========================================== Rare Fruit News Online - All Year for 2003 ========================================== Rare Fruit News Online - January 1, 2003 - AKA RFN200301A.txt _____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> 'PSM' Mango - Odd Blooming Behavior 'PSM'- 'Pim Sen Mun' or 'Pim Sang Mon' or 'Pim Sang Mun' Seems to grow well, but for me here in San Diego, is in full bloom in December, and rarely sets fruit that will ripen properly. Does anyone know what environmental triggers cause blooming in mangoes? It must not be day length! And why should this mango be so out of sync with the rest? Nearby, a 'Nam Doc Mai' Asian mango does very well and usually sets a good crop of relatively large fruit. I'd like to hear from you about your experiences with Asian mangoes. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Triple Crown Blackberries - Nourse Farms Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 20:20:16 -0800 From: Leo Manuel Triple Crown is one of the best tasting blackberries I've eaten. It is semi-upright and I've give numerous starts of it to friends. They are sold by Nourse. Their rate is 5 for $15.90 to 25 for $58.25 http://www.noursefarms.com ------------------------------------------------ Brix - A Measure of Plant Health? There seems to be a belief that there is a high correlation between the brix of a plant's sap and the health of the plant. Higher brix is said to result in more insect resistance, and sweeter fruit (or better tasting vegetables) with better keeping qualities, for plants that produce food crops. The number of sites with convincing information is impressive. There is even a Yahoo News Group with a focus of brix - called BrixTalk. Those that sell instruments to measure brix (refractometers) or plant nutrients to increase plant brix may not be objective. Do you know anything about it? If so, please give me (and therefore, the rest of us) feedback. I had not thought about using a refractometer to provide useful information about the plant, by checking the sap or juices of the plant. Here are some of the web pages relating to it: Google Search: brix plant http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=brix+plant Yahoo group "BrixTalk" http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrixTalk/messages/ Plant Tissue Test Instructions http://www.pikeagri.com/tissuetest.html Archive Question/Answer Plant Brix Testing: http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/2002/bdnow/msg00028.html BRIX : Dissolved solids in plant sap http://www.plantsfood.com/brixvalue.htm Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - On-Line Catalog - Brix Mix For plant nutrients to increase plant brix http://www.groworganic.com/a/a1.html?pMode=View&pcatID=3029&sText=brix&sCategory=&pStartAt=1 Plant Tissue Testing Tools http://pikeagri.com/tissue.html How to grow superb biological produce above & beyond ordinary chemical OR organic agriculture http://www.brixpage.com/PikeAg.htm ------------------------------------------------ Josˇ Gallego is working on the web page for the San Diego Chapter of CRFG http://www.crfgsandiego.org and would like your comments. mailto:jmgallego@losgallego.com -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, Ag Student UC Davis Ian Fainer New Subscriber, Ecuador, Wants Rare Fruit Ideas Roberto Mor‡n <><><> Readers Write <><><> Correction - Antique Apple/Smithsonian Article Michael Zarky Avocado Scion Wood David Silverstein Tomorrowland David Silverstein Sweet Jujube Todd Able Ed Lin re: RFNO Part 1, Part 2, ...? Leo Manuel Bove, Roger E. Capulin Cherries Robert White Dragon Fruit-To Grow In Durban South Africa? Lee Naidoo Botswana watermelon from George Emerich Link2itc@aol.com <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None, this time <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> None, this time <><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><> None, this time <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex None, this time <><><> From NEWCROPS List mailto:newcrops@purdue.edu <><><> None, this time <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> Re: grafting knives Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:34:31 -0500 Console G4 Re: grafting knives mrxtexas 'Tis The Season for Honeybell Tangelos, that is ! Asit Ghosh <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, Ag Student UC Davis Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 16:16:24 -0800 From: "Ian Fainer" Hi Leo and Betty My name is Ian Fainer. I'm an agriculture student at UC Davis but still call Santa Barbara home. There, at my parents' house, I have several varieties of avocado--one hass, some old hierlooms, and some seedlings. Also, bananas, chermoyas, white sopotes, many citrus and low-chill stone fruit. I would love to receive your newsletter. Hopefully, I can answer some readers questions, or at least run them by my professors. Merry Christmas, Ian Fainer mailto:ianfainer@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Ecuador, Wants Rare Fruit Ideas Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 16:54:06 -0500 From: "Roberto Mor‡n" Hi My real name is Roberto Moran, (60 y/o) and live in Guayaquil, Ecuador South America, exactly in Guayas State (provincia). My city is a tropical land, (+- 38 C or 100 F degree) all year, a real paradise (but a little hot.) 6 months dryer and 6 months rain, we have many rare fruits (carambola, pitahaya, papayas, pineaples, mangos, yam, and bananas naturaly, and I want to grow a different exotic fruit. Thanks for your attention to my request. Regards. Roberto Mor‡n mailto:rmoran@interactive.net.ec <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Correction - Antique Apple/Smithsonian Article Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 08:04:59 -0800 From: Michael Zarky Dear Leo, You did not read my follow-up message about the Smithsonian article. I wrote, immediately after the first message: There is a nice article on antique apples in the November issue of Smithsonian. I was too quick in my previous message - only a short summary happens to be on line, along with the links to various nurseries. http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues02/nov02/apples.html Note that only a short summary appears online. Michael Moorpark mailto:mzarky@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Avocado Scion Wood Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 22:54:58 -0800 From: "David Silverstein" Leo: There is also a mature sharwil avocado at Exotica Nursery in Vista. I'm sure they'd sell or give some scion wood to anyone that asked. David Silverstein mailto:bentleye@cox.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Tomorrowland Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 23:41:26 -0800 From: "David Silverstein" Leo: Last week I was at Disneyland in Anaheim for the second time. The first time was in September. And I'm just wondering. Does CRFG have anything to do with the landscaping in tomorrowland? The whole place is landscaped with edible plants. Pineapple Guavas, Pomegranates, Carambolas, Figs, Fuyu Persimmons all come to mind. And citrus everywhere. There wasn't much ripe in December, to the relief of my wife. But the Persimmons I had there back in September were better than the last batch I got from the grocery store. The trees were quite pretty as well with their loads of big green fruits and a few orange ones. I think that the tourists from other climates enjoyed seeing all these plants. I heard several people comment. Though some people thought the persimmons were some kind of strange oranges. David Silverstein mailto:bentleye@cox.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Sweet Jujube Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 18:50:34 -0800 From: "Todd Able" To: "Ed Lin" Ed, Hello again! I was lucky enough to get the dwarfish Jujube named So from Roger Meyer. This was early on in my adventures in rare fruit and I was still a bit uneducated. The fruit is pretty small and round about the size of a cherry, but very sweet! More than 50fruit on a 1-1/2ft tall bush. The growth is quite slow. A coworker from China told me that only the Kings of China would eat the small round ones, as they were considered the best. I believe Roger can bare root one to you this winter, and many other kinds. Don't waste your time with unnamed. The tree loves alot of heat, but I know you have plenty. Todd Abel mailto:table@socal.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: re: RFNO Part 1, Part 2, ...? Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 14:57:44 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: "Bove, Roger E." Hi Roger, You would have really been bothered if yours had been with a -21. I have to have 21 separate mailing lists with no more than 25 names in each one, to simplify my mailing the newsletter. Your "- 2" would be because you are near the top of the alphabet. I originally set up only 17 lists, and had to add 'overflow' lists 18 through 21, because I didn't quite get the lists right. You've been the first one to question that, which surprises me, now that I think of it. Take care, Leo "Bove, Roger E." wrote: > > Was this really a part 2? Was there a part 1? > > Roger Even Bove, Ph.D. > Website: http://courses.wcupa.edu/rbove/Genkey.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Capulin Cherries Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:26:53 -0600 From: "Robert White" The Fruit Tree Group of the Harris County Master Gardener's Association in Houston, Texas, is interested in testing various cultivars of Capulin Cherry trees in our test gardens. We need all the help we can get about them including cultivation, sources, etcetera - anything. Don't be shy; anybody knows more than I do. But we would like to add something to the Houston landscape. Thanks, Bob White mailto:rrwhi@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Dragon Fruit-To Grow In Durban South Africa? Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 11:17:32 +0200 From: Lee Naidoo Hi Leo I am inquiring on seed material on the various types of Dragon Fruit and the best propagation practices as I would like to try to establish this seemingly popular fruit on my smallholding. I live in a subtropical humid climate in Durban South Africa. Any form of assistance will be appreciated. Regards and God bless Lee Naidoo mailto:Lee.Naidoo@rct.co.za ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Botswana watermelon from George Emerich Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:07:55 EST From: Link2itc@aol.com Leo, I forgot to tell you that I grew the Botswana watermelon from George Emerich's nursery and it grew to a large size here in FL (as it did at his place). However, the heat and humidity did nothing to improve its taste and quality: insipid, with a significant element of bitterness. I got rid of the thing after one season. Ed Lin mailto:Link2itc@aol.com <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None this time <><><><><><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><><><><><> None this time <><><><><><><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><><><><><><> None this time <><><> NAFEX List See: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nafex <><><> None this time <><> Discussion list for New Crops <><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> Subject: [rarefruit] Digest Number 917 Message: 1 Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:34:31 -0500 From: Console G4 Subject: Re: grafting knives I wanted to offer my own comments on this subject. At home I use either an exacto handle with a single edge injector razor blade or a Due Buoi grafting knife (Italian). Have also used a Victronix (sp?)knife from time to time. I like the razor blade as they are quite thin and disposable. After a few cuts I flip the blade over and use the side previously gripped by the handle. These cut well and despite a bevel on both sides produce good grafts. Since injector blades are rather hard to find I tracked down two manufacturers to ensure a source for my use at home and in my kits. The Due Buoi also makes good graft cuts, and has (to me at least) a better weight and feel in the hand. The blade is beveled on only one side like all traditional grafting knives. It does need to be sharpened regularly, but it only takes a couple of moments to dress up the blade's edge. I coat the knife blade with olive oil when not in use. I seem to use both with equal frequency. One problem that both share is that they will cut flesh faster than wood. When grafting you MUST exercise care and caution. Don't graft in a hurry or with small children clinging to you. Do work in a well lighted area and have all your materials on hand and on a stable surface. Grafting after a rain seems to work well as many airborne contaminants are washed from the air. Another observation I have is that grafting differs not only from species to species but also from temperate to tropical plants. It seems that the tropicals (sub tropicals included here) are a bit easier to work with. Since most grow quickly (and many only give a brief pause in winter) smaller or softer scion materials seem to be used. This means less force, and more control, can be used in cutting. (Please note that I am not saying that they produce successful grafts better than temperate plants). This means that some of the 'rules' you see in books may need to be modified. (most of the good grafting books are written from a temperate perspective). How does one learn to graft? Practice, practice, practice. Learning to make the cuts and tie the union is vital and when I teach grafting I have the students make some practice cuts on cuttings of whatever plant has a slipping bark at the time. Since these don't have roots some of the students are more willing to make effective cuts as they are not risking ruining a potted plant. Once you can make the cut surfaces match up, and tie them firmly, pick a easy to graft species and practice on it. Citrus works well as does white sapote. I know of one 'practice citrus' that has over 20 varieties on it. (Not much of any one fruit, but a great 'bank' of budwood for other grafts). If you don't have any budwood you can always graft the plant back to its self - the object is to gain skills. Note; In the above 'grafting' also refers to 'budding' in most cases. It helps to have a good set of grafting materials to practice various methods with and my kit offers this (as well as an exacto handle and razor blades). Contact me directly for information on the kit or check it on the web pages. Best of growing Bob SW Florida mailto:tfnews@gate.net ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 23:53:50 -0000 From: "mrxtexas" Subject: Re: grafting knives See my website for a picture of my grafting knife that cost less than $10. I also have a folding Swiss Army brand one I've never used that cost $15 or so. I've t-budded, hang budded, cleft, and whip grafted with it on citrus, persimmon, mayhaw, and pear trees. I always sharpen it before each session. However, I have a friend who cleft grafts 100 citrus a year and has never sharpened his knife! I encourage the beginning budders to find a budding buddy who has done it before. It is easy but many details have to be correct for success. See my secrets to budding success page for some practical suggestions on budding citrus. I built these pages because none like them exist with the real practical details of how to be successful the first time. http://members.fortunecity.com/pjsauber/ mailto:mrxtexas@lycos.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: [rarefruit] Digest Number 924 Message: 1 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 21:41:22 -0800 (PST) From: Asit Ghosh Subject: 'Tis The Season for Honeybell Tangelos, that is ! The Honeybell, with an extremely short season is very unique among all the citrus fruits. It is so unique that it has created a popular niche in the gift fruit market and is most popular for an "eating-out-of-hand" variety. It has also become a popular fruit commercially. And whatÕs more? The Honeybells do not grow in California but find only the southern FloridaÕs limestone the most conducive for producing good quality crop. Honeybells are larger than the Tangerines, and have fewer seeds with much of the desirable flavor of the Tangerines. It is about 3" Š 3 1/2Ó in diameter with a shape varying from round to somewhat bell shaped, often with a dome at the blossom end. The peel is fairly loose, varying with the variety, and easily removed. The pulp is often colorful, subacid, of fine flavor and very juicy. It is deep orange to red-orange in color with a smoother, but sometimes pebbly, peel. They have a unique, delicious and distinctive flavor, being rich, tart and aromatic. Tangelo juice however, does not freeze well nor do the sections. It has few to no seeds, depending upon how it is grown. If grown in a grove of only Honeybells, it will have no seeds. But it will develop some seeds if grown near other Tangerine or Tangelo varieties, due to cross-pollination. There are two varieties that are grown in Florida and are available all over the US. One is the Orlando Tangelo and the other being the Minneola or Honeybell Tangelo. The Honeybell Tangelo is a cross between a Duncan Grapefruit and a Dancy Tangerine. It was developed by researchers in central Florida and released by USDA in 1930. Here are 5 photos of two Honeybells from the same tree growing in Merritt Island: 1) Two Honeybells from the same tree http://www.geocities.com/bohuroopi/HTangelo1ASIT 2) One full and one half,cut vertically http://www.geocities.com/bohuroopi/HTangelo2ASIT 3) Two halves cut vertically from two Honeybells http://www.geocities.com/bohuroopi/HTangelo3ASIT 4) Two halves cut horizontally from two Honeybells http://www.geocities.com/bohuroopi/HTangelo4ASIT 5) Two halves from two Honeybells http://www.geocities.com/bohuroopi/HTangelo5ASIT Asit Ghosh mailto:asitkghosh@yahoo.com Rockledge East Central Florida <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200301A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - January 15, 2003 - AKA RFN200301B.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> David Karp's Pitaya Article In Fruit Gardener Several new members joined the Pitaya Fruit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PitayaFruit/ newsgroup after that article (136 members!) Also, quite a bit of interest in Paul Thomson's book. I took money to him today for seven books from people who have ordered it from me. North County CRFG Meeting & Scion Exchange Friday. The meeting in Vista will feature scion exchange Friday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m. Go to CRFG webpage http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html for information about all chapters. San Diego Chapter CRFG, Balboa Park, Thursday 1/23 The meeting will also feature scion exchange. See http://www.crfgsandiego.org/ -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, California, Getting Started In Rare Fruit Gwen New Subscriber, Long Beach, CA, Wants Jackfruit.... Richard Sar New Subscriber, Florida, Linda Coyner New Subscriber Maryland & Pennsylvania Robert Hartley <><><> Readers Write <><><> Used 55 Gallon Plastic Barrels - Source Sought Leo Manuel Off-Blooming mango Eunice Messner Mango Performance In India Jeff PSM Mango Geoff Buckner Tree Labels Source Sought Denise Edwards Nectarine and peach trees Dmshuck@aol.com Re: Nectarine and peach trees Leo Manuel To: Dmshuck@aol.com Someone Near L.A. To Graft Avocado? Also, .... John Michalak Purple sweet potato question; Anyone grow Nagaimo? William Chow Who In CA Grows Breadfruit, Mangosteen, or Jaboticaba? Bill Gerlach <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None, this time <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> None, this time <><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><> None, this time <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex None, this time <><><> From NEWCROPS List mailto:newcrops@purdue.edu <><><> None, this time <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> Re: Giant Taro The Thaumaturgist Re: Permission To Include Your Letter(s) In RFNO? The Thaumaturgist To: Leo <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, California, Getting Started In Rare Fruit Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 01:21:09 -0800 From: "Gwen" I am Gwen Saito in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, CA I'm growing nectarines, plums, Siberian kiwi, grapes, pomegranate, pecan (young tree), figs, kaki (Japanese persimmon), lemons, grapefruit, guava, mulberry and apricot trees. Failed growing blueberries and strawberries this past year, mostly due to being eaten by my chickens! Hope to branch out to more 'tropical' foods, my neighbor has a prolific macadamia tree :) With all good wishes, Gwen mailto:phatwolf@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Long Beach, CA, Wants Jackfruit.... Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 00:53:56 -0800 From: "Richard Sar" Hey Leo I was fortunate enough to find your site on the internet and would like to subscribe to your newsletter. My name is Richard Sar and I live in Long Beach, California. I am currently growing bananas plants, a pomegranate tree, a longan tree, a asian pear tree, a peach tree, a plum tree, cherimoyas trees, various types of guava trees, and recently a dragon fruit plant. I have only been able to find jackfruit trees grown from seedlings, but I am interested in finding an adult jackfruit plant that came from cuttings and would preferably bear fruit within a few years. I hope to purchase one and would appreciate any help. Thank You, Richard Sar mailto:richardsar01@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Florida, Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 09:00:39 -0500 From: Linda Coyner Hi I am Linda Coyner, in Naples, FL a member of the Collier Fruit Growers Council and the newsletter editor. I came across your web site while doing some research. I'm looking forward to receiving your online newsletter. Fruit trees I am now growing are jaboticoba, pummelo, ponkan tangerine, glenn mango, okara mango, hi litchee, loquat sp., rio grande cherry, fung twang (sp?) carambola, lots of papaya, Some I want to grow are atemoya, persimmon, avocado. Linda Coyner mailto:lcoyner@naples.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber Maryland & Pennsylvania Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 12:15:44 -0500 From: Robert Hartley Dear Leo, Please add me to your subscription list. I live in Maryland but have some land in Pennsylvania (near Gettysburg) where I grow a wide variety of fruits and nuts. Bob Hartley PA zone 6 mailto:bob@sprucemt.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Used 55 Gallon Plastic Barrels - Source Sought Date: Sat, 04 Jan 2003 12:46:45 -0800 From: Leo Manuel I would like to find some more used 55 gallon plastic barrels - preferably those used for food or non-toxic products, in or near San Diego. Any suggestions as to where to look? Thanks Leo mailto:leom@rarefruit.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Off-Blooming mango Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 13:20:33 -0800 (PST) From: Eunice Messner Leo, Strange that your Nam doc mai blooms in season. Mine has been almost a continual bloomer and never sets fruit. That is until September when two fruit started to form. It is blooming now as are most of my mangos. I think it was that warm spell we had a month ago. I picked the last of my Thomson mangos today. They perform very well. My Carnival seedling had 40 beautiful fruit; Edwards had 11. Still one Carrie on the tree but I attribute that to lack of sun. Eunice Messner mailto:eunicemessner@yahoo.com [I have a shaded Valencia Pride with three very large fruit still hanging on. I wouldn't say Nam Doc Mai exactly blooms in season, but it does set fruit. It has a problem of producing split fruit, when it rains near ripening time. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mango Performance In India Date: Wed, 1 Jan 03 10:43:34 +0530 From: Jeff Dear Leo, Referring to your query about mangos. I have an orchard of mangos here in South India. We have 6 varieties of mango. I am not an expert on mangos but what I have seen with the blooming is that the different varieties all start at different times. There is a sequence of blooming that relates to which variety it is. The first trees were already in flower about 2 weeks ago and the last to flower will probably be in about two and a half months or three months time. Also here some of the trees have a second flowering time about 6 months later. An off-season flowering and fruiting. Perhaps the variety you mention is an early fruiter which in warmer climes would yield ready fruit in around April. Jeff Goodchild mailto:jeff@auroville.org.in ------------------------------------------------ Subject: PSM Mango Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 09:17:19 -0800 From: "Geoff Buckner" Leo, My PSM Mango, growing in coastal San Diego, is behaving similar to yours. It is currently in full bloom and having a vigorous growth flush. The current bloom and flush seem especially vigorous. It has been in the ground for about three years and has never really been comfortable with our seasons. Also, the blooms on this variety seem especially susceptible to mildew. It will not fruit unless I stay on top of the mildew. When it does fruit, I do not think it has a stellar taste when green or ripe. Maybe this one is a bust for southern Calif.? Interestingly, the Okrung Mango (another Asian variety, right?) also is in full bloom and flushing new growth. This is the first year it has bloomed and flushed off season. Prior to these last batch of storms, it seemed like we were having a mild fall/winter. I kind of thought the mango activity was related. Maybe not? The other non-Asian varieties are acting normal. Geoff Buckner mailto:bucknergt@pl1.sdcoxmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Tree Labels Source Sought Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 21:27:47 -0400 From: "Denise Edwards" New Years Greetings to all. My tree collection is growing so quickly that i am having difficulty keeping up with the names. ANy suggestions as to where I oculd buy (from web site) suitable all-weather labels. I am hopin that my farm can have an educational base, so persons interesting may read both local and scientific names off from the labels. If you have any useful sites, please advise. A fruity new year to you. Denise Edwards mailto:deniseedwards@lycos.com [You can buy self-adhesive polyester printer labels - Desktop Labels makes them - and print the information with your printer. Then apply them to stakes, other metal labels, or to planting pots, etc. It seems likely they would resist fading, snails, etc., and would be easier to include more plant information. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Nectarine and peach trees Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 22:16:54 EST From: Dmshuck@aol.com Hi Leo, I wanted to get your opinion about my nectarine and peach trees. When I planted them about 6 years ago they were healthy and produced a nice crop in their second and third years. For the last 3 years they have been getting a bit worse each year with peach leaf curl and the fruits have a grayish mold that grows on part of the fruits. When the fruits are picked they rot quickly. I have sprayed the last two years and it doesn't seem to have helped. The only thing different about the location is our neighbors Pepper trees. The neighbors use to prune them every year but now have stopped pruning. Their trees shade the side of the yard and hang over the fence. All of my deciduous fruits trees, four apples, pluot, and apricot are located on that side but the peach and nectarines are the only trees that have developed any problems. I even have some bananas on the same side. I have the peaches and nectarines planted in one hole exactly as I was instructed. Do you have any suggestions as to what could be the problem. I am about ready to pull out the trees and get new ones. I have asked a few nursery people and they all have different ideas. Thanks for your help, Denise Woo mailto:Dmshuck@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: nectarine and peach trees Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 20:06:34 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Dmshuck@aol.com Hi Denise I'll publish your letter where more knowledgeable growers can respond, but here's my first thoughts: Peaches and nectarines have a shorter life than most other fruit trees, but not that short. Whatever is causing the problem may not be remedied by planting the same kind of trees in the same location. If you do re-plant, and have space, I'd try a different location. You could try to put a root barrier between your neighbor's pepper tree and your yard, immediately inside your fence. I don't know how deep pepper tree roots go, so you might need to go down two feet. It could be plastic, and not too expensive, except for the labor. I don't suppose your neighbor would be open to replacing the tree with a fruiting one? Good luck! Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Someone Near L.A. To Graft Avocado? Also, .... Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 08:22:28 -0800 From: "John Michalak" Best of a joyous New Year and a very warm thank you for your efforts in regards to putting together this news letter, I can honestly say it has been a help. I was hoping you could recommend some one in the Los Angeles Area that I could hire to do some grafting of an avocado tree. Secondly, Is there any one out there growing piper nigrum? Prospero Nuevo Ano John mailto:toucan.belize@prodigy.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Purple sweet potato question; Anyone grow Nagaimo? Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 19:01:08 -0800 From: "William Chow" Hi Leo, I tried another piece of the potato. When we first cut the tuber, it is white. When the cut surface is exposed to air, it developed lines of scarlet. It is only 1/3 reddish purple when we cook it. The water in the pot is purple and the cooked piece gets stained to mostly reddish purple. The vine is purple. Yet, I found some chunks of vine almost completely green. I don't know if there were 2 plants mixed together or if the same plant changes color from one patch to another. The one time I talked to you on the phone. We cooked the tuber without cutting it. Then we break the tuber and peel after it is hot. The first 2 tuber had no trace of purple or red. It is confusing. I am trying another tuber called Nagaimo. It is delicious and full of vitamins. But it is a big pain to grow and harvest. Do you know anyone who has grown this successfully ? Happy New Year ! William mailto:wchow@znet.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Who In CA Grows Breadfruit, Mangosteen, or Jaboticaba? Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 07:32:25 -0800 From: "Bill Gerlach" Thanks! We work exclusively with growers to exotic fruits and vegetables to popularize unusual items for Five A Day consumption across the US. Do you know of anyone growing any breadfruit, mangosteen, or jaboticaba in California? Thanks! Bill Gerlach mailto:billg@melissas.com MELISSA'S WORLD VARIETY PRODUCE INC. http://www.melissas.com ------------------------------------------------ <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None This Time <><><><><><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><><><><><> None This Time <><><><><><><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><><><><><><> None this time <><><> NAFEX List See: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nafex <><><> None this time <><> Discussion list for New Crops <><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> From: rarefruit@yahoogroups.com Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 18:54:58 -0800 (PST) From: The Thaumaturgist Subject: Re: Giant Taro Teresa Nowhere in the plant kingdom the nomenclature confusion is so widespread than possibly in the genera of Colocasia, Alocasia and Xanthosoma of the Arum family (Family Araceae), when it comes to the edible Corms and Tubers. Since these Corms and Tubers are inexpensive ingredients used mostly by home cooks, they have been branded with different vernacular names from country to country. As if that was not enough, many of the common names are confusing due to interchangeable usages within the various forms and varieties. So, how do we ordinary folks resolve this massive confusion? By identifying a photo with the scientific name. HereÕs my attempt to answer your questions: ====================================================== (1)Are all "elephant ears" Taro? NO, they are NOT. The "true" ElephantsÕ Ear refers to what is called Alocasia indica and thatÕs what you see mostly as ornamentals in peopleÕs yards. Their identifying characteristics are Leaves are non-glossy, and Leaves point DOWNWARD. On the other hand, the identifying characteristics of the Alocasia macrorrhiza (Giant Taro) are Leaves are glossy and leathery, and Leaves point UPWARD. (2)I have a friend who has some very large ones she said I could dig up and plant. If it matches the description of either the Alocasia indica or the Alocasia macrorrhiza, you could use that as a landscaping plant in your yard. (3)How do I know if they are edible kind? If it is Alocasia indica, IÕll suggest you NOT use that a source of your food. Alocasia macrorrhiza is edible only after it has been boiled or cooked. (4)Also, is there a reason that the roots found in the store couldn't be planted? IÕm sure the root would sprout but I myself had not tried to sprout a Taro root. Hope I had answered your questions. Asit mailto:asitkghosh@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Permission To Include Your Letter(s) In RFNO? Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2003 08:07:09 -0800 (PST) From: The Thaumaturgist To: Leo Dear Leo Thanks for finding my letters interesting. Yes, I am familiar with your name from the Yahoo Newsgroup. Until about a year ago, I used to go to your website almost routinely and I had learned a lot from there. Although I wish that I could still check out your website like before, in reality I had been able to go there only occasionally. The few times I did check, I didn't see my postings or I might have missed them. In any event, I have NO problem in you including my postings on RFNO. After all, I believe that we all have the same objective of learning from sharing with others. I gladly give you permission as long as I am credited as the author. Thank you very very much for considering my articles. Best wishes Asit mailto:asitkghosh@yahoo.com <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200301B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - February 1, 2003 - AKA RFN200302A.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Breast Milk Fruit? My granddaughter just returned from a brief exchange- student program in several Asian countries, including Vietnam. She says one of the delicious fruits she ate was called "Breast-Milk Fruit." I can't find any internet reference to a fruit by that name, and she expects me to know 'everything.' I also posted the question to the [rarefruit] Yahoo newsgroup and several responses are in that [rarefruit] section. Pitaya Fruit - Last H. undatus Fruit. I pollinated the flower on October 14, and the fruit is showing some color. The fruit I ate in late December were not sweet, and I am convinced I picked them too soon. Some I picked this month were sweeter, because I waited until they began to split. I'll harvest it in a week or so. Pitaya Book With Great Illustrations - In Thai. I received this last week, and it is beautiful. I will try to get help in translating - at least, the comments that accompany each photograph. Do you know someone who is both interested in the fruit and who reads Thai? I'd like to contact them. Mango Fruit - Two very large 'Valencia Pride' and almost all 'Keitt' (about a dozen) fruit are still hanging on the tree. The 'Keitt' may take a while to ripen. Almost all other mangoes have been harvested. Plant Sale At My Home - I expected to announce a date for it, but it will be a week or so, AT LEAST. If you are interested, write mailto:leom@rarefruit.com and I'll send a date and plant list when I know more. I live in San Diego. Have you seen web pages that would be of interest to growers of rare fruit? Anything that will help the rest of us? Why not pass it along for the next issue of Rare Fruit News Online? Encanto Property - My friend has a home in Encanto (San Diego) with 0.75 acre that is mostly level. Since his wife died and he remarried, he is leaning towards selling it to someone who will plant rare fruit trees on it and not split it. Send email to me and I'll forward it. I don't know what the price will be. <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, Puerto Rico Gerardo Garcia New Subscriber, Florida: Mango Is Favorite Fruit K. Vasanth Pai New Subscriber, Perth, Western Australia path@multipro.com.au New Subscriber, CA, Getting Started In Rare Fruit William Ehrler <><><> Readers Write <><><> Re: "Breast-Milk" Fruit In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Stephen Facciola Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Richard Sar Milk From The Breast - How The Fruit Is Eaten Richard Sar Miracle Fruit Berries - Doing Research - Want Help Linda Coyner Correction: North County Meeting Sven Merten Sweet Potato Eunice Messner William Chow Rare Fruit Gardening in the East Bay, California Brad Falconer Composting helps Todd Able Dragon Fruit David Carver International Network-Improvement of Banana & Plantain Lon J. Rombough RE: Mango Mildew Geoff Buckner Todd Able Peach Tree Problem/Solution Eunice Messner Denise Garden Web - Recommendation Denise <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None, this time <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html for information about all CRFG chapters. <><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><> Banana Sex Article Re: Banana Sex Article Martin Berghuis Miracle Fruit Brad Falconer <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex Hardy Citrus VBGarden@aol.com Re: Hardy Citrus Dr. Chiranjit Parmar RE: Hardy Citrus Mark Lee RE: Hardy Citrus Jamie <><><> From NEWCROPS List mailto:newcrops@purdue.edu <><><> None, this time <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> Photo Album For Sharing The Thaumaturgist Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? "George F. Emerich" Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Console G4 "Dario" Breast milk fruit Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? "Peter Felker" Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? "Richard Sar" <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Clues Toward a Proper Phosphorus Balance in Soil ARS News Service Beneficial Fungi Boost Pepper Growth ARS News Service Keeping an Eye Out for the Corn Farmer's Best Friend ARS News Service Vitamin C Protects Stressed-Out Plants ARS News Service <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, Puerto Rico Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 16:10:02 +0000 From: Gerardo Garcia Hi, I came across your site quite by accident, researching homework for one of my daughters. My name is Gerardo Garc’a Ramis, I've been collecting rare fruit since 1986 and I live on a one acre property in the foothills of the El Yunque mountain range in Puerto Rico. My e-mail is manilkara@hotmail.com. I am a member of both the CRFG and the RFCI since the early 90s, as well as Equinoccio, our local rare fruit organization, led by Felipe Osborne Shea, and have also received newsletters from NAFEX, the RFCA and WANATCA, both of the latter from Australia. Though I was very active from 1986-1993, my work (I'm an advertising copywriter) stood in the way of fruits for quite some time and only in the past two years have I been able to reactivate my hobby. Currently I am growing carambola, Fiji longan, guava, Cattley guava, buk-buk (Burckella obovata), bananas (various), plantains, blue lilly-pilly, green caimito, abiu, cherry of the Rio Grande, jaboticaba, black apple (Planchonella australis), rambai, langsat, Otaheite apple, mangos (various), mangosteen, flacourtia, miracle fruit, Burdekin plum, oranges, grapefruit, coconuts, engkala (Litsea garciae), grumichama, rambutan, ara¨a roxo (Psidium humile), chempedak, Ceylon gooseberry (Dovyalis hebecarpa), Phyllanthus acidus. The former are planted out (only some are bearing), along with some smaller specimens. Still awaiting their turn in the nursery are several Garcinias, Eugenias, Lecythis minor, Pachira aquatica, Gnetum gnemon, sapodillas, sweetsop, Duguetia, Campomanesias, a Gustavia and others. My main interests lie in the Annonaceae, Clusiaceae, Myrtaceae, Sapindaceae and Sapotaceae. Glad to have found out about you, hope to receive the newsletter. Regards, Gerardo Garcia mailto:manilkara@hotmail.com Can—vanas, Puerto Rico ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Florida: Mango Is Favorite Fruit Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 20:01:07 -0500 From: K. Vasanth Pai Please include me in your email list. Thanks. My name is K Vasanth Pai. I live wit my wife in Naples, FL I have quite a number rare fruit trees including mangoes, which happen to be my favourite fruit. I have been involved in developing an edible rare fruit/vegitable garden for the [past 5 years and have had some limited success. My email address is pai@gulf access.net. Once again, maay thanks in advance. K. Vasanth Pai mailto:pai@gulfaccess.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Perth, Western Australia Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2003 23:23:13 +0800 From: path@multipro.com.au Hi I am Patrick Hamlyn, in Perth, Western Australia. Current fruit trees: Feijoa; Mango (Kensington Pride, also called Bowen); Indian Guava (white flesh); Cherry Guava (also called Strawberry Guava or Chinese Guava)(red flesh); Hawaiian Guava (pink flesh); Grapes (Italia); Epiphyllum (half a dozen varieties); Passion Fruit; Black Genoa Fig; Strawberries; Gooseberries; Cape Gooseberries (Solanum family, Golden Yellow berry in a little paper wrapper); Jostaberry (gooseberry/black currant cross); Raspberries; Oranges, Mandarins, Lemons; Apricot; Custard Apple (African Pride, Cherimoya Atemoya); Avocado (Bacon); Lychee (from seed, 3 years old and five leaves so far. I will give up when it's a dry twig); Rhubarb (OK it's not a fruit, but it's nice!) What I'd like to grow: Cherries (If only I could find a varietiy that would fruit with no subzero temperatures over Winter) Almost anything tropical, especially Rambutans, Lychees, Mangosteens, etc etc. Mostly these all die come their first Summer - 40 degrees plus and *very* low humidity. I've seen Rambutans growing and fruiting next to the Swan River though, and Longans fruiting magnificently just up the road from me. Kiwi Gold (A variety of Kiwifruit with gold-coloured flesh and a sweeter, more tropical taste); Just about any sort of Berry; Quinces (for pies!); Pawpaw (Papaya in U.S.) I wouldn't bother with Pears (boring); Apples (boring); Jackfruit (yuck); or Bananas (available in the shops year round) Our hot, dry Summers kill about any plants that aren't pretty well Desert-adapted unless you establish a micro-climate with lots of tall trees shading everything. Any suggestions for types/varieties of fruit I should be considering in Perth? The Custard Apple I bought as a grafted tree, after trying several times to get seedlings to survive more than a few Summers. It flowered already (if you can call those weird things flowers!), but no fruit. Do I need another for cross-pollination? Or was it just too young? (it was only about two feet tall) Patrick Hamlyn mailto:path@multipro.com.au Perth, Western Australia ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, CA, Getting Started In Rare Fruit Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 01:09:33 -0500 (EST) From: William Ehrler I am William (Bill) L. Ehrler, in Rancho Bernardo. At present I am growing a Bearss lime, a tangelo, a seedling cherimoya, two Thompson seedless grapes, a Muscat grape, and three trees of a super yellow fig variety (named Diana after my daughter). This variety was one of the original experimental varieties designated only by a number from Mr. Condits research. I am interested in expanding to some more rare fruits, and really would like to visit your place to see all of your impressive list of fruits. I would like to be put on the mailing list, please. William Ehrler mailto:lavern34@iwon.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk" Fruit In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 16:47:44 -0800 From: Stephen Facciola Hi Leo: It's probably star-apple, Chrysophyllum cainito. See the following web site: http://www.all-vietnam-hotels.com/vietnam-travel-guide/cuisine/fruit/fruit.htm Best regards, Steve Facciola. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 14:47:06 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Sar Hey Leo, I believe the fruit your granddaughter is referring to is the caimito. It is also known as the star apple or milk apple. In most southeast Asian regions, its name would be roughly translated as milk fruit. It is probably called breast-milk fruit because of its taste and the way it is eaten sometimes with no spoon. HereÕs a link: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/star_apple.html I hope this helps. Richard mailto:richardsar01@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Milk from the breast - how the fruit is eaten Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 22:52:30 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Sar Hey Leo and all, Here is more information on the star apple if anyone is curious. This is a good site with info on how the star apple is eaten in Vietnam. It contains plenty of images. http://www.vnstyle.vdc.com.vn/myhomeland/foods_drinks/Fruits/Milk_apple.htm The site is extremely slow. For those with slow connection, here is a copy of what it says: No better word than marvelous can be used to praise milk apple, or star apple, a tropical fruit with the name Vu Sua (milk from the breast). Upon entering a milk apple orchard, the most famous located in Can Tho province in the Mekong Delta, visitors can see for themselves the hundreds of milk apples suspended from the branches. The round smooth fruit are all of equal size. The shape of the milk apple matches the name attached to it, as does its juice, which is fragrantly sweet and milky white. If visitors are unfamiliar to the region, the locals will guide them on how to enjoy the fruit. A novice will certainly peel the fruit with a sharp knife, which may cause the precious juice inside to be wasted. When using a knife to cut the fruit, it is advisable to cut the fruit into two parts before using a spoon to scoop out the pulp, bit by bit, until nothing ! is left. The most popular way to enjoy the fruit by orchard owners is to eat the whole fruit. People tend to drill a small hole at the top of the fruit, lift it to their mouths, lean their heads backward, and drink the flow of the fragrant juice. One thing you should remember before taking in the juice is that you must squeeze the tough fruit until it becomes tender so that the juice mixes with the meat of the fruit to become a sweet and fragrant muddy substance that looks like breast milk. [The fruit Erin called "Breast-Milk Fruit" was eaten exactly this way. However, the skin was green, not purple. I appreciate your taking time to research this. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Miracle Fruit Berries Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 10:46:55 -0500 From: Linda Coyner I am doing research on miracle berries (Synsepalum dulcificum) and would like to know how other readers use them. I have a small tree loaded with ripe berries in my Naples, FL, yard. I'm particularly interested in recipes or techniques for using them to replace sweeteners, say in ice tea or desserts. Thanks! Linda Coyner mailto:LCoyner@naples.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Correction: North County Meeting Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 07:52:32 -0800 From: Sven Merten Hi Leo, The meeting is in Oceanside not Vista, right? And the meetings usually start at 7 not 7:30. Have any damage in the wind? Regards, Sven Merten mailto:scoutdog@pacbell.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Sweet potato Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 09:29:50 -0800 (PST) From: Eunice Messner To: William Chow William I am not familiar with Magaimo, but I do grow a sweet potato calledBlackie. It has purple leaves (occasionaly they sport a green vine which I cut off). I grow it and two others (Variegated and chartruese) strictly for ornamental purposes I have never dug up the tuber and tried to eat it. You will find these varieties among the ornamentals at a nursery. They make a great groundcover. Eunice Messner mailto:eunicemessner@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Rare Fruit Gardening in the East Bay, California Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 11:12:57 -0800 From: Brad Falconer Hello, I'm a beginning gardener in the East Bay Area (Oakland) with a passion for all things fruiting. The obvious challenges in my area are the moderate temperatures -- great for me, not so much for fruit -- and the heavy, wet clay. Aside from the Meyer Lemon, which is just too useful and wonderful not too grow, I'm interested in really weird and rare fruit, and I would be curious to know if others in my area have had notable successes or failures they'd like to share. I'm particularly interested in things like the new Russian Quinces, which are purported to be edible off the tree, the seaberries, the honeyberries, edible passionfruits, loquats, pineapple/strawberry guavas, and anything else you're not too likely to find at a local supermarket. Of course, if there are less rare but surer-fire choices, I'd be curious to hear about those, too. Many thanks for any insight or feedback you can provide. I can't quite say what it is that makes fruit growing so special, but I'm hopelessly taken with it. :) Thanks, Brad Falconer mailto:bfalconer@znet.com http://www.bradical.org/garden/ ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Composting helps Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 20:08:47 -0800 From: Todd Able To: Denise The first couple of years of gardening I was using Miracle Gro and other Home Depot products. For the last couple of years I have been composting at the base of trees, and it seems to be helping quite a bit. Everything is growing well. I place grass clippings, coffee grinds, kitchen green scraps, and Banana trimmings at the base of trees about 6inches away from the trunk. I noticed that all my Citrus, Carambola, and blueberries do not have a micronutrient problem (yellow leaves) since I have been composting the coffee right at the base of the trees. This has helped some small tender trees (like Wax Jambu) get established at my house. Make sure you are not using anything funny on your lawn, and use every last grass clipping. As far as your neighbors tree, You will need to trim it back! The roots on those Pepper trees are known to ruin sewer pipes. When I moved to my current house, the first thing I did was take out the Pepper tree, and the second was redo the sewer pipe. Maybe offer to plant a fruit tree in their yard if they chop it down. Todd Abel mailto:table@socal.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Dragon Fruit Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 08:46:18 +0000 From: David Carver Dear Leo, I live in San Jose, CA and have not been able to find any stores that sell Dragon Fruit/ pitaya. I have friends in the Los Angeles area and they also have not found a source for this fruit. Would you please do the following for me if possible: 1. Send me store addresses in Los Angeles that sell pitaya. 2. Tell me which wholesellers sell pitaya so that I could give those names and addresses to some upscale markets I am seeking a source for pitaya that I could give to several of our markets so that they could offer these fruits to the public here-a-bout. Thank you very much. Dave Carver mailto:carver1@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: International Network-Improvement of Banana & Plantain Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 15:16:49 -0800 From: Lon J. Rombough Here's an items for your newsletter. January 17, 2003 International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain http://www.inibap.org/ Banana is the fourth most important food crop after rice, wheat, and corn -- a popular crop on small farms in developing countries, and one on which many people survive. Unfortunately, bananas are rapidly being destroyed by a fungal disease called black Sigatoka that is devastating crops in Africa and Latin America. The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) was created in response to this outbreak and to coordinate wordwide efforts to establish germplasm reserves and powerful molecular tools that will include the entire Musa genome sequence. This site contains anything you would ever want to know about bananas! The publications section requires the free Acrobat Reader. Each file that I looked at was visually rich, colorful, well illustrated, professional constructed (science and artwork!) and very informative. It is interesting to read about how to protect an entirely clonal crop plant, as (we all should know) bananas never produce seed. (****) -SR ===================================================================== *BOT-LINX Home Delivery sends you the Botanical Link-of-the-Day from Scott's Botanical Link site at URL: http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/ *To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit the listserv site at URL: http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/listserv.shtml or contact me by email: mailto:srussell@ou.edu Archived since 1996 at URL: http://lists.ou.edu/archives/botlinx.html ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Mango Mildew Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 17:39:42 -0800 From: Geoff Buckner To: Todd Able Todd, Thanks for the input. I once had a Manila and was not very impressed. I have moved on to other varieties. I grow my trees a couple of blocks from the ocean in a prime mildew zone. If plants are susceptible at all, I feel confident I will experience it. My best advice would be to avoid it by growing varieties that are not susceptible. In 6 or 7years of growing Valencia Pride Mango, I have never seen even a spot of mildew. It is maintanance free and blooms almost continually. Of the Asian Varieties that I have grown, Okrung is probably the most mildew resistant. For the others that need it, I have gotten the best results by weekly spraying with dilute sulfur during the blooming periods. I spray just enough for fruit set. After the set, I cease until the next year. Maybe your seedlings are resistant? Keep them growing, finding new and improved varieties is in the true spirit of the rarefruit growers. Hope this information is useful. I envy your dry heat in Orange. Geoff mailto:bucknergt@pl1.sdcoxmail.com -----Original Message----- From: Todd Able [mailto:table@socal.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 7:54 PM To: bucknergt@pl1.sdcoxmail.com Subject: Mango Mildew I have a Manila Mango with a powdery Mildew problem every spring. In 2001 we had some fruit, and I used sulfur spray on the flowers. This year I used Neem, but the flowers coniued with Mildew, and in fact the tree had dieback of some limbs (with orange gum). I am composting the tree for 4months now, and it is doing better. In the same area I have a polyembrionic seedling (actually 2) that does not have ANY problems. Its 3ft after 2yrs. Any tips? I grow a large assortment of rare and ordinary fruits here in Orange. Todd Abel table@socal.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Peach tree Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 16:45:20 -0800 (PST) From: Eunice Messner To: Denise Denise... I don't think getting a new peach tree would help. It could be the greedy roots of your neighbors tree is weakening your trees. You might ask for permission to root prune at the fence line. I assume you sprayed with copper or sulfur. Brown rot and gray mold are hard to control and rain at the wrong time spreads the disease. If the twigs are affected prune them off. Also never leave dried mummies of fruit and pick up all that fall on the ground. Hereafter, try the organic route; drill holes around the drip line or use a high pressure hose. Fill the holes with liquid mycorrhizae and compost. Fertilize now with a manure and cover with compost or mulch. When new leaves appear, foliar spray with fish emulsion,kelp and molasses (2 tblsp to gal of water.)Also add some soap as a spreader sticker. Brazilian pepper is a nasty weed tree and very hard to get rid of. However, the turpenes in the leaves might help to keep bugs away. Eunice Messner mailto:eunicemessner@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Garden Web Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 03:42:58 EST From: Dmshuck@aol.com Hi Leo, There is a web site called gardenweb. It has information on a wide range of gardening topics. I thought you might be interested on the new garden forum on Passiflora. It is a question and answer type of format. If you are interested go to www.gardenweb.com Happy gardening, Denise Woo mailto:Dmshuck@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Miracle Fruit Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 20:08:32 -0800 From: Brad Falconer Hello, Has anyone had any luck cultivating Miracle Fruit indoors? Does anyone know of a good source in the San Francisco Bay Area? Many thanks, Brad Falconer mailto:bfalcone@cisco.com <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None this time <><><><><><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><><><><><> http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html for information about all CRFG chapters. <><><><><><><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><><><><><><> Message: 1 Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 16:11:32 -0000 From: Subject: Banana Sex Article LONDON (Reuters) - It is one of the world's favorite fruits, but the banana hasn't had sex in years and its days may be are numbered. Without scientific help the sterile, seedless fruit could disappear with 10 years, according to a Belgian plant pathologist. Emile Frison, the head of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain in Monpellier, France, said the fruit lacks the genetic diversity to fight off diseases and pests that are plaguing banana plantations and only biotechnology and genetic manipulation may be able to save it. Frison sees it as the only hope for the banana, New Scientist said on Wednesday. Without assistance banana production could drop and mark the beginning of the end of the fruit. We may even see the extinction of the banana as both a lifesaver for hungry and impoverished Africans and as the most popular product on the world's supermarket shelves, the magazine added. Eric mailto:Eric.Schmidt@ci.orlando.fl.us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 09:15:00 -0800 From: Martin Berghuis Subject: Re: Banana Sex Article This message is only partly true, because genetic engineering will hopefully rescue the banana. Read http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991037 I know many people are against Gm, but I don't know what is worse, a pesticides loaded banana or a GM banana. Martin Berghuis mailto:berghuis@wcwinc.net <><><> NAFEX List From: nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org <><><> Message: 4 From: VBGarden@aol.com Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 20:08:53 EST Subject: [NAFEX] Hardy Citrus Reply-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org Hey, Jamie - Our citrus growing is just an enjoyable fluke - we have key lime and kumquat flourishing in large pots that park outside our garage doors on the concrete where they are warmed by the house and accumulated warmth of sun on concrete during the day. If it's below 20 degrees we try to remember to drag the pots into the garage. We are not always successful, but they carry on regardless. We haven't ever managed to remember to get a recording thermometer out there but we suspect that the little area runs a good ten degrees above the overall yard. No varietal info, they just came back with me from a trip home to Florida a few years ago Ralph Denton at Pungo Palms Nursery here in Virginia Beach is really experimenting with hardy citrus and has some lovely full-sized trees in his yard. They do have a website via one of those free servers - you'd have to do a google search on pungo palms and then click through. I never do, the pop-ups just drive me mad, but both of them are good plant folks and do a lot of experimenting with how far they can push the local growing parameters. Their specialty, of course, is hardy palms. Sybil ...expecting almost 1/4 snow in Virginia Beach... (those of you in other climates may not immediately recognize that this constitutes a local emergency situation complete with gripping weather reports every fifteen minutes on the local news) mays@paradisenursery.com http://www.paradisenursery.com/ Sybil mailto:VBGarden@aol.com --__--__-- Message: 5 From: Dr. Chiranjit Parmar Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Hardy Citrus Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 03:37:22 +0530 Reply-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org Dear Jamie and VBG, Do you know about GALGAL (Citrus pseudolimon) also called hill lemon. It is a quite hardy fruit and grows with Delicious apples in India. Dr. Chiranjit Parmar mailto:parmarch@vsnl.com --__--__-- Message: 6 From: Mark Lee Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Hardy Citrus Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 07:13:54 -0800 Reply-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org What is the minimum temperature that galgal can survive? I recently found Thomasville Citrangequat which can be grown unprotected at -10C (14F) and protected at -15C (5F). The fruit it produces is very seedy and is similar to a lime. Here is a link to a page with a good picture of the fruit. http://www.junglegardens.co.uk/PlantOrders/en-gb/dept_13.html I haven't grow this personally, but I thought I would give it a try this year. Mark Lee mailto:markl@nytec.com Seattle z7 --__--__-- Message: 7 From: jamie Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Hardy Citrus Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 17:54:47 +0100 Reply-To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org Thanks for the link Mark. I did a web search and came up with some interesting varieties. Ultimately, the question comes down to just how palatable the Poncirus trifoliate crosses are (and the crosses of the crosses of the crosses Š if you see what I mean). It would seem possible however to grow citrus outside year round and have a decent fruit if watering and fleece are used to soften the worst frosts. Nagami Kumquat and Osawi Satsuma have been recommended. C.ichangensis and its varieties also. Does anyone have experience of these or further recommendations. Jamie mailto:jamie@tiscali.fr USDA zone 8 <><> Discussion list for New Crops <><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> Subject: Photo Album For Sharing Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 00:20:05 -0800 (PST) From: The Thaumaturgist Hi Everybody I had just created a Photo Album in Yahoo Photos with unrestricted access for anyone that might be interested in looking into my photos. The album conveniently offers all the thumbnails first for you to preview before you click your selection for enlargement. Or, you can sit back and enjoy a SlideShow if you so prefer. At present the album contains 107 photos of Mangoes covering the following varieties in alphabetical order: BaileyÕs Marvel, Beverly, Bombay, Carrie, Glenn, Golden Nugget, Haden, Jakarta, Julie, Keitt, Kent, Nam Doc Mai, Palmer, Saigon Gold, Springfels, Tommy Atkins, Valencia Pride, Wild Mango and Zill. Almost all the Mango photos came from Merritt Island and a few from Rockledge, both in Brevard County, Florida. All the photos were shot by me using a SONY MAVICA FD-73, SONYÕs bottom of the line digital camera that has since been discontinued. With time, not only do I intend to add other fruits but I would also like to keep the album updated on a continuous basis as I take more and more photographs. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those friends and those fellow members of the Brevard Rare Fruit Council that had graciously tolerated my repeated and often unannounced intrusions into their backyards. To check my photo album, go to: http://photos.yahoo.com/asitkghosh Thank you. Asit K. Ghosh mailto:asitkghosh@yahoo.com Rockledge, East Central Florida ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 12:22:07 -0800 From: "George F. Emerich" Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Leo: Go to: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mangosteen.html Show her the picture of a Mangosteen. I think that might be it. Without a doubt, " The world's best fruit" George F. Emerich mailto:gemerich@tfb.com [She also raved about the mangosteen, as a separate fruit.-Leo] ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 18:54:31 -0500 From: Console G4 Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Might be O Krong (Okrung) mango (my spelling is off). Translation is "dented breast". Best of growing, Bob SW Florida mailto:tfnews@gate.net ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 6 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 18:15:33 -0000 From: "condor1grow " Subject: Breast milk fruit Hello, Please note that "cherimoya" in Quechua, one of the ancient native languages of the Andes, where cherimoya originated, means either "cold dough" (as in bread dough) or "cold breast" (as in a woman's breast). I am told this, since I don't speak any Quechua. Is it possible that she tasted cherimoya, or one of its relatives? The Vietnamese are some of the most avid cherimoya consumers. Dario mailto:dario@earthlink.net [She has eaten cherimoya at my San Diego home, and mango, so she knows those fruits. -Leo] ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:03:23 +0000 From: "Peter Felker" Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Dear Leo Thanks so much for your email. I found that I had an old photo of the breast fruit and will email it tomorrow when I return to my office. I also have been unable to find a reference to it in the internet. Thanks so much Peter Felker mailto:peter_felker@hotmail.com Argentina ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:10:08 -0000 From: "Richard Sar" Subject: Re: "Breast-Milk Fruit" In Vietnam - Hear Of It? Hey Leo, I'm glad to see you're posting here. It's nice seeing a familiar name. I believe that the fruit she is talking about is the caimito. It also goes by the name star apple or milk apple. I had the same problem when I was first looking for information on this fruit. In most Asian countries the name basically is translated as "milk fruit." However, most sources call it the star apple. I think the name breast milk fruit refers a lot to how the fruit taste and how it is sometimes eaten. I hope this help. Richard Sar mailto:richardsar01@yahoo.com <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Clues Toward a Proper Phosphorus Balance in Soil Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 09:30:24 -0500 From: ARS News Service Timing can be everything, especially when it comes to how much of the phosphorus applied to crop fields can be kept out of waterways. That's why Agricultural Research Service scientists, in studying how plants capture phosphorus in manure, went to great lengths to recreate field conditions. Soil scientists Thomas J. Sauer and John L. Kovar--who study nutrient management at the ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa--mixed several manures and soils together and changed the temperature and moisture periodically to simulate seasonal changes during a one-year incubation period. They did this because they believe it's important for farmers to know not just how much phosphorus is in manure, but when it is actually available to plants for uptake and use. For farmers, readily available soil phosphorus is a must if they expect profitable yields. But since plants can absorb only so much of it, over-application leads to unused amounts that remain in the soil. There, it's susceptible to being lost with runoff into streams and rivers, where it can lead to algal blooms and oxygen depletion, among other problems. However, under-application will make the soil phosphorus deficient, reducing yields. The math that farmers must perform in order to strike a proper phosphorus balance is complicated by peaks and valleys in phosphorus availability that plants encounter during their growth. Sauer and Kovar set out to find out how manure phosphorus availability to plants changes with time. Among their findings was that, on average, only 43 percent of the phosphorus applied in manure was available for plant uptake during the first year after application. That means that farmers may have to actually add more phosphorus than they remove with crops at harvest to totally replenish the soil. Read more about this research in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine, on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/jan03/phos0103.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Beneficial Fungi Boost Pepper Growth Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 09:44:13 -0500 From: ARS News Service Beneficial fungi that live on plant roots increased green bell pepper yields by as much as one-third in studies by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonize the roots of most crop plants and help plants take in phosphorus and other nutrients from the soil. AM fungi have been diminished by modern agricultural practices such as tillage, but in many instances can still make important contributions to productivity, particularly in organic farming and other systems where little if any chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used. David D. Douds, a microbiologist at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., studied four different types of AM fungi in three plantings from 1997 to 1999. He collaborated with Carolyn Reider, a horticulturist at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm in Kutztown, Pa., to measure the fungi's effects on pepper yield. They inoculated seedlings before transplanting them into field plots. One treatment group contained only the AM fungus, Glomus intraradices; another treatment comprised a mixture of three other types of AM fungi; and a third, uninoculated group served as the control. Plants were transferred into high-phosphorus-soil field plots receiving either composted dairy cow manure or conventional chemical fertilizer. Results showed that inoculating peppers with AM fungi boosted fruit yield. The best results were with the fungus mixture, which increased yields each year by 14 to 23 percent in plots with added compost, and up to 34 percent one year in plots with chemical fertilizers. Proper selection of an AM inoculum is essential, according to Douds, and a mixture of fungi increases the chance of having the right fungus present for a given plant. Past studies have shown that AM fungi benefit plants grown in low-phosphorus soil, and that high-phosphorus soils make it harder for the fungi to grow on plant roots. However, this study's results suggest that using AM fungi in high-phosphorus soils is a management option that shouldn't be ignored. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Keeping an Eye Out for the Corn Farmer's Best Friend Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 09:56:48 -0500 From: ARS News Service Ground beetles may not be welcome to city folk who mistake them for small cockroaches, but they are more than welcome in cornfields because they can be voracious predators of the corn farmer's worst pest, the corn rootworm. Corn rootworms eating away at corn roots cause farmers to spray more insecticide than do any other pest in the United States. Ground beetles are so important that Agricultural Research Service scientists are monitoring their populations to ensure that new pesticides--including natural insecticides produced by new varieties of corn plants--don't harm them. As part of this effort, ARS scientists have designed a new, revolving trap that operates like a clock. ARS entomologist Mike Ellsbury created the new trap by modifying a mosquito trap that hangs from a tree. The clockwork trap rotates so it catches the beetles in one of eight bottles every three hours, allowing Ellsbury to learn what species are active when. Ellsbury attached the rotating trap mechanism to a plastic disc, then covered the disc with soil and plant litter, completely disguising it, leaving only a single pitfall opening exposed. There are more than 20,000 species of ground beetles in the family Carabidae. Knowing when different species are active offers diet clues that can be helpful in protecting ground beetles and in learning how their numbers can be maintained or even increased. Ellsbury has three of the new traps and plans to build more. He also has 105 conventional single pitfall traps and has placed the traps in experimental plots of corn. By keeping track of the location, numbers and species of ground beetles, Ellsbury and colleagues will learn whether the new corn varieties have any harmful effects on the beetles. With corn rootworm evolving ways around the crop rotations traditionally used to control it, ground beetles are increasingly becoming a corn farmer's best friend. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Vitamin C Protects Stressed-Out Plants Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 07:31:50 -0500 From: ARS News Service To: ARS News subscriber People aren't the only ones using antioxidants to protect their cells. Plants also use the antioxidant vitamin C--which they produce themselves--to reduce oxidative cell damage. Agricultural Research Service scientists are looking into ways that plants use vitamin C to defend against ozone, which damages more plants than all other air pollutants combined. Stratospheric, or upper-level, ozone protects Earth from damaging, ultraviolet radiation. But tropospheric, or ground-level, ozone, is a pollutant. Tropospheric ozone enters plants through their leaves and decomposes into unstable molecules called reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs). If not neutralized by an antioxidant, ROIs injure plants. At the ARS Air Quality-Plant Growth and Development Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C., plant physiologist Kent Burkey is studying how plants transport vitamin C out of their leaf cells and into a complex of adjoining cell walls. This outer cellular space, called the apoplast, is an interconnected liquid layer surrounding the cells. Burkey has found that plants that are able to move greater quantities of vitamin C into the leaf apoplast have a better chance of detoxifying ozone. He has evidence that ozone tolerance in snap beans is associated with elevated vitamin C in the leaf apoplast. He also has found that plants vary widely in terms of how much vitamin C they make inside their cells. But while some plants make lots of vitamin C in their cells, they are not capable of pumping it into the apoplast where it can provide protection against ozone injury. Burkey's most recent tests on snap beans suggest that the presence of vitamin C in the apoplast before ozone enters the leaf is critical. He will next look more closely at how vitamin C and derivatives are pumped between the cell and the apoplast. And he will be looking for other antioxidant compounds in the leaf apoplast that could protect against ozone injury. Read more on this in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan03/plant0103.htm <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200302A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - February 15, 2003 - AKA RFN200302B.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Heavy Rain - Too Much Of A Good Thing? We normally get so little rain, that I really won't complain, but it would be nice to have a break to get chores done outside. It also has interfered with the yard tour/plant sale. At least today, Valentine's Day, has been mostly sunny. -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, Round Mountain, California Duane Wieden New Subscriber, Huntington Beach, California Geri Woolls New Subscriber, San Diego Rare Fruit Grower "Irene Sias" New Subscriber, TX, Interested In Cold-Hardy Citrus Phil Hamilton New Subscriber, Guangdong Province of China "Yingzhi Li" New Subscriber, Both NY and Bocas del Toro (Panama) Sol Korine New Subscriber, Australia, Also Interested In Pitaya "David Aveling" <><><> Readers Write <><><> Re: North County Meeting CRFG, Near Vista, CA Sven Merten Re: Popularity Of Fruit Of H. Undatus In Hawaii "Alfred Vorne" Liquid Mycorrhizae Source? "Ben Pierce" Visit Southcoast Research Station, Irvine, 3/1/03 Sven Merten David Silverstein, Chairman, San Diego Chapter Re: Mango Mildew "Amy Fernandez" Todd Peach tree Eunice Messner Denise Breast-Milk Fruit "Gerardo Garcia" Re: Breast-Milk Fruit: How About This? "Vu Sua" Leo's Granddaughter Star Fruit? Star Apple? I'm Confused Carlyn Re: Star Fruit? Star Apple? I'm Confused Leo Manuel Carlyn Keitt Mango - When To Pick? Maurice Kong Re: Keitt Mango - When To Pick? Leo Manuel Maurice Other Mangoes To Pick Mature But Green Maurice Growing in WA "Roger Meyer" Patrick Miracle Fruit "Roger Meyer" Want: Microclimate And House Information In San Diego Rick Re: Rare fruit / Miracle Fruit Indoors "Jeff Earl" Brad Eat Passion Fruit? "Thomas Morris" David Karp's Food Column - Cut! Michael Zarky FW: Fruits of the future. "Lon J. Rombough" Where To Buy Loquat Jam In California? "Micheal McCright" Hylocereus guatemalensis: Seeds/Cuttings Wanted christopher.marshall@att.net Cherries For Low-Chill Climates? Matthew Shugart Patrick Help with microclimates Matthew Shugart <> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <> None, this time <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> Welcome To HortNet - http://www.hort.net/ http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html for information about all CRFG chapters Silverhill Seeds South Africa http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za <><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><> None, this time <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex None, this time <><>Bot-Linx List <> International Centre for Underutilised Crops "Scott D. Russell BOTLINX@LISTS.OU.EDU" <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> Photo Album The Thaumaturgist Re: milk from the breast - how the fruit is eaten "Peter Felker" Canned mangosteen "Dan" Re: milk from the breast - how the fruit is eaten "oscarrj " <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Latest ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted ARS News Service Glomalin: The Real Soil Builder ARS News Service Discoveries Could Help Against Fire Ants ARS News Service Radio Waves Put Heat on Pests ARS News Service Fowl Manure May Help the Environment ARS News Service <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, Round Mountain, California Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 12:11:41 -0800 (PST) From: Duane Wieden Hello Leo, I would like to be added to your 'rare fruit growers' e-mail. My name is Duane E. Wieden and I live in Round Mountain, CA on 10 acres. I have approximately 185 fruit and nut trees here. I have tried to gather the best-of-the-best in cultivars. My goal is for myself and my family to be self-sufficient. My background is Information Technology where I served as a manager and consultant in the Bay Area for many years. My fruit specialty is persimmons (kaki). Although I enjoy all high-quality fruit, persimmons are my favorite, followed probably by apricot, and then,..., well the sky is the limit, but figs have done very well up here too... I grew up on the South Coast Field Station where I enjoyed over 30 varieties of persimmon in my youth. I am currently writing a book on persimmons due to the limited knowledge I am finding out there on this subject. I am by no means an "expert" on this subject (no horticultural degrees, though I grew up with the Kaki persimmon and thus probably know a little more than most about this fruit and what I like in it), but I am getting better educated all of the time. Other than Persimmon Culture in New Zealand and Persimmons for Everyone, if anyone could point me to other reputable works on persimmons, I would greatly appreciate it. I also welcome correspondance on persimmons with anyone of similar interest. Duane Wieden mailto:duane_wieden@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Huntington Beach, California Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 10:42:57 -0800 (PST) From: Geri Woolls I live in Huntington Beacg, Ca. I am a widow, with 2 children 19 and 23. My son 19 is just starting colllege and my daughter works for Verizon. I am a landlady for a little apartment building and certified in massage therapy although I don't do much of that any more because I have carpal tunal in my left hand. I love fruit trees and have been planting them since 1979 when we bought this house. I have a large avacado tree about 21 years old. (Feurte) a naval orange dwarf, locquat, persimmion the kind that must get soft before you eat it, fig with a purplish black skin, Myer lemon, Beverly Hills apple, lychee tree (don't know if it going to make it or not as it's new and in the dorment stage right now. Looks like a stick.) nectarine tree, and an aprocot tree. I want more! My name is Geri and I am a treeoholic! : ) Thank you for all your hard work and effort. Geri Woolls mailto:Geri_Lynn@webtv.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, San Diego Rare Fruit Grower Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 10:45:41 -0800 From: "Irene Sias" Hi Leo! I just happened upon this page when I was looking up Pacific Tree Farms. They are about 2 miles north of me directly. I am off Telegraph Canyon. I would very much enjoy this news letter. I have a white sapote, a naval orange, Meyer lemon, and a tangerine that is very prolific, but so sour and full of seeds it is inedible. But IÕd like to try grafting something to it. Otherwise, I had 5 huge yucca trees removed, a sick Monterey pine (sorry to see that one go) and some other tree that was crowding the new brick wall of my neighbor. So now I have lots of room to try my luck. I will be putting up some sort of shade structure (which would be a good subject for the group) for my epiphyllums. The other 2 trees I have are the trumpets. A white and orange that I bought at the fair for 2 or 3 dollars. They are 8 feet now and gorgeous when in bloom. I want a raised vegetable garden, and a succulent garden, and a butterfly garden. WonÕt I be busy! And I really love our group, SDRFG. Also, you sure have a nice family. Thanks, Irene Sias mailto:isias@Anacomp.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, TX, Interested In Cold-Hardy Citrus Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 23:13:22 -0800 (PST) From: Phil Hamilton I am Phil Hamilton, in Leander, TX and my hobbies are raising exotic birds and plants. I am interested in growing new improved citrus varieties that are a combination of cold hardy and edible for container grown citrus. Thanks Phil Hamilton mailto:leandercitrus@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Guangdong Province of China Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 20:8:47 +0800 From: "Yingzhi Li" Hello, I am Yingzhi Li, living in the Guangdong Province of China and I am a teacher in the Horticultral Department of Zhanjiang Ocean University. I am interested in tropical fruits, as those also are among my teaching subjects. Yingzhi Li mailto:lyingzhi@21cn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Both NY and Bocas del Toro (Panama) Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 8:27:07 -0600 From: Sol Korine Dear Folks, My name is Sol and I live in New York and on a island off the coast of Panama - Bocas del Toro. I planted 70 fruit trees three years ago. Oranges,limes, lemons, mangos, lychees, guavas, papayas, and pineapples. I am interested in cultivating additional varieties. I would like to get your newsletter. Thanks, Sol mailto:s.korine@verizon.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Australia, Also Interested In Pitaya Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 21:22:11 +1100 From: "David Aveling" Dear Leo Thanks very much for your fast reply. Doing abit more surfing around online, I see that you have great knowledge in exotic fruits. I would also like to subscribe to your email: Name: David Aveling Live: Melbourne, Australia Email: daveling@bigpond.net.au I will also send the cheque for the Dargonfruit book off ASAP. Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing from you soon! David Aveling mailto:daveling@bigpond.net.au <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Re: North County Meeting CRFG, Near Vista, CA Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 10:00:58 -0800 From: Sven Merten Hi Leo, No web site, but here is what I send out to people who ask about the meeting: Meetings are the third Friday of each month at 7 pm in the Hort unit of the Oceanside Mira Costa College campus. >From 5: Take the 78 east and exit College Blvd. Make a left and the second or third light is Barnard Dr. where you will make another left. The campus is at the top of the hill. The hort unit will be on the right side and we park in the faculty lot on the left. >From the 15: Take 78 West and exit College and make a right. Then follow the directions above. >From Fallbrook: Take 76 East to College Blvd. South. Make a right on Barnard Dr. (if you hit 78 you have passed it by a block or so). The campus is at the top of the hill. The hort unit will be on the right side and we park in the faculty lot on the left. Regards, Sven Merten mailto:scoutdog@pacbell.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Popularity Of Fruit Of H. Undatus In Hawaii Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 10:14:03 -1000 From: "Alfred Vorne" Dear Leo; I got all my cuttings from Frankie's nursery and just got off the phone with them. I was told that all 3 varieties are self pollinating (including the red) and they are getting fruit without hand pollinating from all 3. They had not noticed bugs around the flowers. Mahalo Al mailto:alvorne@maui.net > Yellow Pitaya is self-fertile. Dragon Fruit will > probably be a Vietnamese cultivar and self-fertile. > Red Pitaya occasionally are self-fruitful, but very > few are. > > Keep track of which plants are which. > > Did you get all of yours from Frankie's? ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Liquid Mycorrhizae Source? Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 15:40:31 +0000 From: "Ben Pierce" Hello Eunice, Do you have a brand of liquid mycorrhizae that you can recommend? I currently use the "Plant Success" tablets and have had some success with them. I think a liquid would be much more convenient and could mix that with the compost tea I am making as well. Thanks Ben Pierce mailto:mariposafamily@hotmail.com You said: Fill the holes with liquid mycorrhizae.... ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Visit Southcoast Research Station, Irvine, 3/1/03 Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 09:02:37 -0800 From: Sven Merten To: David Silverstein, Chairman, San Diego Chapter Hi David, I just talked to Dr. Hagillih and we are all set for March 8th at 10 am. There is no cost and I told him it would probably be between 30 and 40 people. I asked to see the cherimoyas, avocados, persimmons, citrus and possibly the star fruit. I'll make sure we get an announcement in our newsletter. Directions are as follows: Take 5 North into Orange County, to San Canyon and head East on Sand Canyon. Make a right (South) on Irvine Blvd. A short distance further you will see some eucalyptus trees in the center of the road, just past the first trees there is a left turn lane that turns into SCREC, South Cost Research and Extension Center. Park near the office. If you put anything in your newsletter and also when you talk about it your meeting please be sure to tell everyone not to pick any fruit or even pick it up off the ground unless someone giving the tour says it is all right. There are experiments going on all the time and many of them involve counting and weighing the fruit so it is important not to take any fruit. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Regards, Sven Merten mailto:scoutdog@pacbell.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Mango Mildew Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 09:14:23 -0800 From: "Amy Fernandez" To: Todd It is very beneficial to make a "tea" out of compost (not the high heat compost, but the slower cool composting process, has the beneficial flora and fauna) and spray for mildews and such. I have a friend who uses it on her stone fruit trees, also. I've used the 1 part of milk and 2 parts of water on my papaya and it works very well. I haven't had enough compost to make tea until this year, and I've read kelp spray is very helpful for strengthening leaves of plants as Eunice mentioned. There is also the baking soda spray recipe from Cornell Univ. which is being used on curcurbits even, but I've found the milk is even better. Also it works better as a preventive, but it will kick down the Powdery Mildew after it gets going. Amy mailto:marvelousgardens@attbi.com >I have a Manila Mango with a powdery Mildew problem every >spring.... Todd Abel table@socal.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Peach tree Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 16:45:20 -0800 (PST) From: Eunice Messner To: Denise Denise... I don't think getting a new peach tree would help. It could be the greedy roots of your neighbors tree is weakening your trees. You might ask for permission to root prune at the fence line. I assume you sprayed with copper or sulfur. Brown rot and gray mold are hard to control and rain at the wrong time spreads the disease. If the twigs are affected prune them off. Also never leave dried mummies of fruit and pick up all that fall on the ground. Hereafter, try the organic route; drill holes around the drip line or use a high pressure hose. Fill the holes with liquid mycorrhizae and compost. Fertilize now with a manure and cover with compost or mulch. When new leaves appear, foliar spray with fish emulsion,kelp and molasses (2 tblsp to gal of water.) Also add some soap as a spreader sticker. Brazilian pepper is a nasty weed tree and very hard to get rid of. However, the turpenes in the leaves might help to keep bugs away. Eunice Messner mailto:eunicemessner@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Breast-Milk Fruit Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 18:25:44 +0000 From: "Gerardo Garcia" Regarding the "Breast-Milk Fruit", the fact that your correspondent mentions it's purple, then your granddaughter said it's green, clinches the ID, because Chrysophyllum cainito ("caimito" to us) comes both in green and in purple varieties, as well as some rare cultivars that bear reddish fruit. It's native to Puerto Rico (as well as other Latin countries) and there are many different varieties here. I have a tree that groans under the weight of the caimitos in late summer, very sweet fruit. They are one of the few fruits that do not abscise, but rather must have their stems cut from the tree or they will stay up there until they disintegrate. If you pull them off, the rather rubbery peel will tear and they will stain you with the sticky white latex and also spoil fairly fast. Regards, Gerardo mailto:manilkara@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Breast-Milk Fruit: How About This? "Vu Sua" Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 17:43:16 EST From: Leo's Granddaughter Yes, that is the one! It is so delicious, you really should try it someday somehow! Love, Erin ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Star Fruit? Star Apple? I'm Confused Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 10:43:35 -0800 From: Carlyn Hi Leo, I was just reading the current newsletter about the fruit your granddaughter had in asia. The replies confused me. In Thailand what is call star-apple (carambola) is not anything like what was described or what I saw on the website given. Are there two fruits with the same English name? Although I can see the star in the cut fruit from Vietnam, it is not evident from the exterior of the fruit as is the carambola. Does it possibly have another English name? I need to check with my husband and see if they have this fruit in Thailand. Carlyn Ungphakorn mailto:sak_carlyn@juno.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Star Fruit? Star Apple? I'm Confused Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 11:24:21 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Carlyn Hi Carlyn I believe star fruit is the name for two unrelated fruits. Caimito is a common name for the star fruit (star apple)that my granddaughter liked. It seems to look like a small tennis ball, and will not grow in Southern California. Carambola, often called star fruit, will grow in California, and is not at all similar. The fruit is green, relatively long, compared to the diameter, and cross-section segments are shaped as a star. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Keitt Mango - When To Pick? Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 16:49:42 EST From: Chino228@Aol.Com Hi Leo: In your newsletter you made reference to Keitt mango not yet ripe. Thought I'd remind you Keitt mango should always be be picked mature green and never be allowed to ripen on the tree but I'm sure you knew this already. Maurice mailto:Chino228@Aol.Com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Keitt Mango - When To Pick? Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 17:58:17 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Maurice Hi Maurice I wonder if climate is a factor? I have trouble determining when they are ready to pick, if not softening. Sometimes, they don't acquire a sweet taste, if not. I'll try the Florida method in California and see how they go. Thanks very much for writing. Sincerely, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Other Mangoes To Pick Mature But Green Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 22:33:20 EST From: Maurice Hi Leo: Another mango variety that is picked mature green is the Malika in the event you have a tree. If you pick this variety ripe on the tree you will have mango with jelly seed which is a disadvantage.. Maurice mailto:Chino228@Aol.Com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Growing in WA Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 16:20:55 -0800 From: "Roger Meyer" To: Patrick Patrick, saw your letter to Leo. You mentioned about wanting to grow the yellow kiwifruit. I sent material to a Ron Broadbent who has an orchard near Albany. Do you know of him? I can get his e mail address, I think, if you are not aware of him. The material is not the Zespri Gold, out of New Zealand. It is material I imported years ago out of China, through Japan. Are you a member of WANATCA? They are a group devoted to growing rare plants and are based in Perth. I am a member of that egroup as well as the California Rare Fruit Growers. We put out a color magazine 6 times a year. WANATCA will be a co-sponsor of an international meeting about rare fruit in Sept 2004 at Gatton, Qlds. I will be there to present papers. Hope to hear back from you, best, Roger and Shirley Meyer ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Miracle Fruit Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 16:25:17 -0800 From: "Roger Meyer" To: Saw your message about miracle fruit. Unfortunately, miracle fruit really doesn't sweeten anything. It does block your tongue's ability to taste acid or sour so that the natural sweetness within citrus comes through. I don't think you can cook with it as the active chemical(s) are probably destroyed with heat. Just enjoy it's effects when eating sour citrus. Roger Meyer mailto:exoticfruit@95net.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Want: Microclimate And House Information In San Diego Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 20:46:25 EST From: Rick Leo, This is Rick from Los Angeles. We traded plants many years ago. I'm getting ready to move down to the San Diego area and I wondered who I might talk to about the different microclimates around and in San Diego area? I want to be able to grow tropicals and I assume that all of the San Diego area and surrounding areas would be good for that but just wanted to check. Any info you can give would be helpful, as well as if you happen to know of any houses to rent. I hope to buy in the future as well. Thanks, Rick mailto:PlantguyR1@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Rare fruit / Miracle Fruit Indoors Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 17:08:32 -0800 From: "Jeff Earl" To: Brad Brad, I can answer both of your questions. #1 Most of what I grow here in the valley (Modesto) you should be able to grow and fruit as Oakland tends to have a more mild climate than Modesto, which is 70 miles to the east. I grow and fruit,( without any winter protection ) Macadamia, Longan, Avocado, Babaco Papaya, Bananas, Tropical Guava.... The following are healthy plants/trees that mave made it through 3 winters unharmed, but too young to fruit... Jaboticaba, Rose apple, Cherimoya, Sapodilla, Lychee. As far as Miracle Fruit... I have several plants, I keep indoors during the winter. Try... http://www.nativehabitat.com/products/ Jeff Earl mailto:jeffearl@sbcglobal.net Modesto, Ca http://www.geocities.com/calrarefruit || Subject: Miracle Fruit || Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 20:08:32 -0800 || From: Brad Falconer || || Hello, || || Has anyone had any luck cultivating Miracle Fruit indoors? || || Does anyone know of a good source in the San Francisco || Bay Area? || || Many thanks, || || Brad Falconer mailto:bfalcone@cisco.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Eat Passion Fruit? Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 02:15:14 -0800 From: "Thomas Morris" Hi I would like to know about eating passion fruit, as I have it all over the back yard Tom mailto:tommypatsyR1@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: David Karp's Food Column - Cut! Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 08:08:32 -0800 From: Michael Zarky Dear Leo, Some months ago the Los Angeles Times revamped its Food section, and the column covering local Farmers' Markets, written by David Karp, disappeared. I'm sure many of your readers live in the LA area, and receive this paper. No doubt readers are also enthusiastic about these Markets, knowing that they are not only a better source for the consumer searching for tastier, perhaps organically grown, produce, but also a lifeline for the local small farmers, who as always are struggling to survive economically. This column surely helped keep awareness of the markets in public consciousness; and its loss is to be grieved. So I urge those RFNO readers who are Times subscribers to express their disappointment by writing to the Times at food@latimes.com, and see if we can't get these weekly reports restored. I e-mailed David, and I was left with the impression that he might not want to continue, but the column itself, following his inspiration, should nevertheless be restored. Please try to be as detailed and imaginative in your expressions of dismay as possible! Michael Zarky mailto:mzarky@earthlink.net Moorpark, CA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: FW: Fruits of the future. Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 09:29:55 -0800 From: "Lon J. Rombough" Leo: I posted the SBLD on "Fruits of the Future" to the list of the North American Fruit Explorers just as something of interest to the members and got this comment back. Dr. Parmar has written "Fruits of the Sub Himalayan Region" so he is well qualified to make the comment. Just thought you would find it of interest. -Lon Rombough mailto:lonrom@hevanet.com ---------- Subject: Fruits of the future. Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2022 23:26:55 +0530 From: "Dr. Chiranjit Parmar" To: "Lon J. Rombough" Dear Lon, It seems you got impressed with the write up of these Fruits of the Future people in UK. I had also felt like that at the first instance. But I was shocked when I paid to paid to rthis so called International Centre for Unutilized Crops in UK about 18 months back. They are bogus people knowing nothing about fruits. This centre is housed in two small rooms at the University of South Hampton . I had discussions with the lady Angela and one Bangladeshi Professor there who was heer boss. They even did not appear to me to be horticulturists. The underutilized crops selected by them from India are Zizyphus mauritiana and Tamarindus indica. Z.m. is a commercial fruit crop of significant economic importance in India. Its cultivation is already highly developed and a lot of literature already exists.. Tamarind is not a fruit by any classification. It is used as a condiment. When I told this to both these persons, they felt embarassed and uncomfortable. I just could not think that such sort of bogus scientific activity could exist in a country like UK. There are some people who manage to get a project with some appealing title on the basis of their personal contacts. Then they write articles and make speeches on the subject in conferences. We have many scintists of this kind in India but I could not think of it in UK. When I go to UK, I stay at Reading. South Hampton is about 90 minutes by car from Reading. I requested the sone of friend to drive me there. I just could not resist telling you about my experience with this Centre. Best regards, C. PARMAR ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Where To Buy Loquat Jam In California? Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 18:54:37 -0800 From: "Micheal McCright" To: I don't know where, but do you Leo? ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Hylocereus guatemalensis: Seeds/Cuttings Wanted Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 02:24:14 +0000 From: christopher.marshall@att.net Dear Leo and fellow subscribers, I have a friend in Brazil who is looking for cuttings and/or seeds of Hylocereus species other than H.undatus. Specifically, he is looking for either H. costaricensis or H. guatemalensis. I have a couple of small plants of H. guatemalensis but they are too small yet to yield cuttings. Anyone out there with material to spare? Chris Marshall mailto:christopher.marshall@worldnet.att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Cherries For Low-Chill Climates? Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 11:45:58 -0900 From: Matthew Shugart To: Patrick Patrick (and Leo and the RFNO community): You expressed a desire to find a cherry that "would fruit with no subzero temperatures." Actually, while most sweet cherries need a moderate-to-high degree of chill, they do NOT require freezing (i.e. subzero, Celsius) temperatures. In fact, when the temperature is below freezing, the buds are not receiving any "chill," according to most models of how chilling works. Rather, chilling occurs in the mid-to upper thirties (sorry, I speak Fahrenheit!), and up into the 40s and, according to some models, into the 50s (but at a lower rate per hour than at lower temperatures). The most important thing is not whether you have freezing or near freezing weather, but to avoid prolonged spells of very warm temperatures (which can be mitigated to some degree by a high cover crop, winter shade or application of mist during the warm spells). I am not familiar with the climate of Perth. But here in southern California, in the moderately colder coastal regions, some of us have had some fruit set on sweet cherries. The best cultivars seem to be those that require no cross-pollination, such as Craig's Crimson, Stella, and Lapins. The new cultivar (from Dave Wilson growers in California) known as Royal Ranier is said to have the lowest chilling of any known variety yet. The first three I mentioned are usually said to require 700-800 hours, and Royal Ranier is said to be at 600-700. It is entirely possible that those estimates are at least 200 chill hours too high. More experimentation (by folks like you!) is needed. In any event, if your climate is similar to that of southern California's near-coastal (i.e., not immediate coast, but not deeply interior or high elevation) regions, you may have success with cherries. Of course, there is always the Capulin cherry, which requires no chilling at all, but does require quite an imagination to think of as a "cherry" in flavor! Matthew Shugart mailto:mshugart@ucsd.edu Bonsall, California (USDA zone 9?, Sunset zone 21/19) ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Help with microclimates Study Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 12:31:27 -0900 From: Matthew Shugart Dear RFNO readers: At my new property in Bonsall (in north San Diego County, for those of you outside the area), I have the opportunity to take advantage of several distinct microclimates. The property is on 8.5 acres, and has an elevation difference of almost 300 feet from one end to the other. Most of it is south-facing slope, but I also have east-facing slopes, too. I have purchased a set of wireless temperature sensors (from Davis Instruments: see www.davisnet.com--this is not an advertisement, just FYI). They are located at four different sites on the property. In brief, I identify four distinct zones on the property. I will give the average low and high temperatures for the first ten days of February (I won't bother with January, because that month was so atypically warm this year, although the data are consistent, zone relative to zone, with what I report). I am soliciting advice as to what types of fruit might be best for taking advantage of the features of each microclimate. Despite the 8.5 acres, much is not very usable (due to rocks or extreme steepness) or already has commercial orchards (grapefruit below and avocados above) on it that restrict the space available for rare fruit growing. Lower (lo 37.8/hi 71.9). This location is a no-brainer. I am planting a wide variety of deciduous fruits here. Despite the very warm January, I estimate that the zone has received nearly 500 chill hours to date. There have been some light freezes and frosts here. No tropicals! Middle (43.3/72.2). This temperature sensor is roughly 125 feet of elevation higher than the lower one. The slope is south-facing, but also exposed to the prevailing (and often chilly) winds from the southwest. Somewhat exposed also to "Santa Ana" winds--drying northeast winds for those not familiar with the area--but less exposed than anywhere else other than the lowest area. No frost here this winter, and some 12-to-15-foot tall laurel sumacs that suggest no major frost at any time in the recent past. East ridge (41.6/72.9). This is actually a bit lower than the "middle." It is also above a precipitous drop into a canyon, which implies good cold-air drainage, even though it is always a little colder at night than the "middle" zone. It's also mostly east/southeast facing. That's probably why it is consistently 1-3 degrees warmer in the daytime. It warms up earlier, and also is much less exposed to the prevailing ocean breeze. On the other hand, it would be much more exposed to the occasional Santa Ana wind. Top (45.6/71.3). This is at least 250 feet in elevation above the lowest sensor. Obviously the warmest overnight location on the property. But also by far the most exposed to the ocean breeze, which is probably why it is almost always a bit cooler in the daytime than the middle zone. It is also consistently less humid (not just when the northeast winds are blowing, but all the time), for reasons that I do not understand. There is also a subzone of the "top" in which I have no sensor, but it is noticeably warmer (possibly more than the east ridge) because it us over the crest, and facing northeast). Of course, it would be more exposed to the drying Santa Anas at the same time that is less exposed to the prevailing cool westerlies. I am sorry for the length of this overview. If anyone has any clear suggestions as to what types of fruit would be especially good (or bad) for any of the zones (other than the low one), taking into account not only temperatures, but also what I have said about wind and humidity, I would be grateful. Any readers in the area who would like a quick tour some time should contact me personally via e-mail. I am always happy to meet other growers, and show folks around. Thanks! Matthew Shugart mailto:mshugart@ucsd.edu Bonsall, California <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None this time <><><><><><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><><><><><> Welcome To HortNet: http://www.hort.net/ Top Stories Iowa prairies need your help! Trillium rivale brought into new genus, named Pseudotrillium rivale Stolen cycads recovered! Asiatica Nursery Suffers Severe Fire Damage 20 Rare African Plants Stolen from Quail Botanical Gardens Pride of Place Plants adds 25 Japanese hydrangeas to its lineup Scientists plan to find and name every species within 25 years California Environmentalist Fights to Save Oak story archive Welcome to the new hort.net! This is the first step in an ongoing process to make hort.net a better resource for all. Gallery of Plants - Over 3100 images of all types of plants! Plant Profiles - Detailed page-long descriptions of specific ornamental plants. Mailing Lists - Searchable mailing list archives on all kinds of horticulture-related topics. News What's new! New site features, press releases, and more. Links Hundreds of links to gardening resources on the Internet, all grouped by category ------------------------------------------------ http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html for information about all CRFG chapters ------------------------------------------------ Silverhill Seeds South Africa http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za <><><><><><><><> Zingiber List (Bananas, Gingers) <><><><><><><><> None this time <><><> NAFEX List From: nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org <><><> None this time <><>Bot-Linx List <> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> Subject: Photo Album From: The Thaumaturgist Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 11:44:55 -0800 (PST) Hello Everyone I had just added a new folder of 21 photos of Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) in my photo album at http://photos.yahoo.com/asitkghosh All the digital photos were taken of fruits from 3 different trees in Merritt Island, Florida. Now the Album contains photos of Mango and Sapodilla. Thank you. Asit K. Ghosh Florida ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: milk from the breast - how the fruit is eaten From: "Peter Felker" Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 12:51:12 +0000 The picture I hope to have sent to the rare fruit group is very very similar to the breast fruit and is eaten the same way. I lived in the province north of Can Tho in Vinh long. However there is confusion as the star apple is usually something very differentin being pinkish to red, thin walled and no pulp inside. Any idea of the genus and species??? Thanks Peter Felker Argentina ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Canned mangosteen Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 05:08:10 -0000 From: "Dan" Hello, For those unlucky fruit fanciers who (like me) live outside the area where exotic fruits are commonly carried in stores there is the "option" of buying canned fruits. Today (while out shopping for Chinese New Year goodies) I spied canned mangosteen for the first time. The prices weren't bad (one brand was $1.60 for 10 oz of fruit the other was $2.50 for 8 oz of fruit) and my craving for the fruit was high. Througout my life I have always taken an extremely dim view of canned fruit- but if you can't have fresh what else can you do. I ate most of the cheapest can this evening (I saved a mangosteen to see if there is a quality difference between the two cans) and it wasn't bad. At the same time it failed to preserve some of the best elements of mangosteen flavor- namely the pleasant piercing tartness (which was completely gone). Due to the canning process the seeds were considerably softened and I ate some of them (I hope there isn't an issue with that). I also got some canned palm fruits (but my expectation for them is quite low). ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Re: milk from the breast - how the fruit is eaten From: "oscarrj" Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 08:40:36 -0000 Starapple (Chrysophyllum cainito) comes in two different colors. Some varieties are purple while others are green when ripe. Oscar, Big Island, Hawaii <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Latest ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:58:53 -0500 From: ARS News Service The Agricultural Research Service has posted the January 2003 issue of Food & Nutrition Research Briefs on its web site at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb The Research Briefs present concise updates about ARS research in human nutrition, food freshness and safety, and new foods. Web visitors can search the newsletter, including past issues. They can also sign up to receive future issues of the Briefs by e-mail. Included in the January 2003 issue: * Dark-orange carrots may supply more of an important antioxidant, beta-carotene, than their lighter-orange counterparts. * Exercise such as lifting weights helped Hispanic Americans with type 2 diabetes-reduce their reliance on diabetes medication. * Blueberries may boost brain power