========================================== Rare Fruit News Online - All Year for 1998 ========================================== Rare Fruit News Online January 1, 1998 RFN199801A.txt Rare Fruit News Online consists primarily of messages from subscribers. Sometimes there are questions to be answered by those with knowledge and experience (and, we are fortunate to have them among us.) Others consist of feedback to letters posted in an earlier issue. Sometimes there are references thought to be of interest, such as books, periodicals, or - more likely - web pages and their URL addresses. It works, because of the teamwork among you, and I'm pleased to be part of it. If you ever want to write about changing your email address or unsubscribing or almost anything, please include your WHOLE name (especially the LAST name) as my address book is set up that way. To see back issues of the newsletter, visit the online group, "OldRFN" OldRFN is at http://www.visto.com/j.html?g=16812838.WDY3NjdX Please keep me advised of trouble with the OldRFN webpage. How are you and your fruit trees surviving this another winter of El Nino? There are several new subscribers, usually with questions that they believe you may be able to answer or provide insights. Let's not let them down. Subject: Rare Fruit News Online Web Page Revised Subject: Ong Nursery: Rare Fruit in San Diego Subject: Chat, Use AOL Instant Messenger? or What? Subject: New Subscriber From Florida; Looking For Seeds Subject: New Subscriber (Brazil) Wants Seed Exchange Subject: Seeds from Brazil Subject: New Subscriber in Louisiana Subject: New Subscriber from Thailand Subject: New from West Indies wants help growing mangosteen, etc. Subject: New Subscriber from Exeter California Subject: New Subscriber from San Francisco, CA with problems.... Subject: New Subscriber wants Chat (and to remove gophers!) Subject: New Subscriber from Honolulu: Need help deciding what to grow Subject: New Subscriber from Florida; Interested in "Star Fruit" Subject: Supplemental copy about Jujube Subject: Re: Getting longan to flower- cultivars Subject: Lychee info needed Subject: Re: Lychee info needed Subject: Grafting Lychees, Using Mycorrhizal, Increase Lychee Fruit Subject: Don Chapman Discusses mycorrhizae Subject: Three new supplements available upon request from Leo Subject: unidentified mango cultivar Subject: Re: Thai longan cultivars Subject: Correspondence between Sainarong Rasananda and Doron Kletter Subject: Visit to CA & FL by Aussie Lychee Grower! Subject: Re: Visit by Aussie Lychee Grower? Subject: black sapote - When can I eat it? Subject: Re: black sapote - When can I eat it? Subject: Greetings & Thanks Subject: Seedless fruit Subject: Importing Fruit Trees and Quarantine Subject: Rare Fruit Web Page from Brazil Subject: The Brazilian Webpage is in Portuguese Subject: *Maybe* Bowen Isn't The Best Mango! Subject: Your mango blooming out of season Subject: Mango tree size and fruit nursery info in Aus Subject: Re: Mango tree size and fruit nursery info in Aus Subject: Quang's Place Subject: Re: Quang's Place Subject: The June plum is the spondias dulcis, or ambarella Subject: Seeds - Sapote and Sapodilla Subject: Re: Seeds - Sapote and Sapodilla Subject: Sapodilla, black sapote, carambola, and Doug Richardson ------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 13:17:55 +0000 From: Leo Manuel Subject: Rare Fruit News Online Web Page Revised I spent several days trying to communicate with my Macintosh-unfamiliar ISP, so I could upload my revised webpage. Somehow I lost my earlier notes on how to do it, and my provider has no clue how any Macintosh applications works. I used the application Fetch and finally got it to reach my provider with FTP. Anyhow, I got it up and added a link to Florida Rare Fruit Council, Intl. If you're in the neighborhood of my web page, drop by to see if you see something I don't that should be revised. I find it difficult to proof-read anything I've written. Leo ---------- From: Leo Manuel = "fruitrare" Date: December 26, 1997 Let me begin by saying that I don't know anything about Chat, Chat programs, etc. So, if you do, you're 'way ahead of me, and you should write to discuss it. A relative got me to download AOL Instant Messenger from http://dynamic.aol.com/cgi/aim-download. To use it you download AIM, pick a screen name and a password, and sign on. Then you will automatically go to AOL's home page to register. I have never used Chat programs, but it may be similar. It supposedly notifies others on your "Buddy" list that you're online, so that they can communicate in real time with you. Some of you have written about using Chat. This may be a possibility My screen name is fruitrare, and if there is sufficient interest, we can get something going in that. I'm certainly not recommending it at all. I've had it for only a few hours, so I haven't chatted with anyone yet. If you are using it and want to chat with other RFNO-ers, you can let me know and I'll publicize it here. If you have other Chat applications that work well for you, let us know. Let us know your screen names, software, etc. Also, directions as to where to get the software would be helpful. By the way, am I the only one of us with a Macintosh? Leo ----------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 06:37:20 +0000 From: Leo Manuel Subject: Ong Nursery For Rare Fruit in San Diego Quang Ong is a young Vietnamese university student who has started a rare fruit nursery in San Diego. At the moment, he attends school during the week and is available to show you plants on Saturday or Sunday BY APPOINTMENT. (619) 277-8167 The nursery is in the Linda Vista suburb at 2528 Crandall Dr., San Diego, 92111 The fruit he carries are: Acerola, Ambarella, Apple, Asian Pear, Canito, Cherimoya, Chinese Jujube, Citrus, Fig, Guanabana, Jaboticaba, Jack Fruit, Longan, Loquat, Lychee, Malay Apple, Mamey Sapote, Mango, Miracle Fruit, Otaheite Gooseberry, Papaya, Peach, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Plum, Sapodilla, Star Fruit, Sweet Sop, Tropical Guava, and Wax Jambu. Not all fruit will be in at all times, however. This announcement is unsolicited and Quang does not know it's here. Leo Manuel -------------------- From: Charles Novak Subject: New Subscriber From Florida; Looking For Seeds Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 18:57:40 -0500 Hi Leo, I am Charles Novak, living in Plant City, Florida, near Tampa I have over 200 different fruit trees. I'd like to also grow: Salacca Edulis, Melastoma Malabathricum, Nephelium Lappaceum, Nephelium Mutabile, Borassus Flabellifera, Myristica Fragrans, Nipa Fruticans, Morinda Citrifolia, Kundang, Kabong, Ficus Roxburghii, Garcinia Prainiana, Garcinia parvifolia, and Garcinia Cambogia. Can anyone help me obtain some seeds of the plants I want to grow? Charles ------------------------------------ Date: Thu Dec 18 10:40:16 1997 ¥From: Ricardo Barbosa Subject: New Subscriber (Brazil) Wants Seed Exchange Hi Leo. My name is: Ricardo V. Barbosa I live in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The home state of Cherry of Rio Grande and Jujuba trees. It is the southermost state of Brazil, where the climate is similar to zones 9 and 10 of USA. I am a retired chemical engineer, and my hobby is to collect fruit trees or vines. I have more than 60 kind of trees, and I would like to contact others collectors for seeds exchange. Best regards. Ricardo. ----------------------- Date: Mon Dec 22 15:37:02 1997 ¥From: "Ricardo Barbosa" Subject: Seeds from Brazil Hi Leo. My interest is to exchange seeds of fruits I don't have. I`m not looking for any special fruit. I'm just a beginner with less than 80 trees, the majority not yet fruiting. Attached you will find the list of the trees I have. It's an excell file. The list is not ready. I will upgrade it with more informations. If you have interest in any seed, or if you need a particular information about any fruit of the list, ask me. If it's not yet fruiting, I can look for seeds elsewere. PITANGA is a very resistant tree, and it's not common the fruit to be attacked by insects. It's not a fast grower, but it fruits soon.They are not high, maximum 5 m. Anywhere you go around here you find native trees. You find them even in the cities, where they are planted in the houses gardens. They can be yellow, orange, red or dark purple colored. There are differnt sizes, from 1 cm to 1 inch. The smallers are more sweet. RIO GRANDE CHERRY fruit is bigger than pitanga fruit, and the tree can arrive to 8m high. The taste remembers pitanga, but is sweeter. The color is allways dark-red. There are two sizes. The smaller is also called MURTINHA in the North of Brazil. The tree is very resistan too, but grows wild less frequently than pitanga trees. The problem of this fruit here is the attack by the fruit fly. It happens very soon, just after flowering. It's very difficult to have a sane fruit without some cares. If I want to eat fruits from my tree, I must put some fruit fly traps on the tree at the time it is flowering. I can save 50% of the fruits this way. Another ennemy of this tree around here is the "saw bug", an insect that can cut branches up to 2 inches diameter. It's a big insect. It bites the branch while circulating it slowly. The bitten ring grows deeper until the branch falls. Do you have fruit flies in US? GUAVA is a plague. It is surelly the more abundant native fruit tree in the region. In the land where I grow my trees I had to cut two trees because I needed space. I have still four native trees possibly older than me. Frequently I cut new trees that grows under the olders, originated by fallen fruits. I planted a white cultivar two years ago and recently acquired a dark red cultivar. The fruits are severelly attacked by the fruit fly. When they rippen in the tree, it's impossible to eat the pulp because the worms inside. But the shell is kept intact. It's impossible to eat all the production. We make a kind of jam with the guavas. We call it GOIABADA. There is a goiaba relative very common here too, the ARACA. I think you call it brazilian guava. It is a smaller fruit with similar structure, but better taste. The yellow cultivar is even better than the red one. Best regards. Ricardo. -------------------------------- Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 20:47:16 -0600 From: "H. Allen Sylvester" Subject: New Subscriber in Louisiana Dear Leo, I am responding to your posting to the trop-bio e-mail list. 1. I am H. Allen Sylvester 2. I live in Baton Rouge, LA USA 3. My rare fruit INTERESTS: I have 2 small greenhouses here in Baton Rouge and a house for eventual retirement (15 years or so) on the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii. My wife is Thai and I spent two years there in the Army (69-71). Noy is a common Thai nickname, so I was wondering if your daughter-in-law is Thai? I have containers with bearing Surinam cherries, carambola and several citrus. We went to Florida in August 96 and met several members of RFCI and got quite a few small Eugenias of various species and several other things. We were in California this past July and I was able to visit a few CRFG members. I have been a member of CRFG since I was a graduate student at UC Davis, about 1973. I have been a member of RFCI for about 3 years. I would be interested in receiving back issues of your newsletter. Thank you. Allen ------------------------------- Date: Wed Dec 24 04:26:05 1997 Subject: New Subscriber from Thailand From: Warawit Viboonpattama Sukhothai I am Mr. Warawit Viboonpattama My home is in Sukhothai/Thailand The fruit I am interested in are mango, jackfruit, banana Warawit ----------------------------- Subject: New from West Indies wants help growing mangosteen, etc. Date: Tue, 30 Dec 97 06:56:00-0400 From: "William Glover" Leo Manuel, Many thanks for your prompt response and the very interesting reading. I am William Glover, but as do all proper West Indians, I also have a nickname which is 'Pincher', deriving from my wholly organic method of dispatching caterpillars which hereabouts grow up to six inches long and are always in season. I live in Nevis, West Indies, a microdot in the northeastern Caribbean. Have four acres about 6 km (3.5 miles) north of our capital city of Charlestown and some 100 km (60 miles) due west of Antigua. Since 1984 have been growing mango, papaya, longan, banana, citrus (lime, lemon, orange, kumquat, grapefruit), breadfruit, carambola, ackee, Surinam cherry, Barbados cherry, Harpephyllum caffrum, and a few others. What I'm looking for from readers of RFNO: a. Any tips for growing mangosteen and rambutans successfully on a semi-arid island receiving about 1250mm rain/year and with an average rH of 75% would be most welcome? b. Any suggestions for defeating the depredations of monkeys, apart from shooting them, would also be appreciated. William Glover NEVIS, West Indies -------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 07:25:53 -0800 From: Martin Berghuis Subject: New Subscriber from Exeter, CA Hi, I am interested in your newsletter. Is it Email newsletter? I am also a member of the CRFG and chairman of the Sequoia chapter, which we started in Tulare county. We were tired of the traffic of Orange county and moved to this quiet area, not to far from the Lindcove Fieldstation. On the 9th of January we will have our annual fieldtrip to that station. You are welcome to attend. We must have met at one of the meetings. I was a member of the North S.D. County chapter for many years. We love this area, but we have to learn to live with this colder climate in the winter and warmer climate in the summer. My containerized Starfruit is now under plastic. Surprisingly the Jambolan plum is doing well here in the shadehouse without additional protection. I am also a bamboo grower and member of the American Bamboo Society. We have more than 40 varieties, most of them clumpers. Regards, Martin Berghuis, Exeter, CA P.S. I am interested in all kinds of fruit trees, hardy and semi-hardy. ----------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 13:10:30 +0000 From: Aaron Gilbert Subject: New Subscriber from San Francisco, CA with problems.... sign me up for the electronic newsletter. my name is Aaron gilbert and i live in San Francisco, Ca. reach me at agilbert@wenet.net. Right now i am trying to grow organic pomengranetes, apricots, mulberry, passionflowers and an assortment of berries. to some these fruits might not be rare or exotic, but for a city boy like me anything fresh out of a garden seems exotic (and rare and expensive), especially after the garbage you buy out of the stores here. i have had some luck, although i would like to get higher yields. this year i am replanting my yard. right now i looking for information about how to remove pollution from the soil, especially lead. an ongoing problem i have is with ants and the mites they raise to milk. i can keep them under control, but they always find a way to outsmart me and come back. they just love my yard and flowers. Aaron ------------------------------ From: Carl Hansen Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 17:24:09 EST Subject: New Subscriber wants Chat (and to remove gophers!) My name is Carl Hansen. I am sixteen and I grow miracle fruit(fruiting), black sapote,mango, lemonade berry, tamarind, pitanga, pitomba, grumichama, and guava. Besides fruit I also have an allspice tree. I live in Leucadia Ca. I have been a member of the crfg for a year and a half. I am interested in all types of subtropical and tropical fruits. Right now I am having problems with a gopher. I would like to see any of the past news letters deeling with the fruit I grow, or how to get rid of a gopher. I was also wondering if the members of this newsletter ever meet in a chat room. If so when? THANKS Carl ----------------------------- From: Yudhvir S. Sidhu Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 14:35:11 -1000 Subject: New Subscriber from Honolulu: Help Me Decide What To Grow! My name is Yudhvir Sidhu, and I live in Honolulu, Hawaii We will be purchasing a fruit tree or nut tree farm on the West coast somewhere in the future (4 to 5 years). We are interested in supplying a niche/specialty market for a fruit or nut. All I can think of now is either Pistacio or Neem. We have not done much research. I am hoping your mailing list would guide us in selecting what we are going to grow. Yudhvir ------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 13:59:31 -0500 From: Terry Nelson Subject: New Subscriber from Florida; Interested in "Star Fruit" I want to subscribe to Rare Fruit News Online. My name is Terry Nelson. I live in Naples, Fl 34120 and am interested in Star fruit Terry ------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 00:52:17 +0700 From: tdwesqr@infonews.co.th Subject: Supplemental copy about Jujube Dear Sir, I did received my supplemental copy of the JUJUBE with great thanks. I sincerely appreciate the information sent and find them interesting and useful. Many Thanks and Best Regards Tuaytep -------------------------- Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 11:55:27 +0700 From: sainarong Subject: Re: Getting longan to flower- cultivars There are hundreds of longan cultivars in the world, but not all that many which are popular. The three major producers of longans are Thailand, Southern China and Taiwan. The major longan cultivars originates from China, Thailand, Taiwan, Hawaii and Vietnam. The longan cultivars from China are the oldest. For various reasons, they are not very popular outside China. They are none too popular in China either. Recently, I have heard of reports of two new better cultivars from China, but I do not have much information about them. All Chinese cultivars like cold weather (but not frost, though). The areas where they are grown is colder than the areas where lychees are grown. I do not know very much about the Taiwanese cultivars. They are not too well known outside Taiwan. From what I know about the climate of Taiwan, I would assume that they do not need such cold weather as the Chinese cultivars to flower. There are only a few Taiwanese cultivars. Vietnam is a new comer to the longan scene, but it seems to have a lot of potential. A few Thai horticulturists have visited Vietnam and written about Vietnamese longans. The longans there have some strong favorable features, but, it seems that the unfavorable attributes overides these at the moment. So the present vietnamese cultivars are not all that good. There are a few American cultivars, the most well-known of which is Kohala. The original tree is probably still alive in Kohala, Hawaii. It was grown in about 1956. It seems to be similar to the Chinese cultivars in that it like fairly cold weather, and is more cold-resistant than other cultivars. The cultivars from China and from Thailand are not very compatible. For example, you cannot graft a Thai cultivar onto a Chinese tree and vice versa. Many, nay most, people outside Thailand consider the Thai cultivars to be the best. It is almost certain that the Thai cultivars originally came from the Chinese cultivars, but nobody knows when and how. Nowaday, the Thai cultivars are very different from their Chinese ancestors. They are incompatible in many ways. One cultivar cannot be grafted onto the other. The Thai cultivars are not as cold-resistant as the Chinese ones, and are generaaly grown in areas where the temperature is less than the areas where lychees are grown. This is because the Thai cultivars do not flower well in colder climate. The major Thai cultivars are Ee Daw, Haew, Shompoo and Biew Kiew in that order. The most tasty, according to my fellow longan growers, are Puang Tong, Shompoo, Biew Kiew, Haew and Ee Daw in that order. Export consists almost entirely of Ee Daw. Let's talk about Ee Daw first. I would say that well over 3/4 of the longans grown in Thailand is Ee Daw. Its disadvantages is that it is not as tasty as the other cultivars. However, its advantages are many. Longans are notorious for their biennial fruit bearing. Ee Daw hovers between annual and biennual bearing. It flowers profusely.The trees are the sturdiest and most disease-resistant. The fruits have a longer shelf-life, are larger, and are less inclined to perish during transpotation. It tastes pretty good.Ee Daw also makes better canned and dried longans The Australians have tried to grow all the major cultivars, and, most surprisingly, they reported that Ee Daw fared by far the worst of the whole lot. The other three can be grown in Queensland, Australia without much difficulty. sainarong --------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 20:48:08 PST From: Doron Kletter Subject: Lychee info needed Hi Leo, I am considering the thought of getting a Lychee tree. I've heard they can be fussy about the climate, needing cool dry winters and wet humid summers. The CRFG fact sheet says it has fruited in Santa Barbara. What do you think? At least there is plenty of chilling hours up here. How difficult are they compared with the Longan? Some of the varieties I could find available are 'Brewster', 'Mauritius' (same as 'Kwai Mi'?) and 'Bosworth'. I've read there is considerable variation in adaptability, irregular bearing, and quality. Do you or anyone else have any recommendations or prior experience? Doron --- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 06:38:41 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Doron Kletter Subject: Re: Lychee info needed Doron, I have had Kwai Mi and now have Brewster lychee trees. Kwai Mi had large fruit and was a beautiful spreading tree, but in the dozen years I had it, I harvested not many more than a dozen fruit. My Brewster is too young to bear. I don't expect any lychee will bear much here, but possibly they will where you are. I expect you'll get other ideas from reader/growers when I publish your letter. Yours, Leo --------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 00:25:35 -0500 From: rbeck Subject: Grafting Lychees, Using Mycorrhizal, Increase Lychee Fruit Hi Leo, Mario, and all. A few thoughts on previous mail... Several FL grafters use whip grafts at 1/4" caliper for lychee. Budwood must be prepped and rootstocks actively growing and yet the rate of 'take' is low, so cost is high. My limited experiences confirm that the lychee cambium is erratically active and even approach grafts are not always a sure thing. The 'Emperor' I have is on Mauritius stock and after three years has finally past 1" caliper and 4' tall. As with lychee air layers (no tap roots) these grafts need 2 years in containers before setting out. Then they begin to grow well. This year I began using Mycorrhizal products with my soil mixes and have seen better growth with jakfruit seedlings and think Lychee air layers could profit from being inoculated while still on the parent tree. I have changed my FL soil with organics and using 4-6" mulch. In Florida,' plant shallow, mulch deep'. The lychees and jakfruit trees respond well to deep mulch. Of course, keep mulch away from trunk a foot or so. Here are some latest 'tricks' growers are sharing to get more lychee fruit in S FL. 1. When harvesting trim back 24". Some say 'then allow 2 flushes of growth only. Cut off any more than that'. Some don't. 2. Control watering during dormant period. Very little. Don't force new growth in fall/winter. 3. Make sure all Nitrogen fertilzer is used up by Oct. Use only quick release fertilizers, avoid 'slow release' types for lychees. 4. If you girdle branches, do so in the first or second week of September only. Use a double cut girdle. Do not remove the wood. Don't girdle all branches. 5. In the spring, begin fertilizer and irrigation when flowers come out. 6. Provide wind breaks. When lychees are in flower it is our dry/windy season! 7. Fertilize from flower to October. Use small amounts with minors and iron regularly, say every 60 days. These are the things we can attempt to control. Some things we can't control .... chilling. Lychees need 3 months of comlpete rest. If they get it the flower buds cells of differentiation will produce more fruiting flowers, instead of vegetative growth. Regards, Bob Eck, near Ft Lauderdale, FL --------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 10:36:11 +0000 Subject: Don Chapman Discusses mycorrhizae http://www.bio-organics.com/third.html (Copied verbatim from above webpage (Leo)) In this article, I would like to look a little closer at the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria, the soil, and plant roots. For many types of plants, the presence of mycorrhizae on their root systems is virtually a requirement for good health. Without the fungi, the plant will struggle to survive, and may not. In the thin mucus layer exuded by roots, microscopic life flourishes. Countless organisms exist in this mucus layer, where nutrient exchange takes place between the soil and outer root cells. The plant itself can be said to be a contributor to its own feeding, as the root exudes help support many types of beneficals, which help with the nutrient gathering process, which makes a more vigorous plant, which then exudes more mucus on more roots, etc. This is all an elegant system of cooperation between many life forms, typical of Nature's imaginative design. In this root mucus, a certain form of fungi (endomycorrhizae, typically in the Glomus family) was most likely a plant parasite at some time, but also had the ability to extend its own root threads (hyphae) out into the surrounding soil to gather nutrients. At some point, a symbiotic (or more properly, a mutualistic) relationship developed between many categories of plants and these fungi. The plant, which could extend up into the sunlight, allowed the fungi to partake of carbohydrates formed through photosynthesis, and the fungi brought soil nutrients into the actual cells of the plant roots. As with most symbiotic relationships, the plants gradually turned over more and more of the nutrient gathering process to the fungi and even stopped forming feeder roots, thereby becoming increasingly dependent on mycorrhizae for uptake of nutrients. This "specializing" undoubtedly allowed both organisms to succeed during droughts and other stressful situations. While most plants use one type of mycorrhizal fungi or another, some are far more dependent than others. In general, plants that have only a few thick roots tend to lack the ability to take in adequate nutrients on their own. Some examples are asparagus, citrus, avocado, melons, grapes and roses. The reason for this is fairly simple - if you picture a single long asparagus root, it only makes contact with the soil that is actually touching it. Consequently, the total root surface area exposed to soil nutrients is quite small in proportion to the rest of the plant. To a grower, this type of plant usually gains a reputation as being a "heavy feeder". Whenever you see the "heavy feeder" phrase used to describe a plant, is it safe to assume that the plant is mycorrhizae-dependent and needs luxury levels of added nutrients to yield good crops without the fungus. However, when farmers or home gardeners routinely apply synthetic NPK to crops (in recommended amounts), those salt fertilizers can eventually harm the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil. The recognition of these damaging effects has led to the concept of sustainable agriculture, which is more biology-based in nature, rather than only chemistry-based. With the right type, or types, of mycorrhizal fungi present on the roots, a plant can effectively gain access to a hundred times more soil area. This in itself is of great value and has been widely documented, especially as a way for a plant to access Phosphorus. But the mycorrhizal benefits do not stop with the simple boosting of nutrients to its host plants. There are also important physical changes that take place within the plant root cells and in the structure of the soil outside the roots. In loose sandy soils, for example, the fungal hyphae cause the sand granules to clump together. This clumping together of granules then holds moisture and can harbor populations of beneficical microbes which fix nitrogen, solubilize organic matter, and perform other useful functions. A natural plant-sustaining system develops in the soil around mycorrhizal roots. This, then is the essence of a mycorrhizal relationship. The fungi assumes the role of an essential "bridge" or coordinating mechanism between bacteria and other biolife, and the soil nutrients needed by plants, even to the point of blocking toxins from entering the host roots. And what does all this interesting underground action mean, in practical terms, to the average farmer, orchardist, or home gardener? Is there any real difference between the human's "plant food" and the nutrients provided by biological activity. The simplest answer is that biologically-active soils give more complete nourishment to plants. No matter how many soil chemistry tests are performed, the strategy of using Nature's own seeking/screening/selection procedures for nutrients cannot be fully duplicated by man. Creating the mycorrhizal association with the appropriate species of fungi, and then providing a broad range of organic matter and trace elements in the soil for the fungi to choose from can make very significant differences in plant performance. For container growers or propagators of high-value rare plants that are "temperamental" in nature, creating a mycorrhizal root-zone environment can make difficult-to-grow plants suddenly routine. Yields of food crops can be increased - sometimes very substantially - with far less fertilizing and water, while ornamentals will bloom or bear lush foliage with little care and attention. However, it must be emphasized that mycorrhizal fungi are not simply an "add-on" to a conventional fertilizing program. If soils are made artifically rich in nutrients, especially with added Phosphorus, the symbiotic association may not take place. But, making a conversion from "feeding" plants to creating bio-active soil conditions is not always a simple or quick undertaking. Soils that have been chemically degraded for years or sterile potting mixes will need time to develop balanced biological life. An inoculation of mycorrhizal spores at planting time is certainly part of a good game plan, but taking the time to learn how to make the mycorrhizal fungi flourish, along with other plant-supportive biolife in a specific soil, is a new and different approach that won't "feel right" to some growers. The attitude "I'll give my plants the things they need" is almost universal among farmers as well as nursery owners and home gardeners and placing trust in friendly microorganisms to provide plant nutrients takes a mindset that differs substantially from that of conventional horticulture. In this regard, a few progressive growers may move out ahead of the universities. However, the booming desire for chemical-free organic produce has spurred great interest in biology-based growing techniques among many segments of our society. In most cases, this has not gone past the use of compost, but an exciting new era of bio-organics does seem to be emerging. A prediction: In coming years, we will all learn much more about Nature's elegant micro-systems, and we should be better able to manipulate those systems to our advantage, both for food production and for super-healthy ornamental plantings. --------------------- Three additional supplements available upon request from Leo: 1. Mycorrhizal FungiÑNew Findings, More Questions! by Don Chapman Tropical Fruit News 31(4): 4-5 1997 [Rare Fruit Council, Int.] 2. The Sugar Apple, extracted from Tropical Fruit News 31(11) Nov 97 3. Experiments with Mycorrhizal Fungi and Tomatoes --------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 23:26:56 +0700 From: sainarong To: mjdodgson@rocketmail.com Subject: unidentified mango cultivar Mark The unidentified cultivar could be Nam Doc Mai, but I doubt it. There are over 170 pure Thai mango cultivar, and Nam Doc Mai is one of them. As a matter of fact, there are 9 Nam Doc Mai cultivar, called Nam Doc Mai #1 to Nam Doc Mai #9, the most well-known one being number 4. Nam, by the way, means water, and Doc Mai means flower, so Nam Doc Mai presumably means water from flower. There are a few Thai cultivars which looks like the mangoes in your pic, for example Nang Klang One and Thong Ply Kan, but I do not think they are well-known enough to be exported to Australia. So those mangoes are probably, but could be, from Thailand. For your info, the Thais eats mangoes in 3 ways. One is when they are ripe like you do. The second way is when they are still green. The third way is as a sweet-and-sour mango salad-also when the fruit is still green. We are amazed that you only eat mangoes when they are ripe! It is like knowing only the missionary position - sorry... Of course, different cultivars are good for different ways of eating (pardon me, but I cannot find the proper words to express myself). Another interesting sideline. One of the reasons Thai Mangoes are not widely exported is that what we consider tasty, you do not, and vice verse, so the same cultivar cannot be produced for both export and local consumption. sainarong --------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 08:21:49 PST From: kletter@IMPACT.xerox.com (Doron Kletter) To: sainaron@samart.co.th Subject: Re: Thai longan cultivars Dear Sainarong Rasananda, Thank you for the informative review of longan cultivars. The only variety that is readily available in the US is the 'Kohala', imported from Florida. I've heard the Thai varieties are considered the best. I would very much like to try one of the better cultivars. Problem is the seeds loose viability very quickly. Doron ------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 07:24:58 +0700 From/To: sainarong To/From: Doron Kletter Correspondence between Sainarong Rasananda and Doron Kletter Doron: Do you grow Lytchee as well? Sainarong: Yes, but for fun only. I have about 150 trees. I do not know very much about lychees. The cultivar I grow is the local one called Hoang Huay. You probably have never heard of it. Doron: I am considering the thought of getting a Lychee tree. I've heard they can be fussy about the climate, needing cool dry winters and wet humid summers. The CRFG fact sheet says it has fruited in Santa Barbara. What do you think? At least there is plenty of chilling hours here. How difficult are they compared with the Longan? Sainarong: For me longan is much iseasier to take care of. Some of the varieties I could find available are 'Brewster', 'Mauritius' (same as 'Kwai Mi'?) and 'Bosworth'. Sainarong: I have no experience with those at all. Doron: I've read there is considerable variation in adaptability, irregular bearing, and quality. Sainarong: That I can confirm! Which is why I am reluctant to advise you. Fortunately for you, compared to longan, there is much much more reseach done on lychees, and there are a lot of people with pretty good experience on lychee. I am certain you will get better advice from them, but if you want any help or advice from me, I shall only be too happy to oblige. Doron: Are Lychees in Thailand propagated from seed or by air-layering? Sainarong: Almost 100% by air-layering. There are quite a lot of lychees grown in Thailand. I have visited probabably the biggest and most modern lychee orchard here. Good luck. Sainarong ------------------------ From: "Chris & Sue Hoger" Subject: Visit to CA & FL by Aussie Lychee Grower! Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 09:52:51 +1100 Hi Leo. My name is Chris Hoger and I found your name and address on the internet. I am a commercial lychee grower from near Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia. My wife and I have a lot in common with you in that we are both former teachers who have taken up fruit growing. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be granted a Nuffield Scholarship to study lychee and tropical fruit growing overseas. As part of my travels I am visiting Florida and Mexico, and then moving into California. I was wondering if it would be possible to visit you while I am in your part of the world. I am interested in learning as much as I can about what other people do, but also share some of my knowledge gained over the past 10 years. My wife (Susan) and son (Nicholas- 13) will be with me at this time (if I can drag him away from Disneyland), which will be around late May or early June next year. Any assistance you can give me (even if it's an hour of your time one day in your orchard) would be greatly appreciated. And if you have any other people in your area, or even Mexico, you feel I should contact, I would really be thankful for their addresses. Hope to hear from you soon. Chris Hoger Chairman - Far North Queensland Lychee Growers Assoc Inc The Big Lychee Koah Road Koah via Kuranda Queensland, Australia 4872 Tel: (07) 40937037 -------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 17:39:59 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: Chris & Sue Hoger Subject: Re: Visit by Aussie Lychee Grower? Chris, it's much too far in advance of the date to be sure of what I will be doing at that time, but I would be glad to see if you if it works out. My wife and I have parents in their 80's and 90's and we could be visiting them in Kansas and Oklahoma at almost any time. I'm sure I can give you no help with lychees. I have one (Brewster) that is about 5 ft tall, and I haven't put it in the ground yet. I had Kwai Mi where I used to live, and in the dozen years I had it it had not much more than that many fruit, although they were large and lovely, and the tree was beautiful. I really like the fruit and wish I could get them to produce. I'll be all ears, when I see you, as to what varieties and cultural practices to utilize. If you'll subscribe to the newsletter, I'm sure there will be several interested and interesting grower/readers with whom you could communicate. Visit my webpage again, as I just uploaded a changed version today, for complete details. I'm sending a copy of the Dec. 15 issue of Rare Fruit News Online in a separate email. Horticordially, Leo ---------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 21:32:43 -0500 From: WALT ROWE Subject: black sapote - When can I eat it? Hello Leo, How is everything growing? I have a quick question for you or the group. This is the first year that I've had fruit on my Black Sapote and I don't really know how to tell when the fruit is ripe. Right now they are large (about the size of a hard-ball), green on the outside, and very hard. Do they soften when mature? I don't want them to rot on the tree. The "Florida Fruit" book suggests the fruit should ripen in November. Any help would be appreciated. Walt Rowe ----------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:06:31 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: WALT ROWE Subject: Re: black sapote - When can I eat it? Walt, here's a quick response from George Emerich: Leo: I don't know where Walt is so I will wing it as best I can. Please understand that I am not an expert but in California I am a little like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind. Few people here know even as much as I do. My hands on knowledge comes from having four trees which have been producing fruit for ten to fifteen years in Northern San Diego County in the great state of California. My Black Sapotes bloom and set fruit in July and August and ripen in June and July of the following year. The best tasting fruit is that which is checked daily during the ripening period and not picked until the shiny green appearance has mostly changed to a dull olive-drab color and they are soft. This is a little tricky because if you wait too long you may find them splattered all over the ground. Commercially, I assumed that they are picked generally by size when the crop starts to ripen. If they are really mature, they can be picked very hard and shiny and will soften in about a week or ten days and be quite good but not as good as the tree ripened fruit. Frankly, I don't know when they bloom in Florida but I know they ripen in November into January. I hope this helps. George Emerich ---------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 22:26:58 +0700 From: Sainarong To: leom@rarefruit.com Subject: Greetings & Thanks As I shall be away next week, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for opening a brand new exciting horticultural world for me. What you have done for me has gone beyond the Rara Fruits News Online. You have stimulated me to talk to interesting people all over the world through the Net. Thank you ever so much, Have fun, enjoy yourself, don't do anything I wouldn't do(which give you a pretty large leeway!), and greetings to every member of the RFNO. Sainarong ------------------------------ From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Seedless fruit Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 14:33:47 -0800 Hi Leo, I just read an article about seedless eggplant produced by plants that have been genetically altered. Normal eggplant fruit need a hormone from the seeds to develop into normal sized and shaped fruit. They put the gene for this hormone into the plants genome, so it was expressed without seeds being present. This allowed normal looking and tasting fruit to be produced even under unfavorable conditions (low light and temperature). This technique should work in any plant that produces a fruit, you just have to insert the correct gene for the hormone and seedless fruit could be produced in the absence of pollination. Just think of the cherimoya yield one could get! And look at the savings in labor. There would be lots of fruits to try, assuming someone who could do the transfer thought it was worth the effort for the specific fruits. Of course, they have to see how stable the insertion is and what exactly it does to yields, but just think of seedless cactus fruits. Or you name it! Just thought you would like to know about this before it becomes a really big deal. Later, Bob --------------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 08:50:53 PST To: Leo Manuel From: Doron Kletter Subject: Importing Fruit Trees and Quarantine It does not make much sense to have quarantine at the receiving site, does it? I would strongly recomend contacting a grower here who has done it before and has met the plant import requirements. The minimum quarantine time is varying depending on the plant, the type of pests/deseases, and the risk it may carry to the industry. As you may have already noticed, some germplazm material may be held for months. You need someone who is prepared to take care of the plant for a long period. Hope this helps, Doron P.S. Thank you for the informative OCR pages! I particulary liked the article about the lychee cultivars and yield. And it could have not come in a better time, as I am about to order a tree. BTW. Has a Dec 15 RFNO been distributed yet? If so, I did not get it. Could you please re-send? Thx. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 21:45:08 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Dodgson Subject: Rare Fruit Web Page from Brazil Hi Leo Another quick note about a new rare fruit site I found: http://www.agrov.com/agrov/vegetais/frutas.htm I think it's Portuguese (or Spanish ... hell, I don't know!), so it's only pretty pictures for me. My fruit growing update The mango seeds of Winter's, Bowen, Leo #5 now range in height from 2 inches to 6 inches. My Florigon tree has just put on a growth spurt of 12 inches on the two branches, and the R2E2 has put on about 3 inches. Kind of disappointing considering the guy at the nursery said the R2E2 would perform the best under my climate. I bought the Florigon from a helpful nursery a couple of suburbs away and the R2E2 from interstate! I have added the addresses from Louis Glowinski's updated book on fruit growing under Aussie conditions to my web page. I sent away to 20 or so nurseries requesting catalogs. The best I have seen so far is from a NSW company called Greg Daley's Fruit Tree Nursery. Very cheap too: $7.90 for an ice-cream bean plant, up to $29 for a grafted pontin mamey sapote. Still waiting for the other catalogs before I decide which plants to buy. Bye for now, and merry christmas Mark Dodgson ----------------------------- From: ABILIO GARCIA Subject: The Brazilian Webpage is in Portuguese Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 00:17:43 +-100 Hello Leo Thanks for your informacion. The Webpage: http://www.agrov.com/agrov/vegetais/frutas.htm is brazilien and is very interesting is about tropical brazilien fruit agriculture. They show a map list of different plant fruits with technical and botanical cultivation information. And with the peopel or enterprise fruit producters. And have a possibility to search of supplies and machines for fruit agriculture. But they still in construction the pages. I ask by mail if they send seeds in the moment they don't give me a answer. Leo if you want to know something of this web, ask me and i translate with my poor english. Yours sincerely Abilio, Portugal --------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Dec 1997 21:21:46 +0800 From: Clement Subject: *Maybe* Bowen Isn't The Best Mango! Hi Leo Thanks for the latest edition of Rare Fruit News Online. It's the best way of finding information on those Rare Trees. As you already know that the only place to find information was through library which can be very frustrating when its unavailable. I find the information you sent me very useful, keep up the the good work. We need more people like you around to share information and contacts that lead me to someone nearby with the same interest in which I might never know. You might like to ask Sainarong about Thailand Mango. He might be the one with better ideal because there are so many varieties over there and some of them taste great depend on you of course. To me its "One man's food is the other man's poison", you might have to taste first to compare the difference. Have you come across the new mango call R2E2? Any way I went to your home page and I like it, especially when you mention your dog Jacko. We have one too Its GIGI , also blue heeler. Excellence guard dog and very obedient. I saved her life when she was about to be put down at the dog pound. The price was A$20 for that lovely 1 1\2 yrs old dog and we enjoy having her as it goes along very well with our kids. She also like to go to beach for a swim, run around and socialize (sniff around) with other dog. I will be getting a White Sapote in 4 months time after John Sojka twisted my arm. He highly recommended it because its as easily grown over here and need the same attention as citrus tree. My Lychee (12) drops off after a heat weave (above 40s) despite that i water 4 times per day ( 10 liters each) over the top of the tree to increase the humidity. I'll be asking Sainarong for help on that. Have you got any suggestion? Chances of Charimoya having a reasonable crop was dash also due to the heat, I think. Anyway its going to be another sad year. Maybe better luck next session. That's all for the time being. Bye and take care. We wish you and your family Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Once again keep up the good work. Clement and Family --------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 08:17:32 PST To: leom@rarefruit.com From: Doron Kletter Subject: Your mango blooming out of season Leo, I have Nam Doc Mai and Edwards too. Mine did not misbehave. It must be the combination of several factors, although late fertilization can certainly encourage flowering. Most likely the warm fall temperatures, the availability of water, and a relatively long resting period from the last growth flush. Do you recall when was the last flush? But since you are already in that situation, I would recommend to not let the trees set any fruit. Do not attempt to trim the flower panicles completely, however, as this will induce more growth and the tree will eventually re-bloom. Your goal is to get the trees back in sync with nature. Please keep me posted about your trees. And please be patient with the mail - it is expected to come on and off periodically till the 28th. So here we go again.. Doron ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 18:48:48 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Dodgson Subject: Mango tree size and fruit nursery info in Australia Hi The picture of my mango trees (perhaps a little optimistic on that point) on my web page (follow link titled "Fruit I grow") has the R2E2 on the left and the Florigon on the right. Since that time the R2E2 has grown only 4 to 6 inches on one branch, with the Florigon around 12 inches on 2 branches. I would estimate the R2E2 to be around 3 feet tall, with the Florigon 4 1/2 feet. As to the other mangoes, all the others are from seed, with the biggest around 4 to 6 inches tall. As we've just got miracle grow in this country, this year I thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately I used it on young seedlings of chiles/tomatoes and they've stopped growing leaves, so maybe the same has happened to the the seedling mangoes. Oh well, only time will tell I guess. At least with the organic stuff I use I don't have to bother with reading instructions: chicken poop, blood and bone, and worm juice don't have instructions! I tried removing the individual seedlings from the poly embryonic mango seeds, but they looked too tangled up to bother. I think I'll just have to pick a seedling and cull the rest. Any ideas on which one is the "bad one"? I have scanned a couple of pages from Glowinski's updated book on aussie fruit growing (follow link titled "Fruit I grow", then follow link "Fruit Information"). I mentioned in my last email the Greg Daley fruit tree nursery catalog. From looking at past RFN's it appears he's on your list. Does he still subscribe to your list, and if so has he given you a new email. I tried his gdaley@nrg.com.au, but it appears to not exist. I have made a short list of 15 trees from his nursery, from acerola cherry, babaco, cherimoya, jaboticaba, macadamia, miracle fruit, etc, and of course of couple of mango cultivars. I'll wait for the other nurseries to respond before I purchase, as I'd prefer to buy selected cultivars if possible. Some of his rarer fruit list don't appear to have cultivars as I've seen in other publications (CRFG fruit facts, etc). Mark Dodgson --------------- Greg Daley, do you still receive the newsletters at this address? Leo --------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 10:43:49 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: Mark Dodgson Subject: Re: Mango tree size and fruit nursery info in Aus Happy Holidays, Mark! I've been able to separate multiple seedlings of mangoes sometimes, and othertimes, I've left them together until later to decide which to remove. My understanding is that sometimes they are all copies of the mother, but when not, the really vigorous one is NOT. That makes it very hard to destroy it, and I believe I would at that point try very hard to separate the most vigorous one from the others, favoring the others. I've killed and damaged so many trees from fertilizing inappropriately that I've become very conservative. I think the organic stuff is definely the way to go. Greg Daley at that address apparently either receives the mailings or aren't rejecting them with any notice to me. Happy '98! Leo ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 19:30:50 -0800 From: Jose Miguel Gallego Subject: Quang's Place (Nursery) Leo, Happy Holidays!! I went to Quang place today, it is amazing, good thing I did not bring my checkbook and I controlled myself on not asking if he accepted credit cards... sight... well I did buy a june plum and a solo papaya. I am planning on getting one of his wax jambo, golden nugget mango, Ong's guava and... I don't know where to put ALL of the others that I am buying!! He is receiving some bare roots next Sunday and I was wondering if you and Jim were interested in going. How about? Let me know. Jose ------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 10:06:18 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: Jose Miguel Gallego Subject: Re: Quang's Place Jose, Happy Holly Daze to you as well! Of course I'm interested. Which Sunday? January 4? And, what is a june plum? Leo --------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 12:33:42 -0800 From: Jose Miguel Gallego Subject: The June plum is the spondias dulcis, or ambarella Leo, Yes, Jan 4. The june plum is a plum that you can only eat in June. (hehehe) It is the spondias dulcis, or ambarella. It is a small, yellow plum looking fruit. It has kind of a pineapple taste (and smell), little acid and a seed pod that looks like a rambutan but hard. I know, I should have spend my money on this one, but it is dwarf version which makes more rare and since I am running out of space, I am beginning to understand the meaning of dwarf trees. Jose ---------------------------------- From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Seeds - Sapote and Sapodilla Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 11:42:45 -0800 Hi Leo, I got an email from John Sojka a couple of days ago saying he sent you some black sapote and sapodilla seeds. I hope they sprout for you, this is not the best time of year for sprouting seeds, but if they are fresh, then maybe bottom heat will do the trick. I would think you could get lots of black sapote seeds from George Emerich, since he has two bearing trees in front of his house. As for sapodilla seeds, there is a large bearing tree somewhere around LAX, I just don't know the exact location. I need to spend some time looking for it. My friend Jack Swords managed to get some seeds from it and gave me a seedling. I am hoping to get some caimito seeds from John Sojka and if I have any luck getting some up I'll let you know. By the way my 'Arkin' carambola has started to drop fruit, I'll report back on the taste in a week or so. Later, Bob ------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 12:18:46 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Re: Seeds - Sapote and Sapodilla Hello, Bob, The black sapote and sapodilla seeds already had a half-inch root when they arrived. I have a black sapote that hasn't borne yet, but no sapodilla. I'm trying to get them to sprout in the garage. I'll let you know. I should get graftwood from a good fruiting black sapote. What's the fruit like on a sapodilla? I don't have any carambola in the ground. They haven't done well for me in the past. I've got one in a pot, but I don't know anything about it. Good to hear from you, Leo --------------------------- From: "Holzinger, Bob" To: Leo Manuel Subject: Sapodilla, black sapote, carambola, and Doug Richardson Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 15:12:02 -0800 Hi Leo, Good to hear that John sent you seeds already sprouting! He probably didn't know it, though. The sapodilla fruit is very sweet, probably with a Brix over 30. The fruit is oblong, pointed on the bottom, brown, with kiwi like fuzz all over it. The fruit texture is like a gritty pear, translucent-brownish and reminds one of brown sugar because it is so sweet. I was lucky enough to find some in a fruit market in Cancun a couple of years ago and I still have some seedlings from the seeds I brought back. They grow very slowly! Probably the best bet is to locate the tree near LAX and see if I can talk the owner into allowing some airlayers to be put on it. I have a sapodilla tree in the ground that I found at Doug Richardson's and it hasn't grown much at all in a couple of years. Speaking of Doug, he has started to move his bananas to the empty area on the east side of La Conchita. He also has started to "clear" the former banana grove with a D9 cat. On last Friday I caught the tail end of the "cat" leveling his third field of about 2 acres. It was very sad! He's under the gun to move everything by the end of February and to leave nothings standing when he's gone. It goes without saying, be careful who you pick as a landlord. As for a good black sapote, again I would direct you to George, his are pretty good as black sapotes go. He probably wouldn't say much good about them, but they were okay by my taste buds. Talk to you later, Bob >>>>>>>>End: Rare Fruit News Online - January 1, 1998<<<<<<<<< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< Rare Fruit News Online January 15, 1998 - AKA RFN199801B.txt We continually add new subscribers, often because they expect you can answer questions for them, and you usually don't let them down! Thank you! There's another supplement available for the asking: Ask for Annonas. It's real title is Other Annonaceous Fruits, by Har Mahdeem, from Tropical Fruit World September/October l990 Page 118-120 There were no responses to the subject of chat. Perhaps this newsletter is like a chat group, with two-week pauses between questions and responses. As I said, I haven't much experience to go on, but if you have suggestions, feel free to voice them. I stumbled across two web pages relating to mango, from which I copied large portions, at the bottom of this newsletter. Also, another web page, Bruns Lab, has multiple links to web sites of mycorrhizae and biological interest. If you have multiple email accounts and write from a different one than you expect the newsletter to be delivered, be sure to let me know whether the different address is a change of address, an alternate address, or whatever. It's confusing to me, also, when you write from an account that is not your own. Suppose you are Jim Jones writing from an account "Mary Martin" . I may assume that it's Mary who's the subscriber. Then, when I get email from Mary, signed Jim, I get confused. Actually, I'm rather easily confused, and I can spend lots of time sorting through past letters trying to figure out the correct information - time I'd rather devote to watching the fruit garden develop. And, finally, most mail I get from you does have a "relevant" SUBJECT line - one that distills the essence of your message. I appreciate that. Also, most of it has your REAL name either in the signature or imbedded in the FROM line. I appreciate that. Thanks!! ----------------------------------- From: HMHausman Subject: New subscriber, Davie FL, seeks to develop new lychees Subject: New Subscriber in Escondido, CA with a wish list From: Cat Melvin From: steve Subject: New subscribers seek hardy rare fruit for Wash. state From: Leo Manuel To: Steve Berg Subject: Re: New subscribers seek hardy rare fruit for Wash. state From: Veronica Stork Subject: New subscriber interested in Mangosteen for Arizona? From: Leo Manuel To: Veronica Subject: Re: New subscriber interested in Mangosteen for Arizona From: "Lon J. Rombough" Subject: New Subscriber Oregon [Leo: See His Web Page!] From: David Subject: Control of mites and such To: David Subject: Re: Control of mites and such Subject: Fruits in season, Thailand, January From: "Sainarong Rasananda" From: "Ricardo Barbosa" Subject: AGROV site and more From: Jon Verdick (Friend of few words) Subject: mystery fruit-Sounds like "physalis peruviana" aka "Poha". From: Cucho Subject: Advice on growing Mangosteens and Rambutans From: Cucho Subject: Questions about Imbe From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Seed Exchange From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Trees for Hawaii From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Rambutan and mangosteen Subject: Re: Growing Mangosteens and Rambutans From: "William Glover" Subject: Re: Rambutan and mangosteen From: "William Glover" From: gilbert Subject: Help: I need to find number of chill hours in N. CA From: les69a@webtv.net (Les Severson) Subject: What to grow in MN (zone 4) Please respond directly to Les From: les69a@webtv.net (Les Severson) Subject: What to grow in MN (zone 4) From: Leo Manuel To: Les Severson Subject: Re: what to grow in MN (zone 4) Subject: Webpage: World Market for Mango Subject: Webpage: HOME FRUIT PRODUCTION - MANGO From: Leo Manuel ---------------------------------------------------------------- From: HMHausman Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 21:13:15 EST Subject: New subscriber, Davie FL, seeks to develop new lychees Dear Leo and Betty Manuel: I attended a meeting of the Broward Rare Fruit and Vegetable Counsel last night and one of my friends told me about you folks. Let me first introduce myself, my name is Harry M. Hausman. My wife Nancy and I live in Davie, Florida. Davie is in western Broward County, west of Fort Lauderdale. It is considered "horse country and grove country." We reside on a 2 1/2 acre tract and I have been avidly planting the acreage with every variety of good tasting tropical and sub-tropical fruits that I can find that will grow here. I have all of the fruit trees that you mention in your home page and a bunch more. My special interests include mangoes (I have 30 varieties in the ground), lychees ( I have 10 varieties in ground), longans (I have 4 varieties), carambolas (I have 6 varieities), and Annonas (I have 10 or 12 or so). I have an especially keen interest in collecting, growing, and developing new Lychee varieties in order to lengthen the fruit bearing season which here in Florida is painfully short. In any case, I'd very much like to receive the newsletter that you refer to and will be more that happy to exchange information about trees and fruit with your members. Actually, I tried to set up my own informal sub-tropical fruit network on AOL but it looks like you guys are way ahead of me. I'll pass your web site on to the others that I been talking with. Hope to hear back from you soon.......... Harry ------------------------------- Subject: New Subscriber in Escondido, CA with a wish list From: Cat Melvin Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 19:39:56 -0800 Hi, Leo! It took me a while (since the fair in June!), but here I am. Please "subscribe" me! Cat Melvin Secretary/Editor CRFG N. San Diego County Need many kinds of trees. We have 3.5 acres we are beginning to populate. So far we have planted (small, young trees): lemon; walnut; avocado (old, nonproducing); mango; banana; fig; loquat; mulberry; pomegranate; apricot; blackberry; grapes. We need: peach; nectarine; apple; citrus; avocados; plum; rose apple; passion fruit; raspberry; etc. etc. etc. I'm also looking for a good-sized weeping willow, white birch, and cork oak. Leo, please also send me the back issues. Thanks! -------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 15:49:13 -0800 From: steve Subject: New subscribers: Seek hardy rare fruit for Wash. state Hi. We are Steve and Jeannie Berg We live in Port Orchard, Washington, not far from Puget Sound. Steve is a retired Navy Officer and Jeannie is a Navy Officer on active duty. She hopes to retire soon. We built our home last year and this winter we have planted apple, nectarine, peach, plum, pear, cherry and apricot trees. We've also planted a number of different types of berries and grapes. We love to try some rare fruit trees but we except that many of the exotics will not grow this far north. We're really interested in gaining information about hardy rare fruit trees which could withstand temperatures in the teens occasionaly and thrive here in the northwest US. Steve ----------- To: steve Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 18:23:59 -0800 From: Leo Manuel Subject: Re: New subscribers seek hardy rare fruit for Wash. state Steve and Jeannie, I will put you on the mailing list, publish your letter, and maybe someone will have suggestions. What you can grow may depend somewhat on your willingness to protect plants. I know that some growers keep their tender plants in pots and wheel them in and out of protection when the threat of cold arises. Some use green houses. Some dig around the plants and lay them down on the ground, where they can pile insulative leaves and mulch over them. If you have a south-facing wall or west-facing wall, either of which with a roof overhang that extends out a few feet from the structure, you can provide quite a bit of protection by planting very near the wall and under the overhang. Perhaps, instead, you'll find ideas about "rare" plants that are sufficiently hardy that you can grow them without extraordinary precautions. Leo --------------------------- Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 17:59:15 -0800 From: Veronica Stork Subject: New subscriber interested in Mangosteen for Arizona My name is Veronica Peterkin We live in Yuma, AZ We have mangos, guavas, passionfruit, cheramoyas, jujubes, kiwis, etc. We are looking for a source for a mangosteen tree. I've never seen them outside of Sri Lanka. I may have once seen them in Malasia. I would like to try to grow them here. The fruit is round and about 4" in diameter. The skin is a hard maroon colored shell about an eighth of an inch thick. When opened the fruit is almost an opalescent white. The taste sweet ambrosia not at all insipid with a firm smooth texture. Veronica ------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 19:43:39 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Veronica Subject: Re: New subscriber interested in Mangosteen for Arizona Veronica, Mangosteen is such a delicious fruit that everyone who can wants to grow it, but it can't be done in AZ outside of a greenhouse. If you want to be on the mailing list, let me know. There are people on the mailing list who live where mangosteen can be grown. Horticordially, Leo ----------------------------------- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 07:53:08 -0800 From: "Lon J. Rombough" Subject: New Subscriber Oregon [Leo: See His Web Page!] Dear Leo: I'd be interested in seeing your newsletter. I use my real name on my letters, I live 20miles south of Portland, Oregon, and you can find more information on my web site at http://www.hevanet.com/lonrom Thank you. -Lon Rombough ------------------------------------ From: David Subject: Control of mites and such Date: Sat, 3 Jan 98 18:19:52 -0800 One of your readers wrote in asking about how to control the mites and ants in his garden. I'm having some success with an experiment of my own (near Santa Monica) and I'd like to get some comment what I'm doing. I bought one of those hose sprayers and filled it with pine sol. I heard that ants hate the smell of pine. These types of insects breathe through their "skin." When they get wet, the water beads and they continue to breathe. If you add soap to the water, it doesn't bead on their skin any more and they literally drown. For the past 4 weeks I've been washing my citrus trees with everything from pine sol to dishwashing detergent. I set the sprayer to 3 tablespoons per gallon. I wash 'em once a week. So far, I've noticed that the trees are thriving and there are no insects setting up shop. .....of course, it could be due to the cold weather. The real test will be this spring when the insects get serious..... Anybody else has success or failure with washing their trees with soap? David ----------- Date: Fri, 02 Jan 1998 18:54:51 +0000 From: Leo Manuel To: David Subject: Re: Control of mites and such David, I heard a speaker at the Festival of Fruit talking about the deadly effect of soap on insects. He was talking about "killer" bees and steps to control them. Apparently if you have a sprayer with (I believe the proportions are right) 1 Tblsp of dishwater detergent per gallon of water, and spray any colony of insects so that they are thoroughly wet, that the insects will die in VERY short order. (Very few minutes, but I've forgotten how many.) It's interesting that it's working so well. I'd expect that plain water washing the dust off would be beneficial to a slight degree, also. Leo ----------------------- Date: Tue, 06 Jan 1998 14:33:00 +0700 From: "Sainarong Rasananda" Here are some of the fruits in season in Thailand in January. Following are the prices of some Thai fruits. If you would like to get more imformation, please look in to this web site http://bday.net/tat/fruit_index.html Name Market Price(US$Lb.) Remarks (US$@48Baht) Tangerine 0.19-0.33 all year round Guava 0.19-0.28 all year round Rose Apple 0.28-0.37 end of season Banana 0.83-1.04/ comb all year round Sapodilla 0.28-0.47 middle-end of season Watermelon 0.28-0.37 all year round Mangosteen 0.37-0.47 out of season Coconut 0.29/fruit all year round Papaya 0.19-0.28 all year round Have a happy 1998. Sainarong ----------------------------- From: "Ricardo Barbosa" To: leom@rarefruit.com Subject: AGROV site and more Date: Tue, 06 Jan 1998 16:36:43 PST Hi Leo. FIRST: I hope 1998 brings to you and to your family the fruits you are waiting for. SECOND: The webpage you discovered is a brazilian one. It's a rural catalog where the fruits are a small part. It's so provisory that I could not identify who is making it, if a government or a private organ. It contains only fruits of commercial interest. You can translate almost all the fruit names with the list I sent you, where the portuguese and english names are side by side. The nurture informations are very poor. I think CRFG gives far more informations when you find the plant in their files. Can't you read spanish? It's not so far from portuguese. Your first name means lion in latin, and Manuel is certainly one of most used first names in Portugal. If you need any translation, do not hesitate to ask me. THIRD: Can americans receive seeds by mail. Is it legal? In Brazil I consulted the mail system, and they informed I can receive seeds in small amounts and with no commercial purposes. FOURTH: How and when can I get seeds of: - Pawpaw, the US native annonaceae - Blueberry, a cultivar that could grow well here - Muscadine Grape, another US typical - Black sapote. Have you any seeds available at the moment? FIFTH: I'm confused with Sapodilla, Sapote and White Sapote. I have two different kinds of sapote trees I would like to identify. Do you know any site where we can find pictures of these fruits and trees? CRFG site is very poor about this subject. I live in the capital of the southermost state of Brazil located exactly 30 degrees South. This means a climate similar to US zones 9-10. But my greenhouse is under construction, and this means no problems with winter frosts. The city is locted at sea level. I've just purchased this weekend a new pitanga tree. I took the decision of purchasing it because the size of the leaves. I never saw so big. This means big fruits. It`s not so small (1,5m) and costed me US$ 5,00. I think next year it will fruit. A portuguese called Abilio sent me a message. Thanks for giving him my address. Regards. Ricardo ------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 21:58:04 -0800 From: Jon Verdick (Friend of few words) Subject: mystery fruit-Sounds like "physalis peruviana" aka "Poha". Jon -------------------------------- From: Cucho Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 15:15:01 EST Subject: Advice on growing Mangosteens and Rambutans Leo, I can give some advice to Pincher in Nevis on growing Mangosteens and Rambutans, maybe he can learn from my mistakes. I live in South Florida where we have two distinct seasons, one wet and hot and one cool and drier. Except that this distinction is somewhat blurred this year, thanks to el Nino?. My experince growing Magosteens and Rambutans was a complete disaster, but I did learn a few things about these trees. They both require the following: 1. High relative humidity. They grow well in the South Florida summers, but do not like our drier winters. In my opinion temperature drops did not kill my seedlings, the lack of humidity did. 2. Moist acid soil. Mangosteens specially require the soil to be moist at all times. 3. Magosteens develop a long tap root with very few side roots. Any damage to the tap root can be lethal. Be very careful while transplanting them, better yet, plant it in its permanent location if possible. 4. Shade the mangosteens until they are about fairly large, about 3 or 4 feet tall. This may take a few years, since they are very slow growers. 5. I would not use chemical fertilizers on these trees until they are fairly large. Only well composted manure. 6. The Rambutans are notorious for developing chlorosis, and once they turn yellow it is very difficult to impossible reversing this. I would suggest using chelated iron supplements regularly and other micronutrients, before the onset of chlorosis. Sorry, but I can't give you advice on controlling monkeys. I do have problems with possums eating my fruits, but I've decided to let them eat all they want as long as they leave me some. Good Luck, Mario Lozano ------------------------------- From: Cucho Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 16:34:33 EST Subject: Questions about Imbe Hi Leo, As always, Kudos on a terrific newsletter. Leo, maybe you or one of your readers can help me decipher what is wrong with my Imbe (Garcinia Livingstonei) tree. The tree, or maybe more appropriately shrub, is growing very nicely and is now about 8 feet tall with some spreading branches towards the base. It began flowering last Spring and it produced flowers during most of the year, it is producing lots of flowers right now (my trees are fooled by the unusually warm and rainy Winter, possibly caused by el Nino, and most of them are flushing like in the Spring). It produces small fruits, no bigger than ¼ inch and they turn orange and drop off. My question is, do I have a male tree that will never produce anything but these tiny fruits? Or is this normal behavior for Imbes and later I will get larger fruits? I know that Mamey Sapotes behave this way and after a few seasons of dropping small fruits it starts holding the fruits to maturity. I would appreciate to hear from anyone experienced in Imbes. The tree is in a very good spot on my yard and if it will never bear anything better than tiny fruitlets, I have other worthwhile trees in pots, that will be very happy to take the space. Best Regards, Mario Lozano in Ft. Lauderdale FL. ----------------------------- From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Seed Exchange Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 15:54:25 -0800 Hello Ricardo, I saw your letter on the Rare Fruit Newsletter Online and would like to see if we could exchange seeds. You mentioned that you have a list of your plants in an Excel file, could you send that file to me as an enclosure? Also, could you give me the names of some fruits or some fruit families that you are interested in acquiring seeds from so I can let you know if I will be able to assist you in your search. You live in a part of the world that has a lot of interesting fruits, most of which are very obscure in the United States. I could give you a general idea of what I find interesting at this time--Annonacea, Myrtaceae, Passifloracea. As I said, let's see what you have and what you are interested in obtaining and we can go from there. Fruitful wishes, Bob Holzinger ------------------------------- From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Trees for Hawaii Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 09:14:50 -0800 Hello Yudhvir, Saw your question on RFNO. Neem may be something to try in Hawaii, but I thought that pistachios like hot and dry conditions, with some winter chill. I may be mistaken. One thing that I would recommend, though, is growing something to sell to the resorts and big hotels on the islands. In my two trips there it seemed that no one was offering interesting fruits that were in season, just the usual papaya, pineapple, guava, etc. You should do some research first to see if there would be some demand, but I would think that supplying things like mangosteen, rambutan, longan, lychee, different Annona species, etc. would be a good idea. Shipping to the states may be difficult, so determine your market size in Hawaii and anything you could ship to the mainland would be just a bonus. Good luck! Bob Holzinger ------------------------------- From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Rambutan and mangosteen Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 09:07:40 -0800 Hello William, Just a couple observations on rambutan and mangosteen. I talked to someone growing them on the big island of Hawaii and he felt the rainfall on the Kona Coast (about 50 inches or 1270mm a year) was too little for the mangosteen and marginal for the rambutan. He was looking forward to growing them both on the Hilo side where the rainfall was over 100 inches or 2500mm a year. The fact that the humidity is at least 75% year round where you are may compensate somewhat if you can irrigate with clean water because I know from personal experience that rambutan do not like water with salts in it. A friend in California has several four foot tall mangosteens in pots in a greenhouse, so they must not be as picky about the quality of the water. Looks like you may have a chance for success, so go for it! Good luck, Bob Holzinger ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Growing Mangosteens and Rambutans Date: Fri, 9 Jan 98 07:54:54 -0400 From: "William Glover" Mario Lozano, Many thanks for the tips about growing mangosteen and rambutans. Will persevere. Almost wish I had some possums as they are tastier than monkeys. Warm regards, William Glover ----------------------------- Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 14:45:59 +0000 From: gilbert Subject: Help: I need to find number of chill hours in N. CA leo- i have a question for you and/or the other readers of the newsletter. Where can i find the numbers on the number of "chill" hours in nothrn california counties for the last several years. aaron gilbert ------------------------------- From: les69a@webtv.net (Les Severson) Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 11:48:32 -0600 Subject: What to grow in MN (zone 4) Please respond directly to Les Starting out with only 2-3 acres. Looking for something profitable. would appreciate help. Would like your opinion on some of my ideas. Thank you muchly. Presently starting a few of each of these; Honeycrisp and Harelson apples and Mesabi cherries. I live in S. Mn. (zone 4) Also need marketing ideas. Thanks and regards, Les Seversom ----------- Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 17:12:07 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Les Severson Subject: Re: what to grow in MN (zone 4) Les, I doubt that this newsletter will be of much help as most of our readers either live in warm-winter climates like Southern California or Florida, or are interested in growing exotic warm-winter fruits. I would suggest talking to local farm agents or possibly post questions in the Garden Web: http://209.25.46.109/Garden_Talk/_disc7/00000032.htm where people write in from all climate zones. Don Gholston is remarkably knowledgeable about many things in fruit growing, and you might check with him about where to look for help. Don Gholston: DGholston@aol.com I wish I could be more helpful. Good Luck! Leo Manuel ---------------------------------------- Subject: Webpage: World Market for Mango http://www.milcom.com/rap/mps/mango.html September 1995, RAP MARKET INFORMATION BULLETIN, No. 9 ($10) Table of Contents Production and Exports Markets Grades and Standards Sources of Technical Information INTRODUCTION Mangoes are the fruit of the Magnifera indica tree, native to India. They are lowland tropical plants that tolerate a wide range of rainfall, although they need dry weather at the time the fruits are formed. Worldwide production, heavily concentrated in Asia, is estimated at 17 million metric tons per year. Although more than 500 varieties exist, only a few move in international trade. The mango is often hailed as the most popular fruit in the world, but until recently it was considered an exotic, specialty item in import markets such as the United States and Europe. Despite rising demand in these markets, competition is formidable because many producing countries are now growing the few varieties in demand and shipping them in large volumes. Consequently, producers cannot rely simply on volume exports to make money; instead, they must compete on the basis of appearance, quality, and price. PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS North America Mexico is the largest exporter of mangoes in the world. Varieties include La Criolla, Manila Super, Haden, Kent, Tommy Atkins, Irwin, Sensation, Van Dick, and Palmer. Production is estimated at 1 million metric tons annually, the growing season lasting from April to September. Fruits are exported to the United States, France, Canada, and Japan. Over the last five years, exports to the United States have been increasing at an average rate of 20 percent a year, reaching 108,385 metric tons (US$89.8 million) in 1994, double the volume of 1990. Exports to other countries in Europe and to Japan are also thriving, reaching 3,406 metric tons and 1,700 metric tons, respectively, in 1994Ñhigher than the exports of any year before. U.S. production of mangoes centers in Puerto Rico, with some production occurring in Florida as well (2,500 metric tons). U.S. exports of mangoes were 18,500 metric tons (US$ 21.4 million) in 1994Ñ11,248 metric tons to Canada, 4,069 metric tons to the Netherlands, and 1,176 metric tons to Japan. South and Central America More than 15 Latin American countries produce mangoes, exporting to the United States and Europe. The season varies from one country to another, but fruits generally are available from September to May. U.S. importers refer to product from these countries as off-shore mangoes because they are counter-season fruits compared with those from Mexico. Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru benefit from duty-free access to the United States and the European Union (EU). Brazil is the largest exporter with total exports of around 8,000 metric tons in 1994. Major markets are the United States, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. BrazilÕs season is from October to March. Brazil used to supply a quarter of the EU market, but in 1994 BrazilÕs market share dropped to 12 percent as exports decreased from 10,000 metric tons the previous year to 5,600 metric tons. Exports to the United States also dropped from 3,150 metric tons in 1993 to 2,200 metric tons. Venezuela exports between 5,500 and 6,500 metric tons each year, with peak season being in June and July. The United States constitutes the largest market, taking 2,800 metric tons in 1994, followed by the United Kingdom (1,300 metric tons) and Portugal (1,050 metric tons). According to some U.S. importers, Venezuela, Peru, and Guatemala are now supplying better product than Mexico. Peru produced 8,000 metric tons of mangoes in 1993. It is the second-largest supplier to the United States after Mexico, with exports amounting to 3,450 metric tons in 1994. PeruÕs exports to the EU are usually around 1,500 to 2,000 metric tons but in 1994 were only 821 metric tons. Major European markets include the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The Peruvian mango season runs from November through March. Guatemala grows primarily the Kent, Haden, and Tommy Atkins varieties, which are in season from March until June. GuatemalaÕs exports to the United States have risen dramatically from 622 metric tons in 1993 to 2,376 metric tons in 1994. Costa Rica produces Tommy Atkins, Irwin, Keitt, Mora, and Haden - Tommy Atkins and Irwin being the main varieties. The season runs from February to June, peaking in March and April. In 1994, exports totaled 2,500 metric tons, and in 1995 they are expected to exceed 4,000 metric tons. The main shipping destinations in 1994 were the Netherlands and Germany. Haiti, which supplied the United States with 13,438 metric tons of product in 1991, began exporting again in 1993 after a trade embargo was lifted. Exports to the United States, however, were only 2,742 metric tons in 1994, whereas exports to Europe were 206 metric tons. Ecuador exported 1,450 metric tons of product in 1994, 61 percent of which went to the United States, and the remainder to France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Many trees begin bearing this year, so exports are expected to increase considerably. Africa In 1994, South Africa became the second-largest supplier to the EU after Brazil, with exports reaching 5,256 metric tons compared with 3,647 metric tons in 1993. The South African season runs from January to May. South Africa was expected to export 1.5 million boxes (7,500 metric tons) in 1995. Its major markets are the Netherlands (taking 1,900 metric tons in 1994), France (1,270 metric tons) and the United Kingdom (814 metric tons). In 1994, exports from C(te dÕIvoire to the EU doubled, reaching 5,000 metric tons. C(te dÕIvoire is the largest supplier to France, accounting for 35 percent of that countryÕs imports last year. Production is primarily of the red Kent and the green Amelie varieties, which are fiberless and highly appreciated in the French market. The season runs from March to July, peaking between mid-April and late June. This year, some French importers blamed lack of export controls for the fact that many Ivorian loads arrived in bad shape and overripe. Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, and Kenya are other major African suppliers. In 1994, Mali exported 837 metric tons to the EU (67 percent to France and 32 percent to the Netherlands). Malian varieties are the same as for C(te dÕIvoire. Burkina Faso exported 735 metric tons to the EU, 63 percent to France and 24 percent to the Netherlands. Gambia exported 610 metric tons to the United Kingdom, up from 485 metric tons in 1993. Guinea exported 457 metric tons to the EU, including 334 metric tons to France and 94 metric tons to the Netherlands. Kenya exported 1,580 metric tons of mangoes to Europe and other destinations in 1994. Middle East In 1994, Israel exported 4,150 metric tons of mangoes. The country forecasts exports of 6,000 metric tons for 1995 and hopes to export 10,000 metric tons by the year 2000. The Israeli production season runs from July to November. In 1994, exports to the EU reached 3,178 metric tons, up from 2,975 metric tons in 1993 and from 2,514 metric tons in 1992. France and the Netherlands are the major markets, taking 900-1,000 metric tons each, followed by the United Kingdom with 461 metric tons in 1994. Egypt produced 196,775 metric tons of mangoes in 1993 and exported 2,410 metric tons, mostly to regional markets. Asia India is the worldÕs biggest mango producer (10 million metric tons in 1992) and exports primarily the Alphonso and Payri varieties. For the second consecutive year, India has suffered from substantial droughts, which have caused large decreases in production. Exports totaled 22,124 metric tons worth US$13.9 million in 1993-1994. Exports to Europe were 1,265 metric tons in 1994. The United Kingdom is IndiaÕs largest European market, taking 83 percent of all Indian mango exports to the EU. The Indian mango season runs from April to August. Pakistan produced 787,000 metric tons of mangoes in 1992. It is the largest supplier of mangoes to the United Kingdom, supplying 3,000 metric tons in 1994. Total exports to EU countries amounted to 3,277 metric tons in 1994, compared with 2,500 metric tons in 1993. PakistanÕs production season runs from June to August. Mangoes from Pakistan are generally the very sweet varieties, similar to those from India. The Philippines is the largest suppliers to Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The season runs from June to August. After four year of continuous growth, exports to Japan dropped from 8,032 metric tons in 1993 to 5,464 metric tons in 1994. Still, the Philippines retains 72 percent of the Japanese market, having invested heavily in vapor heat-treatment technology to ensure that export varietiesÑprincipally the Manila SuperÑcould be certified as fruit fly-free by Japanese quarantine inspectors. Australia estimates 1994 mango production of more than 35,000 metric tons, against 22,370 metric tons the year before. The country started to export its Kensington Pride variety to Japan this year after winning Japanese health authoritiesÕ approval of its vapor heat-treatment program. Australia also supplies other Asian markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Taiwan, Thailand, and New Zealand also export mangoes to regional Asian markets, the most popular Thai variety being the sweet "honey mango." Europe Spanish growers are switching to popular varieties such as Tommy Atkins and Keitt and hope to boost mango production by 70 percent over the next five years. However, growers estimate that total production will probably not exceed 10,000 metric tons. MARKETS North America U.S. imports of mangoes have more than doubled in the last five years, reaching 123,093 metric tons in 1994 (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The customs value of imported mangoes that year was US$107.4 million, up from US$65.2 million in 1990 (Table 2). Mexican mangoes have accounted for almost all of this increase in imports and represented 88 percent of the volume of U.S. imports in 1994, when no other single country accounted for more than 3 percent. However, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Brazil have also expanded exports to the United States since 1990. Mexico supplies the United States primarily from March to September, with peak supplies arriving May through July. Other shipments arrive in the United States as follows: Haitian product between March and July, peaking from April to June; Brazilian product between October and December; Peruvian product between January and February; and Venezuelan product between March and July, peaking in April and May. U.S. mango consumption is still very low (less than one pound per person) but is increasing at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per year. Mangoes are still primarily an ethnic food, and only one-third of American households have ever purchased the fruit. Mangoes are very popular in cities with high Latino and Asian populations. However, mangoes are appealing to a wider population, and demand likely will continue to grow. The most popular varieties are Tommy Atkins, Haden, Kent, and Keitt. Fresh mango prices are significantly lower when Mexican supply is highest from March to September according to 1994 New York wholesale market price reports. Early shipments of Haden mangoes from Mexico earned US$9.00-US$12.50 per carton (8s-14s) in February and March, before the price dropped to US$6.00-US$9.00 per carton from April to June. Tommy Atkins shipments from Mexico sold in New York for US$4.50-US$9.00 per carton from April to August 1994, with prices generally below US$7.00 per carton (8s-14s). Late Mexican shipments of Keitt and Kent earned US$4.50-US$6.50 per carton (8s-14s) from June to September. Prices reported in New York for Haitian Francine and Francis mangoes ranged from US$7.50 to US$12.50 (mostly US$7.50-US$9.00) per carton (8s-14s) from December to May. Brazilian Tommy Atkins, which began the season in late October and early November at US$18.00 per carton (7s-14s), fell in price to US$7.00-US$8.50 per carton as Brazilian supplies arrived later in the year. Peruvian product entered in January, at the end of the Brazilian supply period, and prices were generally US$12.00-US$13.00 per carton during the next two months for Haden and Kent varieties. Venezuela and Guatemala supplied New York from March to June with Haden and Tommy Atkins. Prices were generally strong in March but declined considerably as Mexican supplies increased in May and June. Canada Canada imported 16,372 metric tons of mangoes, valued at C$19.0 million, in 1994 (Tables 3 and 4). This quantity is a significant increase from five years ago, when only 9,714 metric tons of product (C$10.6 million) were imported. Like the United States, Canada received most of its increased supply from Mexico: Mexico supplied 69 percent of Canadian imports by volume, and the United States contributed an additional 18 percent. The remainder comes from countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, and the Philippines. Europe Total imports from non-EU sources reached 45,118 metric tons for a value of US$53.0 million in 1994, not including DecemberÕs imports by the Netherlands and Belgium, for which figures are not yet available (Table 5). Imports have increased every year since 1988, when only 27,354 metric tons of product were imported (see Figure 2). The Netherlands has greatly contributed to this growth: Dutch importers have brought in mangoes from a variety of countries and shipped them throughout Europe. Many countries ship mangoes to the EU, the largest suppliers being Brazil (12 percent of all 1994 non-EU imports, based on volume), South Africa (12 percent), C(te dÕIvoire (11 percent) and the United States (11 percent). Mexico, Pakistan, Israel, and Venezuela all provide about 7 percent of EU imports (see Figure 3). Brazil ships mainly during the winter season (November to January), whereas South AfricaÕs peak period is January to April. C(te dÕIvoire sends product to France and other destinations from March to June, and the United States supplies product primarily from June to October. MexicoÕs season extends from March to October, most of its product appearing in Europe during the summer months. Both India and Pakistan send mangoesÑmostly to the United KingdomÑfrom April to August. VenezuelaÕs main season is April to July, and IsraelÕs comes at the end of the summer, from August to October. The Netherlands imported 15,461 metric tons (US$17.7 million) of mangoes from non-EU sources in 1994 (Table 6). The United States and Brazil were the largest suppliers, accounting for 3,577 metric tons and 3,119 metric tons each. Other major suppliers include South Africa, Mexico, Israel, and Costa Rica. Almost half of all imported mangoes are re-exported, mostly to Germany but also to Austria, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. Still, Dutch con-sumption (imports minus exports) stood at 9,456 metric tons in 1994, the second largest in Europe after the United Kingdom. Dutch consumers, like most Northern Europeans, generally prefer red mangoes, although Dutch importers said that green-colored West African mangoes have found a following in the Netherlands. Mexican exporters send Tommy Atkins, Haden, and Kent mangoes by sea container; Israel supplies mostly green-colored Tommy Atkins, Kent, and Lily varieties by sea container. During the winter months, Dutch importers receive product from Brazil and South Africa, as well as from Guatemala and Peru. Kenyan product generally arrives in December as the Brazilian season is ending and the South African one is about to begin. Nineteen supplier countries are listed in 1994 price reports published by the International Trade CentreÕs Market News Service. Average weekly importer selling prices for top suppliers are summarized in the box above. The United Kingdom imported 11,181 metric tons of mangoes (US$11.8 million) from non-EU sources in 1994, down from a high of 13,029 metric tons in 1991. Pakistan supplied 3,005 metric tons, Venezuela 1,293 metric tons, and India 1,049 metric tons. Very sweet Indian and Pakistani varieties are favored by consumers. Importers describe the U.K. market as very competitive and not short of supply. Product is currently sourced from Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Gambia, Israel, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, and St. Lucia. Kenyan mangoes are available in U.K. markets, but not consistently. In 1994, Market News Service reported importer selling prices for 20 different suppliers to the U.K. market, most of which are only occasional suppliers. Brazilian mangoes shipped by air sold for between £1.23 and £2.50 per kilogram during BrazilÕs main supply period (October-January). Prices for Mexican mangoes sent by air and for Israeli Kent mangoes were reported between July and October, earning £1.25 to £1.90 per kilogram and £1.00 to £2.00 per kilogram, respectively. Venezuelan mango prices from March to July were between £1.50 and £2.38 per kilogram. France is the third-largest mango market in Europe. French imports in 1994 from non-EU countries stood at 10,326 metric tons, worth US$13.7 million. These figures represent increases of almost 1,000 metric tons and US$1.5 million from the previous year. Mangoes are available year round, with supplies coming from C(te dÕIvoire, South Africa, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Mali, and many others. Importers report that October is the only month during which they have difficulty finding supply. C(te dÕIvoire was the largest supplier in 1994, with 3,534 metric tons, followed by South Africa, with 1,268 metric tons, and Brazil and Mexico, both supplying 1,000 metric tons. Currently C(te dÕIvoire accounts for 34 percent of French import volume and supplies the market at very competitive prices from April to June. In 1995, however, many Ivorian shipments were of poor quality, arriving in bad shape or too ripe in the market. The Kent variety is most popular in France as a whole, because of its taste, reddish coloration, and lack of fiber, but in the southern part of the country consumers prefer Tommy Atkins. Importers reported that a price drop would be helpful to stimulate demand. About 30 percent of mangoes are distributed by supermarkets, the remainder being distributed through traditional Halles, open markets, and other retailers. Market News Service reports importer selling prices for 18 different suppliers to France in 1994, with the top suppliersÕ representative prices summarized in the upper box on the left. Germany imported 10,052 metric tons of mangoes in 1994, 70 percent of them from other EU countries, mostly the Netherlands. Major non-EU sources of supply are C(te dÕIvoire, South Africa, and Costa Rica, each supplying 600-700 metric tons. German consumers tend to prefer red mangoes. In 1994, Market News Service reports importer selling prices for mangoes entering from 15 exporting countries, most only sporadic suppliers (see bottom box on page 7). Asia Hong Kong constitutes the largest import market in Asia for mangoes. In 1993, 27,895 metric tons of product were imported, worth US$27.4 million (see Table 7 and Figure 4). The Philippines is the largest supplier to this market, accounting for almost 80 percent of the volume of all imports in 1993. Thailand and Australia each supply about 6 percent, although the declared value of Australian product was twice that of Thai product (see Table 8 and Figure 5). However, customs statistics from 1994, which unfortunately combine mangoes with avocados, guavas, and mangosteens, show that imports of these commodities (of which mangoes is by far the largest) dropped by almost 2,000 metric tons. Australia and Indonesia were the only countries to increase their supply levels, although the market share of the top suppliers remained relatively unchanged. Japanese imports of mangoes grew from 5,510 metric tons in 1990 to 9,264 metric tons in 1993, but, in 1994, they dropped to 7,606 metric tons (´2.3 billion) (Table 9). This decrease is attributable to the overall decrease in the Japanese economy (the burst-bubble economy) and to increased consumption of other imported fruits, such as citrus and apples. Trade statistics show that the Philippines was the only producer to suffer from this decline. All other producers except Taiwan increased supply in 1994. Almost half of Japanese imports arrive between March and May, and another 28 percent during the next three months, June through August. Imports are at their lowest from November to January. The Philippines dominated the 1994 import market with a 72 percent share by volume. Mexico and the United States accounted for 22 percent and 2 percent, respectively. All other suppliers (including Thailand, Australia, and Taiwan) shared the remaining 3 percent of the volume of 1994 imports. Japan requires that all mangoes entering the country be treated for fruit flies. Sweet, fleshy mangoes are preferred to fibrous mangoes. Manila Super mangoes from the Philippines, and Haden, Keitt, and Tommy Atkins mangoes from Mexico and the United States are popular varieties. Singapore imported 10,300 metric tons of mangoes, avocados, guavas, and mangosteens in 1993, worth US$9.0 million (import statistics for mangoes alone are not available) (Table 10). Singaporean imports have grown by 41 percent since 1990, when only 7,303 metric tons of product were imported. Malaysian product accounted for roughly half of all imports by volume, with Thai product taking up 27 percent. In value terms, however, Malaysia accounts for only 24 percent of all imports; the Philippines accounts for 22 percent, and Australia and Thailand for 20 and 19 percent, respectively (Table 11). GRADES AND STANDARDS Minimum standards for mangoes are defined by the United Nations ECE Standard FFV-45: "in-tact, firm, fresh in appearance, sound (produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded), clean, practically free from any visible foreign matter, free from black stains or trails that extend under the skin, free from marked bruising, practically free from pests, practically free from damage caused by pests, free from damage caused by low temperature, free from abnormal external moisture, free of any foreign smell and taste. UN/ECE mango standards divide mangoes into three classes; Extra Class for mangoes of superior quality, free of defects; Class I for mangoes of good quality, with slight defects of shape or of the skin; and Class II for mangoes that do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements. In the United States, the Mexican Mango ExportersÕ Association (EMEX) decided to suspend quality inspections at the border in the beginning of 1995. Mexican and South American mangoes arriving in the United States no longer require quality inspections at the border, but some importers still require that mangoes be checked before shipment or on arrival, and some exporters voluntarily carry out inspections before shipment. Mangoes shipped in international commerce generally are packed in one-layer, 4- to 5-kilogram cartons that hold from 8 to 16 fruits per carton. SOURCES OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION Gomez-Lim, M.A. "Mango Fruit Ripening: Physiology and Molecular Biology." Acta-hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. May 1993. (341) p. 484-499. Willis, L.E.; Marler, T.E. "Root and Shoot Growth Patterns of ÔJulieÕ and ÔKeittÕ Mango Trees." Acta-hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. May 1993. (341) p. 264-270. Goguey, T. "Study of the Effects of Three Flower-inducing Substances on ÔKentÕ and ÔZillÕ Mango." Acta-hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. May 1993. (341) p. 216-224. Nunez-Elisea, R.; Davenport, T.L.; Caldeira, M.L. "Bud Initiation and Morphogenesis in ÔTommy AtkinsÕ Mango as Affected by Temperature and Triazole Growth Retardants." Acta-hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. May 1993. (341) p. 192-198. Lavi, U.; Sharon, D.; Tomer, E.; Adato, A.; Gazit, S. "Conventional and Modern Breeding of Mango Cultivars and Rootstocks." Acta-hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. May 1993. (341) p. 146-151. Yahia, E.M.; Hernandez, M.T. "Tolerance and Responses of Harvested Mango to Insecticidal Low-oxygen Atmospheres." HortScience. Alexandria, Virginia: The American Society for Horticultural Science. October 1993. v. 28 (10) p. 1031-1033. McCollum, T.G.; DÕAquino, S.; McDonald, R.E. "Heat Treatment Inhibits Mango Chilling Injury." HortScience. Alexandria, Virginia: The American Society for Horticultural Science. March 1993. v. 28 (3) p. 197-198. Mitcham, E.J.; McDonald, R.E. "Respiration Rate, Internal Atmosphere, and Ethanol and Acetaldehyde Accumulation in Heat-treated Mango Fruit." Postharvest-biol-technol. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier. July 1993. v. 3 (1) p. 77-86. Johnson, G.I.; Mead, A.J.; Cooke, A.W.; Wells, I.A. "Stem End Rot Diseases of Tropical Fruit Mode of Infection in Mango, and Prospects for Control." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. October 1992. v. 2 (321) p. 882-890. Shu, Z.H.; Lin, S.L.; Lee, K.C. "Effects of Microelement-containing Pesticides on Nutrient Concentrations of Mango Leaves." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. October 1992. v. 2 (321) p. 553-560. Pongsomboon, W.; Whiley, A.W.; Stephenson, R.A.; Subhadrabandhu, S. "Development of Water Stress and Stomatal Closure in Juvenile Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) Stress." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. October 1992. v. 2 (321) p. 496-503. Roy, S.K.; Joshi, G.D. "An Approach to Integrated Post-harvest Handling of Mango." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. August 1989. (231) p. 649-661. Veeresh, G.K. "Pest Problems in Mango: World Situation." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. August 1989. (231) p. 551-565. Khedkar, D.N.; Roy, S.K. "Storage Studies in Dried and Dehydrated Raw Mango Slices." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. August 1989. (231) p. 721-730. Pandey, P.M.; Chauhan, P.S.; Sharma, Y.K. "Studies on Some of the Physiological Attributes of Mango." Acta-Hortic. Wageningen: International Society for Horticultural Science. August 1989. (231) p. 381-393. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Webpage: HOME FRUIT PRODUCTION - MANGO HTTP://leviathan.tamu.edu:70/0h/mg/fruits/mango/mango.html Julian W. Sauls Extension Horticulturist INTRODUCTION Mango is regarded as the queen of fruits in tropical areas of the world. Prior to the severe freezes of the 1980s, numerous mango trees were in production in yards across the lower Rio Grande Valley, including a small orchard near Mercedes. Grown for its large, colorful and delicious fruit, the medium to large evergreen mango tree is also attractive in the home landscape. Its rounded canopy may be low and dense to upright and open, with dark green foliage that is long and narrow. CLIMATE Mango is adapted to lowland tropical and subtropical areas. Winter temperature is a major consideration, as leaves and twigs, especially on younger trees, can be damaged at temperatures below 30 degrees. Flowering and fruiting are seriously affected at temperatures below 40 degrees during bloom. There is no apparent difference in cold hardiness among varieties. SOIL AND SITE SELECTION Mango requires soil having good internal drainage, but is not particular as to soil type. Trees can tolerate minor flooding, but have low tolerance for salts, boron and lawn herbicides. Because of its extreme sensitivity to cold, mango should be planted in the most protected site in the yard--within 8 to 12 feet of the south or east side of the house. The tree must receive full sun for optimum growth and fruiting. VARIETIES There are two principal types of mangos: Indian and Indochinese. Varieties of the Indian type typically have monoembryonic (single embryo) seeds, highly colored fruit and are subject to anthracnose disease. Those of the Indochinese type have polyembryonic seeds (multiple embryos), and fruit usually lacking in coloration, but they may have some resistance to anthracnose. There are some varieties, however, that do not fit clearly into either group. Varietal choices in Texas are limited. More common commercial varieties include 'Haden', a red and yellow fruit of about a pound and quarter that matures in June; 'Irwin', a red mango of just under a pound that matures in June; 'Tommy Atkins', a red and yellow fruit comparable to 'Haden' in size and maturity; 'Kent', a green, red and yellow mango of about a pound and a half in size that matures in July; and 'Keitt', a green and pink mango of a pound and half that matures in August. Other varieties may be equally acceptable; for example, 'Julie' and 'Manila' are probably of better eating quality than the more brightly-colored commercial types. PROPAGATION Polyembryonic types generally come true from seed, which is the common method of propagation in the tropics. Monoembryonic types do not come true from seed, so they must be grafted onto seedling rootstocks, using almost any available mango seeds. The fibrous stone or pit should be removed from the seed. The seed should be planted concave edge down and about 1 inch deep in any good potting soil. Germination may take two to three weeks; graftable seedlings of a quarter inch diameter take about six months. Veneer or side veneer grafting and chip budding are the most successful methods of propagation. Most propagation occurs in winter, using rootstocks grown from the previous summer's production. Cleft grafting is also practiced. PLANTING Because of frequent freezes, mango trees may not achieve maximum size, so they can be spaced 12 to 15 feet from each other or other trees. Because trees are normally grown in containers of soilless media, much of the outer layer of media should be washed off the sides and top of the root ball immediately prior to setting the tree in the ground. This practice exposes the outer part of the root system to the actual soil in which the tree must grow, thereby enhancing tree establishment. Newly planted trees should be staked for support for the first year. Build a water ring several inches high and thick atop the soil around the tree. The ring should be a little wider than the planting hole--take soil from elsewhere in the yard if there's not enough left over from planting. Fill the basin with water--after it soaks in, a little soil may be needed to fill in holes made as the soil settles around the root system. YOUNG TREE ESTABLISHMENT Newly planted trees should be watered two or three times the first week, then once or twice per week for several weeks. Simply fill the water basin and let the water soak in. The water ring will gradually erode away over four to six months, at which time the tree can be considered established. Delay fertilization until new growth occurs after planting, then apply monthly into September. Scatter the fertilizer on the ground under the tree and promptly water thoroughly. Using ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), use one half cup monthly in the first year, one cup per month in the second and two cups monthly in the third year. For other fertilizer analyses, adjust the rate accordingly. All lawn grass and weeds should be eliminated for several feet around the young mango, as the tree cannot compete for water and nutrients until it is much larger. As the tree grows, widen the grass-free area beyond the canopy. Organic mulches are excellent for mango trees. No pruning or training should be necessary except to remove deadwood. Winter frost protection is essential. Soil banks around the young tree trunk provide excellent protection--they should be put up in early December and removed in early March. Young trees can also be draped with a blanket or similar covering just prior to a predicted cold spell--pull the corners outward and anchor them to the ground. It is not necessary that the cover reach the ground. Any additional, practical heat source under the tented tree will probably save even the foliage. Incandescent lights, electric heaters, camp lanterns or stoves are good heat sources. MATURE TREE CARE Cultural practices are designed to maintain good growth and production. Irrigation, nutrition, and weed and grass control are the major practices in mature mango tree care. Irrigation is the same as for other established fruit and nut trees--water slowly, deeply and thoroughly. Repeat as needed, based on soil type and prevailing weather. Weekly soakings during the summer are more than adequate. Fertilization, using 21-0-0, should be at the rate of one to two cups per inch of trunk diameter per year, split into equal applications in February, May and August. Simply scatter the fertilizer on the soil surface under the tree, then water thoroughly. Weed and grass control under the tree is desirable to reduce competition and can be easily maintained by use of organic mulch replenished as necessary. The only pruning necessary is to remove dead or damaged branches, which will occur following major freezes unless excellent cold protection methods are practiced. Then, pruning should be delayed until the extent of freeze damage can be ascertained. PRODUCTION, MATURITY AND USE Grafted trees will begin to produce in the third year after establishment, with mature trees capable of producing three to five bushels. The mango fruit develops rapidly, as the time from flowering to maturity is only 100 to 150 days, depending upon variety. Mangoes will ripen to best quality on the tree. Mangoes can be harvested at color break and ripened in the kitchen. Color break is the change from pure green to yellow, usually on the blossom end of the fruit. Another indicator of maturity is a change in color of the flesh around the seed from white to yellow. Fresh consumption is the most important use of mango, but the fruit can be frozen, dried or canned Mango can be used in jams, jellies, preserves, pies, chutney and ice cream. Green mangoes are sometimes eaten raw in the tropics. PROBLEMS The largest problem of mango is anthracnose because it attacks all parts of the tree and is probably most damaging to the flower panicles. On maturing fruit, the fungus causes irregular black spots that may be sunken slightly and show surface cracks. A grouping of spots forms a large, damaged area. Tear streaking is common, resulting from fungal spores that wash down the fruit from infected twigs or flower stalks. The disease can be controlled with fungicides. Powdery mildew can be a serious problem under conditions of high humidity and rainfall during bloom because the disease would limit fruit set. Serious defoliation would not be expected under Texas conditions. Mites and scale insects can attack mango trees, but they rarely limit growth or production unless populations build to high levels. EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and that no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied. 11-92, New HORT 2-2 -------------------------------- (Leo: The following site has links to everything biological!) Bruns Lab with web sites of mycorrhizae and biological interest http://mendel.berkeley.edu/boletus.html The BRUNS LAB 341 Koshland Hall Department of Plant and Microbial Biology UC Berkeley Links to Web Sites of Mycological Interest: British Mycological Society Forest Mycology and Mycorrhiza Research Team: Corvallis Oregon Fungal Genetics Stock Center ICOM1: the First International Conference on Mycorrhizae ICOM2: the Second International Conference on Mycorrhizae Mycological and Lichenological Collection Catalogs Mycology Resources on the Internet Mycological Society of America Mycological Society of San Francisco Mycopage Root Biology and Mycorrhiza Research Group: University of Guelph Ontario Taylor Lab at UC Berkeley The Tree of Life: Ascomycota The Tree of Life: Basidiomycota Links to Other Web Sites of Biological Interest: Entrez Browser Genome Sequence Data Base Microbial Germplasm Database MacClade Home Page Phylogenetic Analysis Computer Programs Plant Biology at UC Berkeley Plant Biology (Biosciences): The World Wide Web Virtual Library Ribosomal Data Base the rThe rRNA WWW Server The Tree of Life: A Phylogenetic Navigator for the Internet WWW Sites of Interest to Botanists >>>>>>>>End: Rare Fruit News Online - January 15, 1998<<<<<<<<< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< Rare Fruit News Online February 1, 1998 AKA RFN199802A.txt What's in this issue: From: Sainarong Rasananda Subject: Invitation to visit Thailand on a Horticulture trip(!!) From: Leo Manuel To: sainaron@ksc9.th.com Subject: Re: Invitation to visit Thailand on a Horticulture trip From: Jack Tomlinson Subject: New Subscriber, Africa, Seeks Exotic Fruit Ideas From: Ed McCluskey Subject: New Subscriber from Portland OR From: Kyle Harbert Subject: New Subscriber Seeks Help With Hydroponic Garden... From: Richard Prior/CML/Furman) & Reply by Leo Subject: New Subscriber With Questions Atemoya, etc. From: "Fielder, Rosemary" Subject: New Subscriber in search of PawPaw trees for sale! From: "Ben Poirier" Subject: New Subscriber Wants To Exchange Plant Information From: Linda Kincaid Subject: New Subscriber Wants Pink-Fleshed Apple, etc. From: Robin Shafer Subject: New Subscriber Seeks Dwarf Mango Information From: Dan Duprey Subject: Mycorrhizae and Mango Graft Time in FL From: Veronica Stork Subject: Flamboyant Tree From: "Holzinger, Bob" Subject: Mangosteens From: Sven Nehlin (USB) Subject: Conversation About Sapotaceae From: Sainarong Rasananda Subject: Do you Know Of Any Technical Websites? Subject: Rasananda & Jack Fruits for South Africa From: Sainarong Rasananda & Jack From: DGholston@aol.com To: Sainarong Subject: Re:Sub-tropical & Tropical Fruits for South Africa From: "Dan Duprey" Subject: Re: Chris Rollins & TROPICAL FRUIT WORLD From: jcubero@magicnet.net Subject: waterapple From: Greg Daley Subject: Change of Email Address From: "Richard Prior" Subject: Re: atemoya - new to me! From: "Oliver Patterson" Subject: sapote/sapodilla/white sapote confusion From: Martin Nemzow Subject: Edible Dates in Miami Beach?? From: Sainarong Rasananda Subject: Thai frults From: HMHausman To: sainaron@samart.co.th Subject: Florida longans From/To: Sainarong Rasananda And Cucho Subject: Re: Thai Longans From: Matthew Shugart Subject: Chill hours From: Bill Burson Subject: Chocolate Persimmon Scionwood - Which Floridian Asked For It? >>From Discussion list for New Crops Reply-To: Discussion list for New Crops From: "W.J.SWART X2383" Subject: Searching for Information: diseases of crops Reply-To: Discussion list for New Crops From: Ron Bunch Subject: Re: DISEASES OF NEW CROPS Sender: Discussion list for New Crops From: Ben Alkire Subject: Purple Mangosteen, Garcinia - request Reply-To: Discussion list for New Crops From: Carla Casler Subject: Re: pinenuts & aflatoxins Sender: Discussion list for New Crops From: crystal Subject: Hydroponic mailing list Reply-To: Discussion list From: Bob Batson Subject: Blue Honeysuckle, a Fruit for Even the FAR North Reply-To: Discussion list for New Crops From: Raquel Krach and Greg Massa Subject: New Crops for Rice Farmer From: Dan Hemenway Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 19:18:40 EST Subject: Re: New Crops for Rice Farmer >>From the Zingiber list From: paullgj Subject: cold tolerance of banana cultivars Reply-To: zingiber@coollist.com To: zingiber@coollist.com From: paullgj Subject: Re: What is cavendish Choke Throat? From: Lester Kallus Subject: Re: TROPICAL PLANTS Reply-To: zingiber@coollist.com From: "Miguel" Subject: Methods on micropropagation Reply-To: zingiber@coollist.com From: "Jose Almandoz." Subject: RE: TROPICAL PLANTS Reply-To: zingiber@coollist.com ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 12:15:09 +0700 From: Sainarong Rasananda Subject: Invitation to visit Thailand on a Horticulture trip Leo, an idea have struck me. Why not arrange for a group of tropical fruit lovers to make a horticultural trip to Thailand? As you know, our local currency have gone down from 26 per $ to 54 per $, so the cost of living here is very cheap for you. Moreover, Thailand is having 1998 as a Visit Thailand Year, and our Tourism Authority is actively promoting such trips. I have the horticultural connections to make to trip a good one, and would be happy to organize such a trip. BTW I am not in the travel industry, and would not dream of making any personal gain from this, I am just a contented orchardist. Sainarong ------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 06:58:20 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: sainaron@ksc9.th.com Subject: Re: Invitation to visit Thailand on a Horticulture trip What an idea! What time of year would maximize one be best, seeking to maximize the availability of "best" fruit and minimize weather discomfort? What length of time minimum would be desirable? Is there any way to get an estimate of cost, however rough an estimate it would be? Are there government gardens or experiment stations to visit? Looking forward to hearing more. (And, readers, what do you think?) Leo ------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 20:40:12 +0200 From: Jack Tomlinson Subject: New Subscriber, Africa, Seeks Exotic Fruit Ideas Leo, I would like to receive your newsletter, and if my experience could benefit anybody I would like to help. My real name is Jack Tomlinson and we farm in what is now known as the Mpumalanga Province. We are in a small town called Hazyview, it is close to Nelspruit and the Kruger National Park. We have been farming with Litchi's for 30years, Mango's for 25 years, Macadamia nuts about 25 years and avacado's for 15 years. As you know by now, we planted some Longan in Sept. 1997. We are looking for another exotic fruit that will do well in our area, we were thinking of Custard apple or Rambutan or a fruit called Kwa-Luk, if anybody can help, it will be most welcome. Thanks, Jack --------------------------- From: Ed McCluskey Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 23:26:49 EST Subject: New Subscriber from Portland OR Please send rare fruit newsletter. Ed McCluskey. Portland, OR Interest subtropicals, citrus. Current: Pineapple Guava, Figs Send earlier issues also. Thank you. Ed -------------------------------- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 18:08:21 -0800 From: Kyle Harbert Subject: New Subscriber Seeks Help With Hydroponic Garden... Hi, My name is Kyle Harbert, I live in salem Oregon. I recently built a hydroponic garden, I also ordered some vanilla plants, I'm looking for a way to acquire a dwarf sweet lime tree. I'm also going to build a larger garden, and filling it up with cool rare fruits has always been my plan. This sounds like a good way to do it. Feel free to send anything concerning cultivation of vanilla, lime, lemon, and grapefruit plants, your help is appreciated. Sign me up! Kyle Harbert Kyle, see Hydroponic mailing list at ----------------------------------- From: "Richard Prior" Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 17:26:49 -0500 Subject: atemoya - new to me! Leo! Thanks for writing back! I sent the following note to you last week Friday and it boomeranged right back at me. I was very disappointed. But now I'm not! To: leom@rarefruit.com From: Richard Prior/CML/Furman) Subject: New Subscriber With Questions Atemoya, etc. Please add me to the mailing list. I'm rather new to the rare fruit game. I've been growing for a few years, not seriously, though, until now. Before I continue, here's the personal information you request on your web page: Richard E. Prior Greenville SC 29617 I live just on the 7 side of the 7/8 zone line, wishing daily it were the 10! Most of my plants are therefore container grown. I'm sure there are other people on the list who are also container growers and I hope to learn the tricks for adapting tropical and sub-tropical trees to conta