Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[raimeiken]

all costcos should have them if they're not out of them yet. They get a shipment once late winter, and one late summer/fall. When they're gone, they're gone! I haven't checked the one near me in a week so I'm not sure if they still have them.

Greenfield citrus nursery has buddha's hand if you want one. Last time I was there they had a 15gal size.

[darkcoolboo]

Growers on CA's CloudForest Forum often see citrus at their Costcos near Chinese New Year, or it could be just a Cali thing. I'm not really interested in a large Buddha's hand citron, because they cost a lot and I have time. I own two lemon that aren't really doing well, being placed directly into the soil with no amendments and all, but once they push back, I might have some root stock.

[phoenixtropicals]

Greenfield citrus doesn't recommend putting any soil amendments in the ground when planting a citrus, and in my experience it seems they are right. The most important thing for citrus to be healthy is proper watering. Many people over water their citrus. They see the dark green leaves and think the plant needs frequent water. Actually a heavy watering every 2 to 3 weeks in winter is best, and in summer only once a week.

[darkcoolboo]

Still, my lemons aren't doing so well with their yellow leaves. I'm currently planting my passionfruit, so I was wondering what soil mix you guys would say would be good. I went on the website, but a 100% native soil seems a bit sketchy to me. PS, R, I send you a personal message.

[darkcoolboo]

Let's make a list of plants that consistently bear fruit here. I think I'll just hone my skills on a few plants so that the quality of fruit is better.
I'll start:
Passionfruit
Mango

[phoenixtropicals]

Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots
Figs
Guavas
Rajapuri Banana
Permsimmon
Citrus (of course)
Pomegranate
White Sapote
Pineapple Guava (if you have pollinators next to each other)
Apples (anna, golden dorsett)
Loquats
Mulberry
Allspice (leaves)
Oregano (leaves)
Grapes
Longan
Plum

[darkcoolboo]

I think mango, persimmon, passionfruit and loquat would be the more tropical ones that fruit consistently. Longan could be interesting if you guys posted a picture of it fruiting. Until then, I wouldn't believe you.

[raimeiken]

why wouldn't it? they can take almost as much cold as citrus here.

here's mine last year holding small fruits.

[darkcoolboo]

What is your average fruitset?

[raimeiken]

I've only had it in ground for a year. last spring it started to fruit and I clipped them off. I'm letting it mature for a few years until it gets to a good size before i let it hold fruit. It's actually about to flower again right now and I'll be doing the same again this year.

I think there's a mature one over at the county cooperative extension.

[darkcoolboo]

How large is your tree (picture)?

[starch]

raimeiken,

You are growing a Dwarf Namwah banana, how is it growing? That is a cultivar that I am very interested in. Have you had it long? How has it handled the heat?

[darkcoolboo]

Of the bananas I have researched here are the characteristics that set them apart:
Ice cream/Blue Java: dense, creamy vanilla-y - rated highly for texture
Manzano//Apple: sub acid flavor - rated highly in flavor
Mysore: berry like flavor, not sure what this means but probably subacid
Latundan: common Filipino type
Rhino Horn: long shaped fruit
Cavendish; Market type
Saba: cooking banana; more of a plantain
Hua Moa: fresh eating + cooking banana, salmon colored flesh; more of a plantain
Popoulu: stout fruit shape
Gros Michel: old market type
Goldfinger: resistant variety developed in Honduras
Dwarf Orinoco: purely a cooking type; more of a plantain
Thousand Fingers: lady finger type; creates unlimited bananas on a stalk until it reaches the ground
Lady Finger: small numerous fruits plump and very sweet
Sweet Heart: resistant variety developed in Honduras, salmon flesh
Dwarf Namwah: plump fruit with a dense 'chewy' texture
Gran Nain: market type
Raja Puri: wind resistant type good for beginners
Cuban Red/Jamaican red: stem is red, fruit skin is bright red
Praying Hands: fruits of each clump of flowers are fused together very interesting look up picts! flavor is slightly vanilla flavored
Red Iholene: a Hawaiian type with a red-green stem; both cooking and fresh eating type.

[myamberdog]

so...since noone responded to my Macadamia Nut question
when I made it a separate topic, I'll ask it here:

Has anyone successfully gotten nuts from their Macadamia?

Thanks,

Myamberdog

[darkcoolboo]

Oh, I'm sorry; I was half expecting for raimeiken to answer some posts or maybe I'm still in awe of the fact that longans fruit comfortably here. I don't grow macadamia nut, but I could order some from LaVerne nursery through Home Depot to test it out. They have it on the site: http://www.lavernenursery.com/products/deciduous.html
but I wouldn't really say it's cold tolerant though it may be deciduous.