The Tropical Fruit Forum

It they're like many of the orchids which are native to the Brazilian serrados then they get most of their water from fogs that settle on them and dampen the leaves down during the nighttime.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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Not intending to hijack this thread, but.....  Do any of you use STAMPS.COM?

If so, do you recommend it or have you found that it has problems with shipping plants/seeds?

Just curious cuz I see them advertising on the TV from time to time.

Cheers!

Paul M.

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To me those tree protectors look, for all the world, like shiny silver stovepipes.  They would be hard-surfaced and slippery which would keep the varmints away from the trunks.

But something like metal sheeting, galvanized perhaps, which were thin enough that it could be bent into a tube and secured (so that it could be removed at a later time) would also serve to protect trunks of sapling fruit trees.

JM2¢W

Paul M.
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I have one that appears to be a couple of years old.  It is maybe 30" tall, tons of branches, new growth, in a 7 gallon container.  I am in socal, zone 10A.  When would this flower and how old are they typically when they start to produce fruit?

fingers crossed, zero buds atm, but hopefully sooner than later.   Appreciate the response

I went back and re-read your posts JJim and am wondering whether your E. stipitata maybe needs a bit more humidity to encourage it to bloom.  It surely seems large enough to do so.

My advice is to just be patient.  I kept watching and watching mine and it was making new leaves but no buds.  Then one day, seemingly randomly, when I walked past it the darned thing was full of buds.  ¡Presto – Abracadabra!

So I repeat, just be patient.

Fingers still X-ed!

Paul M.
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Hey Shane,

I'd suggest  that you treat those little fellers to some tasty BT!

Or if there are only a few just knock 'em off and stomp 'em.

Paul M.
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Just checked after several rainstorms that passed thru here this afternoon and the buds have started opening.

Hoping for the best.

Paul M.
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As I mentioned earlier, my plant came from TT in Ft. Myers.  Got it in late August last year and by November it had some buds on it.  Then we had some chilling weather in December and all the buds blasted.  The plant at that time suffered some browning of the newest leaf tips and plant stopped growing. We never got to freezing here last year but did get down to 34ºF. one time.

SO now it has buds on it again in September so I am hoping for some fruit-set this time around.

Still not sure whether my plant would benefit from some light fertilizing or not after what Peter posted above, but he's in the tropics and 9b where I am is not.

Cheers!

Paul M.
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PM sent . . . .

Also I have heard reoprts that placing the picked fruit in a covered bowl in the 'fridge overnight will remove that turpentine-y taste.  Should be worth a try.

Paul M.
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PM sent.

Agree with everything rob said, here is a pic of some ice creams I harvested last year look at the hips they are full and filled out with some lightening green/yellow color change on hips.

Thanx Joe for the pix of your 'Ice Creams'.  I can see just what you are describing about the very slight yellow cast showing that they are ripening.  That photo is a very helpful visual!

Cheers!

Paul M.
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MOVED HERE TO PROPER GROUP TO GET MORE DISCUSSION . . . . .
(Sorry to have first posted this on FS & WTB)

'Mexicola Grande' Avocado ripening questions . . .  

My 'Mexicola Grande' has set a couple dozen little fruit this season finally after two abortive years.  Tree is about 16-ft tall after 3.5 years in the ground.  Tree will get pruned back to about 8- to 10-ft after this first little crop ripens and is picked.

We are getting plenty of rain right now in Tampa where I am but that is now and not in Sept-Oct when 'Mexicola Grande' fruits are supposed to start ripening. At that time there may be more or less rain when the fruit starts to ripen.

So, since this is my first crop on this avocado what I would like to know from those of you growing MG here in west central Florida is:

1]  If it is rainy still when they start to ripen will that diminish their flavor in some way?

2]  Will this 1st-time crop (with the stated size of the tree) be more or less representative of the way this fruit should taste moving forward to subsequent years' crops?  I.e., should I expect the flavor to improve over the following years?

3]  When should I expect these 'Mexicola Grande' to usually start to ripen here in Tampa?  Anyone growing it in this area care to comment on this point?  When do yours ripen?


OK — TIA

Paul M.
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