Excalibur? PIN?

Thanks!

Currently vacationing in Barbados and came across a wonderful little mango called the Ceylon. Not familiar with it, so not sure if it's local or regional to the islands. It resembles Bombay in shape but smaller, can be pitted and spooned out. Not a hint of fiber , very firm yellow orange flesh, and taste.. a hint of skittles with a twist of sprite and red wine undertones, oh and a hint of risky one night stand experience ....ok seriously now I'd describe it as a very very flavorful Glenn in a dry year. Anyone familiar with it? I may try to see what I can do with scions when I'm travelling back.

 
Re: the tree, hard to tell it's growth pattern as the two trees I saw were clearly older trees (going by trunk size) that were seriously cut back and therefore very compact and bushy. Fruit seem to grow in clumps and highly productive with obvious signs of multiple blooms given fruit in various stages. From fruitlets to ripe fruit


 

Pretty weird thing...this afternoon as if out of nowhere my fruiting pickering mango has zillions of houseflies (and a few other flying bugs) all over its leaves, as if they are feeding on something. Also near the base of this tree a couple yards away is a Meyer lemon that's also covered in flies, even the mulch and landscape river pebbles near the base of the trees are also coveted in flies and other bugs... the problem seems isolated to this immediate area and nowhere else in the yard. I also notice the stones and pebbles in the affected area are dirtier/sootier than the surrounding landscaping, and the Meyer lemon previously had some soot or dirt build up that was sticky ish  and attracted the odd fly)...

Not sure what to do here and a but worried about the dozen or so almost mature mangos on the tree,.but so far they don't seem interested in the fruit,.mainly the leaves and ground.

any ideas?

Thanks

Noticed some wasps made a nest on some leaf undersides of my sweetheart tree. I've seen them do that before over the years but this is the first time this tree is flowering. My first thought is to leave them there as they've been working the flowers, and also because they are not aggressive at all, and it seems quite convenient for the tree to have its very own hive while it flowers. But question, some wasps are predatory/parasitic correct? Do these guys have any negative impact on other beneficial pollinators? I haven't really seen any other insects hanging around the flowers besides these wasps... thoughts?

pics below of the nest and a wasp working the flowers:

With a Jamaican and Trinidadian background, my love for mangoes started early.

I found this thread (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6619.msg86396#msg86396) and was going to bump it, but decided to start a new topic.

One thing a Caribbean person (and I suspect other cultures from all over the tropics) loves about South Florida is the ability to grow fruits and vegetables they grew up with back home. I've been living in S. Fl for about 18 years, and have come to appreciate and grow many of the local FL varieties, and Asian/Indian varieties available here (but uncommon in the Caribbean). But it would be nice to have more of our Caribbean varieties to grow here.

Luckily Julie (Jamaica/Trinidad), Graham (Trinidad), Ice Cream (Trinidad), Bombay and East Indian (Jamaica), Madam Francis & Blanc (Haiti) are readily available at S. FL nurseries. But as we Caribbean folks know there are tons of other local varieties that it would be nice to grow here in S. FL.

So what I want to know is, are any of the less popular/known (in FL) Caribbean varieties thriving here, propogated and available, or do some have trees that they would be willing to share scions? I think it would be good for interested growers of Caribbean origin, and who knows, other growers may become interested to in these varieties.

I visit Jamaica regularly (far more than I do Trinidad), and I don't know why I didn't do this before, but I plan to "import" some scions when i come back next time (probably during Decemeber, although that may not be a good time to graft them), or have some sent up with regularly visiting family and friends.  My first goal is to graft two of my favorite Jamican varieties outside of the "big 3" (Julie,Bombay, East Indian) - Number 11, and Blackie (about the size of an egg). I'd also love to get my hands on the local Trinidad varieites Calabash and DouxDoux (sp?). Any others done, do, or plan to do this with scions and/or seeds?

I know there are a few posters here from Jamaican, Trinidad and other island backgrounds, I'd like to hear your thoughts on increasing the availability of these varieties in S. FL.

For the forum as a whole, here are some of the common local often colorfully-named Caribbean varieties, other than those already well known in FL (Julie, Bombay, Ice Cream, Graham & East Indian).

Jamaica: Number 11, Number 7, Long, Sweetie, Blackie, Robin, Stringy, Hairy, Bastard, Beef, Sweetie Come Brush Me, Bellfyull, Kidney.

Trinidad: Calabash, DouxDoux, Cutlass, Long, Rose, Starch, Spice, Ten Pound, Robin.

These lists are definitely not complete, and I know there are many new varieties available. Also sorry that I don't know much about Haitian, the other French islands' (Martinique etc.), Spanish speaking islands', or Guyanese local mangoes.. Also most of the mangoes from the other English Speaking Islands are similar to those available in Trinidad and Jamaica, although  there are  probably some local varieties I'm not familiar with..would love for anyone to fill in the blanks.

Little quick history for those who may not know, Mango cultivation is the Caribbean was around for centuries, and especially grew in Trinidad and Jamaica and some other islands where large populations of indentured workers from India settled in the 1800s.