Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[phoenixtropicals]

Isn't it crazy that my Mexicola that I planted this winter already flowered and is holding little fruit while my Winter Mexican which I have had in the ground 4 years has only flowered weakly and never held any fruit.

Anyways, I dug the the Mexicola up. I'm 90% sure there is no way it will make it through summer with the complete wilting I saw it exhibit when it got over 100°F. It's in a pot now but of course looks somewhat better since it cooled off and got humid. Of course in the summer it will be over 105°F for weeks and weeks. Then again, maybe I made mistake, but we'll see.

I put a Reed in the ground in the same spot. Seems to be much more heat tolerant, but then again the Reed isn't as cold hardy.

As for the flowering, is yours a seedling. They can take a long time to flower.

[myamberdog]

I think it was a seedling ....or maybe not....went to look for the tattered tag on the tree but now it seems gone. It was a dwarf variety that I think had "Mexican" in the name. Got it at Home Depot or Lowes....

So do you think 6 hours of sun is enought to push flowers and set fruit?


M.A.D.

[phoenixtropicals]

Yes, definitely enough sun. My Mexicola wasn't even getting 6 hours of direct sun and it flowered. Maybe not enough nitrogen. Try mulching it more with green stuff like grass clippings.

Other than that I can't imagine why a healthy grafted tree wouldn't be flowering at all. A seedling on the other hand can take a long long time to flower.

[mariolo]

Here's an update on my mexicola planted on winter

[phoenixtropicals]

Still alive! Let us know how it goes. My Mexicola is sitting in a pot in full shade after I pulled it up. Not looking great but still alive. The Reed I put in its place is doing well, but Reed's are more frost tender so maybe I made a mistake giving up on the Mexicola so quickly. I did graft a bud from the Mexicola to the Reed though, so we'll see what happens with that too. The experiment continues.