Author Topic: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B  (Read 937 times)

Empoweredandfree

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Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« on: May 26, 2022, 04:06:43 PM »
So I’m trying Barbados cherry in 8B. I will utilize protection measures and see how it does. Curious if anyone else has done this and succeeded?

K-Rimes

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2022, 05:45:25 PM »
It died for me in 9b, but I also wasn't protecting it.

Empoweredandfree

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2022, 06:14:56 PM »
There seems to be a lot of variation between individual plants but generally speaking they aren’t as cold hardy as was originally advertised. 8B has bad winters but I’m zone pushing a bunch of citrus. If I can get Barbados cherry through I’ll try Sapodilla which I personally think is hardier than Barbados cherry (depending on variety).

K-Rimes

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2022, 06:35:28 PM »
There seems to be a lot of variation between individual plants but generally speaking they aren’t as cold hardy as was originally advertised. 8B has bad winters but I’m zone pushing a bunch of citrus. If I can get Barbados cherry through I’ll try Sapodilla which I personally think is hardier than Barbados cherry (depending on variety).

They're quoted as a cold hardy eugenia, but I am not convinced in the least. They're definitely less hardy than pitanga, and way softer than Cherry of Rio Grande.

I am surprised to hear sapodilla is cold hardy?! If so, I may trial one up here. It does get some frost though.

Flgarden

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2022, 06:55:02 PM »
We had at least 25f for a few hours, maybe even lower since all my 3 year old sugar apples died back to the ground. Barbados that was near a house wall had minimal damage, it blooms now. Barbados in the open area died back and growing from the ground level now.
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Ana

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2022, 07:16:29 PM »
It’s amazing what even a few feet of placement can do for a borderline planting. I even witnessed that after a late frost this year where everything was coming out of dormancy and a 26 degree night set the stuff planted in the open way back, stuff closer to the house kept going.

  Sapodilla has an impressive cold tolerance as I witnessed in zone 9, 8 is much colder but I think with proper placement and protection it’s possible. Guava, Cherry of the Rio, are other worthy test subjects.


socalbalcony2

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2022, 07:32:59 PM »
There seems to be a lot of variation between individual plants but generally speaking they aren’t as cold hardy as was originally advertised. 8B has bad winters but I’m zone pushing a bunch of citrus. If I can get Barbados cherry through I’ll try Sapodilla which I personally think is hardier than Barbados cherry (depending on variety).

They're quoted as a cold hardy eugenia, but I am not convinced in the least. They're definitely less hardy than pitanga, and way softer than Cherry of Rio Grande.

I am surprised to hear sapodilla is cold hardy?! If so, I may trial one up here. It does get some frost though.

They aren't eugenias, I think that was a misquote? In CA I've only seen them survive in a protected 9b, Florida is different due to humidity etc though which is why 9b for them is ok still, 8b would be tough.

Empoweredandfree

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2022, 07:50:32 PM »
I’ve lived in 7b,9b, now I’m in 8B and 8B is closer to 7 than 9. We were below freezing almost every night in January-February. We didn’t see epic cold with only a low of 21 last year. 

 Freeze fabric won’t be enough obviously so I’m considering using smudge pots. I like the fact they don’t rely on electricity. I’m pushing the zone on quite a few things (citrus).

slopat

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2022, 08:10:37 PM »
Had purchased 2 last spring and growing nicely until winter. Left them unprotected next to a small mango, avocado seedlings, nate's yangmeiseedlings,  and grafted persimmon.  Also dead as Kevin's but everything else is happily green and growing.

Maybe it needs to be protected until larger ?  At least they were cheap and an experiment.

It died for me in 9b, but I also wasn't protecting it.

K-Rimes

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2022, 08:15:54 PM »
Had purchased 2 last spring and growing nicely until winter. Left them unprotected next to a small mango, avocado seedlings, nate's yangmeiseedlings,  and grafted persimmon.  Also dead as Kevin's but everything else is happily green and growing.

Maybe it needs to be protected until larger ?  At least they were cheap and an experiment.

It died for me in 9b, but I also wasn't protecting it.

Mine was big, like, 5' tall big with a nice canpopy. I put it in the greenhouse the year before this and it made it through winter but had severe branch die-back even with the warmth. For me it's not worth the effort, a million better actual eugenias. I guess I was wrong thinking it was eugenia, makes sense it isn't. Mid-tier fruit at best. If I lived in town I'd have a hedge or something, they do fine in down in Goleta or SB.

Empoweredandfree

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2022, 08:34:10 PM »
A really ripe Barbados cherry I think are excellent. They have to be dark/red purple. They’re also extremely healthy so it’s worth a shot but certainly based on the feedback sounds like a long shot. They are certainly cheap enough that it’s not a huge loss and next year I’ll just grow one in a pot.

JoshuaTilaranCR

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2022, 04:58:16 PM »
Just a note on the flavor, get a miracle fruit and eat one before you eat the Barbados cherry. With that sour flavor gone they're delicious. I'm not a big fan of them alone but i can eat 20-30 fruits after eating a miracle fruit.

And if you can't get the plant, go the the health food store and look for m berry pills, it's freezedried miracle fruit and has the same effect.

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2022, 11:01:35 PM »
They’re must be a lot of variation in Barbados cherry because when they are truly ripe they’re sweet. They have to be very dark red though, purplish.

 Miracle fruit makes things taste nasty IMO , fun party gimmick though!!..haha

JoshuaTilaranCR

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2022, 11:31:54 PM »
Yeah that's true, I've had dark ones that are ok off my plant. There's a guy in the town below us that has one that is completely different than the one I have. It's leaves are different, it ripens differently, its fruits are more glossy and it's like a mango yellow inside. I'd go out on a limb and say it's a different species. He's going to give me some cuttings so I can graft into mine.

I'll agree with you on the miracle fruit thing with one thing I tried, beer with lime juice. Jesus, it was like an overly sweet Smirnoff ice or something like that. The fruit I have, weirdly, only acts on sour stuff. It doesn't make sweet things taste sweeter. I've tried others that do make everything sweeter

Empoweredandfree

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Re: Trying Barbados cherry in 8B
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2022, 11:36:51 AM »
Yes miracle fruit tastes like artificial sweetness. I believe there are a few types of Miracle fruit as well so I’d be interested to see if there is any difference.

 The problem is getting Barbados cherry ripe without the birds or numerous other animals getting them. Animals know what’s good for them too. That sounds awesome I hope that different variety works out well for you. At least in Costa Rica you don’t need to worry about winter protection measures!!