========================================== Rare Fruit News Online - All Year for 2007 ========================================== Rare Fruit News Online - January 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200701A.txt _____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Ending The Year With Another Medical Procedure Today (December 28) I will endure my last medical procedure for 2006. It's an upper endoscopy aka esophagogastroduodenoscopy and a colonoscopy. The purpose to find the source of significant anemia which was diagonosed a few months ago. I can't understand how the diagnosis is consistent with my energy level, which has been elevated in recent months. The only thing worse than this procedure may be having to repeat it, if necessary. I'm sending this newsletter out early as I may not feel up to it later. :-) San Diego high winds yesterday blew off several mangoes yesterday. Also, there was rain. Did you have any damage to your fruit trees? The remaining mangoes are Kent and Keitt, together with a few seedlings. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber - Merritt Island, Florida Kevino Z Ruby Ellis - New TX subscriber wants to research rare fruit Ruby Elis Readers Write Bush Identity Elizabeth A Young To: Richard What Is Miracle Fruit? Elizabeth A Young Observations From El Cajon John Brode RE: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings David T Re: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings Leo To: Deborah Re: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings Leo Manuel To: David T How I'm Fighting Diabetes - Gogi (Wolfberries) Timnovida@aol.com Out Of Season Mango Blooms Matthew Shugart Mystery-Berry Teban Tani Looking For Superior Rare Fruit Seeds Hays, Gary FWD: How Do I Care For Sugar Apple Tree? David Silverstein To: Toan Humphrey How Do I Care For Sugar Apple Tree? Toan Humphrey CRFG and Patricia on CNN Norman Beard http://www.dvidshub.net/popups/theater-tveyes.php?vid=359 <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber - Merritt Island, Florida From: Kevino Z Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 01:08:36 -0500 I am Kevin Z. - Please use only my first initial of my last name. in Merritt Island, FL Fruit trees I am growing are annona, atemoya, (until recently - Mamey Sapote), cheimoya, inga, guava(s), white sapote, sapodilla, carambola, monstera, litchi(s), persimmons, jakfruit, longan, and want to grow coffee, and rambutan. I started my first rare fruit tree (mamey sapote) from seedling, 10 years ago I would like to ask people to visit my first weblog - a site I am making to document my fruit trees (and the fruit) It's URL is http://myrarefruitphotos.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Kevino ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Ruby Ellis - New TX subscriber wants to research rare fruit From: ruby-ellis@sbcglobal.net Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 20:16:31 -0600 I'm Ruby Ellis. I live in Arlington, Texas (a suburb of Fort Worth). I'm probably in growing Zone 7 or 8. I hope to be moving to the country where I can have chickens, a garden, and trees again. I would love to live underground. I am not currently growing any fruit trees. I previously planted several common fruit trees where I used to live. In the future I would like to have several unusual fruit bushes and trees in addition to common varieties. Each fruit has its own nutritional, herbal, and healing qualities. Ruby Ellis mailto:ruby-ellis@sbcglobal.net <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Bush Identity From: Elizabeth A Young Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 09:30:07 -0600 To: Richard Richard, could this be Autumn Olive, Eleganus umbellata? I thought they were a little larger than 1/4 inch though. The top side of the leaf is darker green and the underside is more silver. Don't have any here, have seen them in large masses here in Missouri where they are easily sown by birds. They aren't as bad as multi-flora rose, but can become a nuisance. I have a goji berry that I planted in pot and held over the summer in my greenhouse while trying to decide where I wanted to plant it outside. I took one cutting off it and stuck it in a pot and it grew huge. Now I am trying to get its roots out of the growing bed after it escaped from the holes in the pot. Now I wonder if these things can become invasive if planted in the ground? Several limbs have leaned way over and I discovered they had rooted as well. The goji reminds me of the black raspberries that tip to the ground and root as well as the red ones that send many new plants up from long running roots. I have ripped out all the thornless red ones because they were taking over, much worse than regular reds with thorns. I wonder if any will have survived last year's drought. The black ones I can deal with. Elizabeth mailto:whisperyoung@juno.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What Is Miracle Fruit? From: Elizabeth A Young Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 09:49:50 -0600 Leo, What is miracle fruit? Thanks for the information on container growing of rare fruits. It was a surprise that it was in Pennsylvania and interesting that many of the containers were a very small size. I will be applying some of the information to our situation here in Missouri. When I have an opportunity, I will be looking for a few of those plants mentioned. My greenhouse won't hold a lot and it is only heated to fifty degrees at night and on cloudy days so I am not sure how many would actually thrive during the winter, but it will be interesting to try more things. Meanwhile, I enjoy a few figs a week and lots of lettuce, snow peas and watercress. When in Des Moines, Iowa last May, I saw the star fruit growing in the Botanical Center dome. It grew all the way to the 'ceiling' and had a good bit of fruit on it that I was wanting to sample. Elizabeth mailto:whisperyoung@juno.com [Miracle fruit - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A Miracle Fruit Plant, sometimes known as Miraculous Berry, (Sideroxylon dulcificum/Synsepalum dulcificum Daniell) is a plant native to Tropical West Africa. It produces 2 crops per year, after the end of the rainy season. The plant grows in bushes up to 20 feet high in its native habitat, but does not usually grow higher than 5 feet in cultivation. It is an evergreen plant that produces red berries. Although the berry itself is not sweet, they contain a protein called Miraculin, which masks the tongue's sour taste buds, causing foods such as lemons and limes to taste sweet. This effect lasts for up to 30 minutes but sometimes longer, maybe two hours. It will not however, make sweet foods taste sweeter. The Miracle fruit has been used to sweeten bitter medicines. General Information and Cultivation The plant prefers to have a pH as low as 4.5 to 5.8. The Miracle fruit grows well with blueberries. Position free from frost and in partial shade with high humidity. The flowers are white and are produced many months of the year. Many attempts have been made to use the berries from this plant as a sweetener, with an idea of developing this for diabetics. However, Miraculin was denied approval for being marketed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Observations From El Cajon From: John Brode Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 00:01:40 +0000 (GMT) Greetings everyone I just wanted to say how very much we have appreciated all your efforts this past year Leo and want to wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and a very happy New Year. We like many in East county have been having quite a heavy frost this past week. ours started in November so we have been a little anxious as the cold/freezing nights just seemed to happen so quickly. [we have been down to 25F]. However all is well, my Papayas are fairing well [Red Lady] have no idea how large the fruit will eventually get but they are doing fine. no frost damage, as we live in the foothills the frost really settles down here. so we can lose a plant or tree overnight! Our white sapote is covered in new blossom. and the bees are busy out there. I will have to reduce the number of fruit as this year had too many extra small ones which fell to the ground very rapidly and were wasted. [the birds adore them too.] We did manage to save some of our Japanese persimmons. however the bird netting which we used to cover the tree has holes which are too large.so whatever was chewing the new fruit off still managed to get thru the netting. [I still think the culprits are those large grasshoppers]! Would appreciate if someone could give me any ideas as to where we could purchase netting with smaller holes. I have been making good use of our Allspice trees again. the leaves that is and the berries. My mulled cider never tastes quite like the others because along with the recipe I use whatever is available in our garden. rose hips, allspice, lemon grass, pomegranate juice.citrus. Our cinnamon trees will never get large enough to use the bark! :) I too was diagnosed with the onset of [type-two] diabetes last year.so really have to watch my sugar intake. My problem is the white sapote which is so sweet. :( it's so unfortunate I know! you had better watch out as Mangoes are sweet too! I do want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. which ever way you celebrate the holidays. and a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year, happy gardening. Warmly, Marion Brode mailto:marionjohnbrodie@msn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings From: David T Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 07:27:59 +0000 Hi Leo, Thanks for the reply. I will pot them in sand tomorrow. How long before roots begin to appear? I am moving in about 4 weeks on a 2 hour journey and don't want to damage the roots if they have started to grow. Deborah mailto:davidtys1@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 06:41:53 -0800 From: rarefruit@san.rr.com To: Deborah Deborah, pitaya is quite hardy. Many-probably most-people do let them dry for a few days, but I almost never do. Remember to keep the sand at most VERY slightly damp, as it holds water more than perlite. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 07:36:08 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: David T Deborah, you can move them while in the sand, perhaps in a plastic bag or container. They may have roots beginning by then, but probably not a large mass. They really are hardy and will survive almost in spite of what you do to them. Leo David T wrote: > Hi Leo, > > Thanks for the reply. I will pot them in sand tomorrow. >How long before roots begin to appear? I am moving in about 4 >weeks on a 2 hour journey and don't want to damage the roots >if they have started to grow. > > Deborah mailto:davidtys1@hotmail.com > >Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 06:41:53 -0800 >From: rarefruit@san.rr.com >To: davidtys1@hotmail.com >Subject: Re: Rooting Pitaya Cuttings > >Deborah, pitaya is quite hardy. Many-probably most-people do let >them dry >for a few days, but I almost never do. Remember to keep the sand >at most >VERY slightly damp, as it holds water more than perlite. > >Leo > "deborah_uk1" wrote: > >> >> Hi, >>>>> I am new to Pitaya's so need a bit of advice. I have been given >> some cuttings, 6" long of yellow and red pitayas. How do I root >> them successfully? The current climate where I live is warm and >> sunny in the day, around 25 celcius (50F), dropping to around 10 >> celsius at night. >>>>> Thanks for any advice, >>>>> Deborah >>>>> [Lots of ways. I root mine in several inches of pure perlite with >> a tiny bit of water. (Much water and they'll sometimes rot.) >> You'll get faster results with a bit of bottom heat and possibly >> by supplementing the light. Add a very little water once per week >> or less. They should begin to root in a month or possibly less. >> You can tell when they are rooted when a gentle tug on the pitaya >> lifts perlite around it. Sand may be used instead, but keep it >> VERY slightly damp. Let us know how they root. -Leo] >> >Thanks for the advice Leo.I will have to try rooting them in sand. >Do the cuttings need to dry out for a few days first? Thanks again. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: How I'm Fighting Diabetes - Gogi (Wolfberries) Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:38:56 -0500 (EST) From: Laurie I too, have diabetes, diagnosed in 1987. To control my blood sugar I eat 2 Tablespoons of dried Goji Berries daily or take 3 capsules of Wolfberry (same stuff). The results are remarkable. My A1C blood test count is 6.1 (7 is goal) I have more energy too. I use the berries wherever I can, substituting them for raisins, cranberries, etc. My daily dose is normally included in hot oatmeal. My family is now eating the berries daily too. My husband's eyes have improved so much that his prescription for eyeglasses were lowered 3 notches and he does not need to wear them at night. His Optometrist is Dr. Liane Casuga, she can verify this. Do not bother with the very expensive Goji juice (from concentrate) hype. In a health food store there are as much as $30 a lb. Purchase dried berries from Chinatown, buy the _organic_ ones, they are $5 a lb., look for the name fructus lycii. Being wary of the tremendous multi-level marketing pressures, I did a lot of research and found the majority of berries are brought to The Ningxia Commercial Foreign Trade Zone Co, Ltd. for distribution to the world. Here is some information http://www.alibaba.com/company/10334204.html Blueberries: I have a warm-weather blueberry plant fruiting and flowering right now but know nothing about how to correctly care for it. The berries are very sweet and measure 3/4" in diameter. I realize it is not categorized as a rare fruit but need help. I learned nothing about blueberries in my Master Gardener's classes because they were not sold or successfully grown here before 2005. Some berry plants are very easy to grow in Hawaii and fruit well. I treat my Goji berry, Miracle Fruit and blueberry potted plants alike. Fertilize regularly every 6-8 weeks with azalea-type fertilizer granules. What is the correct way to care for a small Blueberry shrub? It's about 36" around, do I prune it, how much, and when? Re: Persimmons Before they were mass-gassed to remove the astringency, I remember a farm in Maui with mature, unripe, round variety persimmons on pallets. Each fruit had about a teaspoon of liquor (probably vodka, because it was clear) poured onto the stem end and was left for a week. The fruit could then be eaten like a crunchy apple. and there was NO of astringency. This process made the fruit less perishable so they started to reach Maui's supermarkets as a commercial crop. Happy holidays to all. Laurie mailto:Timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Out Of Season Mango Blooms Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:45:32 -0800 From: Matthew Shugart Dear Leo and RFNO readers: I have a mango in full bloom now. Is that unusual? Should I remove these to try to get it to wait and flower again when spring is near? The variety is 'Lemon Merengue,' one of the varieties propagated by Exotica Nursery. I also have 'Thomson' and 'Bombay,' with no sign of blooms on either. 'Thomson' had a great crop this past year. Outstanding fruit. The tree is one that I purchased at one of Leo's fruit-tree sales a few years ago and this was its first crop. Best, Matthew Shugart mailto:mshugart@ucsd.edu Bonsall, California http://fruits.laderafrutal.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Richard's Mystery-Berry Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 22:18:41 -0800 (PST) From: Teban Tani To: Richard Richard; It sounds like you may have a type of Elaeagnus there. The Sunset book lists several species like Russian olive and Silverberry. Asian people call them Gumi berries. They are easy to grow so if you get a flavorful one let us know. Papa Teban mailto:tebantani@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Looking For Superior Rare Fruit Seeds Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:41:52 -0500 From: Gary Hays Leo, Looking to see if any of your readers have and would be willing to trade seeds of superior varieties of jaboticaba, grumichama, cherry of the rio grande. I have a plant of each, but am seeking particularly desirable varieties if possible. Here in Florida there doesn't seem to be specific varieties of these, except perhaps a yellow jabo, but I believe in Brazil there are some different and superior types. Any info is appreciated. Gary mailto:ghays@harris.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: FWD: How Do I Care For Sugar Apple Tree? From: "david.crfg-sd" Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 10:24:28 -0800 To: Toan Humphrey Hi, Toan. I suggest that you get in touch with Quang Ong, the owner. His number is listed on the CRFG.org website. I'm also going to copy Bill Grimes and Leo Manual. Bill might be able to get you some expert info. Leo has an email newsletter you can sign up for at rarefruitcom. Lots of knowledgeable people read it and weigh in. Best of luck and Happy New Year. David Silverstein mailto:david.crfg-sd@cox.net Chairman (Ret.) CRFG San Diego Chapter ------------------------------------------------ Subject: How Do I Care For Sugar Apple Tree? From: Toan Humphrey Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 7:46 PM To: Twan Hello, My name is Twan, I just bought a sugar apple tree in a five gallon pot from Ong Nursery in Linda Vista. From the Cloudforest Gardening Forum, I learn that some from your organization have had success in growing this tree and it bears fruit. I have always liked this fruit, but this is my first time to try to have it in my garden. I live in Chula Vista, would you please tell me when should I put it in the ground, and what do I need to do in order for it not only to survive but to bear fruit. When I bought the tree, the owner was not available, and his mother doesn't know much about the tree, so I couldn't ask any questions. I truly appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you very much. Toan (Twan) mailto:jtaehp268@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: CRFG and Patricia on CNN Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 20:01:41 -0800 From: Norman Beard Dear CRFG Members Please see the video clip below, it is an interview with Patricia Marsano in Iraq Here's a link to MSGT's interview on CNN in case you missed it. Unit/Title: 210th Balad, Iraq/ MSGT Patricia Marsano Media Type: Live Interview http://www.dvidshub.net/popups/theater-tveyes.php?vid=359 Norman Beard mailto:Beardtropics@earthlink.net <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101* Balboa Park *usually When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Tiny Grape Has Big Role in Science Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:03:33 -0500 From: ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, luis.pons@ars.usda.gov --View this report online, plus any included photos or other images, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Really big things may come from Pixie, a very small grape recently released by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The seeded black fruit of this grape line is not meant for eating. Instead, the variety's novel traits make it ideal for genetics, genomics, breeding and other research that can lead to new breeding lines or cultivars that grape consumers will love. Pixie fits well into its classification as a dwarf variety. According to Peter Cousins--the geneticist in the ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit at Geneva, N.Y., who helped develop it--mature clusters of Pixie typically measure slightly less than four inches long. He said that a Pixie grapevine can be grown in a coffee cup and still produce some grapes. This characteristic reduces by about 50-fold the amount of space needed for grapevine experimentation, as Pixie vines can be grown in the greenhouse to maturity without ever needing to be planted in a vineyard. But what really makes the new grape line special is its ability to initiate fruit year round. In fact, according to Cousins, it's typical to observe flower buds, blooms, immature fruit, and ripe fruit--all on the same vine. While this trait would not be useful for the consumer-grape industry--grape producers prefer to pick their crop just once--it does accelerate research, allowing for year-round studies on flowers and berries at all stages of development. Cousins and University of California-Davis scientist David Tricoli developed Pixie by regenerating whole plants from embryogenic cells of the Pinot Meunier variety of grapes. The concept of developing such dwarf grape plants was first demonstrated and published by Australian scientists Paul K. Boss, Mark R. Thomas, K.G. M. Skene and Martin Barlass. Intellectual property protection will not be sought for Pixie, according to Cousins. To inquire about the availability of this new variety, write to Peter Cousins, USDA-ARS, Grape Genetics Research Unit, 630 W. North St., Geneva, NY 14456. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200701A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - January 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200701B.txt _____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> This would have been the shortest RFNO ever, had I not padded it with messages in the [Rarefruit] news group. Some of you subscribe to that newsletter and will be bothered by seeing it again. 2007 may be the last year that RFNO will be published, if we don't have more messages from you readers. It's had a good run, having begun in 1996, but rather than letting it die a slow death, I would prefer to 'pull the plug.' I'll probably wait until the end of 2007 to decide. We had the first frost since we moved here in 1992 last night. It has done the usual damage to bananas and tomato plants. Tell us what damage this winter has done in your plants. Mango trees - a few of them - still have a total of maybe 20 fruit, including Kent, Keitt, Nam Doc Mai, and a seedling. I have several packages of frozen mangoes in the freezer when the fresh ones have gone. I harvested the last three pitaya fruit yesterday. One was a red-fruited hybrid of H. polyrhizus with H. undatus, and the others were H. undatus. It's hard to know when to harvest them as they are very slow to color up. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> Join News letter "Allen Bryce" <><><> Readers Write <><><> Figs For Tropical Dominican Republic Dada Vidyananda Multiple Mailing Of RFNO Jane Hermes Re: Rare fruit request N Sterman To: sunshine.lemme@gmail.com Self fruiting Cherimoya W Chow Re: Self fruiting Cherimoya Leo Manuel To: W Chow Re: Self fruiting Cherimoya W Chow <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None, this time <><><> Growing Rare Fruit In Containers: See William Ross <><><> CRFG Container Gardening Editor mailto:pursebox@vermontel.net None, this time <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <><>Bot-Linx List <> From: "Scott D. Russell" None, this time <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex None, this time <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Tom Waters" waterslv@yahoo.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Gary" ghays@harris.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Gary" ghays@harris.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Oscar fruitlovers@gmail.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Michael Nave" jmichaelnave@yahoo.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Gary" ghays@harris.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Oscar fruitlovers@gmail.com Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "jedd" jedd@progsoc.org Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:57 pm (PST) Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? "Gary1" ghays@harris.com Loquat budwood wanted "Paul William" pwilliam@gmail.com Sweet Lime Taste "Oscar" fruitlovers@gmail.com Re: Sweet Lime Taste "Ariel" ariel023@zahav.net.il Re: Taiwan atemoya seeds "Nestlebrae.Exotics" nestlebrae.exotics@xtra.co.nz Mamey sapote in Israel "Ariel" ariel023@zahav.net.il Re: Mamey sapote in Israel "Warren Condon" fruitguy@gmail.com <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: Join News letter Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:06:39 -0800 From: "Allen Bryce" I am Allen Bryce in Shawnee Oklahoma, have an Apple, Cherry and Pecan tree. I am trying to start from seed Medlar and Paw Paw tree. Paw Paws are doing fine the Medlars are doing nothing so far. I am looking for Lingonberry, Paw Paw Medlar Plants no luck so far. I have retired from a juvenile treatment center and now teach High school Health and PE. Also I work on the side as landscaper. I really enjoy working on lawns and gardens. Allen Bryce mailto:baseman2@charter.net <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Figs For Tropical Dominican Republic From: Dada Vidyananda Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:53:18 -0400 Hello, I have a question for your Fig expert. According to a previous posting the light varieties are less prone to cracks and probably bird pests. I have the Green Ischias variety. I grow them in the Dominican Republic southern coast. Climate is dry with a mean temp of 28C - 82.4 F. What variety could you recommend me that would grow well there and is there any listing of the Brix of the different varieties. Is there anybody who can share some budwood. Many thanks, Dada mailto:dada.vidyananda@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Multiple Mailing Of RFNO From: Jane Hermes Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:29:53 -0500 HI Leo; Thanks so much for doing this newsletter. I very much appreciate all the work you put into it. Just for your information, I was able to receive all 4 versions. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year. Best Regards Jane Hermes mailto:merlinchair@islc.net [I believe that my delivery of RFNO will go better now, with my different mailing application. I do apologize for the multiple mailings last time. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Rare fruit request From: N Sterman Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:50:13 -0800 To: sunshine.lemme@gmail.com Hi Sunshine I too grew up in Southern California but I studied Botany in North Carolina and spent several years on the outer banks in Beaufort and surrounding areas. Keep in mind that your wetland property is not just wet, it is also salty. Wetlands are brackish (a mixture of salt and fresh water) rather than strictly fresh or salt water. The salt content infuses the soils and compounds the challenges of growing fruits and other traditional plants in the ground. I have to say that when I read your email, my stomach turned a bit. Rather than raise your soil level or drain the soil, please take the time to learn about North Carolina's wetland ecosystem and how incredibly valuable it is. I encourage you to grow your plants in containers rather than destroy the native habitat which, as I remember, grows asparagus particularly well. Best of luck Nan Sterman mailto:NSterman@PlantSoup.Com Encinitas, CA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Self fruiting Cherimoya From: W Chow Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:43:45 -0800 (PST) Hi Leo, I have a nice cherimoya tree at Crown Point (Pacific Beach). The tree grows well and is very strong. I did not have time to hand pollinate the flowers. I have only 2 very small fruits in 6 years. I grafted the branches I got from you. But these are grafted on lower branches. The graft is working okay, but not many flowers and no fruit because these branches are shaded too much. As a result of the above, I am not too excited about the cherimoya. I have one tree at Del Mar. This is a grafted tree from your cross pollinated tree (cross between cherimoya and atemoya). The tree is growing well. But it is still quite small after 2 years. My neighbor here in Del Mar has 2 trees. He knows nothing about pollination. But the tree seems to produce big fruits by itself. I think half his fruits are lemon size. But the other half is 12 ounce to 16 ounce. I am real impressed that he can get fruits that looks like it is fully pollinated without him knowing. Is it possible that some flowers are pointing up when it opens. Then it gets pollen dropping down from the flowers at the tree top? I will ask him for some bud wood to graft on my matured tree. Are you interesting is why his tree works ? Happy New Year ! William mailto:williamwchow@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Self fruiting Cherimoya From: Leo Manuel Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:03:06 -0800 To: W Chow Hi William, I haven't hand-pollinated my cherimoa trees for years. I believe that with your humidity near the beach, you'll get fruit without special attention. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Self fruiting Cherimoya From: W Chow Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:51:03 -0800 (PST) Hi Leo, It sounds like I messed up the tree because it is putting out a lot of vigorous vegetative growth and no fruit or flower. Maybe I have too much nitrogen in the ground. I am going to try cherimoya again. This time I will watch out for the nitrogen. I will also do more grafting so that the plant will be more predictable. Happy New Year ! William mailto:williamwchow@yahoo.com <><> Mailbag of Sainarong Rasananda mailto:sainaron@loxinfo.co.th <><> None, this time <><><><><> Growing Rare Fruit In Containers <><><><><> None, this time <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <><>Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/<><> From: "Scott D. Russell" Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/ None this time <><><> NAFEX List From: nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org <><><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "Tom Waters" waterslv@yahoo.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:59 am (PST) That fogger is a bad idea. I bought one. it was like $400. RH is already high enough in most greenhouses, and when the vents open the fogger will be running non stop which is very expensive to run. Like I said before all you need is an automatic window opener that uses wax, so simple so easy and its been running fine for 2 years now. -TomW. //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "dghays01" ghays@harris.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:23 am (PST) What am I going to do, put each plant in a separate greenhouse? //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "dghays01" ghays@harris.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:28 am (PST) There are some thermostat based louvers which open at a separate temp. At least with this, during the summer, you have a moderate chance of the louvers being open when a power outage occurs. Hopefully I could also have an exhaust fan which would kick on at a higher temp to avoid plant damage temps. Anyone have that max setting I'd want to kick it on at? Also, an internal fan to add a breeze might help with fungal issues. I've been leaving the windows open, and probably would during the summer unless there's a good reason not to. Gary //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "oscarrj" fruitlovers@gmail.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:07 pm (PST) You could also consider having a backup power source for the rare occasions when the power goes out. If the electrical device does not use a lot of juice then you could use an UPS just like for a computer. Oscar //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "Michael Nave" jmichaelnave@yahoo.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:59 pm (PST) That would be ideal.... No, seriously, you do need to group plants together that have similar high and low temperature requirements and you might find you need more than one greenhouse, depending upon what you are growing. As our Hawaii folks will tell you, tropical fruits vary widely in their optimal temperature and moisture requirements. You cannot grow all tropical fruits successfully at sea level in Hawaii and you cannot grow all tropical fruits at 2500 feet in Hawaii. You can't grow all tropical fruits in Hilo nor can you grow all tropical fruits in Kona. As a specific example, if you try to grow a coconut palm, a grapefruit, a jackfruit, and a mangosteen in exactly the same conditions, at least one of them is going to be very unhappy. //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "dghays01" ghays@harris.com Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:50 am (PST) I'm at sea level, and already have plants which thrive under humid, hot conditions. I realize all plants have different exact high temps they prefer. Since I will only have one greenhouse, all I was wondering is what temp I need to keep my greenhouse under to expect most tropical and subtropical fruit trees to not greatly suffer. Since it gets 95F every summer, I'm wondering how much hotter can most plants take it? I have to set the thermostat to something to make the fan kick on, and the higher its set, the less power I'm paying for. Any help with a proposed actual temperature would be greatly appreciated. I could also incorporate Tom's idea of a passive vent opening at say 90F, and a fan kicking on at say 98F, but if a different number higher than 98F would be feasible, it'd save me some bucks. Thanks for any help, Gary //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "oscarrj" fruitlovers@gmail.com Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:20 pm (PST) Ditto, they all grow here also, although coconuts are more productive at lower elevations. It is possible to have a greenhouse with different temperatures in different sections. What i've done is to install 3 different grades shadecloth in different parts of the roof. This gives different light intensity in different sections. Does not make for different temperatures, but the temperatures could also be further controlled by having walled off areas with plastic or other materials, also more or less ventilators as needed in each section. Oscar //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "jedd" jedd@progsoc.org Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:57 pm (PST) I'm sure there are cutoff temperatures for any given plant, but they are likely pretty arbitrary, and heavily influenced by other factors (water content, humidity levels, direct or radiant heat, air movement, and so on). A plant may cope with x degrees - but does that mean it'll cope with that, while stressed from lack of water, low humidity, during a fruiting cycle, while under fungal & aphid attack, all at the same time? I suspect a single integer panacea doesn't exist. Do some further research on this, by all means, but my take on this stuff is that if your temperature gets to 90F (are you guys *still* refusing to come over to the Celsius side of the force?) and it's on the rise, then a vent is unlikely to provide a rapid or useful drop in temperatures. Investigate passive chimneys - they function far more effectively than mere vents. Look at the figures (vent area per total surface area ratios) that manufacturers suggest you need to moderate the temperature within your greenhouse - they're pretty high. Compare and contrast the cubic metres of air that fans can, and according to manufacturers need, to shift per minute in order to maintain air temperatures at a reasonable level. As to a fan, I'd be uber-wary of relying on electricity and small machines with moving parts to sustain the life of plants that you may coddle for a decade or more. Plus, of course, using electricity to ameliorate the affects of global warming has a certain richness of irony attached to it, but inward reflection on this cycle may engender a less circular response. Jedd. //////// Re: Good max temp for greenhouse? Posted by: "dghays01" ghays@harris.com Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:36 am (PST) I realize there are lots of different factors affecting tolerances for plants, I'll try a solution with Tom's advice of a passive vent opening when it gets over 60-75F, and a thermostat controlled fan which kicks on when the temp gets more towards the high end, somewhere over 90F. Most plants won't have pollination concerns since it'll be more for young plants, but older ones I'll likely wheel out of the greenhouse for the growing season if its of fruiting size. Plan confronting IPM on a case by case scenario, but if you have general thoughts, they'd be welcomed. Thanks. PS. If you say its 100C or 0C I know what it is, otherwise I have to figure the approximation in my head, in F. If we had gone to it 35 years ago great, but too late now for me to think in celsius, unless there's financial motivation. //////// Loquat budwood wanted Posted by: "Paul William" pwilliam@gmail.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 9:20 am (PST) Anybody have any nice loquat cultivar budwood available? Looking for something with large fruit and excellent flavor, like Big Jim or Tenaka... Paul W //////// Sweet Lime Taste Posted by: "oscarrj" fruitlovers@gmail.com Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:04 pm (PST) I just juiced some sweet limes (Citrus limmetoides). I find them rather bland, but as Michael suggested this could be caused by climate. Maybe they are more flavorful in hotter climates. Our rainy Hawaiian climate is not really ideal for citrus, although tangerines and pummelos do very well. I think the sweet lime would be great for someone who is not able to stomach citric acid as they seem totally acidless. There is also a bit of bitter grapefruit like taste. My tree tends to be a shy bearer. Oscar //////// Re: Sweet Lime Taste Posted by: "ariel023" ariel023@zahav.net.il Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:35 pm (PST) Dear Oscar I agree with Michael Too much rain and low sun intensity affects lime and most of the citrus taste and colouration Ariel //////// Re: Taiwan atemoya seeds Posted by: "Nestlebrae.Exotics" nestlebrae.exotics@xtra.co.nz Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:16 pm (PST) They're very easy to germinate in moist, warm seed raising mix. I've never done anything in particular to them since they are fresh seeds. So easy to raise, that late in the fruiting season mature fruit sometimes have seeds already beginning to sprout within the fruit. OK from the plant's point of view, but not so good for the person eating it! John John D Prince & Rosemary Steele 219 South Head Road, Parkhurst, Helensville, New Zealand 0874. phone [64] 09 420 7312 website: www.helensville.co.nz/nestlebrae/ //////// Mamey sapote in Israel Posted by: "ariel023" ariel023@zahav.net.il ariel0232003 Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:27 am (PST) It was published recently that Mr Doron Lev, of Moshav Almagor (near the Sea og Galile) a pensioner growing mangoes and lychees, is experomenting with growing mamey sapote He had started from seeds and then imported grafted varieties with bare roots that were quarantined for a year It is said in the article that it takes almost 3 years from flowering to harvest and that under the cold Israeli winter, there are numerous dangers that no fruita will be harvested The bats and a few borers are among its pests There is a big problem in grafting it thus any propagator heremay advuse wether air layers, rooted cuttings or donkey's manure may help Sincerely Ariel //////// Re: Mamey sapote in Israel Posted by: "Warren Condon" fruitguy@gmail.com therealfruitfreak Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:23 am (PST) I been told that leaving some of the leaves on the scion greatly improves the chances of success when grafting. This comes from people who do a lot of mamey grafting. Warren Miami, FL <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200701B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - February 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200702A.txt ______________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Last Issue had the mistaken January 1 date instead of January 15. I apologize for the confusion it created among you. You sent lots of mail to me, which will fatten this issue considerably. Many letters urging me not to stop the publication came, but I can't do it alone. I see my role here as communications facilitator among us. You are to send questions, or respond to questions of others, and I am to collect them and send that to you, and sometimes I'll do an internet search to see if I can find answers to publish in this twice monthly publication. But, without your letters, I don't have anything to do. Of course, when I see articles of possible interest, I send them, but I can't over-stress the importance of letters from you. I'll keep up my end if you do yours! Please! Cold damage from mid-January is becoming more evident, as it has time to show. Banana leaves were crisped, mango new growth and blooms were mostly killed, the jackfruit will probably not recover, but it was surprising that no pitaya plants were noticeably damaged, the lychee and longan trees showed no sign of damage, and even most mango trees were untouched. Damage in my yard was slight in comparison to what some of you described! I believe that I should strip the remaining mango fruit on my Keitt and Kent trees. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, With Frost Damage Report "David L. Maislen" New Subscriber, Lucio, From Brazil Lucio Mauro Stuani New Subscriber-Rob, In Both Hawaii And California Rob Ferber <><><> Readers Write <><><> Cold Damage Near Riverside, California Al Turnbull Unprecedented Cold In East San Diego County Marion Brodie How San Diego Plunge In Temperatures Affected Me Zhenxing Fu Re: Delivery of RFNO OK 1/14/07? Marion Brodie My Newsletter Contributions Coming Allen Sylvester I Need SWEET Mangosteen Trees Or Scions In Oahu Laurie Oak Root Rot - Will It Affect These Rare Fruit? David Lappen Grape Scions Into California Permitted? Kathy Diewald Seedling Cherimoya With Superior Taste To Grafted One! Kathy Diewald Antelope Valley Cold More Severe Than Mine James Freedner Rodents - What Can I Do? Jamie Meade Stern's Medlar - Information Sought Neil Kent Mango Tree Wanted For Tampa, Florida Belle Shenoi Newsletter Appreciation Paul & Mary Engstrom Ed Valdivia's Site On Pitayas - Great! Oscar Jaitt Fwd: Re: Self pollinating Cherimoya ? W Chow Phoenix, AZ - Had Coldest Temps In Over Ten Years Celeste Gornick I Am Seeking To Acquire Rare Bananas BHop33 Joe Reports: Rare Fruit News Online - Frost Damage Joe Sabol Huerta Happenings, and weather! Joe Sabol To: "Jerry Sortomme RE: Huerta Happenings, and Weather! Jerry Sortomme "Brazilian Fruit & Cultivated Exotics" Recommended Ben San Diego Cold Temps & Fruit Question (Kei Apple?) Manuel Villarreal My Oranges Hit Hard :-( Joe Sabol To: Ron Couch San Diego Transplant To Florida Asks About Our Cold Bill Burson Appreciation Of Newsletter Bob Gear Re: Grape Scions Into California Permitted? Leo Manuel I'm Moving, So Have Fruit Trees For Sale Barbara Banks <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Using Plants to Clean Up Soil ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, With Frost Damage Report From: "David L. Maislen" Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:32:27 -0800 Hi Leo, Please add me to your e-mail newsletter list. I am in San Luis Obispo, California Joe Sabol asked me to let you know the damage we had from the frost. First of all, the coldest night was last Sunday, the 14th. I have a Davis weather station in my orchard and at 3:00 AM it was 19.7 degrees F. I lost a crop of English rhubarb, all of my citrus and avocados, and passion fruit vines. 8 varieties of bananas also died back, but I suspect the roots are still alive. I also lost a large edible ginger plant. David Maislen mailto:dmaislen@charter.net Member CRFG ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber, Lucio, From Brazil From: Lucio Mauro Stuani Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:36:41 -0200 Hi I'm Lucio Stuani from Brazil and I'm interested you send the rarefruit newsletter. I have a fruit collection and I'm interested in good news. I have brazilian fruits like myrtaceae, annonaceae, etc. Best regards, Lucio mailto:lm.stuani@uol.com.br ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber-Rob, In Both Hawaii And California Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:18:59 -0800 From: Rob Ferber Hello, I'm Rob Ferber, living in the Santa Cruz Mountains of San Mateo County, California and the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawaii (which I dream of turning into a farm). At present, I've got relatively little stock of rare trees: Medlar (Royal and Breda Giant), Qunice (two Georgian cultivars) but am trying to expand that list. In Hawaii, my neighbor's cattle have just about eliminated my trees, so I'm going to go back over and redo the fences before replanting. What has survived are the Rose Apples (taste like Turkish Delight), lots of unnamed Guavas, some chocolate, and the vanilla that got into the guavas. What I'd like to grow in California includes Rambutan (I have a greenhouse suitable for the job), White Sapote (anyone know where to get McDill?), and anything else that might work at 2300' elevation surrounded by redwood forest. Lowest temperature this decade has been 25 Farenheit, high 114 Farenheit. I'm a "newbie" horticulturalist, with a strong botanical background. Hopefully my orchard will grow and thrive. Advice and cool sources of new things are always welcome. Rob mailto:rferber@via.net <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Cold Damage Near Riverside, California From: Al Turnbull Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:35:09 -0500 (EST) Hi Leo, I hope you don't discontinue the Rare Fruit List. I truly enjoy it. This has been an awful week for my semitropical trees! Monday it was 82F and then the temperature plunged. Friday morning it was 30F in my yard, Saturday 27F with a strong north wind, finally this morning it was 24F and the ice in the shade didn't melt until late afternoon. They are predicting a slightly warmer temperature for tomorrow. My cherimoyas and starfruit leaves have turned black and my mango looks miserable. I have lived in Moreno Valley (near Riverside, CA) for 16 years and some winters we have an occasional brief early morning frost, no lower than 28F that never seems to cause any harm. I just picked my first starfruit a couple of weeks ago and it was very sweet. I just hope the trees recover as I was proud to have something more unusual in my yard than plums and peaches. Al Turnbull mailto:ChiuMoho@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Unprecedented Cold In East San Diego County From: Marion Brode Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:38:45 +0000 (GMT) We had a severe chill last night down in the teens here Leo, oh gosh. My dwarf bananas have had it plus my papayas were covered in ice. Also icicles had even formed on the nozels from the water hoses. We've been living in the low foothills here in east county for the past 30 years and never known it to be this chilly and it has lasted so long - we did not even have frost last year. It's been frigid this past week. The very small trees I covered with bubble wrap. The papayas were too large to cover so have been spraying with water, but nightime freeze is just too much! Marion ------------------------------------------------ Subject: How San Diego Plunge In Temperatures Affected Me From: Zhenxing Fu Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:48:47 +0000 (GMT) Leo, I just received your newsletter with no problems. The freezing temperature this morning burned a lot of tree leaves in my garden. The trees look so sad, I hope they won't die. We will see. Thanks a lot, Zhenxing mailto:zfu@UCSD.Edu ------------------------------------------------ Subject: My Newsletter Contributions Coming From: Allen Sylvester Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:16:54 -0800 (PST) Leo, I know you said to reply if I did NOT receive the newsletter, but I am replying so you know I received both your query and the newsletter. Thanks for the newsletter. I have been very busy lately trying to finish some research and write papers for 2006. I should be able to send you some contributions for the newsletter now. Allen mailto:allensylves@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: I Need SWEET Mangosteen Trees Or Scions In Oahu From: Laurie Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:22:46 -0500 (EST) Leo, My AOL server is receiving your newsletter just fine. I have access to REALLY, REALLY sour yellow Mangosteen fruit, but my mouth puckers even recalling the taste. I would like to grow a couple of purple variety sweet Mangosteen trees but have not seen any for sale. Where/how can I get the plant, budwood or seeds? Laurie on Oahu mailto:Timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Oak Root Rot - Will It Affect These Rare Fruit? From: David Lappen Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:42:31 -0800 I look forward to reading the RFNO and would be sad to see the plug pulled. I actually have an important question (at least to me). We recently had a tree fall down, and in an attempt to make sure our house didn't get hit by others, had an arborist out. he siad it was hit with oak root rot. I was planning on planting one of my many container fruit trees in that spot, but am concerned that they might succome. I have been told that there is nothing I can do to clean the soil. The trees I could plant there are avocado, cherimoya, citus, sapote or loquat. Any suggestions? Thanks, David Lappen mailto:dlappen@digitalams.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Grape Scions Into California Permitted? From: Kathy Diewald Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:07:12 -0800 (PST) Dear Leo, Is it ok to send grape cutting to central California through the US mail? Also, how long can one store them in the frig. In the method of the crfg scionwood exchange? Thanks Leo. By the way, I never found out who brought in the pomegranate cuttings from Turkey to the orange county crfg scionwood exchange last January. I grafted some onto my wonderful and planted some in pots and later in the ground. Thanks, Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net Orange County Chapter Of CRFG member for twenty years ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Seedling Cherimoya With Superior Taste To Grafted One! From: Kathy Diewald Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:23:34 -0800 (PST) Dear Leo, I just got through reading the fellows problems with his cherimoya not fruiting without hand pollination. I have a Dr. white variety of cherimoya in my front yard that produces only with hand pollination and a seedling I bought from Roger Meyers that produces even large sized fruit when I squirt water up high into the tree at mid-day. I have fruit this year that is too high to pick without ladders and avocado type pickers. The white variety produces four pound fruits which do not have the superior flavor of the seedling I bought from Roger. We live in costa mesa, a mile from the ocean. Kathy diewald ps: please don't give up the ship! I really enjoy your newsletter! Thanks for the good times!! Kathy Diewald, mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Antelope Valley Cold More Severe Than Mine From: James Freedner Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:42:44 -0800 Hi, Leo, Although we had very cold weather here, it was not as bad as the Antelope Valley. Although I don't know if there are any rare-fruit growers based there. Cold enough her to spot some ice puddles in the FedEx parking lot and by an apartment building (north side) at around noon! Can't determine if there was any damage to plants around here yet - pitayas may have gotten through it OK. Sugar cane are sort of lying about but that it from the gusty winds. I sort of ignore the cane and it keeps coming back! I hope you do get a bit more of a response in 2007 and keep the news coming, but I can understand if you want out. Maybe there are other blogs out there that rare-fruit people frequent now? In my case, I don't really have a lot of really rare stuff growing - just a mite unusual and with work and other details, I have not been doing a lot of gardening over the past couple of years. That is, I let what grows, grow; but I don't have the time to fertilize, water and coax a lot of "finnicky" plants. Though I may plant the odd seed or two later this spring to see what might happen! J. Eric Freedner mailto:Freedner@msn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Rodents - What Can I Do? From: Jamie Meade Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 06:31:10 -0500 Leo, I live in south florida and have a mango tree that produces wonderful fruit. The tree is about 6 years old and has a trunk approximately 4" in diameter. It is currently in full blossom. Last year I had squirrels take every fruit from my tree. Is there a commercialy manufactured skirt or home made remedy, or other measure I can take to deter these pesky rodents (just short of a BB gun)? Jamie Meade mailto:jmeade@tampabay.rr.com Palmetto, FL ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Stern's Medlar - Information Sought From: Neil Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:59:07 -0800 (PST) Hi Allen Bryce, I live in Arkansas, and also have some medlars stratifying, and one pawpaw transplant. I don't know if the medlars will sprout or not, but I am hopeful. Have you heard of the "Stern's Medlar?" It only grows in one county of Arkansas and is a close relative to the other medlar. Neil ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Kent Mango Tree Wanted For Tampa, Florida From: Belle Shenoi Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:57:02 -0500 This is the first time I have received the RFNO by email! I became a bit curious to read the first news item where the author (Leo?) states that he has a few mango trees with fruits on them.If that is true, I like to know where he is located and if I can reach him by phone or his email address, because I am looking for a fruit bearing Kent mango tree that will grow in the Tampa area. If he in San Fransisco area, please disregard this. Belle Shenoi mailto:b.shenoi@wright.edu ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Newsletter Appreciation From: Paul & Mary Engstrom Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:29:41 -0800 Dear Leo Please keep the "News" alive. the information is great and I am sure many from many partts of the world agree. Thank you. Keep in good health. Paul Engstrom mailto:pmengstrom@macreviewzone.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Ed Valdivia's Site On Pitayas - Great! From: Oscar Jaitt Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:33:47 -1000 Hi Leo, Here is a great site from Edgar Valdivia on pitayas, in case you do not already know about it. Has photos as well as videos: http://www.edvaldivia.com/aboutedgar.html I recently returned from a fantastic horticultural expo in Thailand called Royal Expo. It is 200 acres loaded with hundreds of agricultural displays. It goes on until January 31 in case anyone is interested. It is in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Thank you, Oscar Jaitt mailto:fruitlovers@hotmail.com Fruit Lover's Nursery, http://www.fruitlovers.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Fwd: Re: Self pollinating Cherimoya ? From: W Chow Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:27:39 -0800 (PST) Letter from Florida reader Ed: Subject: Re: Self pollinating Cherimoya ? From: Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:34:00 -0500 To: "W Chow" Hi There is a self polinating sugar apple I don't hear about much it is Rollinia Muclosa a very good fruit. Look it up if you haven't seen it. Ed mailto:eamusg@quixnet.net ----- Original Message ----- Subject: Re: Self pollinating Cherimoya ? From: W Chow To: Ed Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 1:15 PM Hi, What Leo said is that once the tree is big enough, or if you live in a coastal area, there is enough moisture to alter the behavior of the flowers. The male and female flowers active period overlap and the flowers become self pollinating. This is not a 100% reliable interaction. My neighbor's tree gets big fruits maybe half the time. He gets fruits that are deformed or small when the pollination in poor. I was wondering if the type of tree has an influence in this process. The answer is that most varieties will do this. Seedling grown tree tends to be less reliable. Regards, William mailto:williamwchow@yahoo.com eamusg@quixnet.net wrote: Hi William I read about you in Leo's column I would also like to know more about that tree could you find out what is the name of that tree ? Fellow fruit grower in FL mailto:eamusg@quixnet.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Phoenix, AZ - Had Coldest Temps In Over Ten Years From: Celeste Gornick Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:01:15 -0500 (EST) Phoenix, AZ had its coldest series of four nights in over 10 years. Freeze Warning is in effect until 9 am MST Today. Temperatures in my back yard (Phoenix) hit low of 21 degrees. Outlaying areas much colder. Scottsdale area in the teens, black ice on the roads. Humidity at 1%. Total damage has not been assessed as yet. Celeste Gornick mailto:HHeaven77@aol.com Phoenix, AZ (5 miles northeast of Glendale, AZ) ------------------------------------------------ Subject: I Am Seeking To Acquire Rare Bananas From: BHop33 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:35:43 -0800 (PST) I am looking to buy & eat rare varieties of banana fruit, 1,200 grow in this world, but only 6 are sold in common stores. Brian mailto:bhop31@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Joe Reports: Rare Fruit News Online - Frost Damage From: Joe Sabol Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:56:50 -0800 Hi Leo Here is a preliminary frost damage report from my back yard in San Luis Obispo: Lemons, Navel and Valencia and Cara Cara, several different Mandarin, Meyer Lemon, lime, Limequat, grapefruit, pummelo. All very serious damage to leaves, flowers and immature fruit. Succulent/immature shoots all burned badly. All young citrus trees look horrible, may die! Older citrus trees have some leaves in the interior that appear to be OK. No bark splitting,yet. All citrus were covered with blankets or tarps, etc. I needed more blankets! Avocado (only two trees, a young Hass and young Bacon) very serious leaf, flower and immature shoot damage. Trees look horrible! Every leaf will die and drop. Both trees covered with blankets. White Sapote, Ice Cream Bean Tree, guava. Very serious leaf damage, every leaf will die and drop! No cover on these trees. Macadamia. No leaf damage, but all flowers zapped good! No cover on these trees. Sunday morning, January 14, was our coldest morning. We were 18 degrees at my home at dawn. Coldest morning in more than 30 years? I am thankful this is a hobby for me. Not so for our many citrus and avocado growers who depend upon good weather for their income! Leo, I continue to be amazed at the damage done and the lack of damage. For instance, I have 50 feet of sweet peas, all about 8 to 10 inches tall and they survived the freeze with no apparent damage! I have two rows of leaf lettuce, probably 20 feet long and it appears to be OK! I almost forgot: I forgot, One Passion fruit vine, mature, covers more than 100 square feet, every leaf wilted! End of report. Keep up the good work Leo! Happy New Year! Joe Sabol mailto:jsabol@calpoly.edu ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Huerta Happenings, and weather! From: Joe Sabol Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:33:17 -0800 To: "Jerry Sortomme Dear Jerry Thanks for the report, especially the weather report. You might select out the weather report, modify it only a little, and send it to Leo Manuel for the Rare Fruit Newsletter he sends out to the world. He is seeking weather reports, low temps and plant damage from all over California. Stay warm. Joe mailto:jsabol@calpoly.edu ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Huerta Happenings, and weather! From: Jerry Sortomme Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:01:53 -0800 Leo Manuel, Joe Sabol suggested I send you this La Huerta Project weekly email summary report. The weather portion might be of interest. If you'd like to use it in some fashion feel free to edit it in any way. I doctored-up a few items that differ from the original rough draft. see :below Thanks, Jerry Sortomme mailto:jerrysortomme@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Huerta* Happenings, January 18, 2007 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 11:14:37 -0800 To: "Jerry Sortomme" *A Living Museum Repository Orchard-Garden of 1769-1834 California Mission-Era "Heritage Plants" La Huerta Work Day Summary Report This past week was perhaps the coldest week we have endured in this region since the La Huerta Project began in 2003. An arctic air mass settled into the western United States and record daytime and night time low temperatures dominated everywhere. Subtropical crops; citrus and avocado and field strawberry operations were ruined. Urban water pipes froze and ruptured all over the region. ***This morning a surprise sprinkle greeted us at day break, with pre dawn snow flurries reported near San Luis Obispo. Wednesday's frigid morning cloudiness cleared rapidly and it became cool and sunny (warming up a bit). It was a nice cool, and very clear sunny day. UNTIL 3:00. Then out of no place. an inland rogue, upper level, cut-off low pressure storm boiled-up from the interior side of the coastal mountains and poured black clouds toward the coastline. Hail and pelting rain cloaked the foothills and some fingers of rain reached the shoreline and rain cells roamed over the Channel Islands. Of all things! South of us Malibu had a real mid day snowstorm (up to 4 inches in spots). Malibu where just last week an east wind firestorm had flash burned exclusive Malibu Colony homes near Pepperdine University, today snow covered the carcasses of those burnt-out mansions. This bizarre weather was not forecasted and not every place got the surprise precipitation, but I-5 over the Grapevine and Hwy 33 over the Maricopa were closed as snow, hail and ice carpetted the high country. This morning (Thursday) Kanan Rd. (that cuts across the Santa Monica Mountains) was closed due to "black ice" conditions. Wednesday rainbows popped-up in several spots as this day ended. Weather stats at La Huerta for last week: our Hi/Lo thermometer recorded the range of temperatures from 73 degrees to 35 degrees (this 35 degree mark is the lowest Huerta reading recorded since we began taking stats in 2003). Santa Barbara Airport recorded a weekly low temperature of 24 and some local readings were in the teens. La Huerta had no garden freeze or frost damage, but there was minimal wind damage*** Even though there was wild rainfall all around us, unfortunately the La Huerta's rain gauge did not receive but a trace to 0.10 inches of rainfall. bummer. Mary Forsell called in the rainfall reading to Jerry today. No more rain forecasted. Contacting Jerry this week. Toots Bier of the University of Riverside - Citrus Clonal Protection Program (retired). It seems the huge deep freeze damage to citrus throughtout California has severly impacted the foliage, flowers, fruit and even some of the mature trees themselves. Toots reminded us that our trees are on their own seedling roots and even if they seem destroyed, they will reemerge and grow back. Apparently Mission San Gabriel's Toots' trees were hit hard by the cold snap this week. Here at OMSB there was no obvious damage done, even to our smallest era seedling trees. We are truly in a mission "banana belt" micro-climate zone. Kindest Regards, Jerry mailto:jerrysortomme@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: "Brazilian Fruit & Cultivated Exotics" Recommended From: Ben Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:39:27 -0800 Hello Leo We had a low of 28 on the 13th which fried the banana plants pretty well. This was followed by several nights in the low 30's Damage showed up on Wax jambu, Psidium freidrichsthalianum and leaf burn on higher branches of the Candle nut tree, Cherimoya, INgam, and a couple of Avocados. This is the first time since we moved here in 1991 that we have had any damage on the Avos or Cherimoya. What is also interesting are the items that did not suffer damage - most of the Myrtaceae and the starfruit , sapodilla, canistel . The manila mango had 20 - 30 fruits almost ripe when the cold began in early Jan. they began developing black spots and aborting before ripe. I must let everyone know of an exceptional plant book titled "Brazilian Fruit and Cultivated Exotics". It is exciting to find a book with information about fruits that you are not familiar with. Each entry has a color photo of the fruit and usually one of the flower and foliage. The first part of the book deals with native fruits - of which there are an unbelievable number ! The second part as the title states are cultivated exotics. It is worth the time to check it out at www.plantarum.com.br I highly recommend the book Ben mailto:benplant@tfb.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: San Diego Cold Temps & Fruit Question (Kei Apple?) From: Manuel Villarreal Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:40:52 -0800 (PST) Hi Leo the temperature fell below 26 degrees for two days. I don't know if my trees will ever recover will just wait and see. As I recalled your friend gave me four yellow looking fruits the size of large concord grape. They were sweet and acidic, and your friend said they were from Africa, where they use them to guard the villages against predators, because the plants are very thorny. That's all I remember. [Leo's Note: Sounds like the Kei Apple. It keeps lions out away from livestock, when planted around the stock.] Manny V. mailto:deaconmannyv@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: My Oranges Hit Hard :-( From: Joe Sabol Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:19:36 -0800 To: Ron Couch Ron I finally stripped all the oranges off of my frozen trees today. It hurt. I estimate that 95 percent of the leaves on these orange trees are dead and will fall to the ground in the next few days! We will juice those that seem to have some maturity/sugar. The rest will add to my compost pile. So sad, Joe mailto:jsabol@calpoly.edu ------------------------------------------------ Subject: San Diego Transplant To Florida Asks About Our Cold Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:21:47 -0600 From: Bill Burson How is the cold affecting your plants, other than the bananas & others that shriek at the first snap below 30? RFNO - I certainly hope the newsletter continues. The beauty of RFNO, is that it gives the little guy a forum & everybody some entertainment & enlightenment. I know that you spend considerable time on it, but we all appreciate it. Bill Burson mailto:powaybill@mchsi.com Navarre FL ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Appreciation Of Newsletter Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:43:49 -0500 (EST) From: Bob Gear Leo, Got the newsletter today 1-14-2007. Thank you for your effort toward all of us. You provide a greatly appreciated service. Bob Gear mailto:naturopathicphy@pol.net www.comprehensive.ws ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Grape Scions Into California Permitted? Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:10:22 -0800 From: Leo Manuel To: Kathy Hi Kathy I'm not sure about the grape cuttings. I believe David Silverstein brought the pomegranate cuttings, mailto:bentleye@cox.net or mailto:david.crfg-sd@cox.net. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: I'm Moving, So Have Fruit Trees For Sale Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 22:47:14 -0800 From: Barbara Banks Hi Leo, I'm leaving San Diego to move to New Mexico and I must find homes for my low-chill trees and berries. The prices I'm asking are about the same as what I paid. 3 peach trees: Florida Prince (early), Red Baron (mid) and Rubidoux (late). They are all 15 gallon size and will have fruit this summer. I also have a Katy apricot, 3 pineapple guava bushes, Autumn Bliss raspberries and Guatamalan blackberries that Evelyn Weidner gave to me. Anyone interested can call me at 760.736.8974. Thanks! ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Roundtable discussion on citrus - Recommend Anyone? Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:04:31 -0500 From: Dave Boerger Dear Leo Manuel, My name is Dave Boerger and I work for a New York City based boutique marketing consulting firm specializing in innovation and new product development. We are currently working with a client researching orange and other flavor trends in soft drinks. As such, we are looking to speak with a few people with expertise in such areas. Given your outstanding background in the world of exotic fruits we thought that you would be able to provide us with great insights for our project. We=92re looking for someone who could participate in a 1-1.5 hour roundtable discussion with our team (it would be a small group, 10-12 people) that is tentatively set for March 5th or 6th (though the dates may change). Perhaps you would happen to be in NY over these dates? Or we could possibly arrange to have you come to NY or do the interview via conference call. Please note that we would of course compensate you for your time and we would be happy to send you our questions/discussions points in advance as well. Please let me know if you have any questions and whether you might be interested/available. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you further over the phone. I can be reached via email or phone at 212-228-1226. I look forward to speaking with you! Best regards, Dave Boerger mailto:dave@consumereyes.com Consumer Eyes, Inc. 200 Park Avenue South Suite 1112 New York, NY 10003 Ph: 212.228.1226 Fax: 212.228.1182 www.consumereyes.com <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <><>Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/<><> From: "Scott D. Russell" Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/ None this time <><><> NAFEX List From: nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org <><><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> None this time <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Using Plants to Clean Up Soil Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:54:56 -0500 From: ARS News Service Raising soil acidity to a pH level of 5.8 to 6 to help alpine pennycress absorb heavy metals from soil doesn't harm beneficial soil microbes, according to a recent study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators. The researchers have been conducting ongoing studies on using alpine pennycress (Thlaspi caerulescens) to remove cadmium and other heavy metals as part of a soil remediation process known as phytoextraction. Previously, they found that lowering the pH helped the plant remove toxic metals, but they were concerned that increasing soil acidity too much could harm beneficial soil microbes. ARS agronomist Rufus Chaney, with the Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., has been a leader in using metal-accumulating plants to clean contaminated soil. He and others have shown that T. caerulescens can concentrate up to about 8,000 parts per million of toxic cadmium in its leaves. Harvesting the aboveground vegetation annually makes it possible to reduce the concentration of cadmium in soil to safe levels in three to 10 years. Phytoextraction costs about $250 to $1,000 per acre per year, while the alternative clean-up method--removal and replacement with clean soil--costs about $1 million per acre. The University of Maryland filed a patent on the use of T. caerulescens for the phytoextraction of cadmium in 2000, with Chaney as a cooperator. A patent for the process was granted in 2006 in the United States and Australia. No other similar technologies currently exist for remediation of cadmium-contaminated soils using plants. To measure how pH affects soil microbes, Chaney and University of Maryland colleagues Shengchun Wang and Scott Angle adjusted two smelter-contaminated, high-metals soils to a range of pH levels, grew T. caerulescens in them for six months, and then analyzed soil microbe populations and activity. Then they adjusted the soils back to normal pH levels and incubated them for six months, to see if previously observed reductions in microbes persisted under normal soil management. The scientists found that if the soil pH was adjusted no lower than that needed to maximize annual cadmium removal--a pH of about 5.8 to 6--there was no lasting adverse effect on soil microbes. And in both test soils, T. caerulescens tended to protect the soil microbes, compared to unplanted soils at the same pH levels. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200702A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - February 15, 2007 - RFN2002B.txt _________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Thanks for writing! Asking questions, answering questions... Several of you have only recently realized how severe the cold affected you. Don't forget to pass along information you pick up on the 'net or garden centers. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber Wants Temp Info For Medjool Dates Daniel Roberts New Subscriber Moving-Alaska to Baja California Kris Lundt Subscribe Please Lindsey Williamson <><><> Readers Write <><><> In Search Of Superior Strains of Arbutus Unedo Mark Wamsley Re: In Search Of Superior Strains of Arbutus Unedo Leo Manuel Effects Of Cold On Our San Diego Rare Fruit Plants Dmshuck@aol.com Mango and reclaimed water sensitivity MeeChuck3@aol.com How I Grow Edible Ginger On Oahu Timnovida@aol.com To: dmaislen@charter.net Worst Cold In Over 34 Years! Garden's Devastated John Brode Cold Damage in Orange County, CA Todd Abel Re: Search For Bananas Gerardo Garcia To: bhop31@yahoo.com Even Point Loma Suffered Cold Damage Cielo Central Florida Had Mild Winter "NancyB." We Need an Olive Tree bergerbuds@aol.com Arizona cold spell results Doug Jones Rare Fruit Trees Will Soon Become Very Expensive quang12@aol.com Re: What Mango Varieties Do You Have? quang12@aol.com Old Deciduous Fruit Cultivars Sought By UC Davis C Todd Kennedy Frederick Passiflora Heavily Freeze Damaged-What Do I Do? Kathy Diewald Avocado Tree Indoor Behavior - Normal? Lindsey Williamson <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Battling the Asian Citrus Psyllid ARS News Service Updated Map on Africanized Bees ARS News Service New Peach Varieties Developed ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber Wants Temp Info For Medjool Dates From: Daniel Roberts Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:31:07 +0000 Hello, my name is Danny Roberts. I'm trying to grow Medjool Date Palms down here in Ecuador. I read on the internet that in order for the fruit to properly develop, the temperature has to reach at least 105F, and if it doesn't the underdeveloped fruit will prematurely fall. Where I am, the temperature gets up to 90F. Is that close enough? I don't want to continue this project if it's not going to work. I would appreciate any feedback. I also raise avocadoes, limes, grapefruit, oranges, plums, peaches, freijoa, and apples. I would also like to receive your newsletter. Thank you, Danny Roberts mailto:roberts_daniel@hotmail.com [I don't know. It seems prudent to try a few and see how they perform. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber Moving-Alaska to Baja California Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 07:57:40 -0800 (PST) From: Kris Lundt Hello, my name is Kris Lundt. i discovered this link to your newsletter, and I'd love to be placed on the list. I'm retiring from a 25 year avaition career, and we, my wife Jamie are moving from Alaska to a couple acres in the Todos Santos area of south Baja Mexico. I've had a life-long interest in horticulture, and am looking forward to planting a varity of fruit trees (the more exotic the better). i have a lot to learn, and am certain there is a wealth of knowledge out there to be shared. for that, I'll thank all in advance! regards, Kris mailto:krisinak@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Subscribe Please Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:41:46 -0800 (PST) From: Lindsey Williamson I subscribed last month but didn't receive the Feb 1st newsletter, was wondering if I was on the list for tomorrow. So looking forward to receiving it! :) Have a wonderful day! Lindsey Williamson mailto:tatemorgancharlotte@yahoo.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: In Search Of Superior Strains of Arbutus Unedo Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:53:39 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Wamsley Dear Leo- I have been e-mailing Melita Israel about her work with Arbutus (Strawberry Tree) and for a potential source for plants or scionwood and she told me the story (our correspondence is below this e-mail) about how Paul Thompson made a request a number of years ago for Arbutus wood from CRFG members. She thought I should get in touch with him to learn more, and I remembered from the Pitaya Yahoo Group (which I am a part of) you have worked with Paul in developing Pitayas and distributing his book. I'm hoping if I send these questions to you, you might be able to help me with my quest: What would be the best method for me to locate the varieties 'Melita' & 'Werner' or any other varieties cultivated for their fruit? Are there more improved or selected varieties (other than 'Compacta' and 'Elfen King')? Did Paul find or select a superb variety? Sincerely- Mark Wamsley Seattle, WA mailto:markwamsley@yahoo.com CRFG Pacific Northwest Chapter (just kidding!; maybe someday, I am a CRFG member though) ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: arbutus question Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:43:29 -0800 From: Leo Manuel Dear Mark I asked Paul Thomson about the Arbutus and he says he now has only one of the three he had, and he thought it was superior in taste to the average ones. He doesn't take time to water most if any of his trees, so I am not sure that scions taken would survive. I will look at it when I visit him next. I'll put your request in the newsletter. I noticed that in the UK there seems to be several cultivars. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Effects Of Cold On Our Rare Fruit Plants From: Denise Shuck Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:06:20 -0500 (EST) Hi Leo, So far the cold damage has effected the mangos, antimoya, acerola cherry, peanut butter tree, passion vine, red thai guava, bananas, pitayas and a small portion of the surinam cherry. The citrus and avocados were not effected. The passion vine was growing over the top of the citrus. When I heard about the cold weather that we were about to have I decided to leave the passion vine on top of the citrus to act as a blanket. From what I can tell at this point it seems to have worked. I am hoping the trees, bushes and vines will grow back. Only time will tell. Take care, Denise San Diego mailto:Dmshuck@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mango and reclaimed water sensitivity? From: Steve M Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:28:06 -0500 (EST) Mango and reclaimed water concerns Two years ago I switch over to reclaimed water to help conserve our natural resource. Now I'm questioning that decision. What is the salt tolerance for Mangoes? Tampa's reclaimed water literature states it has a Chloride salt concentration of between 150-300 ppm. Is this too high for my "babies"? I've noted crop yields have diminished the past two years but without further research I can't assume it is only the water. Thanks, Steve M. Davis Islands, FL mailto:MeeChuck3@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: How I Grow Edible Ginger On Oahu From: Laurie Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:59:40 -0500 (EST) To: dmaislen@charter.net Dave, Welcome to RFNO. I grow edible ginger plants in the large styrofoam boxes that fish are shipped in. Just poke some holes in the bottom and sides for drainage. No cost, lightweight and when your plants outgrow the box it is easy to lift and restart a small patch in another recycled box. I relocated my plants into the carport when we had 43 days straight of torrential rain, bring yours inside during a frost. Laurie on Oahu mailto:Timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Worst Cold In Over 34 Years! Garden's Devastated. From: John Brode Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:01:33 +0000 (GMT) Dear Leo, I am wondering if I will have much to post about in the future ? The freeze has totally devastated my garden.. actually the question is 'what did survive' instead of 'what didn't' actually very little !! I really don't know what to expect. We went down to 18F ? never ever had it that cold/freezing before.. having been out here 34 years was a shock to us !! Even my trusted Allspice are so badly frost bitten, and the rest? well who knows ! White Sapote was never fazed by frost even down in the 20's [these are 15 yrs old trees]. however not sure what to expect ? if it does survive will take another year or so for it to re-bloom and fruit - all of this years blossom was already out on the tree !! Lychee is gone! and all my smaller trees! I felt thankful for my decidious fruit trees. We will just have to wait and see what we will have to replace- may replant with more stone fruits and perhaps Japanese Persimmons.. Even the very well established Passionflower/fruit vines did not escape either - nothing did! its very dismal! My garden at present is looking so bad am not sure what to expect - except Pitaya were not even fazed. good news I needed :)) Marion mailto:marionjohnbrodie@msn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Cold Damage in Orange County CA From: Todd Abel Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:34:24 -0800 Leo, Thanks for still including me in the newsletter mailing list, as it's an indispensable service that I can not do without. I learned alot from the cold snap in January of '07, but I don't think it got much less than 30 here in Orange. The Northeast end of the yard showed some damage, as did some trees that are solitary planted. I had some minor damage to some Papayas and Bananas that were on the Northeast end of the yard. The Papayas and Bananas on the South end of the yard had NO damage at all!. A Papaya and Banana that is in a "canopy" of trees also had no damage to their fruit or leaves. My Starfruit held its flowers and fruit, but again this tree is on the south end of the yard and next to the house. The Ice Cream Bean is solitary planted on the Northeast end of the yard, and held fruit and flowers. The tree is simply amazing with year round flowers, fruit and growth. The fruit also really surprises people, so its a conversational piece for sure. Pitahayas had no damage in the Northeast end, and solitary planted. I suspect the Pitahaya and Ice Cream Bean are much tougher than people think. Sapodilla was also untouched. Praying for rain, Todd Abel mailto:table@socal.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Search For Bananas From: Gerardo Garcia Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:24:29 -0500 To: bhop31@yahoo.com Saw your letter to Leo, go to , they have an extensive banana collection. Regards, Gerardo Garcia PR mailto:manilkara@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Even Point Loma Suffered Cold Damage From: Cielo Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:19:22 -0800 (PST) Thanks, Leo, for your tireless work. I didn't think it got that cold here in Point Loma (92106), but the cold weather had severely damaged my banana trees (young and mature) and my Carrie mango tree. I won't be tempted to prune or "clean up" the mess but I will wait for a sign of new growth. Then I will cut back the dead leaves and branches to the new growth. My star apple, carambola, wax jambu and surinam cherry have lost all their leaves, but there's sign of life in the green branches/trunks. Some plants that were severely damaged include canna lilies, geranium (ivy), giant birds of paradise, and bottle palm trees (not the pony tail kind). These trees and plants that were damaged by the cold weather are planted at the bottom of my hillside, except for the Carrie mango, it's planted about 10' to 15' feet higher in elevation and is in the wind's path. All the other mango trees, planted at the bottom, are all fine with no sign of stress. It's a good thing that I have other stuffs going on in my yard that I'm not dwelling on the damaged fruit trees. I've just completed putting in a Zen garden, and an undersea garden of cactus & succulents. Now I'm contemplating on another landscaping project - terracing a sloping bank, at the end of our rainy season. Is that anytime now? But I'd rather be safe than to have a washed up slope or a mudslide! Thanks for letting me share. I just don't grow fruit trees, I'm a real gardener! My neighbors think my backyard is a "park." Cielo mailto:cielo_g@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Central Florida Had Mild Winter From: "NancyB." Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:29:06 -0500 I was sorry to hear that our members who live in So. Cal. got blasted with cold. Here in Central Florida we had barely a winter - I only lit my propane heater for my orchids maybe 10 times. The tornados in the next counties over was just awful. I got up early to get to my teaching job and the downpour was horrendous. Central Florida had its last 50 year freezes in 1983 and 1989 when it flurried in Jacksonville, Fla. My tropical fruit plants survived the '89 freeze by using the smudge pots with diesel fuel and the bananas had a lightbulb to keep them warm under a blanket. I daresay you could put biodiesel into a smudge pot if California has strict rules about emission. if it is any consolation to you, a big citrus tree might make it - just give it a paint bucket of KLN & warm water. The smaller trees might even make it if they were grafted with Flying dragon rootstock. The only drawback to a big tree sprouting is that it might be the sour orange rootstock. Our Meyer lemon made it but the Bearss "Sunkist" was a goner. P. edulus used to grow as an annual in Pa. but I think it might sprout again like they did after the '89 freeze in Fla. They are hard to kill :-) Cheromoya or sugar apples are goners. Even bananas that die back might sprout new shoots if there is a suitable cover of mulch. Ours survived because we dumped bags of composted manure on it. The manure seems to absorb heat and keep the banana roots warm. Been there and done that. Regards, Nancy in Seminole Co. mailto:sergius1@bellsouth.net Zone 9b ------------------------------------------------ Subject: We Need an Olive Tree From: Steve Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:56:36 -0500 To all, The Hebrew Academy (kindergarden thru high school where my daughters counsel and teach at), is looking to obtain an olive tree to add to its small orchard of fruit trees. I was hoping that maybe someone might have a potted olive tree that they don't have a need for - if not, I'll purchase one later (advise if you know of a good variety that will do well in Huntington Beach). So far I have planted 6 fig and 6 pomegranate trees - the goal is to get all 7 species mentioned in the Bible (Old Testament), which includes the fig, pomegranate, olive, date, grapes, wheat, and barley. I'll contact Jerry Anderson regarding the date palm and grapes I have. (Note - you should have seen the excitement in the kids faces when we planted the trees.) Thanks for the help. Steve. 714/968-3862 mailto:bergerbuds@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Arizona cold spell results From: Doug Jones Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:13:50 -0700 The cold spell of January "07 will long be remembered! I thought I would pass on what I experienced in Mesa Arizona, about 15 miles from Phoenix. I live on 1.25 irrigated acres and have about 400 trees in the ground and another 200 or so in pots in a 50' x 85' greenhouse. In a normal year I experience a high of 120 degrees and a low of about 25 or 26. This year the hi-low digital thermometer showed 14.6 degrees one day and 17.4 the next day. Everything looked like a flamethrower hit it! Even the edges of 20 year old citrus trees were zapped. The stuff inside the greenhouse was just as bad, as my heaters couldn't keep up. The two big mango trees,10 feet tall, were right next to the heaters and the only burned a little, but the smaller ones were gone. All the banana trees, regardless of variety were killed to the ground, same for 12 tall guavas. I have 6 avocado trees, the biggest being 20 feet tall. All were hit hard, but one seedling from the desert near Aravaipa seems to have survived, the Mexicola may also be okay as it was under the eaves of the shed/house. The macadamia nut trees survived the same way, but the 'Cate' was hurt alot more than the 'Beaumont'. I have all my pitahaya in the greenhouse and 95% were reduced to junk. Surprisingly, a few plants were hardly touched at all. It is very strange to see a single stalk of green shining right in the middle of a tangle of brown ones. Maybe a possibility there for future hardy stock? Probably the worst loss was the entire citrus crop. All the oranges, tangerines, pommellos, and grapefruits are just mush in the middle when you peel one. I can't imagine what the farmers are feeling when they lose their whole crop for the year. What a disaster! Sometimes makes me wonder if I should give up or move to Hawaii. Doug mailto:fruitguy@cox.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Rare Fruit Trees Will Soon Become Very Expensive From: quang12@aol.com Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:50:41 -0500 Leo, Hopely all your plants did fine during the bad bad COLD. Just want to keep in touch. I want to tell you that we will have very hard time soon for getting exotic fruit trees. This was due to Pine Island Nursery in Florida or others will not send plants in California completely. So, expect very high prices or no plants at all very soon. Thanksss... Quang Ong (owner) mailto:Quang12@aol.com ONG Nursery 2528 Crandall Drive San Diego, California 92111 Opens: Saturday & Sunday ONLY. (Mon-Fri) Tel: (858) 277-8167 after 5:00PM (Sat.& Sun.) 8:00AM-5:00PM Fax: (858) 569-9857 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: What Mango Varieties Do You Have? From: Quang12@aol.com Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:52:35 -0500 Leo, It good to hear from you again, buddy. Kent, Glenn, Eward, and Julie mangoes tend to be slow growers for me and have more problems than Carrie, Keitt, Mallika, Lanacetila (spelling ?), Nam Doc Mi and others. We will have very very few selection of exotic fruit trees very soon due to restrict of importation of plants. Thanksss... Quang Ong (owner) mailto:Quang12@aol.com ONG Nursery 2528 Crandall Drive San Diego, California 92111 Opens Saturday & Sunday ONLY (Mon-Fri)(858) 277-8167 after 5:00PM and any time (Sat.& Sun.) 8:00AM-5:00PM Fax: (858) 569-9857 -----Original Message----- Subject: What Mango Varieties Do You Have? From: rarefruit@san.rr.com To: quang12@aol.com Sent: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 10:23 PM Hi Quang, We had a lot of freeze/frost damage to some but not all of our mango trees. The Jakfruit is undoubtedly dead, but for mango trees, it was new tender growth that suffered. Tell me what kinds of fruit trees you have in stock, and I'll pass the word to readers of the newsletters. My Kent mango has been a decline for several years and I will probably get a replacement in the next few years. Also the Keitt doesn't look too good either. The cherimoya, longan, and lychee trees showed no indication of damage. Did you lose anything? Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Old Deciduous Fruit Cultivars Sought By UC Davis Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:15:46 -0800 From: C Todd Kennedy Leo, greetings. This is Todd Kennedy up in San Francisco. I am unable to get past your home phone busy signal, which I take to mean you are using the line for computer also. Once upon a time, you had a considerable orchard of low-chill fruits at home. Does it still exist? Recently the folks at the USDA repository at Davis asked me about completing their collection of various cvs. of which I know of no source other than an old list of what you grew maybe 20 years ago. They are looking for a couple of Zaiger things, Delight and Spring Ruby, now off-patent, some peaches and a couple of cots. First, do you still have such things? Second, if not, who does in your area? Third, I will be in SD the weekend after next, and if spring is not too advanced, would be an occasion to get some material to take back to Davis. Let me know if you can be of help. Todd K. mailto:ctoddkennedy@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Frederick Passiflora Heavily Freeze Damaged-What Do I Do? Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:57:33 -0800 (PST) From: Kathy Diewald Dear Leo, My Frederick passion fruit has never been pruned before. It kind of looks like an igloo which surrounds my huge compost pile. It is at least eight feet high and just as wide and deep. My question is this: After heavy frost damage on the top side of this passion fruit vine, when and how much can i safely prune off to improve fruit production and the general appearance of what now looks like a disaster has struck the once beautiful mound! By the way, we live a mile from the ocean in Costa Mesa. Frost hit my tropical guavas, plumerias, and lantanas, but did not harm my citrus or avocado trees whatsoever. Thank you, Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Avocado Tree Indoor Behavior - Normal? Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:09:02 -0800 (PST) From: Lindsey Williamson My Avocado tree (24" indoors) is sprouting fabulous leave on the top, five at a time, then the bottom leave dry to a brown crisp and fall. It is in a well drained gallon pot with moist soil. Any ideas? Is this normal? Thank you Lindsey Oregon <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Battling the Asian Citrus Psyllid From: ARS News Service Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:08:57 -0500 ___________________________________________ --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ To help citrus growers manage the crippling disease called citrus greening, two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) units in Fort Pierce, Fla., are investigating a range of strategies. One involves developing controls for the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama), which is a major carrier of the disease. The tiny brown psyllid was first spotted in Florida in 1998. Discovery of citrus greening--also known as Huanglongbing, or HLB disease--followed in August 2005. The characteristic yellow shoots, mottled leaves, and degeneration of vein phloem--part of trees' vascular system--are caused by the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacterium that is spread by psyllids as they feed. With HLB attacking all kinds of Florida citrus, several strategies are being developed by scientists in the ARS Subtropical Plant Pathology Research Unit, led by plant pathologist Tim Gottwald, and in the Subtropical Insects Research Unit, led by entomologist David Hall. The ARS researchers believe that an integrated HLB management program incorporating cultural, chemical and biological control strategies will have the best chance of success. Program components will include the removal of infected trees and special replant strategies, along with active psyllid control. To develop an integrated program, scientists will conduct epidemiological experiments testing the different management components, as well as pursue an array of approaches to maximizing biological control of the psyllid. The psyllid is already known to be subject to natural control by lady beetles, syrphid flies, lacewings, spiders and one parasitoid species, Tamarixia radiata. Another parasitoid species has been found to attack the psyllid in Asia, and ARS is working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to import this promising candidate for testing. Another intriguing approach is trying to create citrus trees that are partially deciduous during some periods of the year. Since psyllids need leaves to feed on and reproduce, eliminating leaves at a certain time of year would eliminate the psyllids as well. Researchers are also working with Vietnamese and Australian scientists, who have indicated that interplanting citrus with guava almost entirely negated infestations by citrus psyllids, the vector of the disease, and as a consequence the citrus trees remained free of HLB. Read more about the research in the February 2007 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb07/citrus0207.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. www.ars.usda.gov/news ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Updated Map on Africanized Bees From: ARS News Service Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2007 06:29:34 -0500 ___________________________________________ --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ The map of Africanized honey bees' spread in the United States has been updated. It is now posted on the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) website at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/ahbmap The map shows the spread of Africanized honey bees (AHB) by county by year. AHBs have continued their slow territorial expansion in the southern United States, and have now been confirmed in nine states. The map lists a county only when that state officially declares it to be Africanized. There are discontinuities in the spread, especially between Louisiana and Florida where AHB spread is likely a result of human-assisted transport--such as AHB swarms hitchhiking on trucks, railroad cars, ships or airplanes. Human-assisted transported AHBs are not considered a territorial spread unless the honey bees become established beyond the original swarm find. ARS updates the AHB map about every six months. The ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Ariz., is responsible for official identifications of Africanized honey bees, especially when the honey bees are found in new states. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. www.ars.usda.gov/news ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Peach Varieties Developed Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 07:31:44 -0500 From: ARS News Service ___________________________________________ --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Growers may soon have more options for meeting marketplace demand, thanks to two new freestone peaches developed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). By planting varieties that ripen at different times, growers are able to extend their harvest season and provide a steady supply of fruit to consumers. Horticulturist W.R. Okie, at the ARS Southeastern Tree Nut and Fruit Laboratory, Byron, Ga., developed the new varieties, Early Augustprince and Augustprince. Because the fruit of both new peaches is very firm and softens slowly while on the tree, both can be picked over a longer period than comparable southeastern varieties. Early Augustprince, first planted at Byron in 1996, ripens in mid-to-late July, at about the same time as one of its parents, Sunprince, which was also developed at Byron by Okie and his predecessor, V.E. Prince. The other parent was from a cross involving Byron varieties Flameprince and Blazeprince. Augustprince ripens in late July to early August at Byron, about three to seven days after its earlier sibling. Both new varieties yield large, round fruit that's nearly three inches in diameter. At maturity, the peaches are 70 to 80 percent bright-red, with an attractive yellow background. Their flesh is yellow, with some red coloring if allowed to mature on the tree. The fruit has excellent texture and very good flavor. After 10 years in test orchards at Byron, and in trials conducted in South Carolina in cooperation with Clemson University, Early Augustprince and Augustprince appear to be superior to currently planted varieties in that season. Since the vigorous trees are relatively tolerant of the southeastern climate and diseases, they are recommended for trial in the Southeast. Small quantities of budwood of Early Augustprince and Augustprince will be available from the NRSP5/IR-2 Fruit Tree Collection at Washington State University in Prosser. Trees are available from Tennessee nurseries supplying the commercial southeastern peach industry. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm <><><><><> End of February 15, 2007 - RFN2002B.txt <><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - March 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200703A.txt ___________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> We all appreciate the effort several of you made in sending letters with questions, or informative ones with answers posed by others. Thanks! And keep them coming.... It seems that Spring is just around the corner. Some deciduous fruit trees are blooming, and evergreen ones are showing signs of bloom buds. February 27 brought spring showers with a little of March bluster. I begin placing air layers in March. When do you begin? I'm not sure anything is gained by starting so early, but it's something to do when you have time. Air layers are good for lychee and longan especially, but even cherimoya and mango will sometimes be successfully airlayered. I begin grafting deciduous fruit trees about now, when scions are available from CRFG meetings. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber-Quito, Ecuador-To Grow Medjool Dates Danny Roberts <><><> Readers Write <><><> Questions About Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis) & Seeds Laurie Traditional Medical Knowledge-Indian Research Articles Pankaj Oudhia Re: Central Florida's Mild Winter As Mixed Blessing Dan Hemenway Re: Medjool Date Growing In Sub-Ideal Temperature Range "Holzinger, Bob" Riverside Citrus Research Center bergerbuds@aol.com Dick Baughman Died 2/15 (San Diego North County) Gladys Baird Keeping Squirrels Away From Fruit David Lappen To: jmeade@tampabay.rr.com In-House Lattarula Fig Has Brown Blotches On Leaves, Why? Margaret Lauterbach Growing Exotics in Todos Santos "Holzinger, Bob" To: krisinak@yahoo.com Unusual Fruit Scions-Know Anything About Them? STEVE WRIGHT Re: Unusual Fruit Scions-Know Anything About Them? Leo Manuel To: STEVE WRIGHT <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information CRFG San Diego Newsletter Leo Manuel http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting CRFG North San Diego County Chapter FRUIT NEWS Leo Manuel http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber-Quito, Ecuador-To Grow Medjool Dates From: Danny Roberts Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 09:30:18 -0500 Hello, My name is Danny Roberts. I live in Quito, Ecuador. I'm now growing avocadoes, limes, oranges, cherimoya, feijoa, granadilla, peaches, apples, plums, and tangerines. I want to grow Medjool Dates. I've planted about 100 seeds in several pots and plan to put them on my quinta (small farm) down in a valley outside Quito. But as I'm doing this I've read on the internet that if the temperature doesn't get to 105F the fruit will not develop well and will fall before its time. I thought the weather here would be perfect. It gets up to 90F during most days and down in the 50's at night. I have 3 plants now, and they are doing great. But in the future I'd like some fruit. Can anyone give me their opinion on this? I'm really a beginner and have little experience growing fruit trees. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you, Danny Roberts mailto:roberts_daniel@hotmail.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Questions About Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis) & Seeds From: Laurie Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:19:27 -0500 (EST) Leo, I recently came into some Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis) seeds. I have to scarify them before planting, but they are too small to hold onto, and I do not want to mess with any acid. I thought as a last resort I would sprinkle them on sticky side of a loop of masking tape and grind with a dental drill that I fitted with a tungsten carbide pear-shaped bur. Any easier tried and true ideas? And can I retard the height of this tree? Aloha, Laurie on Oahu mailto:Timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Traditional Medical Knowledge-Indian Research Articles From: Pankaj Oudhia Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 06:02:45 +0000 Hi Leo, Please forward this link (to list members) having over 450 research articles of mine based on traditional medicinal knowledge about rare and wild fruits of Indian state Chhattisgarh. ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleList&Author=oudhia&Text=fruits regards Pankaj Oudhia mailto:pankajoudhia@rediffmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Central Florida's Mild Winter As Mixed Blessing From: Dan Hemenway Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:15:20 -0500 (EST) Living in North Central Florida, let me assure you that the mild winter was a mixed blessing. While we did harvest some payayas here, never before in the winter did we get them, we are now getting a cool February with a hard frost, maybe a freeze, predicted for tonight. So our lowest chill peaches have fruit on them and our other peaches are in full bloom, and there goes one of our main fruit crops. On the other hand, we were able to leave our citrus on the tree all winter until we needed it, as there was no serious freezing risk. Citrus blossoms are about to break bud, so I'm also crossing my fingers on them. And our Surinam cherries have just set fruit, and we'll surely loose the entire first crop except for a few fruit on the interior of the bushes. I'd much rather have a cold fall and a warm spring than the other way around. However, this is not an uncommon problem here. We have had new growth completely killed by spring frosts in previous years, even on native trees. We've even had mullberries killed outright from such freezes. The expectation is that tonight's cold will not be that extreme, but we could also loose the first flush of mullberries as they have formed on the trees. (They will make a second, small crop, if that happens--something is better than nothing. Dan Hemenway mailto:Permacltur@aol.com Barking Frogs Permaculture Center www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org Our 12th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online begins Oct. 14, 2007. The protocol for our Annual Permaculture Design Course is at http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/Protocol4-23-06.pdf Our next live program is Aug. 17-26th on Nantucket, Massachusetts. Contact Dylan at dryfly2000@yahoo.com for details. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Medjool Date Growing In Sub-Ideal Temperature Range From: "Holzinger, Bob" Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:08:14 -0800 Hi Danny, I have been buying Medjool dates at a Farmers Market from a grower in the lower desert of California where they grow a lot of dates. He told me that you need 100 degrees for 100 days to ripen Medjool dates. That might have been an exaggeration, or at least not totally accurate as far as the temperature, but you get the idea. If it only gets into the 90's, then you may be right on the edge of success, but not quite there yet. Try a few trees, but don't plant the whole farm yet. Good luck, Bob Holzinger mailto:bholzing@amgen.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Riverside Citrus Research Center From: bergerbuds@aol.com Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:12:22 -0500 A juicy business: UC Riverside's citrus center experiments with designer fruit The Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station, celebrating its 100th anniversary of developing new fruit, has expanded to include research on vegetables and pests. By Sara Lin Times Staff Writer February 15, 2007 UC Riverside's living citrus museum, which has 400 acres of trees, has attracted a cult following. There was the nurseryman from France who came to the United States only to admire its unusual and succulent fruit. A local restaurateur, looking for new flavors for his entrees, nibbled on a variety of citrus blossoms. Then there was the obsessed tangerine fan a gourmet grocer from Texas who wanted his picture taken next to the Seedless Kishu mandarin tree. "That was a little strange," said Tracy Kahn, a UCR scientist who watches over the trees. More than 1,000 members of the citrus family tree thrive in UCR's Citrus Experiment Station, which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Wednesday. Generations of researchers here have developed and bred dozens of unique tasty fruits. UC scientists established the Citrus Experiment Station in 1907 as a research center to support Southern California's growing citrus industry and the center ultimately became the seedling from which UC Riverside sprouted in 1954. Even with the mushrooming growth of new homes and shopping centers that now surrounds the university, UC Riverside's citrus groves remain among the most diverse in the world. During tours yes, the citrus station does draw in the curious visitors learn that lemons weren't always small and cute. Long before grocers began stocking the fist-sized variety popular today, citrus growers fumbled with its ancestor, a lumpy 5-pound fruit the size of a Nerf football. Growers in India are believed to have produced what is now considered the modern lemon about AD 100, after decades of crossing it with smaller citrus varieties. In more modern times, UC Riverside scientists have developed some best-selling fruits, including the Oroblanco grapefruit-pummelo hybrid, with its surprisingly sweet taste, and the tangy Gold Nugget mandarin. But many of the university's contributions have been more utilitarian, such as finding ways to eliminate bothersome bugs without pesticides. The 400-acre station is now called the Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station to reflect its expanded mission, which now includes research on asparagus and other vegetables. A hundred years ago, orange groves blanketed much of Southern California, driving the station's establishment. But as citrus and other agriculture give way to development, the university has come up with creative ways to stay relevant as a state and worldwide resource. The university runs a state-of-the-art bug lab, where entomologists are using genetics to combat the glassy-winged sharpshooter, responsible for transmitting Pierce's disease, which kills grapevines and threatens California wineries. The insect also carries bacteria that harm almond trees, citrus trees and alfalfa crops. At the museum, a 25-acre parcel planted with the 1,000 citrus varieties two trees of each Kahn regularly entertains international citrus gurus and has become a sort of ambassador, once lugging 250 pounds of fruit to Washington to tantalize members of Congress during a conference on land-grant universities. Kahn has also hosted local chefs using the groves for inspiration. The tiny caviar-like fruit of purple-skinned Australian Finger Limes makes a good garnish; the Buddha's Hand, a fingered citron that looks like a miniature yellow octopus, makes an unusual centerpiece. Brein Clements, chef-owner of Restaurant Omakase, a new downtown Riverside eatery, came in search of an orange blossom to decorate his dishes. "So we went around chomping flowers," Kahn said. Kahn assumed the sweetest fruit trees would have the best-tasting flowers. "But it didn't work out that way. Some of those were pretty gross," she recalled. Instead, Kahn introduced Clements to the Australian Finger Limes, which he purees into a sorbet. He took a few Rangpur mandarin-limes and reduced them into a syrup for scallops and beets. The two exchange ideas every other week and are planning a citrus-themed benefit dinner in March to raise money for the museum. As for flowers, Clements isn't giving up. He'll head back into the groves this spring when more trees will be in bloom. He has big plans for the blossoms, including their use in honey and mustard infusions and curing them with salt and then packing them around yellowfin tuna steaks. "I don't even look at basic oranges and lemons when I go there," Clements said. "When you're there, you feel like you're taking a trip around the world. She's got stuff from Morocco in one row, then in another row she's got Spain and Egypt … stuff that no one else in the United States has." Escorting visitors through the rows of trees, Kahn sometimes pulls out a knife and treats guests to tasty Moro blood oranges and seedless mandarins fresh off the tree. But visitors beware, one lick of another fruit the citrange leaves a taste you remember for a week, and not because it's sweet; it's more like sickly rotten. The Texas grocer who wanted his picture taken next to the Seedless Kishu mandarin tree sampled other tangerines and oranges on the tour. Still, for him, none topped his tiny, fluffy-skinned favorite. "I'm a big fan of the Kishu, it's one of my favorite things," said Lee Crenshaw, a produce buyer for Central Market, a gourmet grocery chain. The mandarins have a short season but are extremely popular with customers. For two weeks every January, the golf ball-sized fruits fly off the shelves, he said. Despite the station's expanded goals, citrus breeders haven't let up on their quest to develop sweeter, hardier fruit. The university released three more seedless tangerine varieties to growers in 2002: Shasta Gold, Tahoe Gold and Yosemite Gold. The first commercial crop should hit grocery stores in two years. Meanwhile, the newly released Tango tangerine could become one of the most widely grown. Unlike other varieties, Tango trees don't have to be grown in isolation to be seedless. It takes about 20 years to develop a new variety, said Mikeal Roose, UC Riverside's citrus breeder and professor of genetics. For every marketable fruit sent on to growers, there are 50 others that don't make the cut, he said. Roose said that he tastes so many contenders that his dentist gives him a special treatment to protect the enamel on his teeth. Roose and his team of researchers still use some age-old techniques to create new fruits, combining pollen from one tree with the flowers from another and harvesting seeds from the resulting fruit. But some of the work has gone high-tech. To produce the Tango variety, researchers blasted baby trees known as budsports with X-rays to spur mutations. And by mapping the citrus genome, researchers can determine early on which seedlings deserve planting. As UCR moves ahead with plans for new medical and business schools, the citrus station will lose a few rows of trees. But perhaps more worrisome for the agricultural school is a problem facing the industry at large. "We're all talking about how we can get undergrads interested in the agricultural sciences. Should we call it something different than 'plant sciences?' " said Donald Cooksey, dean of UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. "It's something we're still working on," he said. Sara Lin mailto:sara.lin@latimes.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Dick Baughman Died 2/15 (San Diego North County CRFG) From: Gladys Baird Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:19:26 -0800 Hi Leo. I haven't received a newsletter since December, so my address may have fallen by the wayside. Also I changed my e-mail on 2/1//07. It is now tokiko@roadrunner.com. Also, I want to let you know and maybe you can pass the message on to others who knew him as a past president of the North County chapter of CRFG. Dick Baughman passed away on Thursday 2/15/07 after a long illness. There will be a private burial at Ft. Rosecrans. He is survived by wife Margo, son Mike and daughter Pam. Gladys Baird mailto:tokiko@adelphia.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Keeping Squirrels Away From Fruit From: David Lappen Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:55:49 -0800 To: jmeade@tampabay.rr.com I also have trouble with squirrels taking my avocados, cherimoyas, figs, etc. My best line of defense has been to leave about half the tree unprotected, so that they have something to eat (usually I try to make it up top, where it is a pain to reach). I then take large (32 ounce) yogurt containers and carve a hole in the middle of the bottom. Next, I slit the container, starting at the hole to the radius of the bottom and from there up the side to the top of the container. I can then fit the container over the branch with the bottom of the container facing up and the branch through the whole I made in the bottom. This forms a rat shield over the fruit. Sometimes I replace the top on the container (facing down). This had been very successful. If the fruit is too close to the branch to fit the container over without damaging the plant or the fruit, I simply move the hole from the middle of the bottom to the middle of the side slit and mount the container sideways. Hope this helps. David mailto:dlappen@digitalams.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: In-House Lattarula Fig Has Brown Blotches On Leaves, Why? From: Margaret Lauterbach Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:11:47 -0700 A friend has a Lattarula fig tree in a container, in the house (we're in zone 6). It emerged from dormancy a couple of weeks ago, so she moved it from the basement into the light of the dining room. Now it has brown blotches on the leaves. There seems to be a lighter tan round spot (tiny) in the middle of the brown spots. Any ideas? Thanks very much, Margaret Lauterbach mailto:melauter@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Growing Exotics in Todos Santos From: "Holzinger, Bob" Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:37:03 -0800 To: krisinak@yahoo.com Hello Kris, I read your note in RFNO about your intentions to move to Todos Santos in Baja California to grow exotic fruit trees. That should be quite a change from living in Alaska! It just so happens I have been to Todos Santos several times and I have a friend who has grown exotic fruit trees in Todos Santos. He now spends the winters in La Paz on his sailboat and the rest of the time he lives in Central California. He has 10 years of experience growing trees in Todos Santos and I think you should ask him many questions before embarking on your move south. His name is Jack Swords and his email address is jmkswords@juno.com. Good luck, Bob Holzinger mailto:bholzing@amgen.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Unusual Fruit Scions-Know Anything About Them? From: STEVE WRIGHT Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:07:13 -0800 (PST) Hi Leo, I have questions regarding some fruit scions that I got from a CRFG scion exchange. I have grafted them into my trees, know little about them, and have found nothing about them on the internet. What can your readers tell me about the following: Peaches - Tashkent Gold, Last Chance, Admiral Dewey Nectarines - Pioneer, Red Gold Yellow, Red Diamond Apricot - Shakraach (The spelling on this is probably incorrect. There were several bags of these scions, none spelled the same) I look forward to reading any information readers have. Steve Wright mailto:sdubya59@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Unusual Fruit Scions-Know Anything About Them? From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:01:26 -0800 To: STEVE WRIGHT Steve, I'm not sure about any of those, but I'd guess that Last Chance peach is very late. Possibly, it is also high chill. I'll publish your letter. Horticordially, Leo <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org Subject: CRFG San Diego Newsletter Feb. 07 From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:13:38 -0800 CRFG San Diego Chapter Newsletter - Next Meeting: Thursday, February 22, 2007 General Meeting: 7:00- -7:30 pm Program: 7:40 pm-8:30 pm Opportunity Drawing: 8:45 pm Meeting Place Rm. 104, Casa del Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego CA Program: Deciduous Grafting: Jim Neitzel will lead a discussion of deciduous tree grafting followed by demonstrations of different grafting techniques. Recovering from Frost Damage By Tom Del Hotal - Winter temperatures in January 2007 reached record lows. Temperatures throughout San Diego County were well below freezing and in many areas these freezing temperatures occurred on 5 or more consecutive nights. Temperatures at my house in Lemon Grove reached 26 degrees and the low point in my canyon reached 23 degrees. Temperatures in Bonita Valley and in El Cajon reached as low as 15 to 19 degrees! Topography, elevation and microclimates played significant roles in minimum temperatures reached and plant damage or plant death can be seen everywhere we look. In some cases plant damage was minor, but was quite severe in other situations. Plant age and maturity, species and variety, and ground or container plantings all influenced the extent and severity of the damage. Some plants will recover as long as the frost is over. Others may appear to have survived but may die in the coming weeks or months. Remember, although some plants show symptoms of frost damage very quickly, other plants may take weeks to show the full extent of the damage. Here are some tips on how to deal with the damage and how to increase the chances for damaged plants to survive. 1. Do not cut back damaged plants yet! If freezing temperatures occur after you have cut your plants back, further damage can occur and cause additional injury or plant death. Although the damaged foliage may look ugly, it can actually protect your plant. A second reason not to cut back your plant is that there is stored food in the branches of your plant. As a plant attempts to recover from frost damage and grow new leaves, food stored in the branches aid in the plants ability to regrow new leaves. The branch will die back as the stored food is withdrawn and as new growth develops. Waiting until new leaves and shoots have grown before you cut off the damage on your plant helps your plant to recover and prevents you from removing parts of your plant that may grow back. 2. Whitewash the bark of the trunk and the branches of subtropical fruit trees if leaves have been lost or if the bark is exposed to full direct sun. This is especially important in the hotter, inland areas of San Diego. The bark of many normally evergreen, subtropical fruit trees is very sensitive to sunburn. -> For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting Information Subject: CRFG North San Diego County Chapter FRUIT NEWS From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:25:07 -0800 NCSD Chapter website: members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg Webmaster: Ben Pierce Ben Pierce, Chair 760-744-4716 ncsdcrfg@cox.net Meetings are usually held the 3rd Friday, 7 PM at Mira Costa College One Bernard Dr., Oceanside Check calendar & web site for current meeting details. Feb. 23 7PM Mira Costa-Rm. T402-Bldg. T400. Grafting Mar. 16 7 PM Mira Costa- Horticultural Bldg. Cherimoya tasting -> For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200703A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - March 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200703B.txt ____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> The weather changes.... A month ago we in California (among other places) endured unprecedented (for us) damaging cold. This month of March brought a week or so of summer- like weather, near or above 90º. Now, it is overcast as we expect to be. We should make sure our important plants are watered. I hope to begin to place airlayer material on some lychee, longan, and possibly seedlings of mango and cherimoya. It's a good time to do this in San Diego. Also, maybe fertilize evergreen fruit trees onto which you want to place grafts, to get them to begin to show new growth. I usually try to graft later, from May to July, depending on the weather and availability of scions. Your letters to be included here have dropped to a trickle. I hope it is simply because you have nothing to report or answers to provide to questions asked. You know that RFNO is only as useful as you make it. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> News Subscriber - Munnar-Kerala, India kbk@chithira.co.in New Subscriber - Palm Harbor, Florida Craig <><><> Readers Write <><><> Freeze Damage Near Coalinga, CA James Freedner Shaar-Kar-Pareh Apricot Ben Pierce To: Steve What Rare Fruit Suggestions For Del Mar, CA Forrest Wilson CRFG San Diego Chapter March 2007 Newsletter Cielo <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm A Cold Approach to Nematode Egg-Hatch ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: News Subscriber - Munnar-Kerala, India Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:55:57 +0530 From: K.B. Kannampilly Dear Ms. Betty, Please subscribe me for the newsletter at the address from which this mail comes to you. We grow Mandarins, Sweet Lime, Apricots and Strawberry in our farm near a place called Munnar near Kochi in Kerala, India. The 25 acre farm is at an altitude of around 6500 feet where the temperature drops to 2 degrees centigrade in the winter. The main crops grown are cole vegetables, beans, potatoes, sweet corn etc. and I am slowly shifting over to fruits. Unfortunately, we do not stay at the farm but at Kochi, about 150 kilometres away in the hot plains, but hope to settle down there after I retire in 6 years time. We are also planning a small farm of around 2 to 3 acres in the foothills (about 15 kilometres from the sea) for growing fruit trees. Earlier I used to run a small dairy unit and a floriculture farm (orchids and anthuriums) in the plains very near Kochi that had to be wound up as the water table dropped drastically and there weren't any alternative sources for water. With regards, K.B. Kannampilly mailto:kbk@chithira.co.in ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New Subscriber - Palm Harbor, Florida Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:25:37 -0400 From: Craig Hi, Please add me to your newsletter mail list. My wife and I live in Palm Harbor, FL. We live a few hundred feet from the Gulf of Mexico. We enjoy mangos, bananas, loquat, papaya, and pineapple. I am very interested in the unusual/rare fruits that will grow in my area. Thank you so much. Craig Gardner mailto:cgardner@tampabay.rr.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Freeze Damage Near Coalinga, CA Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2007 21:55:05 -0800 From: James Freedner On my way to San Francisco this weekend, I saw acres of frost-damaged orange trees by I-5. A lot of these were near Coalinga. I guess that area got hit hard by frost or cold winds off the mountains. But the terrain never seemed suitable for growing citrus to begin with - at least in my estimation. It was not a traditional orange growing area. J. Eric Freedner mailto:freedner@msn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Shaar-Kar-Pareh Apricot From: Ben Pierce Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:24:14 -0800 To: Steve Steve, I saw your posted question about apricot scionwood on Leo Manuel's Rare Fruit News. The apricot you are referring to is called Shaar-Kar-Pareh. It is a white apricot originally from Iran. I grow it here in San Marcos. It is low-chill, very prolific here, white colored but more plum like than apricot. Further information can be found on it can be found at www.baylaurelnursery.com under apricots. The Tashkent Gold is actually a nectarine. It was brought to the US by Andy Mariani from Samarkand and is believed to be one of the fabled "Golden" peaches of lore. Ben Pierce mailto:mariposafamily@hotmail.com North San Diego County CRFG Chapter Chair. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What Rare Fruit Suggestions For Del Mar, CA From: Forrest Wilson Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:44:05 -0800 Hello, my name is Forrest and I live in Del Mar, a small coastal town in San Diego (I would say I'm in North County, but really it's more like a little north of the middle). I'm writing you for two reasons. The first is that I would love to try growing something this year, preferably something easy and sweet, that will bear fruit relatively soon (within 2 years hopefully). What would you recommend? Honestly, Guava is the only fruit I am not crazy about. So far mango is my favorite as well but I can't imagine it thriving here. The second is that I eat large amounts of fruit and I love to try new ones, but it seems that the cherimoya is the only somewhat rare fruit I see in the Del Mar and Solana Beach farmer's markets. I like them, but they can be $10 apiece and that makes them more of an occasional treat for me. Can you recommend any particular farmer's markets that are more prone to having something like you grow (pitahaya, rose apple, jujube, etc). Or is there some awesome farm that sets up a stand? Thank you for your time Leo or Betty, Forrest mailto:forrest112@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: CRFG San Diego Chapter March 2007 Newsletter From: Cielo Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:21:23 -0400 Hello, This month's meeting is on Thursday, March 22, 2007 in Room 101, Casa del Prado in Balboa Park. Program: Mango Cultivars in San Diego [Jim Neitzel said cherimoya information will be presented. -Leo] A panel discussion on best varieties thriving in the SD County. Field Trip: Saturday, March 24, 2007 Riverside Citrus Collections - details at the meeting or contact Jose Gallego at chair@crfgsandiego.org or Mike McCright at vicechair@crfgsandiego.org Thanks, Cielo mailto:editor@crfgsandiego.org CRFG San Diego Chapter <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: A Cold Approach to Nematode Egg-Hatch From: ARS News Service Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:48:12 -0500 Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, luis.pons@ars.usda.gov --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ The egg-hatch characteristics of soybean cyst nematodes, especially after exposure to cold, might hold clues that could one day help keep them under control, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Md. Soybean cyst nematodes, Heterodera glycines, are microscopic roundworms in the soil that cost U.S. farmers hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year. Physiologist Edward Masler and plant pathologist Inga Zasada, in the ARS Nematology Laboratory at Beltsville, have studied the conditions under which this pest's eggs hatch. They've found that the eggs fall into two categories: those that readily hatch in water, and those that will hatch only when exposed to a host plant. In follow-up research, Masler and Zasada discovered that duration of exposure to cold decreases the number of soybean cyst nematode eggs that will later hatch in water. In one study, 70 percent of H. glycines eggs readily hatched in 81 degrees F water over 12 days, while others hatched only when exposed to soybean plants. The scientists then stored eggs in water refrigerated to 41 degrees F for varying lengths of time, and found that refrigeration suppressed hatch but didn't kill the eggs. Although refrigerated eggs ultimately hatched when returned to 81 degrees F water, the length of refrigeration time affected the number of eggs that would hatch in water. That rate dropped to 30 percent after two weeks of refrigeration, 20 percent after four weeks, and to less than 10 percent after six weeks. The results indicate that if nematode embryo development is stopped before reaching a critical developmental stage, it can resume only after the embryo is exposed to additional stimuli--such as from a host plant--and returned to normal temperature. According to Masler, refrigeration holds potential as a means of producing H. glycines eggs of different developmental stages. These would be useful in studying molecules related to hatching and other regulatory functions that may be exploited for biological control of the pest. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200703B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - January 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200704A.txt _____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Lost Email? Have you written letters for me to post that never did get posted? Stephanie Murphy says that has happened to her several times. I get over 200 email messages every day and don't know of any Macintosh software that can allow me to cull mail that either doesn't come from people in my address book or else comes from new subscribers. It's very easy for me to discard mail coming from you because I don't spot it. I propose that we try the following: Use somewhere in the subject of your mail the initials RFNO or the phrase rare fruit. Then I'll begin by searching for email with one of those terms and make sure it doesn't get discarded. Apricots and peaches - Most of these trees that usually have few if any fruit are loaded this spring. I don't have many apricots, and sometimes I have blamed it on rains at blooming time. This year I wonder if it wasn't caused by our getting more winter chill than usual? How are your trees doing? Please keep sending email to make the newsletter more useful! <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber - West Palm Beach, FL Nathaniel N Valentino <><><> Readers Write <><><> Wanted - Fresh Keiffer Lime Leaves - Min. 1 Pound Lisa Pettineo Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! "S. Murphy" Re: Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! Leo Manuel To: "S. Murphy" Re: Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! "S. Murphy" Re: Rare Fruit News Online - March 15, 2007 Dan Re: Rare Fruit News Online Leo Manuel Re: pomegranate scions from oc crfg scionwood exchange Kathy Diewald Re: pomegranate scions from oc crfg scionwood exchange David To: Kathy Diewald Don't Forget RFNO Yahoo Group Leo Manuel What to do with large quantities of star fruit Ollie Re: What to do with large quantities of star fruit Leo Manuel To: Ollie RE: What to do with large quantities of star fruit Ollie What to do with large quantities of star fruit Ollie What to do with large quantities of star fruit Ollie Quang Ong Says Rare Fruit Trees Will Get Expensive! quang12@aol.com UC Riverside's citrus center experiments with designer fruit bergerbuds@aol.com <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <><>Bot-Linx List <> From: "Scott D. Russell" None, this time <><><> NAFEX List <><><> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex Archives at http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/nafex None, this time <><><> From "rarefruit list" - rarefruit@yahoogroups.com <><><> None, this time <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber - West Palm Beach, FL From: Nathaniel N Valentino Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:46:56 -0700 (PDT) I am Nathaniel Valentino and live in West Palm Beach, Florida I am growing a macadamia nut tree that I got from an airlayer off of my grandfathers tree, it is now about 20 feet tall. Also I have gramanchano cherry, sapodilla, jaboticoba, and a whole greenhouse full of orchids. I want to grow miracle fruit, blood orange, blueberry, barbatos cherry, and star apple Nathaniel N Valentino mailto:smokeyv62614@yahoo.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Wanted - Fresh Keiffer Lime Leaves - Min. 1 Pound From: Lisa Pettineo Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:26:00 -0500 Hi Leo, I am looking for someone in Florida that we can buy fresh Keiffer Lime Leaves from. Preferably local to the Ft. Lauderdale or Miami area so that we can send a truck, but we can do freight orders as well. We will buy quite a lot (of one pound units) per week as we have a big clientele list. I understand that we are cutoff from bringing the fresh leaves into the state, but I am wondering if it is OK to buy them- if their original origin is Florida. If anyone in your newsletter mailings have more information, we would appreciate it! Thank you, Lisa Pettineo mailto:lisa.pettineo@freshpoint.com Specialties Coordinator Freshpoint A One A Produce and Dairy 2300 NW 19th Street Pompano Beach, Florida 33069 954-366-0451 direct dial 954-931-1552 cell 800-273-3382 toll free 954-917-7550 fax ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! From: "S. Murphy" Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:24:04 -0700 (PDT) Hi Leo, I am currently on your mailing list to receive the RFNO through my AOL address nasmurphy@aol.com. I wanted to mention that perhaps the reason the letter quantity is dropping off is because the emails are not being delivered to you. I have sent three total to you and none have been published. I can't remember the date of the first one. The second one was sent 2/6/07. The third one was a "re-send" of the one on 2/6, which I forwarded on 2/28 because I thought it may have been lost. I know AOL has issues and this may be the case with other people receiving the newsletter (and trying to send you news). It is amazning how many people have AOL accounts. I also have trouble with certain websites. For example Frontier Airline. They have a huge disclaimer about their system not working with AOL. Who knows, maybe the problem is with "san.rr.com"? Perhaps some of the emails are being flagged as spam? That is why I am trying to make you aware of this information using a non-AOL account. Anyway, I do enjoy the newsletter, wherether there is one letter or 25. Thank you, Stephanie Murphy mailto:murphybirds@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! From: Leo Manuel Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:47:03 -0700 To: "S. Murphy" Hi Stephanie, I receive about 200 email messages daily - sometimes more. I must visually screen them before sending any to the trash, because I don't know of any Macintosh software to do it for me. However, it's possible that some important ones are not recognized. Do the email messages ever bounce as rejected? I will publish your letter and hopefully someone will have a suggestion. I have a Yahoo address which I almost never check for email. I thank you for telling me of the problem! Sincerely, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Emails To RFNO Are Sometimes Apparently Not Arriving! From: "S. Murphy" Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 07:09:57 -0700 (PDT) Thank you Leo, That is a lot of email! Perhaps it would help you to manage them if you asked the people to add "RFNO Newsletter" at the beginning of the subject line on the email? The emails I sent did not bounce - at least I did not receive a failure notification, which usually comes in the form of a "Mailer Deamon" notice. I don't use Yahoo either, just had to set up an account with them when I installed the DSL. Anyway, thanks for your time - have a good day. Stephanie Murphy mailto:murphybirds@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Rare Fruit News Online - March 15, 2007 From: Dan Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:45:16 -0400 (EDT) Your comments on the cold snap is in keeping with our experience. We had very early light frosts (Took several to kill squash plants), and then mild weather and so our low-chill peaches went to town. So when we had 23° weather in mid Feb., we got nailed but good. The trees that were not carrying fruit were in full blossom. Of all our trees, we have one that blossomed after the freeze. Such late freezes are not uncommon here--we seem to get them every 4 or 5 years, if not oftener. But while average temperature may be rising, we still get the same freezes. So we are worse off, in terms of some fruit. (Peaches and of course all our papayas, loaded with fruit. Well, the chickens get to pick them over as they lie on the ground--they at least peck out the seeds from the green fruit.) Southern blueberries were unaffected--early bushes in blossom are now forming fruit and fruit already formed is continuing to mature. So on this side of the continent, we get global warming, sure, in the mid winter months, but enough of the continental effect remains to give us a late winter (really early spring, here, climate wise) freeze. Fortunately, most of our citrus held back and had not blossomed, except for the Meyer lemon, which lost about 2/3 of the blooms that were open. Meyer doesn't do much of anything for us here anyway--I keep threatening to cleft-graft the rootstock, but I'm too lazy. On the other hand, we are having a useful amount of rain in what is normally the 'dry season' here. So we'll probably end up with more food, but less of it will be fruit. Dan Hemenway mailto:Permacltur@aol.com Barking Frogs Permaculture Center ------------------------------------------------ Subject: My Drastic Pruning Of Frederick Passion Fruit From: Kathy Diewald Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:24:58 -0700 Dear Leo, I wanted to tell you that I have not gotten any answers to my quest on how to prune my Frederick passion fruit after it was damaged by frost. It had not died back completely. We decided to do a drastic haircut on the monster plant! Everyday I go out and hope to see some sign of regrowth starting to pop out of the bare bones we left behind. It was in the ground for about five years and had been producing prolifically since I learned how to hand pollinate the flowers. The other question I had about the pomegranate cuttings from Turkestan that I acquired at the crfg scionwood exchange in Costa Mesa in 2006, was not answered by David Silverman. I sure wish that I had written down the info that had accompanied the cuttings on a long typewritten sheet with varieties from Turkestan. The one I took started with the letter "k" and was large with green skin and red arils. I was able to successfully graft the scionwood onto my wonderful variety and start several cuttings of other varieties, like eversweet and more of the large green skinned pomegranates with huge red arils out of turkestan into pots and one planted now in the ground. One day our seventy plus fruit trees will be up to nearly eighty if these can someday find a home in the ground. Unfortunately, my husband has a rule now that if I plant another tree, I must first take one out!! It is a wonderful obsession!!!! I grafted galaxy gala onto my seiki ichi apple tree that I had purchased at the green scene around seven years ago. I think the crab apple sized apples, shaped like tomatoes, were not seiki ichi as labeled. They were not very good so I grafted seven pencil sized branches to the new variety of gala that is suppose to be bright red and delicious!!! Thanks for the newsletter. Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: pomegranate scions from oc crfg scionwood exchange From: Kathy Diewald Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:04:44 -0700 (PDT) To: David Dear David, It remains a mystery to me who brought in the very professionally typewritten description of pomegranate varieties to the Orange County Scionwood Exchange. Leo Manuel recommended you as a source for possibly knowing who may have gotten these cuttings, as they were all from the former Soviet Union area. I found a green pomegranate (photo) with the name of "Kopetdag" on page twenty, of the Fruit Gardener" article, sept/oct. '06 issue, written by Barbara Baer. It appears to be green in color, but no special info is given, except the image in the photo. Can you think of anyone who would be donating these unusual varieties to the oc chapter? The people who usually know about special scionwood donations, have no idea who sent this huge amount of scionwood with all the typed info to our scionwood exchange. I will send you pictures of my first pomegranate off the grafted branch that is now growing on my twenty eight year old Wonderful pomegranate tree. It is the only branch that I am allowing to grow. Thank you, Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: pomegranate scions from oc crfg scionwood exchange From: David To: Kathy Diewald Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 11:05:48 PM Hi, Kathy. I'm glad that you are getting good results out of your pomegranate growing efforts. Sadly, I don't know what they had up at ORange County for last year's scion exchange. Even worse, I don't know of any green skinned fruit with large red arils. I'm drawing a blank. The only Turkmenistan variety that comes immediately to mind as starting with a K is Kolobok. But it does not meet your description. If this one occurs to me later, I'll be sure to let you know. Very best of luck. DAvid ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Don't Forget RFNO Yahoo Group From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:08:54 +0000 Do you remember the RFNO Yahoo Group that was set up for you to share pictures for us to see. The group gets very little use, and Yahoo will close it if there is no activity for an extended period of time. To join, request at the webpage http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rfno/ and if I recognize your name as a subscriber to Rare Fruit News Online, I'll approve your request. In its File section is a PDF entitled "Under Cover Crops - Rare Fruit In Pennslyvania!" and tells of the success one can have growing rare fruit in inhospitable climates, with greenhouses, and keeping the plants in pots. There are 33 members who signed up expecting to receive word that your pictures have been posted for them to see, and to post theirs for you. Most have been waiting in vain. Important: To get pictures posted there you MUST send them to me mailto:rarefruit@san.rr.com. There are several reasons why it must be done this way. One is that offending images would occasionally be posted if I didn't screen them. Another is that there are severe restrictions on how many MB of space is available to us, so I will reduce pictures in size to approximately 5" x 7" (12.5 cm x 17.5 cm). It will greatly reduct the time I spend getting them posted if you will reduce the size and have 72 dpi. If you don't have software to do that, I can. It's more important that they get posted than the amount of time it takes me to prepare them. Here are the members up to now: ashua2000 mailto:ashua2000@yahoo.com Since January 2004 Ben Poirier mailto:benplant@tfb.com Since June 2004 Fallbrook, CA bjbinsjo mailto:bjbinsjo@yahoo.com Since January 2004 dakilla006 mailto:erniej@cox.net Since May 2004 ddevorn ddevorn@yahoo.com Since January 2004 deantiessen mailto:deantiessen@msn.com Since April 2004 dickybeachol... mailto:paradisi@aapt.net.au Since Jan, 2004 douglasyo mailto:douglasyo@gmail.com Since August 2006 floemxilem mailto:floemxilem@yahoo.com Since April 2004 Mel Chandler maialto:MLChandler@Charter.net George F. Emerich mailto:gemerich@tfb.com Nov 20, 2004 Neil mailto:hobberdidance@yahoo.com Arkansas Jan 15, 2004 Joel Vinikoor mailto:joelv@bellsouth.net Jan 15, 2007 junderwoodaze mailto:junderwoodz@sbcglobal.net Santa Ana, CA Larry mailto:larrye@san.rr.com San Diego Apr 1, 2004 lcoyner1 mailto:LCoyner@naples.net Apr 28, 2005 marc_schuyler mailto:marc_schuyler@yahoo.com Jan 14, 2004 marekchoraze... mailto:marekc@ixiacom.com Mar 31, 2004 Ben mailto:mariposafamily@hotmail.com Sep 10, 2004 mckiver1 mailto:mckiver1@hotmail.com Jan 19, 2004 pitangadiego mailto:pitangadiego@yahoo.com Oct 16, 2005 Dick Snow mailto:rhsnowsr@cox.net Jan 26, 2004 Spring Valley,CA richardsar01 mailto:richardsar01@yahoo.com Jan 19, 2004 Samar Gupta mailto:sam@trikaya.net Mumbai, India Jan 31, 2004 Ryan mailto:somsag_98@yahoo.com San Diego, CA Aug 10, 2004 supermookey mailto:supermookey@yahoo.com Feb 1, 2005 tomwhite2 mailto:tomwhite2@earthlink.net Feb 2, 2005 uncannypaulski mailto:uncannypaulski@yahoo.com Mar 21, 2005 Tom mailto:tyczkowski@aol.com Merritt Island Sep 15, 2006 yasminbd mailto:yasminbd@yahoo.com May 17, 2004 Name mailto: 38_un23@unhcr.umacr.org Jun 16, 2004 There have been a few pictures posted. To view them go to "Pictures" at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rfno/ and to post pictures, you must first attach them to an email to me at mailto:rarefruit.com. I should have reminded you sooner. I apologize! Leo Manuel ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What To Do With Large Quantities Of Star Fruit? From: Ollie Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:11:22 -0400 Hi, I'm looking for some ideas for what to do with the large amount of star fruit that I've been getting for the past few years. When I planted the tree, I had no idea it would produce so much fruit. From one tree, I would estimate I'm getting close to 100-200 fruits per month (more in summer, less in winter, but year-round production), and as much as I love the fruit for eating out-of-hand, I only eat about 20 or so per month. I've used my juicer to make juice out of them, but the clean-up time discourages me from doing this. I used to trade them for tomatoes and such at our local produce stand, but it closed down. I see small, pale yellow, under-ripe star fruit being sold at the grocery store for $1 per fruit (!), and I wonder if I should quit my job and start a carambola grove! ;-) This carambola tree, by the way, grows in central Florida and has lived through several freezes, has never had any disease or insect problems, and, remarkably, thrives under the shade of large oak trees (carambolas are well-known for preferring shade). I highly recommend the carambola for anyone living in a subtropical or tropical area who has a shady spot available. (As an aside, I also have a carambola tree growing in full sun, but it's much less happy and the fruit is always sunscalded.) So, carambola pie recipes? Salads? Quick methods for juicing them? Thanks in advance for any tips. Oliver Patterson mailto:ollie_patterson@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: What to do with large quantities of star fruit From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 07:13:32 -0700 To: Ollie Hi Ollie, What variety is your carambola? I have never gotten fruit from mine so have escaped the problem of deciding what to do with them. I'll publish your letter in RFNO for reader comments. Thanks for writing! Leo Here are Recipies I saw at one web site: http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/fruit/starfruit.html Star Fruit Recipes Star Fruit Chicken Rice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped scallions 2 teaspoons mashed garlic 6 medium star fruit 1 cup heavy cream salt, black pepper and paprika to taste minced cilantro leaves for garnish 4 cups cooked rice 4 pounds cooked chicken breast, deboned, cut into bite size pieces In a medium pan, heat olive oil. Saute red bell pepper, scallions, garlic and star fruit over medium low heat until tender about 8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook over medium low heat for 8 minutes. In a large cooking pot, combine this mixture with the rice and chicken and heat until serving temperature about 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander. star fruit Star Fruit Avocado Salad torn lettuce leaves 2 tomatoes, sliced 1/2 red onion, sliced very thin 1 avocado, sliced 2 star fruit, sliced On each of four salad plates, arrange a bed of lettuce. Layer the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette or your favorite dressing. Serves 4. Star Fruit Bread 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, softened 3 eggs 1 teaspoon white wine 2 cups star fruit, mashed 1 cup chopped coconut Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter and then cream in eggs. Blend in white wine and star fruit. Stir in flour mixture, blending thoroughly and then stir in coconut. Spoon into a well greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch bread pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. star fruit Broiled Star Fruit over Vanilla Frozen Yogurt 2 large star fruit, trimmed and each sliced into 8 stars 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 2 cups sugar free, fat free vanilla frozen yogurt Place a broiler rack 6 inches from source of heat. Preheat broiler. Arrange star fruit slices on a baking sheet and brush with lemon juice. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil until sugar bubbles and begins to darken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, scoop frozen yogurt into 4 dessert dishes. Top each serving with 4 star fruit slices. Serve at once. Serves 4. star fruit Star Fruit Chicken Salad Chicken Salad: 5 8 ounce chicken breasts, boneless 4 star fruit, sliced 2 red or yellow peppers, roasted, peeled and sliced 10 cups lettuce greens Oriental Mango Dressing: 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons basil, chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 cups diced mango 2 cups rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 cup canola oil salt and pepper to taste Method: Grill chicken breast, cool and slice into strips. Place lettuce greens in the center of a large plate or platter and alternate; placing chicken strips, roasted peppers and star fruit slices around the greens. Dressing: Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl and slowly whisk in sesame and canola oil. Spoon over the top of salad. Serves 8 to 10. star fruit Star Fruit Upside Down Cake 3 to 4 star fruit, sliced 1/4 cup butter, melted 2/3 cup dark brown sugar juice of 2 passion fruit 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder pinch of salt 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange sliced star fruit in bottom of a greased 9 inch cake pan as close together as possible. Mix together 1/4 cup butter, brown sugar and passion fruit juice and pour into pan, turning so mixture covers bottom. Set aside. Cream together 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beat well. Mix together dry ingredients. Add flour mixture, alternately with milk, to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cake pulls away form sides of pan. Let cool for five minutes before inverting onto serving plate. 8 servings. star fruit Star Fruit Cocktail 1 star fruit, deveined 1/4 cup orange liqueur ice 1/2 cup rum crystale 1 cup fresh orange juice 1 star fruit, sliced for garnish Blend all ingredients except for garnish. Garnish with a slice of star fruit. star fruit Star Fruit Fruit Salad 1 sliced, seeded star fruit 1 banana, sliced juice of 1 lime 1 orange, peeled and sliced Lightly mix fruit with lime juice. Serve cold over lettuce leaves or as fruit cups. star fruit Sweet Star Fruit Relish 8 cups thinly sliced star fruit 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar 1 tablespoon whole cloves 4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional Wash and thinly slice star fruit, taking care to remove seeds. Cover with cider by vinegar and allow to stand overnight. Drain off vinegar. Combine star fruit with sugar and salt. Add cloves; which have been placed in a cheesecloth bag and lightly pounded. Cook gently to the consistency of preserves. Allow to stand overnight. Remove spice bag and reheat mixture to boiling. Pack into hot pint jars. Wipe jar mouths and adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. *Note: when making for long term storage it is probably best to omit the nutmeg if you do not want a dark relish, although it certainly adds to the flavor. Makes about 5 pints. star fruit Avocado, Star Fruit and Wilted Spinach Salad 1 tablespoon peanut or corn oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons chopped red onion 1/3 cup Japanese rice wine vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 pound fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and dried 2 star fruit, thinly sliced 1 avocado, peeled and sliced In small, heavy skillet heat oil over medium heat, stir in cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes, stirring to mix well. In large bowl toss spinach with 3 tablespoons of warm dressing. Divide among 4 plates, arrange star fruit and avocado slices over top and drizzle with remaining dressing. star fruit Star Fruit Sampler with Cranberry Coulis Coulis: 1 pound cranberries, rinsed 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup grand marnier grated zest of one orange 2 whole star fruit, washed and sliced 1 large mango, peeled and sliced 2 kiwi, peeled and sliced mint and coconut to garnish 8 ounces mascarpone cheese Coulis: Simmer cranberries with water and sugar in a medium size saucepan over medium heat about 10 minutes or until skins pop. Puree berries and juice in processor or blender. Remove and strain liquid over medium size bowl. Stir in grand marnier and grated orange zest. Refrigerate for one hour. Remove from refrigerator and divide sauce among six dessert plates. Arrange slices of star fruit, mango and kiwi on top. Garnish with fresh mint and coconut. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone cheese. star fruit Star Fruit Soup 2 chicken drumsticks 1 star fruit, sliced 1 teaspoon lemon grass 1 teaspoon kaffir lime leaves, shredded 4 ounces shallots, chopped 4 cups chicken stock 2 teaspoons small tomatoes 1 ounce fish sauce 1 ounce black soya sauce 1 ounce white soya sauce 2 teaspoons coriander, chopped 1 red chilli, shredded Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and boil the drumsticks until tender. Add black and white soya sauce to taste. Put sliced star fruit, shallots, tomatoes, lemon grass and shredded kaffir lime leaves in the pan and season with fish sauce to taste. Cook further 5 minutes. To serve: Pour into one large or two individual bowls and decorate with coriander and red chilli. Serve warm or hot. star fruit Tropical Fruit Salad 2 cups seedless red grapes 1 cup cubed, peeled papaya 1 cup sliced star fruit 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced 3 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup sliced banana Combine grapes, papaya, star fruit and kiwi in a bowl; toss gently. Combine lime juice and honey in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Pour over fruit; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill. Just before serving, add banana; toss gently. Makes 6 to 8 servings. star fruit Star Fruit and Ginger Drink 1 pound star fruit 1 thumb of ginger 1 teaspoon lime juice 4 cups of water sugar to taste Blend star fruit and ginger with water and lime juice then strain. Add sugar and serve chilled. star fruit Fruit Salad Vinaigrette 1 medium ripe mango 1 small papaya 2 kiwi fruit 1 star fruit French Dressing: 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 5 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste Cut the papaya in half and remove seeds. Peel papaya and mango, cut lengthways into slices. Peel and slice kiwi. Slice star fruit. Arrange the fruit attractively on a serving dish and pour a little dressing on top French Dressing: Place all the ingredients in a screw top jar and shake well to mix. Chill. star fruit Star Fruit Lobster Salad Dressing: 1/2 pound mixed salad greens, chilled 1 cup orange juice 4 medium star fruit, sliced 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup oranges, peeled and sliced 1/4 cup canola oil 1 pound cooked lobster tails 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup black beans Pour orange juice in a saute pan and bring to a boil; and reduce liquid by one half. Remove and cool. Combine orange juice, honey, oil and salt for dressing. Combine salad ingredients, toss with dressing and serve. 5 servings. star fruit Down Island Salsa 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons white rum 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano chile 4 cups fresh pineapple cubes 1 cup diced peeled ripe mango 1 cup star fruit, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours. Makes 4 cups. star fruit Shrimp and Star Fruit Salad 1 1/2 pounds large, unpeeled shrimp 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 4 cups cooked penne 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup sliced green onions 3 star fruit, each cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices Boston lettuce leaves Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Peel shrimp and chill. Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, oil, water, salt and pepper and stir well. Add chilled shrimp, pasta, cilantro, green onions and star fruit slices to lemon juice mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve on lettuce lined plates. 6 servings. star fruit Chicken Star Fruit Stir Fry 4 star fruit 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips 1/4 cup sherry 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger root 1 tablespoon soy sauce 4 garlic cloves, crushed 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups julienne cut red bell pepper 1 cup vertically sliced onion 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 4 cups hot cooked rice Cut 1 star fruit in half crosswise and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice, using a citrus reamer or juicer; set juice aside. Dice star fruit halves; set aside. Slice remaining 3 star fruit crosswise and set aside. Combine 2 tablespoons star fruit juice, chicken, sherry, brown sugar, ginger root, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl and stir well. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Sprinkle chicken with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and star fruit; stir fry 1 minute. Add bell pepper and onion and stir fry 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Add reserved marinade, sesame oil, salt and pepper; stir fry 1 minute. Serve over rice. 4 servings. star fruit Star Fruit Chutney 2 cups cubed star fruit 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup dry red wine 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger root 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and cook 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 1 cup. star fruit Tropical Fruit Napoleons 1/2 cup fat free sour cream 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar 1/3 cup light cream cheese 1/4 cup soft tofu 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed 2 tablespoons light butter, melted cooking spray 1/2 cup diced star fruit 1/2 cup diced peeled papaya 1/2 cup diced banana 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Cover and chill. Combine bread crumbs, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir well and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface; lightly brush with butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon bread crumb mixture. Repeat layers with remaining phyllo, butter and bread crumb mixture, ending with phyllo. Gently press phyllo layers together. Lightly coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Cut 12 3 inch circles through phyllo layers using a sharp round cookie cutter. Carefully place layered circles on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; discard any remaining phyllo scraps. Coat the bottom of another baking sheet with cooking spray; place, coated side down, on top of layered phyllo circles. Bake at 375F for 12 minutes or until crisp. Remove top baking sheet; place phyllo stacks on a wire rack. Cool completely. Combine star fruit, papaya and banana; stir gently. Place 1 phyllo stack on each of 4 dessert plates. Spread about 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture on top of each stack; top each with about 3 tablespoons papaya mixture and 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture. For each serving, repeat layers with the remaining phyllo stacks, sour cream mixture and papaya mixture, ending with phyllo stacks. Sprinkle powdered sugar over napoleons. 4 servings. star fruit Marinated Sour Shrimp 2 pounds large shrimp with shell 6 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 3 red chilies 4 sour star fruit, sliced 1/2 teaspoon salt Put shrimp in a pan with 8 cups water and bring to boil. Simmer for 4 minutes, drain and plunge shrimp in iced water for 30 seconds. Drain, then peel shrimp. Grind or blend shallots, chilies and star fruit. Add salt to taste and a little lime or lemon juice if not sour enough. Combine with shrimp and serve. star fruit Grilled Tuna and Star Fruit Salad 1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna, 1 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces Mustard Dressing, recipe follows 2 star fruit, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices 8 cups torn mixed lettuce 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 3 green onions, sliced Arrange the tuna on a lightly oiled grilling tray or broiler pan. Place 1/4 cup of the Mustard Dressing in a small bowl. Brush some dressing over the fish. Grill or broil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Turn the fish and arrange the star fruit alongside it on the grilling tray. Brush the fish and star fruit lightly with the dressing. Return to the grill. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes longer, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Combine the lettuce and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Add the remaining dressing and toss to coat well. Divide the salad evenly among 4 dinner plates. Place 1 piece of tuna on the center of each salad. Arrange the star fruit slices around each salad plate. Sprinkle with green onions. Mustard Dressing: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill 1/4 teaspoon paprika Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, mustard, dill and paprika in a small bowl and mix well. Chill until ready to use. Makes about 1/2 cup. 4 servings. star fruit Broad Bean Star Fruit Bologna 1 cup canned broad beans, drained 1/2 cup star fruit, diced 1/2 cup bologna, diced 3 cups mixed fruit and nuts 1 cup cooked couscous, cooled 3 cups yogurt 1 tablespoons Cajun seasoning lettuce leaves to serve Combine broad beans, star fruit, bologna, fruit and nuts, couscous, yogurt and Cajun seasoning. Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon bean mixture on top. Serve chilled as a great meatless main course, or as a side dish to barbecued chicken or steak. star fruit Butterhead and Mesclun Salad w/Grilled Star Fruit and Edible Flowers 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 finely chopped mixed herbs such as thyme, tarragon, chives or parsley 1/3 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1 star fruit cut crossways into 1/4 inch slices 1/4 head butterhead lettuce such as Boston or Bibb washed and leaves separated 2 cups mesclun salad mix or other mixed greens that have been washed 1/2 head of radicchio finely sliced 16 edible flowers such as nasturtiums, chive blossoms or pansies Combine the champagne vinegar, herbs, garlic and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and allow to steep 15 minutes. Slowly whisk in the oil until completely emulsified. Prepare the grill for the star fruit. Lightly grill the fruit for about 3 minutes on each side. Place the lettuce leaves on serving plates. Mound the mesclun greens on top. Garnish with the radicchio. Arrange the edible flowers and star fruit on the lettuce leaves around the edge of the plate. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serves 4. star fruit Star Fruit Mui 2 quarts star fruit, cut in slices juice of 3 lemons 1 1/2 tablespoon salt 6 tablespoons sugar or 9 tablespoons raw sugar 1/8 teaspoon Chinese five spice 2 1/2 tablespoons whiskey Dry star fruit in the sun for 2 days. Rinse. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add star fruit and simmer about 15 minutes, until shiny and transparent. Cool. Store refrigerated in sterilized jars. Age 2 to 3 days before eating. star fruit Grilled Chicken and Star Fruit 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoons fresh snipped thyme 2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/8 teaspoons ground red pepper 1/4 teaspoons salt 1 small ruby red grapefruit 2 ripe, firm kiwi 2 medium ripe nectarines 2 ripe, firm star fruit 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves Combine orange peel, orange marmalade, oil, thyme, coriander, red pepper and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Peel and quarter grapefruit and kiwi. Pit and quarter nectarines. Cut star fruit into 1/2 inch thick slices. Thread fruits on 4 metal skewers. Grill chicken directly over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. During the last 8 minutes of grilling place fruit skewers directly over medium heat. Brush fruit and chicken with the marmalade mixture often. Turn fruit once. While the chicken and fruit are grilling prepare some rice for a great side dish. To add even more of the islands to your meal you could use couscous as a great side dish choice. Serves 4. star fruit Art Deco Salad 2 cups shredded lettuce 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage fresh parsley to taste 1 medium carrot, shredded 1 medium tomato, chopped 3 large radishes, shredded salt and pepper 1 star fruit, sliced for garnish bottled dill dressing Arrange all ingredients on a salad plate, top with dill dressing and slices of star fruit. Serves 1. star fruit Duckling with Star Fruit Sauce 2 4 pound domestic ducklings, thawed if frozen 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 small onion, chopped 1 carrot, thinly sliced 1 small stalk celery, chopped salt and pepper Star Fruit Sauce: 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup medium dry sherry or port 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 teaspoon tomato paste 7 ounces star fruit, pared, pureed and sieved star fruit slices for garnish Roast Duckling: Preheat oven to 375F. Remove giblets and fat from body cavity of ducklings and reserve for another time. Rinse ducklings inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Stuff ducklings with thyme, parsley, bay leaves, onion, carrot, celery and salt and pepper to taste. Tie legs together with string. Pierce skin all over with tip of small knife. Arrange ducklings on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Roast at 375F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until thermometer inserted between leg and thigh registers 180F. Spoon off fat from roasting pan several times during baking. Remove ducklings and rack from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Keep ducklings warm. Put sauce ingredients in a pan over medium heat. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer until reduced. Server over duckling and garnish with star fruit slices. star fruit Star Fruit Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar 1/4 cup salad oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 10 ounce packages torn mixed salad greens; Italian blend 2 medium star fruit, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced Combine vinegar, oil and honey in a screw top jar. Cover and shake well. Toss salad greens with star fruit and onion in a large bowl. Shake dressing well and pour over salad mixture. Toss lightly to coat well. Makes 12 servings. star fruit Fruit Exotica 1/3 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons cream of coconut 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1 cup reduced fat sour cream 2 mangoes, cubed 4 star fruit, sliced 1 cup blueberries 2 cups strawberries, chopped 1 1/2 cups orange sections In a large bowl, mix together orange juice and the following four ingredients with a spoon. Set aside. Add prepared fruit to dressing and toss thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve on leaf lettuce as a salad, top slices of pound cake or fill a crepe for dessert. 8 servings. star fruit Vietnamese Grilled Steak Wraps 1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak grated peel of 2 lemons juice of 2 lemons 6 tablespoons sugar, divided 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 6 8 inch flour tortillas 6 lettuce leaves 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves star fruit slices red bell pepper strips orange peel strips Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Combine lemon peel, juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Combine water, vinegar, remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes without stirring until syrupy. Stir in crushed red pepper; set aside. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Thread beef onto metal or wooden skewers. Soak wooden skewers in hot water 30 minutes to prevent burning. Grill beef over medium hot briquets about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Grill tortillas until hot. Place lettuce, beef, mint and cilantro on tortillas; drizzle with vinegar mixture. Roll tortillas to enclose filling. Garnish with star fruit, bell pepper and orange peel strips. Makes 6 wraps. star fruit Grilled Lemongrass Prawns 16 king prawns or 24 medium prawns, heads and shells intact 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup fish sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves and tough green tops removed, root ends trimmed and finely ground 1 star fruit, unripe, sliced into thin stars With a paring knife, make an incision through the shell along the back of the prawns. Devein, leaving the shell intact; rinse the prawns and pat dry. Whisk together the sugar and fish sauce in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the oil and lemongrass. Add the prawns and toss running your fingertips between the flesh and shells. Place the prawns in a plastic bag and seal the bag. Marinate the prawns, refrigerated, 2 to 3 hours, turning the bag over every 30 minutes or so. Grill over a barbecue,make sure the flames have subsided and coals are red with white ashes, or in a well oiled grill pan over medium high heat, until prawns are cooked through and turn pink, about 3 minutes per side for king prawns and 2 minutes for medium prawns. Serve with star fruit on the side. star fruit Pork Scaloppinis with Star Fruit 1 tablespoon butter 4 pork cutlets, 4 ounces each salt and pepper to taste 1 star fruit, sliced 1/2 cup beef broth 1/2 cup orange juice 1 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped 2 teaspoons orange peel Preheat oven to 200F. Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. Cook pork about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer cutlets to a serving dish and set aside in oven. In same pan, cook star fruit 1 minute per side. Set aside in oven. Add beef broth, orange juice and cream to saucepan; cook until reduced by half. Add coriander and orange peel. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over meat and garnish with star fruit. Serve with rice and zucchini, if desired. Serves 4. star fruit Lemony Star Fruit Kuchen 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/3 cup quick cooking rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 2 egg whites 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons dark molasses 2 tablespoons margarine, melted 1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded nonstick spray coating 1 large star fruit cut into 12 slices 2 teaspoons granulated sugar In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, oats, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl stir together egg whites, yogurt, brown sugar, molasses, melted margarine and lemon peel. Add egg white mixture to flour mixture, stirring just till combined. Spray an 8 inch round quiche pan or cake pan with nonstick spray coating. Spread batter into prepared pan. Gently press star fruit slices into batter. Bake in a 350F oven about 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Serve warm. star fruit Baked Fish Fillets With Star Fruit 2 tablespoons softened butter 2 fairly lean fish fillets, about 1/2 pound each, about 1/2 inch thick salt and white pepper to taste 2 very small star fruit lime juice to taste Preheat oven to 450F. Select a baking dish to hold fillets in a single layer. Spread a little less than half the butter in the dish. Set fillets on butter. Add salt and pepper. Cut off star fruit tips. Slice fruit thin; arrange on fish. Dot with remaining butter. Taste star fruit; if rather sweet, sprinkle with a healthy dose of lime juice; if tart, a smaller amount. Bake for about 8 minutes, until fish just becomes opaque in the center. It will continue to bake in the dish, so do not overcook. Serve at once. star fruit Star Fruit Steak 1 1/4 pounds beef sirloin steak 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon seasoning salt 1 star fruit, cut into 1/3 inch slices Place the beef sirloin steak in a medium dish and cover with Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and seasoning salt, adjusting the amounts to taste. Place star fruit slices around the steak. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator approximately 4 hours, turning steak once. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Cook steak 3 to 5 minutes per side on the prepared grill, or to desired doneness. Makes 4 servings. * The star fruit is aka starfruit, carambola, bilimbi, belimbing, Chinese star fruit, five angled fruit and the star apple. It is most commonly known as star fruit and carambola. * ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: What to do with large quantities of star fruit From: Ollie Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:45:47 -0400 Hi Leo, I think the cultivar I have is either ‘Kajang’ or ‘Kari.’ Thanks for all the great recipes! I had no idea there were so many. Ollie mailto:ollie_patterson@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What to do with large quantities of star fruit From: Ollie Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:45:47 -0400 Hi Leo, I think the cultivar I have is either ‘Kajang’ or ‘Kari.’ Thanks for all the great recipes! I had no idea there were so many. Ollie mailto:ollie_patterson@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What to do with large quantities of star fruit From: Ollie Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:58:34 -0400 Yes, definitely. The cultivars are divided into the so-called "sweet types" and the "sour types," and each individual cultivar is different. What's more, the degree of ripeness, indicated by the color, makes a major difference in sweetness. Dark yellow indicates a very sweet fruit. Funny that you should ask that, because I was just watching a video about carambolas! Here's the link, in case you're interested: http://tfphotos.ifas.ufl.edu/VFLrealfiles.htm The files are in RealVideo format. Ollie mailto:ollie_patterson@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Quang Ong Says Rare Fruit Trees Will Get Expensive! From: quang12@aol.com Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:50:41 -0500 Leo, Hopely all your plants did fine during the bad bad COLD. Just want to keep in touch. I want to tell you that we will have very hard time soon for getting exotic fruit trees. This was due to Pine Island Nursery in Florida or others will not send plants in California completely. So, expect very high prices or no plants at all very soon. Thanksss... Quang Ong (owner) mailto:Quang12@aol.com ONG Nursery 2528 Crandall Drive San Diego, California 92111 Opens: Saturday & Sunday ONLY Tel: (858) 277-8167 after 5:00PM (Mon-Fri) and any time 8:00AM-5:00PM (Sat. & Sun.) ------------------------------------------------ Subject: UC Riverside's citrus center experiments with designer fruit From: bergerbuds@aol.com Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:12:22 -0500 By Sara Lin Times Staff Writer February 15, 2007 UC Riverside's living citrus museum, which has 400 acres of trees, has attracted a cult following. There was the nurseryman from France who came to the United States only to admire its unusual and succulent fruit. A local restaurateur, looking for new flavors for his entrees, nibbled on a variety of citrus blossoms. Then there was the obsessed tangerine fan — a gourmet grocer from Texas who wanted his picture taken next to the Seedless Kishu mandarin tree. "That was a little strange," said Tracy Kahn, a UCR scientist who watches over the trees. More than 1,000 members of the citrus family tree thrive in UCR's Citrus Experiment Station, which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Wednesday. Generations of researchers here have developed and bred dozens of unique tasty fruits. UC scientists established the Citrus Experiment Station in 1907 as a research center to support Southern California's growing citrus industry and the center ultimately became the seedling from which UC Riverside sprouted in 1954. Even with the mushrooming growth of new homes and shopping centers that now surrounds the university, UC Riverside's citrus groves remain among the most diverse in the world. During tours — yes, the citrus station does draw in the curious — visitors learn that lemons weren't always small and cute. Long before grocers began stocking the fist-sized variety popular today, citrus growers fumbled with its ancestor, a lumpy 5-pound fruit the size of a Nerf football. Growers in India are believed to have produced what is now considered the modern lemon about AD 100, after decades of crossing it with smaller citrus varieties. In more modern times, UC Riverside scientists have developed some best-selling fruits, including the Oroblanco grapefruit-pummelo hybrid, with its surprisingly sweet taste, and the tangy Gold Nugget mandarin. But many of the university's contributions have been more utilitarian, such as finding ways to eliminate bothersome bugs without pesticides. The 400-acre station is now called the Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station to reflect its expanded mission, which now includes research on asparagus and other vegetables. A hundred years ago, orange groves blanketed much of Southern California, driving the station's establishment. But as citrus and other agriculture give way to development, the university has come up with creative ways to stay relevant as a state and worldwide resource. The university runs a state-of-the-art bug lab, where entomologists are using genetics to combat the glassy-winged sharpshooter, responsible for transmitting Pierce's disease, which kills grapevines and threatens California wineries. The insect also carries bacteria that harm almond trees, citrus trees and alfalfa crops. At the museum, a 25-acre parcel planted with the 1,000 citrus varieties — two trees of each — Kahn regularly entertains international citrus gurus and has become a sort of ambassador, once lugging 250 pounds of fruit to Washington to tantalize members of Congress during a conference on land-grant universities. Kahn has also hosted local chefs using the groves for inspiration. The tiny caviar-like fruit of purple-skinned Australian Finger Limes makes a good garnish; the Buddha's Hand, a fingered citron that looks like a miniature yellow octopus, makes an unusual centerpiece. Brein Clements, chef-owner of Restaurant Omakase, a new downtown Riverside eatery, came in search of an orange blossom to decorate his dishes. "So we went around chomping flowers," Kahn said. Kahn assumed the sweetest fruit trees would have the best-tasting flowers. "But it didn't work out that way. Some of those were pretty gross," she recalled. Instead, Kahn introduced Clements to the Australian Finger Limes, which he purees into a sorbet. He took a few Rangpur mandarin-limes and reduced them into a syrup for scallops and beets. The two exchange ideas every other week and are planning a citrus-themed benefit dinner in March to raise money for the museum. As for flowers, Clements isn't giving up. He'll head back into the groves this spring when more trees will be in bloom. He has big plans for the blossoms, including their use in honey and mustard infusions and curing them with salt and then packing them around yellowfin tuna steaks. "I don't even look at basic oranges and lemons when I go there," Clements said. "When you're there, you feel like you're taking a trip around the world. She's got stuff from Morocco in one row, then in another row she's got Spain and Egypt … stuff that no one else in the United States has." Escorting visitors through the rows of trees, Kahn sometimes pulls out a knife and treats guests to tasty Moro blood oranges and seedless mandarins fresh off the tree. But visitors beware, one lick of another fruit — the citrange — leaves a taste you remember for a week, and not because it's sweet; it's more like sickly rotten. The Texas grocer who wanted his picture taken next to the Seedless Kishu mandarin tree sampled other tangerines and oranges on the tour. Still, for him, none topped his tiny, fluffy-skinned favorite. "I'm a big fan of the Kishu, it's one of my favorite things," said Lee Crenshaw, a produce buyer for Central Market, a gourmet grocery chain. The mandarins have a short season but are extremely popular with customers. For two weeks every January, the golf ball-sized fruits fly off the shelves, he said. Despite the station's expanded goals, citrus breeders haven't let up on their quest to develop sweeter, hardier fruit. The university released three more seedless tangerine varieties to growers in 2002: Shasta Gold, Tahoe Gold and Yosemite Gold. The first commercial crop should hit grocery stores in two years. Meanwhile, the newly released Tango tangerine could become one of the most widely grown. Unlike other varieties, Tango trees don't have to be grown in isolation to be seedless. It takes about 20 years to develop a new variety, said Mikeal Roose, UC Riverside's citrus breeder and professor of genetics. For every marketable fruit sent on to growers, there are 50 others that don't make the cut, he said. Roose said that he tastes so many contenders that his dentist gives him a special treatment to protect the enamel on his teeth. Roose and his team of researchers still use some age-old techniques to create new fruits, combining pollen from one tree with the flowers from another and harvesting seeds from the resulting fruit. But some of the work has gone high-tech. To produce the Tango variety, researchers blasted baby trees known as budsports with X-rays to spur mutations. And by mapping the citrus genome, researchers can determine early on which seedlings deserve planting. As UCR moves ahead with plans for new medical and business schools, the citrus station will lose a few rows of trees. But perhaps more worrisome for the agricultural school is a problem facing the industry at large. "We're all talking about how we can get undergrads interested in the agricultural sciences. Should we call it something different than 'plant sciences?' " said Donald Cooksey, dean of UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. "It's something we're still working on," he said. Some juicy citrus tidbits Little-known facts about citrus, courtesy of UC Riverside's agricultural experts: • A Riverside woman, Eliza Tibbets, is credited with introducing the navel orange to the U.S. in 1873 when she imported two small trees from Brazil. Tibbets first served the oranges at a housewarming party where the richly flavored seedless fruit was a smash. One of the original trees still stands at the intersection of Arlington and Magnolia avenues in Riverside. • Many citrus varieties are the result of natural mutations of established breeds. A mutation led to the navel oranges, which has a 'twin' fruit, or a smaller orange, embedded in the outer fruit opposite the stem — and resembles a bellybutton. • Citrus genetics is similar to human genetics. When scientists cross two parent trees, each offspring is unique. Much like humans, juvenile citrus trees go through an awkward gangly stage. They are more thorny than their grown-up relatives and don't bear fruit until they're 5 years old. • Almost all commercially grown citrus trees are grafts. The base, or rootstock, is often a different citrus variety than the part of the tree which bears fruit, called the scion. Many citrus varieties that may not produce a tasty fruit instead are kept as rootstock for their strong resistance to disease. <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200704A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - April 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200704B.txt ____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Freeze/Frost Damage - More has appeared than I first reported. I told you that my pitaya plants fully exposed to the cold weren't damaged. Most did not show visual signs of damage, but now every Yellow pitaya - Selenicereus megalanthus - has died to the ground. The plants seemed to have been freeze dried in appearance. No juicy flesh anywhere, no rot, but they all died, except for a few small ones near the house. Frankie's Red seems to have been spared - a hybrid of Yellow and some Hylocereus spp. Also some damaged mango trees seemed to have had bloom buds killed. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber - Mozambique - Wants Pomegranate Trees Marthinus Prinsloo <><><> Readers Write <><><> Re: Overabundance of Carambola Fruit Oscar Jaitt To: Ollie Patterson Carambola recipes CHINO228@aol.com0 Mangoes - Ataulfo? Manila? Champagne? Cielo Re: Mangoes - Ataulfo? Manila? Champagne? Leo Manuel To: Cielo Tree Fruits to grow in VA? And Fiberless Mangoes? Isabella Re: Tree Fruits to grow in VA? And Fiberless Mangoes? Leo Manuel To: Isabella Pruning Frederick Passionfruit Todd Abel To: Kathy Frost damaged Frederick pruning "Holzinger, Bob" To: Kathy Beaumont Macadamia - Graft? Jennie Burgess 2007 - No RFNO Group Activity Phil Hamilton Tell Me About Durian - King Of Fruit Debbie Wells Fans Sour on Sweeter Version of Asia's Smelliest Fruit "Lon J. Rombough" Odorless Durian Hybrid Bruce Livingston Festival of Fruit's Tijuana Self-Guided Tour - Dry Run 4/14/07 Jose Miguel Gallego Champion juicer/black sapote Ollie CRFG-North San Diego County FRUIT NEWS April 2007 secetary nickerson <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber - Mozambique - Wants Pomegranate Trees From: Marthinus Prinsloo Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:34:58 -0700 (PDT) Good day I am Marthinus Prinsloo and from Mozambique. I am looking for Pomegranate trees to import and need to get in contact by E-mail or cell:+27825651660 We also have fruit that is only grown in Mozambique, should you be interested Thanks Marthinus Prinsloo mailto:marthinus.prinsloo@yahoo.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Re: Overabundance of Carambola Fruit From: Oscar Jaitt Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:32:57 -1000 To: Ollie Patterson I have the same "problem" of over production of starfruit (carambola). But i planted 6 starfruit trees! The starfruit reminds me of my experience with zucchini. When i first started gardening planted 6 zucchini plants! Couldn't hardly give them all away. Anyway, the best way to make the juicer cleaning job easier is to get a different juicer. I use a champion and it is very easy to clean. I assume you are probably using a centrifugal type juicer. BTW, starfruit juice is great mixed with orange juice. Another way to use a lot of the fruits is to dry them. Starfruit wine is also very good. Oscar Jaitt mailto:fruitlovers@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Carambola recipes From: CHINO228@aol.com Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:11:05 -0400 (EDT) Ollie Petterson: In response to your request for additional uses of Carambola. the Rare Fruit Council International, Miami their Tropical Recipes Cookbook has 410 recipes on 42 tropical fruits which is the only cookbook in the world that is exclusively tropical fruits that are grown in Florida. Their carambola recipes includes Carambola butter, Carambola Daquiry, Carambola garnish, Carambola jelly, Carambola pickles, Carambola pies, Carambola punch, Carambola relish, Carambolade. Price $20 postpaid. Contact Maurice (305) 554-1333 or e-mail chino228@aol.com Maurice Kong mailto:CHINO228@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mangoes - Ataulfo? Manila? Champagne? From: Cielo Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:58:35 -0700 (PDT) Hi Leo, What's the difference between Ataulfo and Manila mangoes. I saw boxes of mangoes labeled "Champagne - Ataulfo" from Mexico. The store owner tells me that it's the same mangoes that were sold under the name "Manila." The Philippines is claiming the trade name Manila, so Mexico is prohibited from selling their Mexican grown mangoes "Manila." I have an ataulfo mango -- would you say that's a Manila mango? Thanks for your newsletter! Cielo mailto:cielo_g@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Mangoes - Ataulfo? Manila? Champagne? From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:08:35 -0700 To: Cielo Hi Cielo, I believe that Ataulfo and Champagne may be same, but Champagne seemed to be easier to remember and pronounce-and possibly sounds more attractive. Remember that Kiwi fruit was formerly called Chinese gooseberry, but after it was renamed, sales soared. I'm not sure about Manila mango. There seem to be several different strains of Manila. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Tree Fruits to grow in VA? And Fiberless Mangoes? Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:50:48 -0400 From: Isabella Hello Leo, My name is Isabella Tran and I live in Stafford, Virginia. I have two fruit trees (persimmon & longan) right now but they haven't been moved to the ground yet. Do you know what kind of fruits are good to grow in our area as you know we have snow here in the east coast. I want to grow some mangos but there are so many varieties in the store but I don't know the exact name. Most of the American grocery sells mangos that are not sweet and have strings on them. You know what I mean by that when I refer to strings. I want the Asian styles that are yellow and some even though they are a little green, they are still sweet. These kinds have no strings and are perfect to eat and slice. Let me know if there are any of these I can grown here. Thanks. Isabella M. Tran mailto:Isabella_Tran@vaep.uscourts.gov ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Tree Fruits to grow in VA? And Fiberless Mangoes? From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:26:44 -0700 To: Isabella Hi Isabella, You can't grow rare fruit trees outside of greenhouses in Virginia. The following article describes how rare fruit trees are grown in Pennsylvania by using greenhouses and keeping trees in pots. It doesn't tell you where to get the kind of mangoes you want to grow, however. If you live near an Asian market, they may sell those fruit in their store. In San Diego, we can find them there. Here's the article: UnderCover Crops - Mobile Tropical Fruit Orchards By Ray Bayer Tropical Fruit World (March/April 1990 22-24; May/June 1990 58-59; September/October 1990 130; Nov/Dec 1990 163; Jan/Feb 1991 29; Let me inspire you to discover a new kind of gardening pleasure. My excitement is over the container growing of tropical fruit plants, something I have now been doing for more than 13 years. Each year proving more pleasurable than the last. For the temperate climate gardener containerizing is the only method available for growing tropical fruit trees. I live in southwest Pennsylvania, and as I write this article we're in the midst of a winter snow squall with a wind chill of around 9°F. My tropical fruit trees are completely unaware of this miserable phenomenon known as an Arctic cold front and are busily blooming and setting fruit. After a summer outdoors, and before the first freeze, I simply pick up my potted plants and plop them in a greenhouse under fluorescent lights, where they spend their winter in the Tropic of Pennsylvania. The ability of these plants to adapt to their artificial environment and continual restrictive growing is tremendous. As I write, my plants are setting such varied fruits as jaboticaba, passionfruit, citrus, cherimoyas, feijoas and more. Enthusiasm over this method of tropical fruit culture need not be confined to northern gardeners. South Florida growers and others in sub-tropical and mild winter areas should be exposed to the joy of containerized growing. It opens up an entirely new area to the rare fruit hobbyist. Fruit trees can be moved from one area of the yard to another to take advantage of sun or shade. Inspection of root systems can be done as needed by simply tapping the tree out of the pot. Landscapes can be achieved by sinking the potted trees into various locations, and later moving them if a different garden scheme is desired. Exact watering and fertilization schedules are easier because confined root systems and nutrient deficiencies are taken care of more quickly. One of the most exciting aspects of this type of gardening is that, thanks to the portability of the plant, very tropical fruit trees, such as the South Asian mangosteen and rambutan, can be grown with little worry of frost or cold damage. In Florida this advantage, of course applies to any cold sensitive species. When the temperature threatens to plummet simply pick up the pot and set it in a protected area, whether a Florida room or a garage. Most trees will thrive for years in five to ten gallon pots without any special care. As most tropicals fruit on new growth, I usually top prune mine yearly to stimulate new fruiting growth, sometimes taking up to a third of the growth off. This drastic one-third reduction is done (if at all) every fourth or fifth year, and is sometimes accompanied by root pruning, also a one-third reduction. This is done by knocking the tree out of the pot and reducing the root system on all four sides and bottom by using a key hole saw or similar tool. The tree is then put back in the pot and fresh potting medium is packed around it, along with slow release fertilizer if desired. It is then set in a semi-shaded location in the yard (or greenhouse) until new growth is evident and the flowering/fruiting cycle will be revitalized. This is only done to trees that are stressed due to extreme root crowding and exhibit root bound symptoms by producing small or no fruit crops, small leaves and little new growth. Of course this stage of stunted growth is rarely ever reached, although newly purchased plants may be in need of an immediate root cut. Fibrous roots appearing on the top of the soil is the sign that it is now time to prune or repot. Pot grown fruit trees usually have a completely fibrous root system, being devoid of a tap root, so this method of keeping the tree within bounds is not at all detrimental. Think of it as having your hair styled; a little off the top and sides always makes your hair grow better and look fuller. So it is with containerized fruit trees. Every spring I like to replace the top three or four inches of soil with fresh medium. This gives the plant a growing boost and aids in better fruit production. My fruit trees are grown in a homemade potting mix of two-parts garden loam or packaged potting soil, one-part perlite, one-part vermiculite and a half-part peat. I also use a commercial soilless mix consisting of sphagnum or peat moss, vermiculite, perlite and dolomite lime for a pH buffer in which the trees seem to do as well as or better than in the soil mixture, though it needs to be enhanced more often with fertilizer. It should be noted that the reason I add lime to my soil mix is that fertilizing containerized trees often tends to lower the pH to the point where the nutrients are bound up in the soil making them unavailable to the plant; adding a small amount of dolomite lime simply keeps the pH in the neutral range. Of course, some fruit trees enjoy being on the acidic side of the pH tables as long as nutrients are available to them. Jaboticabas do well in a pure peat, perlite, vermiculite mixture. I usually use diluted amounts of fertilizer with every watering and full strength dosages twice monthly or more depending on rainfall. Due to the fact that the trees are raised in containers, nutrient leaching can be a problem in areas or seasons of heavy rain. I've found that Peter's 20-20-20 fertilizer mixture to be as close to ideal as any. I also supplement many of my trees with triple super phosphate every four to six weeks during the growing season along with a foliar feeding of potassium nitrate. Spraying is done in early morning and evening when the leaves are most receptive to this type of feeding. Once or twice a season I also spray on trace elements to round out their diet. Chlorosis of certain containerized trees can be a problem, but prudent applications of nitrogen corrects this problem as does iron. Passifloras, for instance, are susceptible to chlorotic new growth and require more nitrogen than either citrus or peach trees. Care must be taken whenever iron or nitrogen is sprayed on new growth to avoid burning. I have made the "more is better" mistake in foliar feeding before and it is not a pleasant sight to watch vigorous healthy new growth turn black almost overnight, shrivel up and flake away. Healthy deep green growth inevitably always appears but it sets back flower and fruit production considerably. Following the manufacturer's dosage is the key to successful chemical feeding. Personally, I use water soluble fertilizer, as I feel I have much more control over plant feeding with this method. Other growers might prefer the longer lasting pellet-type feed. There are various long lasting pellet fertilizers available that provide up to three months of constant feeding. Osmocote 14-14-14 is one such product. Many opt for completely organic feed such as bone meal, blood meal and green sand, but the percentage of nutrients are so low that I don't think a heavy feeding tree would benefit satisfactorily from them. The one organic I do use is fish, especially those from the briny depths of the sea. The trace elements and nitrogen these critters can supply to a potted fruit tree is tremendous, and it's a long lasting supply too. A few cubes of finny flesh will last a northern growing season and then some. Watering is, of course critical to all plants but especially to a potted fruit tree. During the summer a healthy, fruiting containerized tree drinks gallons of water. I've often had to water mine every other day. Growers in sub-tropical areas such as Florida who are used to growing in the ground may be watering more than they're accustomed to. This can be remedied somewhat by mulching the top of the pot with dried grass clippings, unmilled sphagnum moss or pre-packaged mulch. During the summer most fruit trees are holding a crop and dry soil can turn this year's pot crop into this year's pot drop: those delicious lychees may be this past year's history with only one soil drying. One of the best methods of preventing evaporation is by sinking the pot in the ground and mulching the top. Also, use plastic pots. Burying the containers gives added wind protection to the trees. It's frustrating to find a fruit laden tree toppled over and half of its' crop knocked off. Even by sinking the pot one third of its height into the ground will prevent this type of frustration. There are many reliable nurseries and growers in the U.S. who will ship tropical fruit trees. When visiting a nursery that has a plant I am looking for, I provide them with a suitable box with return postage and have them ship the plant to me. The tree is simply knocked out of the pot and bare rooted with the roots wrapped in damp newspaper and a trash bag to prevent leakage. Many nurseries will spray the plants with evaporation retardants to prevent water loss. The tree usually needs to be pruned back, sometimes severely, and is then placed in the box surrounded by newspaper to prevent too much movement in transit. It usually takes three days to reach me from Florida. In this short period of time the tree suffers very little damage, if any, and upon arrival is immediately potted up and placed in a protected location for a few days. Once acclimation is over it is placed in full sun and within a couple of weeks begins to push out new growth. I have been shipping plants for many years this way and I have never lost one due to shipping damage or shock. I usually request priority mail shipment through the U.S. postal service because they deliver six days out of the week unlike United Parcel Service which ships only five. My trees don't really feel their first spring breeze until mid-April when they are set outside. This is a critical time for the plants, being the beginning of their summer reacclimation period. They have been wintered over either in a greenhouse (which happens to be plastic with light intensity much less than glass) and under fluorescent lights. If they are exposed to sunlight immediately, even the weak spring sum, the leaves will be charred almost at once. I set them in a shaded location for a few days, then to an area of dappled sunlight and eventually to full sun. This entire process may take from two to three weeks depending on how the trees are reacting. If I notice bleached areas on the leaves, then they have been exposed to the sun too quickly and will be placed in a semishaded area a while longer. This acclimation period is not lost growing time because the trees are actively sending out new growth. It's simply a period of "hardening up" the leaves to the summer sun. The last years' growth is rarely affected to the extent of the current seasons growth; it usually stays green with no signs of scorching. The nights during mid-April to mid-May can drop more than 40 degrees which means a 70°F day can be followed by a 30°F night. This is a period of overwork for me because there is a likely chance the trees will have to be sheltered in the garage from a cold night. It doesn't happen nightly and rarely in May so the only early-season backaches I suffer are in the last weeks of April. After this initial yearly acclimating period, my trees grow as well as the same trees in Florida. The portability of my fruit orchard allows me to grow quite a number of different tropical fruit trees, and to see them flowering and fruiting in Pennsylvania is a definite sight to behold. Next to a black oak may be a blooming carambola or beside a sugar maple a jaboticaba crop will be ready to harvest. Crawling skyward beside a clematis is a passionvine while my red cattleya guava is ripening next to a dwarfing cherry. My summer yard is a pleasing combination of temperate and tropical. This infusion of tropical fruit trees among the standard zone varieties adds a measure of curiosity and appeal to all who see them. When viewing a Passiflora alata (Fragrant Granadilla) in full bloom for the first time a neighbor was absolutely convinced that the flowers were plastic because, as she stated," a flower just doesn't look like that." The incredible complexity of the passionflower certainly lends itself to be called the ultimate in flora beauty just as containerizing is the pinnacle of tropical fruit culture, at least for the temperate zone gardener. I have found one of the finest trees suitable for potted fruit culture to be the jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora). Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year but it's during winter, spring and early summer that the trees become absolutely mobbed with delicious, 1" deep purple fruit. This small, bushy Brazilian tree develops a luxuriant deep green canopy that literally shields the branches and trunk from the sun. I've found that if the tree is kept from branching too much and kept somewhat open by judicial pruning a larger crop will be produced. The jaboticaba grows beautifully here in Pennsylvania and looks a bit like a large branchy privet. This is a plant that responds well to a supplemental diet of triple superphosphate, potassium nitrate as a foliar feed and constant water. It grows well in a soilless mix (available commercially) or simply pure peat with perlite and vermiculite added and a top mulch of rich humus. The real delights in growing this small tree are the fruit, which it so eagerly produces and tree's style of flowering and fruiting. The jaboticaba is cauliflorus, which means the flowers and fruit are borne directly on the trunk and larger branches. It is a pleasantly shocking revelation to the uninitiated to see a bumper crop of fruit for the first time covering the branches in purple clusters from the trunk to the uppermost canopy. They're even more amazed when told that it takes only 20 to 30 days for the fruit to mature and that up to eight crops a year can be harvested, making this tree an almost perpetual bearer. The final treat comes when they bite into a ripe fruit. The flavor is deliciously sweet with just the right amount of subacidity and plenty of Jaboticaba tree and fruit juice encased in a chewy outer skin. The result is invariably, "mmmmm.... that was delicious! How about another one?" This is a fruit that the novice fruit-taster likes immediately. An added incentive to growing the jaboticaba is that it is practically pest free. The only drawback is that it is primarily grown from seed and takes from seven to fifteen years to start bearing. I also grow Myciaria glomerata, which produces fuzzy yellow fruit of smaller size than the jaboticaba. The fruit is composed practically entirely of a single seed surrounded by a small amount of pleasantly sweet pulp. I am also growing M. vexator and M. jaboticaba but they are seedlings and still quite small. In my opinion, the jaboticaba is a prime candidate for commercial exploitation due to its overall taste appeal. My evidence for this is that during cropping, people I haven't seen for weeks will stroll into my yard, casually look around and walk away with jaboticaba breath. The passionvine (Passiflora spp.) is another fruiting plant that is well suited to container culture. I have over fifty different species and grow them not only for the fruit but also for their stunning flowers. I grow all of them around galvanized hoops pushed into the pots and wrap the rambling shoots around them. I have unraveled vines up to 15' in length from the hoops when trimming them back for their winter rest. Passiflora not only rewards the grower with delicious fruit but also with one of the most delicate and complex flowers in the plant kingdom. With over 400 species known (mostly native to the American tropics) I grow only a small fraction of what could be container grown. I'm constantly adding to my collection and grow them with fruiting almost as an afterthought! This is how much reverence I place in the flower. Passifloras are vines and they definitely like to ramble, so I raise most of them in 13" to 15" pots to keep their root systems happy. As mentioned earlier, these plants go chlorotic rather quickly and are also heavy feeders. They require more nitrogen than citrus and also iron supplements during the growing season. I feed them nitrogen and iron monthly during the summer, or whenever I notice the new growth turning chlorotic. As with all of my other fruit trees, I use diluted fertilizer almost every time I water. There are many fruiting passionvines that the tropical fruit gardener can grow but two species should definitely be mandatory. These are the purple granadilla (Passiflora edulis) and the giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis). There are many others that produce fruit as good or possibly better, but due to difficulties such as pollination they have been omitted. The purple granadilla is an extremely easy plant to fruit in a container and during the growing season is loaded with fruit. The flowers of this species will usually pollinate themselves, although I usually cross pollinate with other clones for maximum fruit set and size. It is not unusual for clones of P. edulis to produce nearly tennis ball sized fruit. The purple and white flower opens in the morning and usually closes in the evening, pollinating itself in the process. The result is usually noticeable in three to five days with the swelling of the fruit. Maturation is fairly rapid in my geographic area, taking from three to four months. Fruits that are evident in April are edible by July or August. Fruits of the purple granadilla are, as the name implies, dark I purple and fall from the vine when I ripe. The shell of this passionfruit is hard, so the fall doesn't bruise it. A gentle tug will also dislodge ripe fruit. I Once off the plant I usually let it ripen another two to three days until wrinkled and enhanced by a delightful ambrosial aroma. The fruit is I then halved and the pulp is scooped out and eaten, seeds included. Delicious! There is nothing quite like a juicy, fully ripened passionfruit to conjure up tropical visions of verdant lowland rainforests, raucous early morning fruit markets and the soothing lull of evening trade winds. The fruit of the giant granadilla also coats the palate with the same delectable tropical flavor but on a much larger scale. The fruit can be as large as a football and weigh up to six pounds! Unlike the leaves of P. edulis, which are deeply three lobed with serrated edges, the giant granadilla's leaves are oval, unlobed and up to eight inches long, with ten to twelve pronounced lateral veins running through them. The flowers are also larger-up to three inches in diameter - and pendulous; they hang downward instead of being held upright. There are actually two forms of P. quadrangularis, one with eight inch long fruit and one producing twelve inch long melon size meals! There is some self-compatibility in both forms, although some growers recommend cross-pollination with the larger form. Hand pollination will assure a good fruit set. The outer shell is not hard like the purple granadilla but somewhat soft and bruisable. When ripe the color turns to yellow-green with some clones exhibiting a slight pinkish blush at one end. Cut lengthwise the fruit opens to a mass of pulp covered seeds nestled in a cavity surrounded by a thick white melon-like rind. The rind can be eaten much the same way a melon is eaten, but it is not as aromatic. The pulp again is the main attraction and it's eaten straight from the shell along with the large soft seeds. It's very juicy, pleasantly sub-acid and aromatic. The green, immature fruits of this species can also be boiled and eaten as a vegetable, and in Jamaica the tuberous roots are said to be used as a substitute for yams. Quite a versatile plant! Most passifloras will begin to produce within a year to sixteen months when being grown from seed, and almost immediately when grown from cuttings. I have found that unrooted cuttings sent through the mail survive their journey nicely when dampened and sent in zip lock bags. I have received cuttings by this method from as far away as Honduras and have had them root within three weeks. There are many other passionvines that produce delicious fruit, but due to a number of problems with pollination, climatic requirements, poor flower production and other difficulties, these have been omitted. A few of the "best of the difficult" are P. ligularis (sweet granadilla), P. laurifolia (yellow granadilla), P. maliformis (sweet calabash) and P. antioquiensis (banana passionfruit). Cherimoya of Pennsylvania Mark Twain knew much about much and when biting into a particular fruit described it as 'Deliciousness itself! He was raving about the cherimoya (Annona cherimola) and the taste description still applies. I grow two varieties: 'Booth' and 'Pierce', and I couldn't agree more. Both flower freely for me but the 'Booth' is the only variety old enough to let a crop set. The cherimoya originated in the mountains of Ecuador and Peru, and since its' introduction into the gardening community many named cultivars have been produced. Mine are both grafted and grown in 18" pots. The cherimoya is a knobby looking fruit. The skin is smooth, light green and from lumpy to almost scale-like in appearance. My 'Booth' is more on the lumpy side. Cherimoyas may weigh up to a few pounds, with the fruit shape ranging from heart-shaped to oval. But no matter what shape or size, the true test of a fruit of legendary stature is decided by the palate and the cherimoya lives up to expectations. People are at first taken aback by the appearance of the fruit hanging from their thick stems on my tree and I have even been asked if it was a new avocado-pear hybrid! The cherimoya goes through a short deciduous period and the flowering takes place during this defoliated stage which adds even more to the peculiarity of the tree. The leaf drop is due to the formation of buds (flower and/or vegetative) beneath the petiole juncture. They first appear as small knobby protuberances encased in a fuzzy brown sheath. As they grow this sheath splits and the new growth presents itself along with the flowers. The flowers are fairly unattractive but produced in abundance. They are about l" long, greenish-yellow in color and very fleshy, exuding a wonderfully fruity fragrance. Once you detect this aroma the one major problem of the is at hand: hand-pollination. The flower is perfect, containing both stigmas and stamens (male and female reproductive organs) but herein lies the problem. The male is not ready when the female is - a botanical reversal of 'not to night, I have a headache' syndrome. She is usually ready the day before he is. That is, the pistils are receptive from 12 to 24 hours before the pollen is shed. There is a simple, though time consuming, remedy for this situation. Collect pollen from a male flower (the petals will be wide open) and place it in an empty 35mm film canister or a similar container. Next, find the receptive female. She'll be easy to spot because her petals will only be partially opened. Spread the three thick petals carefully with one hand and with a pollen laden paint brush (which has been dipped in the canister) gently stroke back and forth across the receptive pistils. Voila! a baby cherimoya will be born! There really can be no mistake in choosing the correct flower because they are either closed tightly, partially opened or completely spread apart. The success rate using this method is very high. Once fruit set is complete, maturation takes from five to ten months. During this time the tree will have adorned itself with new foliage and have become a very attractive member of the container orchard. The leaves are large, from 8" to 10" long, medium green on top with the brownish green underside exhibiting a velvety texture. Here in Pennsylvania, my cherimoyas shed their leaves in November-December, with flower buds evidenced towards the end of December. Actual pollination and fruit set doesn't take place until mid-February. My 'Booth' is a very precocious bloomer, producing at least some flowers throughout the summer and fall. It's very easy to get carried away with pollination so I selectively pollinate to be assured of four or five good sized fruit as opposed to a dozen smaller ones. The fruit is mature when a yellowish cast appears on the skin. It is now that they should be clipped, not picked off the tree. If they are pulled off, the core may remain attached to the stem. I usually let mine ripen from three to five days off the tree at room temperature. Once a ripe fruit is in your possession, have a pen and paper handy, because once one is eaten, you definitely have something to write home about! Cut it lengthwise and spoon out the white custard-like flesh. Get ready for an oral explosion as it melts in your mouth, releasing a juicy blend of tropical flavors - subacid and delicate, with taste tones of banana, papaya and pineapple is one way to describe it. As was so aptly stated by one Dr. Seemann more than 70 years ago, "Many people feel that the taste of the cherimoya surpasses every other fruit. That it is the masterpiece of nature." That fellow certainly knew what he was talking about. The best way to grow cherimoyas is to purchase one or more of the many grafted varieties available, which include 'White', 'Ott', 'Honeyhart' and 'Bays'. They can also be grown from seed and come into bearing after four years, but probably will not be true to type. Like the feijoa, a cherimoya requires a certain amount of chilling to flower, estimated at between 50 to 100 hours at 35°F to 45°F*. *[Editor's note: in southern Florida the cherimoya set flowers several times a year. Anything that causes defoliation sets the stage for a fresh batch of flowers. Though cold weather is certainly effective in this regard, so is dry-wet cycle, fertilizer shock, manual leaf stripping and pruning - Har Maheem]. Again, the warmer sections of the nation lose out but in this case a few substitute annonas can be grown. One is the sugar apple or sweetsop (Annona squamosa) which is a dependable bearer in the south Florida climate. The fruit is much knobbier and smaller than the cherimoya but the flesh exhibits a similar taste quality. The soursop or guanabana (Annona muricata) is another cherimoya relative and is the most tropical of the annonas. The fruit is the largest of the family, being 6" to 9" long, and is covered with soft fleshy spines. The flesh is juicy and more sub-acid in flavor and some people claim that the aftertaste is reminiscent of mango. The atemoya is a hybrid between the sugar apple and cherimoya and is the perfect marriage. Traits of both are blended together perfectly-the sweetsop's tolerance of humid, warm climates and the cherimoya's exquisite taste. The atemoya was hybridized between 1908 and 1910 in Miami, and continues to be the most reliable producer for that subtropical climate. Carambola: Star of Pennsylvania By Ray Bayer The star fruit or carambola (Averrhoa carambola) can be the centerpiece of any tropical fruit orchard, not only for its crisp sweet taste, but also because of the unusual structure of the fruit. The carambola has 4 to 6 prominently raised ribs traveling the length of the fruit and when cut horizontally, voila, a star is born! The cut fruit looks distinctly starlike, the number of ribs determining the number of points on the star. If the shape of the fruit isn't unusual enough, its coloration and skin texture add even more to the fruit's pleasing strangeness. The mature fruit is a beautiful bright yellow, and due to a heavy coating of natural wax, the skin shines as though it's been painted with enamel lacquer. For all of its uniqueness and exotic eye appeal though, the carambola is a pleasure to grow in a container and very easy to bring into fruiting. I grow two varieties, the 'Arkin' and 'Fwang Tung, and both provide me with stellar fruiting performances every year. My trees are grown in 17" pots and the soil is kept on the acidic side. I use ammonia sulfate on the carambolas several times during the growing season (as I do with several other trees) and they simply revel in this treatment. Beginning in late winter, flowers appear in seemingly constant flushes. They appear as inflorescences from the leaf axils (where the leaf attaches to the tree) on young growth or where the leaves have fallen away on old growth. The small flowers are beautifully lilac, pleasantly fragrant and perfect, although, again, I assist pollination with my ever-present brush. Fruit maturation takes from 3 to 5 months depending on the weather and the time of the season in which the tree is holding fruit. The carambola is such an exuberant producer that I have had two foot high airlayers holding six fruit. Vegetatively propagated plants are the only reliable method of growing this tree because fruit taste ranges from sour to very sweet, with the fruit produced by seedlings almost guaranteed to be poor. Another interesting point about the star fruit is that the compound leaves have the ability to fold back at night only to open again in the morning. When I first started growing the trees I was unaware of this trait. It was in the evening on the day after they arrived from Florida that I first noticed the folded leaves and it was right after I had fertilized them. Of course I immediately thought I had done them in. However, the morning brought with it not only unfurled leaves but the awareness that this ability was just another distinctive characteristic of the carambola. The one minor problem in growing this tree that could eventually become very bothersome is that the trees attracts spider mites. I'm sure for Florida growers this problem is nonexistent but to greenhouse gardeners it could easily get out of control. This problem only becomes evident in the winter when the trees are quartered to the hothouse and is quickly remedied by soapy water or other means, usually chemical. Other than this one inconvenience, the carambola is certainly one of my top picks for its ease of culture and abundance of fruit it produces so regularly. Psidium of Pennsylvania For the grower who can't be bothered with such tedious tasks as hand pollination or laying awake at night worrying about whether his beloved flowers are going to be male or female, the tropical guava (Psidium guajava) is the tree to grow. This small Central American tree is not overly concerned with the care it receives and is very tolerant of a neglectful owner. This is not to say that it can be thrown in a closet and be expected to produce fruit, but it is quite flexible in its growing requirements. I have raised a number of different varieties over the years and all have borne fruit without the slightest hesitation. At present, I am growing the 'Supreme', 'Redland', 'Beaumont', and 'Mexican Cream' varieties. All perform beautifully in 13 in. to 15 in. pots with a minimum of care. The guava is a fast grower and to keep it in bounds I prune it heavily (every other year drastically) immediately after the fruit has ripened, which for me happens to be in late fall to early winter. I usually take off nearly all of the current season's new growth, clipping it as close as possible to a dormant leaf bud. Due to the fact that the leaves are produced opposite one another, this single cut institutes a double response from the plant in that it produces two new growing shoots. This "two for one" effect is very beneficial to the plant and grower because flowers are produced on new growth and the trimming also revitalizes the plant, resulting in larger fruit. The new growth will appear as day length increases, which for me is mid-January. The flowers, which are produced along with the new growth, open up in May and are completely self-pollinating, although cross-pollination will produce more fruit. You can smell a flowering guava from a distance, the pleasing scent blanketing the growing area, inviting bees and other buzzing creatures to grab a free tropical meal. During this period of accelerated growth, I ply my trees with heavy doses of fertilized water which they imbibe gratefully, the extra dosage helping the nurturing of the plants' fruit. After flowering is completed, mature fruit delivery takes from four to six months. Growth slows considerably during this period, the plants' abundant energy now being funneled into the development of its fruit. It is during this holding stage that I lightly prune the trees, snipping back the more vigorous non-fruiting shoots or simply cutting off undesired branches. Watering during this time is very critical to the maturing guavas (as it is with all developing fruit) and prolonged dryness can lead to dry pulpless fruit. Four to six months is a too long a time to wait for fruit to ripen into worthless, dried out shells. My guavas ripen from September to November, with a slight color change in the yellow skin indicating maturation. Ripe fruit is also soft to the touch. Taste varies considerably among my varieties, ranging from the deliciously sweet dessert type ('Supreme') to the acidic processing type ('Beaumont'). Seediness also varies from extreme to minimal, with some fruit varieties being practically seed free. Flesh is either reddish or white in all varieties. Guavas are an excellent source of vitamin C and A, both higher in the red fleshed variety. For you health-conscious growers out there, this is the fruit for you! It has a remarkable number of uses ranging from medicinal (the leaves when chewed alleviate toothaches) to recreational (a fine wine can be made from the fermented fruit). When the leaves are boiled and the resulting broth drunk, diarrhea can be remedied; and as a mouthwash it helps cure swollen gums. These folk remedies are used in third world countries where the availability of Bayer aspirin or Pepto-Bismol is non-existent. In some cultures I'm sure that the tropical guava is quite an indispensable plant, one that's usefulness far exceeds simply a ripe fruit. The red cattley or strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) is another one of those ego-boosting subtropicals that makes the transition from temperate gardening to tropical fruit container gardening so successful. I state 'ego-boosting' because this plant is assured of producing fruit for the novice. It's the perfect crossover fruit to choose for the grower who would like to begin a tropical container orchard. The red cattley has always been one of my favorites and like the tropical guava doesn't require an abundance of care. I grow two red cattleys and one yellow or lemon cattley, this yellow variety bearing much larger fruit. The red strawberry guava is usually grown from seed because it produces true by this method. There's no noticeable variation in fruit quality from the parent tree. I have found that the only variation in seedling plants is in size and production, and not fruit taste. Two seedlings I have grown in particular have turned out to be exceptional producers, one in the extra large fruit it produces and the other in the quantity it bears. These cattleys both came from the same parent tree but from different fruit. Seedling trees can start bearing within two years and within twelve months when grown from cutting. This is a very attractive plant to grow, the glossy deep green leaves beautifully offsetting the red fruit. The flowers are abundantly produced on new growth which begins to appear in late winter. They begin to open in late March and my trees continue to flush throughout the summer. The flowers appear almost as small white, sweetly scented powder puffs, enhanced by the backdrop of deep green. They are completely self pollinating (although I use my trusty watercolor brush as I do on all my trees). The ripe fruit is ready for picking 90 days later. The small green guavas grow up to an inch and begin to blush red towards maturation, eventually turning a deep crimson and soft when fully ripe. These soft red fruits are deliciously sub-acid in flavor, with a slight hint of strawberry to entice the palate. The fruit has many hard seeds embedded in the pulp but I either grind them up when eating the fruit or simply swallow them whole. After harvest, my cattleys receive a light pruning to promote fruiting shoots and also to reshape the plant. My plants have a habit of producing both upright and horizontal branches and to keep the shape pleasing, I snip off and reshape, many times bending and tying horizontal branches vertically to produce the desired form I want to attain. The yellow or lemon cattley produces much larger yellow fruit, being definitely sweeter with absolutely no hint of sub-acidity. It's a good fruit, but to my taste buds some acidity must be present in a fruit to be truly savory. It also grows in a more open habit, being not as vigorous as the red cattley. Maybe other RFNO readers will have suggestions. Good Luck! Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Beaumont Macadamia - Grafted Tree? From: Jennie Burgess Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:42:17 -0700 Hello Leo, I have a Beaumont macadamia tree that got badly frosted this winter. I am starting to see some growth sprouting near the base but not too much elsewhere. So I am wondering Is the Beaumont a grafted tree? I can't see a visible graft union on the tree. It is a fairly large tree about 12 ft tall and completely brown. Should I just take the branches back and hope for the best? I lost that small Longan berry tree I picked up from you this last summer. I will have to try again with something a little more cold hardy. I would love to hear what you think of my nut problem. Thanks, Jennie mailto:burgess1@cox.net [Beaumont macadamia trees are usually grafted, but may also be grown from cuttings, where there would be no graft. Sometimes grafted trees are so expertly done so that it isn't possible to locate the graft from an external view. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: 2007 - No RFNO Group Activity From: Phil Hamilton Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:07:45 -0000 Are we sure this site is alive? I don't see any activity for 2007 Phil mailto:macawbirdbreeder@yahoo.com [The group was formed by me so that members of this newsgroup for two reasons: So we would have a place to post pictures to illustrate a plant puzzle. And, we could post possible answers to the puzzle. However, it hasn't had much activity. I'd like to see it become more activity. -Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Frost damaged Frederick pruning From: "Holzinger, Bob" Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 15:28:44 -0700 To: Kathy Hello Kathy, Pruning of P. ‘Frederick’ is pretty straight forward, just remove anything that’s dead (not green) and wait for the spring burst of new growth from the remaining green stems. If it dies down to the roots, I don’t think it would come back from that. You can remove green stems that are growing where you don’t want them anytime, but I’d wait to see where the new growth appears. One more comment on what you said in your email. P. ‘Frederick’ doesn’t need to be hand pollinated to set fruit. Sometimes the fruit set isn’t 100% on its own, but hand pollinating isn’t necessary, unless you want every flower to set a fruit! Good luck, Bob Holzinger mailto:bholzing@amgen.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Pruning Frederick Passionfruit From: Todd Abel Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:47:20 -0700 To: mccwald@sbcglobal.net The passionfruit vine is a monster that can overpower the timid gardener with the amazing amount of growth. I have trimmed mine like a grape vine for the past three years. This seems to have improved the health and fruit output. Scale used to be a yearly battle prior to pruing. Prune back to about three branches from the main trunk. Mine regrows a 20ft by 16ft trellis by July, and takes a good 10ft of the house roof every year by January. Just a prolific vine. True Frederick has no need for hand pollinating. I just harvested 4 grocery bags during the pruning last weekend. Todd Abel mailto:table@socal.rr.com Orange, CA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Tell Me About Durian - King Of Fruit From: Debbie Wells Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:58:52 -0700 To: Hello Folks... I am looking to find out as much about the King of Fruits - the Durian. Have I come to the right place? If so, I would appreciate all the information you are willing to share! Thank you so very much! Debbie Debbie Wells mailto:deb_wells@qwest.net 503-838-4071 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Fans Sour on Sweeter Version of Asia's Smelliest Fruit From: "Lon J. Rombough" Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:06:40 -0700 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/asia/08durian.html? Fans Sour on Sweeter Version of Asia’s Smelliest Fruit Thomas Fuller/The International Herald Tribune Nearly odorless durians, made by crossing 90 varieties of the fruit, grow at a research center in Tung Phaen. By THOMAS FULLER Published: April 8, 2007 TUNG PHAEN, Thailand — You can take the sugar out of soft drinks and the fat from junk food. But eliminate the pungent odor from what may be the world’s smelliest fruit and brace for a major international controversy. The durian, a spiky fruit native to Southeast Asia, has been variously described by its detractors as smelling like garbage, moldy cheese or rotting fish. It is banned from many hotels, airlines and the Singapore subway. But durian lovers — and there are many, at least in Asia — are convinced that like fine French cheeses, the worse the smell, the better the taste. Under the durian’s hardy shell are sections of pale yellow flesh with a consistency that can be as soft and oozy as custard and a flavor that is nutty and sweet with hints of vanilla and an occasional bitter bite. “To anyone who doesn’t like durian it smells like a bunch of dead cats,” said Bob Halliday, a food writer in based Bangkok. “But as you get to appreciate durian, the smell is not offensive at all. It’s attractive. It makes you drool like a mastiff.” Nevertheless, a Thai government scientist, who after three decades of research is one of the world’s leading durian experts, now says he has managed to excise its stink. Working at an orchard here, near the Cambodian border, the scientist, Songpol Somsri, crossed more than 90 varieties of durian, many found only in the wild, and came up with a fruit that he says smells as mild as a banana. He named it Chantaburi No. 1, after his home province and the location of the research center. It will please Thai consumers, he says, and might help broaden the acceptability of the durian, unlocking the door to new American and European customers who, like an increasing number of Thais, are likely to reject a fruit that reeks like last season’s unwashed gym socks. “Most Thais don’t like too strong a smell, except some old people,” Dr. Songpol said. Durian lovers are at once disbelieving of and horrified by the prospect of a no-smell durian. They complain that the fruit is being homogenized like the insipid tomatoes bred to look pretty behind plastic wrap. “I don’t think it’s possible to make a durian that doesn’t smell,” said Somchai Tadchang, the owner of a durian orchard on Kret, an island on the Chao Phraya river north of Bangkok, where special Gan Yao (long stem) durians sell for more than $40 each, the equivalent of several days’ wages for a laborer here. “Anyway, durians actually smell good,” he said. “Only rotten durians stink.” The nearly odorless durian, which has not yet been officially unveiled, will obtain final approval in the coming weeks from Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture. The concept is even more mystifying to those who live in Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia, where durians are prized for their odor and priced accordingly. “The smell must come out from the durian,” said Chang Peik Seng, owner of a durian farm on Penang, a Malaysian island. It took several minutes to explain the concept to Mr. Chang, who ultimately concluded that odorless durians would not sell in his country. “If the durian doesn’t have a strong smell the customer only pays one-third the price,” he said. Dr. Songpol says he has developed a separate durian that might please Malaysians and Indonesians. The pungent smell of that durian, Chantaburi No. 3, develops three days after the fruit is picked, allowing for odorless transport. There is probably no other fruit that elicits such passion — and revulsion — as the durian. The litany of legends and myths surrounding what Malaysians call the “king of fruits” is long and colorful. The durian is said to be an aphrodisiac: when the durians fall down, the sarongs fly up, goes a Malay saying. But woe to those who overindulge. Rarely does durian season pass without newspapers somewhere in Southeast Asia reporting a durian death. The fruit, which is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fat and sulfurous compounds (thus the smell), is said here to be “heaty,” and can therefore be deadly for those with high blood pressure, according to Wilailak Srisura, a nutritionist at the Thai Department of Health. Tradition also dictates that mixing alcohol with durian should be avoided at all costs. “Durian makes you hot and alcohol makes you hot, so it’s double heat,” said Mr. Somchai, the orchard owner. Dr. Songpol says he has not found a scientific reason why durian and alcohol are incompatible, but would not dare consume both at the same time. Raised on a durian orchard, Dr. Songpol started studying the fruit in 1977 as a graduate student in horticulture. Worried that some varieties were disappearing as cultivation became commercialized, he collected dozens from around the country and planted them at the Chantaburi Horticultural Research Center here. The center is a durian lover’s Eden with flower beds and streams rimming the rows of countless durian trees shadowed by low-lying, jungle-covered mountains. Dr. Songpol experimented with hundreds of combinations before discovering Chantaburi No. 1. This year’s harvest is not yet ripe but those who have smelled and tasted last year’s say the fruit has a very faint odor. Saowanee Srisuma, the caretaker of the durian orchard, says it is the most innocuous smelling durian she has encountered in 10 years of working there. Suchart Vichitrananda, the director of the Horticultural Research Center, says Chantaburi No. 1 does not smell but he hesitates when describing the taste. “I can’t say it’s better than the original durian, but it’ll do,” he said. Many durian lovers fear the nearly odorless variety is just another step toward the erosion of durian culture. Durians are a social fruit, traditionally sold and eaten on the roadside by groups of friends. The fruit is analyzed in the same way that wine is sniffed and discussed at a Parisian dinner party. These days, durians are increasingly sold in supermarkets ready to eat: removed from their shell and wrapped in cellophane, which reduces the smell. In Thailand, which has aggressively commercialized the fruit, farmers specialize in Montong, a sweet, almost saccharine variety. Thai farmers use chemicals to coax durian trees to bear fruit in the off-season, so Montong are available year-round and are sold around the world. Thailand last year sold about 50 million durians abroad, worth about $90 million. Durians have been available in the United States for several decades, mostly at Asian groceries. Last year, the United States imported nearly a thousand metric tons of durians, all from Thailand, with a wholesale value of more than $1.7 million, according to the Department of Agriculture. About 80 percent come frozen, said Nat Kuramarohit, general manager of DP Trading, a produce importer based in Los Angeles. His company brings in fresh durians, which he says are firmer and sweeter than the frozen kind, but cost much more since they must be flown in — at $3.50 to $4 a pound wholesale, and about $35 retail for a typical seven-pound fruit. A frozen one would cost more like $10. Dr. Songpol, 52, says his work is far from done. He is mapping out durian DNA, and hoping to pinpoint the malodorous gene one day. And meanwhile, he is trying to breed a durian — which gets its name from “duri,” the Malay word for thorn — without spikes. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Odorless Durian Hybrid From: Bruce Livingston Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:11:05 -0700 (PDT) Hello Leo, I thought you might be interested in this article from TNA, Thailand's government news publication. The URL is http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=28862 . I'll try to find out more about this and send you further information once I have it. Bruce Livingston mailto:santol321@yahoo.com P.S. The hybrid, 'Chantaburi,' is named after a province in Thailand by the same name. That province is located about 200 miles southeast of Bangkok, not far from the Cambodian border. _______________________ New Hybrid Odorless Durian to be Distributed to Farmers BANGKOK, April 10 (TNA) - The Department of Agriculture plans to breed one million odorless durians saplings for distribution to farmers with a hope that the new hybrids of odorless durians will penetrate the new market and solve the problem of oversupplying. Songpon Somsri, a senior agricultural specialist of the Horticultural Research Institute said that the Department of Agriculture will distribute the newly-developed odorless durians named Chantaburi 1 and Chantaburi 2 to farmers. The other hybrid, Chantaburi 3 has no 'pong' after being harvested but it develops a pungent odor after three days. This will facilitate exporting odorous fruit to overseas markets. The institute proposed the project to grow one million durian saplings to replace durian trees of declining productivity on 40,000 rais (16,000 acres) in eastern provincial orchardlands. The three durian species are said to be disease resistant and are expected to impact the market in the next few years. "I've studied to produce odorless durians for more than 20 years," said Mr. Songpol, "and it takes more time to grow more saplings to distribute to farmers." The three new hybrids of durians are developed to grow quickly and can be harvested in a short period, so it will help tackle the problem of seasonal oversupply in May, when durians are normally harvested. These new hybrid will produce yields in April, sooner than traditional strains. Odorless durians will be able to attract more markets as some consumers in other countries don't like durians because of its memorable scent. (TNA)-E004 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Festival of Fruit's Tijuana Self-Guided Tour - Dry Run 4/14/07 From: Jose Miguel Gallego Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:45:06 -0700 Hi All! Here is the draft for the Tijuana Self-Guided Tour Dry Run for this Saturday. Please note that I am still missing the narrative at the beginning, once we do the dry-run then I can do the sales pitch there :^) Note the times are not correct since I added a few additional stops. So the idea of the dry-run is to have better numbers. Remember, most likely we will not stop at some of the places, it is a dry run, but if there is enough interest, we will :^) Let’s try to meet the start time by meeting at my house so we can leave no later than 8:30, it is about a 20 minutes drive to the Border. Depending on the number of people going, we may need to drive in a couple of cars. Mine seats 7. A couple of thoughts, we can also split the group once there, some of us will do the bus timing and other will cross the Border in car(s). The idea here is to have an estimate travel time. We can then meet over at the Tijuana Bus Station, park and enjoy the walk. Once it comes time to take the bus to the Plaza del Rio, we can split again and time it. Please let me know what you think, we will talk about it before we leave. I will have copies of the Guide for all of us, if you have corrections/suggestion, please let me know by Wed. morning. Make sure you bring an ID to return. For San Diego Chapter members: this not the same tour we have scheduled for our Chapter in September, this is for the Festival of Fruit. You are invited because you have either volunteered for the Festival or told us that you were interested in joining us for this tour. Please forward this information to anyone you think may want to join us, but explain that is a dry run and we will be having a meeting at one of the restaurants. You can also bring friends or family :^) But… please let us know if you will be join us and how many will be accompanying you. See you Saturday! José mailto:JMGallego@LosGallego.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Champion juicer/black sapote From: Ollie Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:13:32 -0400 Hi, On the recommendation of a RFNO subscriber, I bought a Champion juicer to process the large quantities of carambolas (star fruit) that I've been getting, and let me tell you, this is no ordinary juicer. It truly is the best juicer in the world. I can make a large pitcher of carambola juice in less than 10 minutes, with no need to clean the juicer until I'm done. I made carambola popsicles with the juice, which turned out to be sweet and delicious with no extra sugar added. The kids love them and they're 100% natural. And free! I noticed that you have a black sapote tree, Leo, and you mentioned that it had flowered but not set any fruit. Mine did the same thing last year, and I was wondering if that's normal for a young black sapote or if I need another black sapote tree for pollination. I have a 3-year old jackfruit tree that's doing the same thing (flowering but not fruiting), but in that case I'm sure it's just that the flowers are all males. BTW, on the RNFO Yahoo group, your photo called "Whatisit" cannot be a guava. Guavas have opposite leaves--that plant has alternate leaves. Ollie Patterson mailto:ollie_patterson@earthlink.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: CRFG-North San Diego County FRUIT NEWS April 2007 Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:42:01 -0700 From: secetary nickerson CRFG- North San Diego County FRUIT NEWS April 2007 Meetings are usually held the 3rd Friday, 7 PM at Mira Costa College One Bernard Dr., Oceanside. April 20 7 PM Mira Costa- Rm 7003 Propagation-Paul Thomson May 18 7 PM Mira Costa- Hort. Bldg. Rm 7003 View Grafting CD Officers and Contact information Ben Pierce, Chair 760-744-4716 mailto:ncsdcrfg@cox.net NCSD website: members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg Webmaster: Ben Pierce APRIL Meeting-Paul Thomson will talk on propagation. A rare chance to learn from an expert! We will also have Green Scion Wood exchange. Please bring scions of: Cherimoya, Citrus, Avocado, and Sapote to share. <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200704B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - May 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200705A.txt _________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Mango Blooms - Later and Fewer. The cold of January is most likely the reason that some mango trees haven't bloomed yet and others blooming later and with fewer numbers than in previous years. This issue shows fewer reader letters. I get uneasy when it happens, but my concern seems to be less than yours. I appreciate the letters that did come. Thanks! <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> None this time <><><> Readers Write <><><> Rare Fruit update from the Panhandle of FL Bill Burson Two Recipies-BlueBerry Comments-Quest For Mangosteen Seeds Laurie El Cajon Freeze Damage Report Continued John Brode Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning And Plum Tree Blooming Leo Manuel To: PETER DIEWALD For Sale-3/4 Acre San Diego County With Fruit Trees "John Cobbe" Guava Seedlings - Culture Questions James Freedner The trip to Green Scene W Chow Re: Powerful Little-Known Natural Sweetener You Can Grow Shaindy Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning PETER DIEWALD To: "Holzinger, Bob" Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning PETER DIEWALD To: "Holzinger, Bob" Re: Powerful Natural Sweetener You Probably Know Nothing About Leo Manuel To: shirley dellerson My New Plants Look Better Already Joanne Gram <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Natural Virus May Control Fire Ants ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> None this time <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Rare Fruit update from the Panhandle of FL From: Bill Burson Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:11:30 -0500 Leo, Thanks for your efforts in keeping us a part of the RFNO family. After just moving to this house in October, we have started planting again. We are now in Navarre, FL situated between Pensacola & Destin in the Florida panhandle. We are within a couple miles of the Gulf & the weather seems as mild as Poway, CA, where we lived for several years. We have planted: 7 asstd. citrus, 4 pomegranates, 3 Utah Sweet & 1 Wonderful, 5 asstd. Jujubes From Roger Meyer, 1 Feijoa (seedling), 1 Cattley (seedling), 1 Miracle Fruit, 2 Bananas Raja Pura & Dwf. Cavendish, 1 Loquat (seedling), 1 Cherry of the Rio Grand, 2 Blueberries, 1 Mulberry (seedling), 1 Santa Rosa plum, 1 Peach, (un-named), several Passiflora Caerulea, Lots of veggies in the garden. I think I can overcome the frost issues. The winds & soils are a bigger concern as the soil is almost entirely sand. Only pines, palmetto or live oaks seem to thrive. I was amazed after hurricane Ivan to see that 40' native Oaks here had blown over with a root structure that only went down 4-8'. Quite different than the tap-root that I was used to in So. Cal. Last year I spotted a Fredrick passion fruit vine @ a local farmer market, I'm looking for another this year as we left it when we moved to this new home, closer to the beach. Keep up the great job Bill & Tracy Burson mailto:powaybill@mchsi.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Two Recipies; BlueBerry Comments-Quest For Mangosteen Seeds From: Laurie Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 05:00:47 -0400 How absolutely devastating about the cold damage Leo. May you have success growing pitayas again. My blueberries never matured. They shriveled up or the bulbul finches ate them. I am trying to get my hands on purple Mangosteen seeds. Can somebody help me with a source or send me a few seeds? About the giant passionfruit: I won a blue ribbon in the Pickles Division at the Hawaii State Farm Fair using the rind of this fruit. Peel, seed and cut ripe fruit lengthwise into quarters. Cut each piece in 1/4 " slices and pour Su (Sushi Vinegar) on it. Chill and let stand for a week. Su is very good on hot sticky rice but is the perfect combination of sweet-sour-salty so I use it as a condiment. Su is also wonderful on sliced cucumbers. Recipe Sushi Vinegar (Su) 1/2 cup vinegar 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt Bring to a boil the above ingredients; Cool. Store or pour over 6 cups hot, cooked Calrose (Asian sticky) rice. Mix well and cool rice in shallow container before filling. Laurie on Oahu mailto:timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: El Cajon Freeze Damage Report Continued From: John Brode Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:10:44 +0000 (GMT) Dear Leo, My Pitayas also suffered some damage, [but were not killed] did not notice right away but later we did, so ours have been cut back and are smaller now. I am happy to report that my White Sapote is now in full leaf again, not sure when the blossom will form, [which it already had prior to the freeze] the fruit starts growing very early in the year.. my 15 year old Allspice suffered much damage, and I will have to remove the large one - no sign of life at all - [along with the Bay Rum]. Cinnamon trees/seedlings came thru well. Tropical guava [such a beautiful tree] shows no sign of life either. However Pineapple guava came through fine. Passion vines are dead. Most of my semi-tropical plants/shrubs have disappeared along with my gingers. However, my Goji is now sprouting new stalks, so looks like it made it thru the freeze. Giant Birds of Paradise all cut back. I don't think they will ever do much of anything, as they turned quite black. Also my huge flowering tropical hibiscus got really whacked, altho a few signs of life from the base are showing ? not much tho most of them look 'gone'. I am missing my beautiful Papaya plants what a lovely display of fruit they had, and the best looking tropical leaves. Mangoes are gone, along with numerous semi-tropical fruit trees. [including Longan, Lychee, Pepino melons] however the Cherimoya is finally showing signs of new leaves ? very sparce right now. Tropical pineapple was never fazed.. other succulents all gone. We have decided that replacements will be additional Persimmons, maybe more fig [all have done well and sprouting] and stone fruits. [looking out for more deciduous]. Any suggestions please? The Spring blossom has been extrordinary, and looks like we will have a good year for pears and Japenese pears, I am still having problems getting our apriums to cross pollinate ? have tried planting additional trees, this year [first time] some of them blossomed together, but still not setting enough fruit... ? even the new plum trees are doing better than last year. [guess the big freeze was not altogether a disastor].. we will see ?? jury is still out on that... The Chinese and Russian Mulberries too are doing fine. It seems the deciduous had no damage... well not that we can tell. my best, Marion mailto:marionjohnbrodie@msn.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning & Plum Tree Blooming From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:21:42 -0700 To: PETER DIEWALD Hi Kathy, You asked: "Have you heard of successfully hand pollinating plum trees?" Some plum trees seem to require a different plum tree to be planted nearby in order for it to bear fruit. Do you know the name of your plum? If it once bore but now doesn't, it's possible that someone removed the needed pollen source from a neighbor's tree. If you have only the one kind of plum, you could plant another that blooms at the same approximate time as yours. A nursery person could help find such a tree. Good luck, and keep us informed. Thanks for writing. Sincerely, Leo Manuel ------------------------------------------------ Subject: For Sale-3/4 Acre San Diego County With Fruit Trees From: "John Cobbe" Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:51:46 -0800 Hi Leo Thanks for allowing me to show my property on your site. I am reluctantly selling my home of 20 years and would preferably like to see it in the hands of someone with an appreciation for fruit trees, exotic and standard that are already established. I have approx 100 bearing fruit trees, but did lose a couple this year due to the record cold. The good news is that all of my cherry trees have fruit this year as opposed to the three regulars The fruit list is as follows: Apple (7); Standard Cherry (5) All Bearing This Year; Banana (3); Feijoa (4); Longan (1); Lychee (1); Macadamia (7); Cherimoya (9); Lemon (1); Mandarin/Tangerine (7); Orange (7); Persimmon (1); Apricot (1); Mango (1); Capulin (1); Plum (3); Pear (1); Pomogranate (3); Jujube (1); Passionfruit (3); Grape (6); Peach (3); Avocado (2?); Grapefruit (3); Jaboticaba (1); Rio Grand Cherry (4); Guava Pink (1); Guava Purple (1); Fig (2); Loquat (2); Surinam Cherry (3); Nectarine (2) The Trees are all drip fed (Rincon Del Diablo water district) and have been organically nurtured The property is Approx 3/4 of an acre, backing onto San Deguito reserve in the Lake Hodges area.(between highway 15 and Del Dios Highway) There are a number of walking trails to and around Lake Hodges directly accessible from the back gate The house itself is approx 2000 sq feet. 4 bedroom. 3-1/2 bath, ranch style with pool and spa and a beautiful view of Mount Israel. If any of your readers are interested seeing the property or would like to see pictures, I can be reached at 760 580 3264 or jcobbe@mail.com Asking price is in the $650 to $675K range Thanks again for your indulgence Leo Regards John Cobbe mailto:jcobbe@mail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Guava Seedlings - Culture Questions From: James Freedner Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:47:37 -0700 (PDT) Hi, Leo! At last - a new "rare fruit" appeared on my doorstep, courtesy of a friend, Mike O'Gara in Sun Valley. Two Guava seedlings! Before I try planting them - some advice, please. What do guavas like? Shade - sunlight - cooler temperatures? And, does anyone know if I can take and plant guavas on my land in Hanford, Kings County (middle of San Joaquin Valley) or San Juan Bautista (San Benito County), California? Hanford is hot and dry most of the year. S. J. property is hillside/canyon, with seasonal stream - gets dry in the summer but also often foggy and some wind. Mostly raspberries, oaks, a couple of redwoods. I've heard loquats can grow on the land, though I've had no luck with them so far. Or - just keep the guavas together down here in Sun Valley (San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles)? Any advice? James Freedner mailto:freedner@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: The trip to Green Scene From: W Chow Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2007 19:53:04 -0700 (PDT) Hi Leo, I called Mike McCright and I went with the CRFG van. It was a nice trip. June Anderson was with us. She bought a lot of plants. Jose drove the van. The mango plants are very expensive. I bought a papaya tree for $8. There is another dealer selling very nice papaya trees (1 gallon and 10 inch tall) for $30. I bought a wax jambu from Ben. He is reasonable with pricing. I bought 2 avocado trees from CRFG Orange County Chapter. It seems I am buying plants just because everyone else is buying and selling. I don't know if my yard can take a few more plants. This is my first trip to Green Scene. I really enjoy the company and the Fullerton Arboretum. Cheers ! William mailto:williamwchow@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Powerful Little-Known Natural Sweetener You Can Grow From: Shaindy Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:52:52 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Hi Leo: I live in West Palm Beach, FL. Hope you found that article helpful. Told you before - I freeze my Miracle Berries - Heat seems to destroy the magic. Hope your miracle fruit bush recovers Shirley mailto:shaindy@mindspring.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning From: PETER DIEWALD To: "Holzinger, Bob" Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 12:19:34 AM Dear Bob, Thank you for the info on my P. Frederick. I removed the dead wood, which seemed to be all but seven feet of stems around the diameter of two inches at the base and the forked branches are about three quarters of an inch wide. I have not noticed any changes even though the other plants in my garden have pushed out new growth. I am still holding out hope that it will thrive eventually! Before I started hand pollination, I only got a few fruit on the vine. It may be because there is much shade from mature fruit trees surrounding the vine. After I read an article in the "Fruit Gardener" about Passionfruit, I decided to try hand pollination. I got so many fruit after my effort that I am thinking about trying it with my plum trees as well! Our Macadamia nut, as well as our five Avocado trees have a monopoly on the bees around here. As a matter of fact, they are so busy pollinating the above trees, that they have completely ignored the plums and the citrus. I wish that these trees bloomed at a different time of year! Have you heard of successfully hand pollinating plum trees? Thanks, Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net - Original Message Subject: Frost damaged Frederick pruning From: "Holzinger, Bob" To: mccwald@sbcglobal.net Sent: Friday, April 6, 2007 3:28:44 PM Hello Kathy, Pruning of P. ‘Frederick’ is pretty straight forward, just remove anything that’s dead (not green) and wait for the spring burst of new growth from the remaining green stems. If it dies down to the roots, I don’t think it would come back from that. You can remove green stems that are growing where you don’t want them anytime, but I’d wait to see where the new growth appears. One more comment on what you said in your email. P. ‘Frederick’ doesn’t need to be hand pollinated to set fruit. Sometimes the fruit set isn’t 100% on its own, but hand pollinating isn’t necessary, unless you want every flower to set a fruit! Good luck, Bob Holzinger ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Frost damaged Frederick pruning From: PETER DIEWALD To: Leo Manuel Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 12:19:34 AM Dear Leo, We have six plum trees. They are planted three to a hole, each group is within twenty feet of the other one. I learned how to plant fruit trees this way in a crfg meeting. The two that require pollinators are Shiro and Satsuma; The two Santa Rosa's, the Green Gage, and the French Prune all are self-fertile as far as I remember. Being self-fertile still requires some help from bees or other insects to bring the pollen into the female parts of the blossom. Our Macadamia nut tree (Beaumont) use to have the main blooming period in February. I think the bees are so enthralled with the smell and sweetness of these blossoms, that they hang out in this tree and our five avocado trees and are ignoring the plum trees. I did hand pollinate the lower branches of all the plum trees, which seems to have helped tremendously. I grafted an Elephant Heart plum tree over to the Shiro on every major limb. One out of five grafts did not take. This is the only source now of Elephant Heart plums. I am not sure whether it needs a pollinator or not. I am pretty sure that my Frederick Passionfruit vine is dead. It grew over our compost pile and looked like a green igloo. I hope Home Depot still sells them! Thanks Leo, Kathy Diewald mailto:mccwald@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Powerful Natural Sweetener You Probably Know Nothing About Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:01:13 -0700 From: Leo Manuel To: shirley dellerson Hi Shirley Thanks for sending the blog note about Miracle Fruit. I have a small bush but I think our freeze killed it. If it is dead then it's the second one that died. I've forgotten where you live. Sincerely, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: My New Plants Look Better Already Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:52:03 -0700 From: Joanne Gram Dear Leo, The plants I got from you look better already. The yellow plant S. megalanthus that I thought was doing so well after the frost, but I discovered was black from 1/4 in above the soil downward, is surviving so far after~4 days in pure perlite. We had a mini heatwave, now today it's foggy, but clearing at 10 AMand may be hot later on. The little nubs of side branches are starting to grow out on the other two plants. And one that had two small side branches already is increasing in size, the branches are lengthening. I am considering building a "box arbor" like they have at Quail Gardens. Do you know who takes care of the Hylocereus there? Very best regards, Joanne Gram mailto:jhgram@earthlink.net <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Natural Virus May Control Fire Ants Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:08:59 -0500 From: ARS News Service A virus technology with potential to control red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) is available for licensing from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Cooperators are being sought to develop methods for growing and packaging the virus commercially, and for applying it under field conditions. This pest's massive colonies can cause severe economic problems from crop losses, damage to farm and electrical equipment, and accelerated soil erosion. They also pose a severe threat to humans and livestock vulnerable to the ants' stinging attacks. Scientists in the Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research Unit at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla., are working with an ant-infecting virus called Solenopsis invicta virus-1, or SINV-1. They have found it to occur in about 20 percent of red imported fire ant fields, where it appears to cause the slow death of infected colonies. The mission of ARS entomologist Steven Valles and other researchers in the Gainesville unit is to find and exploit disease-causing microbes that could be used to control troublesome insect pests. This SINV-1 technologystill in its early research stageis the first confirmed virus to be recovered from red imported fire ants. In the laboratory, SINV-1 has proven to be both self-sustaining and transmissible. Once introduced, it can eliminate a colony within two to three months. That's why the Gainesville researchers think it has potential for cultivation and development in the lab into a viable biopesticide for controlling S. invicta. Integrating the virus into attractant baits could yield a tool for use by the pest-control industry, agricultural producers and harvesters, consumers and others for whom fire ants are a persistent problem. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200705A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - May 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200705B.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Heavier than usual crops on apricot, peach, and nectarine trees. I believe that it's probably due to a combination of having more winter chill than usual and lack of rain during blooming season. How have yours borne? <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> None this time <><><> Readers Write <><><> New Orleans Citrus Without Blooms For First Time.... Rosierosato@aol.com Re: Fire Ant virus "NancyB." Pinetop-Lakeside AZ-What To Plant Here? Johnfcryptic@aol.com What About Stevia? eamusg@quixnet.net Re: What About Stevia? Leo Manuel To: Ed Re: What About Stevia? eamusg@quixnet.net Stevia - Another Sweetener You Can Grow Lisa Pettineo Stevia Growing Primer Leo Manuel Re: Mangosteen seeds timnovida@aol.com To: eamusg@quixnet.net Plum Pollination, Peaches, Citrus Frost Damage Linda - The Lavender Lady Allspice tree CHINO228@aol.com Banana plants produce plenty stalks, but no fruit Vital Scherrer Re: Donna Mango Blooming For First Time Dick Gross Wanted-Flowering Quince Tree-In New Jersey Topbananna@aol.com Re: Wanted-Flowering Quince Tree-In New Jersey Leo Manuel To: Fran Fwd: Yellow pitaya plants Lon Rombough "Nancy Arciniegas" Lúcio/Brazil-Subscription, Mango, Pitaya, Atemoya Lúcio_Mauro_Stuani?= RES: Lúcio/Brazil Lúcio RES: RES: Lúcio/Brazil Lúcio Golden Queen Mango From Taiwan Leo Manuel Bio-wash colloidal cleaner for frost protection CHINO228@aol.com <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Tip for Greenhouse Growers: Add Silicon ARS News Service New Fungus is Whitefly Enemy ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> None this time <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Orleans Citrus Without Blooms For First Time From: Rosierosato@aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:25:03 -0400 (EDT) Hi, down south here in New Orleans I am seeing for the first time in 20 years no blooms on any of my 15 citrus trees. Last year I had a fair crop but not as bountiful as pass years. Thought hurricane Katrina might be the reason but it has been almost two years ago. All of my other tropical fruit trees, papaya,guava, are doing well. Can anyone give me an idea of what is happening. It has been a fairly moderate winter. Thanks Chaplain Ron Rosato mailto:Rosierosato@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Fire Ant virus From: "NancyB." Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:19:32 -0500 It's a blessing to discover a virus to kill off fire ants! IMHO the poisoned crumbs only make them move to the other side of the yard :- P Fire ants kill off honey bee hives. Although I kept honey bees in Pennsylvania as a child, many tropical fruit tree enthusiasts keep a hobby bee hive here in the Orlando area. You can't imagine the horror of finding a bee colony killed off by fire ants. Some people see honey bees as pesky , but actually there pretty fun to raise and see them do their thing on a fruit tree. Regards, Nancy mailto:sergius1@bellsouth.net (Zone 9b) ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Pinetop-Lakeside AZ-What To Plant Here? From: Johnfcryptic@aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:48:17 -0400 (EDT) Hello Leo, wo John mailto:Johnfcryptic@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: What About Stevia? From: eamusg@quixnet.net Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:03:37 -0400 Hi Leo Miracle fruit isn't the only sweetner you can grow. There is also a plant no one else mentions it is called Stevia it sweetens without any calories also. Just thought I would mention it. Ed mailto:eamusg@quixnet.net Brandon FL zone 9b. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: What About Stevia? From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:11:55 -0700 To: Ed Ed, Is it easy to grow? Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: What About Stevia? From: eamusg@quixnet.net Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:31:03 -0400 Hi Leo I got one plant that was very fragile and after 4 months it is growing so well that it is blooming and setting seeds. I will get some cuttings from it and start new plants. Ed mailto:eamusg@quixnet.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Stevia - Another Sweetener You Can Grow From: Lisa Pettineo Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:13:46 -0500 Is the powerful sweetener STEVIA? It is excellent. Would love know how to grow it. I live N. Miami Florida. I can grow it in a container on porch. Lisa Pettineo mailto:lisa.pettineo@freshpoint.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Stevia Growing Primer From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:48:53 -0700 http://prairieoakpublishing.com/index.php?pr=Stevia_Gardening Growing Your Own Sweet Herb Jeffrey Goettemoeller For more Stevia Growing Information, see Jeffrey's book, Growing and Using Stevia: The Sweet Herb from Garden to Table. Stevia rebaudiana is a fascinating plant, native to the higher altitudes of Paraguay and Brazil in South America. Stevia is the genus, meaning a broad classification of plants. Rebaudiana is the species name. Only this species, out of the many found in the Americas, contains the high concentration of sweet glycosides making this "sweet leaf‚Äù such a useful and amazing herb. The dried leaf, in fact, is 10-15 times sweeter than cane sugar! Powdered stevia leaf, known as green stevia powder, may be found for sale at natural food stores or online while waiting for your first harvest. Not a particularly showy plant, stevia's sweet taste is its most notable feature. It is a non-woody herb with somewhat stiff and brittle stems. Stevia leaves are small and narrow, notched on the end. The leaves are much sweeter than stems. Plants reach about 2 feet in height. Stevia blossoms are white and tiny, but so numerous that blooming plants look like greenish-white clouds. Stevia is a tender perennial herb, which means it survives winters and keeps growing, but only where winters are mild. The roots may survive some winters as far north as USDA hardiness zone 8. Fortunately, stevia may be grown as an annual outdoors. The long summer days in colder climates are actually an advantage for growing stevia. Plants grown at higher latitudes with more daylight will have more leaves and a higher percentage of sweet glycosides. Soil and Culture-Stevia will grow well on most soils, but prefers a sandy loam or loam, high in organic matter. Its native soils are on the acid side, but stevia tolerates a wide range of soil pH. Stevia likes consistently moist soil, but not waterlogged. Standing water can cause plant rot. Except in the case of very sandy soils, raised growing beds provide Ideal conditions. Growing beds are made by mounding soil 4-6 inches high and 3 feet wide with a level top surface. Dig soil from the paths if it is fertile. Otherwise, think about adding compost, peat moss, or store bought potting soil. Watering is essential unless substantial rains come every week. Soaker hoses such as the "weeping‚Äù hoses made from recycled rubber are ideal for supplying moisture consistently. Mulch is optional, but advisable, especially if a soaker hose is not used. Light is important for stevia as well. Day length is more critical than light intensity. If your summers are extremely hot and sunny, afternoon shade will be beneficial. The long days of spring and early summer favor leaf growth. The short days of late fall will cause stevia plants to blossom. Getting Started-Stevia may be grown from seeds or plants. Visit www.steviaseed.com to order quality stevia seeds grown by yours truly and learn about stevia seed production research. Stevia seeds must be started inside under plant lights or fluorescent lights several weeks before transplanting outdoors. Stevia is vulnerable to cold temperatures, so set the plants out at least 2 weeks after your usual last frost date. Harden plants for 4-6 days before transplanting by placing outdoors in a protected area. Bring indoors on cold nights. Try to transplant on a cloudy day or in the evening. Use a trowel to set the plants a little deeper than they were in the pot. In a 3-foot wide bed, use two staggered rows so that plants are not directly across from one another. Space plants 14-18 inches apart in the row. Gently firm the soil around the plant with your hands. Avoid walking or kneeling on the bed itself so the soil stays loose. Water the plants well with a gentle soaking right after transplanting. A little mulch around new plants will prevent rapid drying on sunny days. Stevia stems are brittle and tend to break in the wind. Pruning plant tips to promote branching will help, and should be done anyway for maximum leaf yield. When the main shoots are eight to twelve inches long, simply pinch or cut off growing tips. Branches will sprout where the leaves join the stem, creating a bushy plant less prone to breakage. When side branches reach seven to ten inches, go ahead and pinch leaf tips again. Pruned leaves taste good eaten on the spot. Alternatively, tip leaves may be dried or used fresh for herb tea. Plants may be dug up and brought indoors for the winter with the use of a fluorescent shop light or grow light kept on 14-16 hours per day (a timer may be used). They will need pots large enough to comfortably hold all the roots. Indoor plants can produce useable amounts of stevia and support stock plants for taking winter cuttings. The plants tend to look half dead by the end of winter, but they usually sprout back nicely in the spring. Propagation-Stem cuttings root easily in late winter or early spring if two key conditions are met. First, at least 14 hours of fluorescent light per day will encourage quick rooting. Secondly, horticultural grade vermiculite or perlite seem to be the best rooting mediums. Use small pots or cell packs with holes in the bottom and water from below as needed to maintain a constantly moist medium. Cuttings should be 2-4 inches long with at least two leaf buds above ground. Remove all but 2-3 small leaves. After 2-4 weeks, transplant to a larger pot with a light soil mix and allow wait another 2-4 weeks before transplanting outdoors. Harvesting-Stevia leaves may be harvested through the summer as needed. For the biggest harvest with best quality, harvest just as the first blossoms open in the fall. Cut whole stems, leaving 1/3 of the stem length if you want to let the plant re-grow. Strip the leaves and discard the stems. Leaves may be used fresh for making tea or eaten right off the plant as a sweet treat. They taste great with mint leaves. Leaves may be dried for later use by spreading out in a warm spot with good air circulation or in a food dehydrator on low heat. Store the leaves in an airtight container such as a glass canning jar. The dried leaves remain sweet for many years and may be ground into a powder with a kitchen blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle. Now all that's left is enjoying your sweet harvest! ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Mangosteen seeds From: Laurie Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:35:45 -0400 To: eamusg@quixnet.net Ed, I will try the markets in Chinatown. Two weeks ago I almost bought a Star Apple by mistake because it looked similar. When is it harvest time? If I cannot find the fruit, may I prevail upon you to send me seeds? I will reimburse you whatever it costs. My friend has a huge Mangosteen tree from the 1940's that bears yellow variety fruit. My ears hurt remembering how sour the fruit was. The sweet, purple variety, is the fruit I seek. Have been buying the canned fruit. Like canned lychees, there is a marked loss in texture. I hope your plants grow well. Aloha, Laurie mailto:timnovida@aol.com -----Original Message----- From: eamusg@quixnet.net To: timnovida@aol.com Sent: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:34 PM Subject: Mango steen seeds Hi Laurie I don't know if this helps you but last year we bought fresh Mangosteen in our market (Publix ) I have them growing now. They are now about 4 inches tall (made it through our winter) Brandon FL Ed mailto:eamusg@quixnet.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Plum Pollination, Peaches, Citrus Frost Damage From: Linda - The Lavender Lady Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:05:50 -0700 Dear Leo, Re Kathy's question, I have an Elephant Heart plum and it does need a polinator. On another note, my peaches where so overloaded with fruit I had to thin a tremendous amount. My apple trees set no fruit and apricot only a small amount. Frost damage report - Meyer lemon, older one, dropped all leaves and has reprouted from old wood. Variegated meyer lemon, young tree dropped all leaves and is just now sprouting from old wood. Buhdda's Hand, young tree dropped all leaves and is just now sprouting from one green branch left. Linda Star mailto:mtnstar@ocsnet.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Allspice tree From: CHINO228@aol.com Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 02:22:29 -0400 (EDT) Hi Leo: I was sorry that John Brodie lost many fruit trees to the recent cold spell including his 15 year old allspice tree. If he has not yet removed this tree, I would like to suggest he save some branches to later use as a substitute for mesquite for future BBQ. In Jamaica, the allspice tree is called Pimento and their dried branches are used to prepare their famous jerk pork and jerk chicken. Maurice Kong mailto:CHINO228@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Banana plants produce plenty stalks, but no fruit From: Vital Scherrer Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 11:49:55 +0100 Dear Leo, If you are looking for more reader letters, here I have one with the following question: A few years ago I got half a dozen banana varieties, of which most have not fruited yet, which does not surprise me, as the climate is marginal, low heat but frost free, and the poor soil is improving slowly. The other problem is, that the cultivars "Ice Cream", which did bear fruit once, and "Williams" produce a new stalk every year, but "no" fruit. Can the lack of heat inhibit the production of fruit, but not of stalks? Kind regards Vital mailto:vital233@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Donna Mango Blooming For First Time From: Dick Gross Date: Fri, 04 May 2007 13:53:48 -0700 Hi, Leo. Good to hear from you. The Donna mango is a seedling. I did not know what to call it but when the fruit turned out to be quite good, I named it Donna after my wife. The tree is well over ten years old but the recent freeze nearly decimated it. The top 4 feet is dead but some green is still showing up suggesting that it may recover but never to the original configurement. The frost killed my marvelous Star Fruit to the ground, decimated several guavas, killed a 20 year old Neem tree, totally ignored two banana patches and did not ruffle a hair on five citrus varieties. Go figure! I have believed that the seed I planted was from a kiett but I have no way to confirm that and I have always been told and believed that seed will not come true and that, should the new fruit resemble the mother seed, it would be strictly random and coincidental. So, I don't know, Leo. I wish I did. The part here that is live shows no sign of sending out any inflorescenses and I don't think it will this year but there is enough, I believe, to harvest a little budwood to start over if it doesn't recover. Dick mailto:rkgross3@cox.net ----- Original Message ----- Subject: Donna Mango Blooming For First Time From: "Leo Manuel" To: "Gross (AZ), Richard K." Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 5:52 PM Hi Richard, Tell me about the "Donna" mango for which I believe you gave me scion wood some time ago. It's blooming for the first time this year. I haven't heard from you for a while. How've you been? Did the January freeze hit you as hard as it did me and hundreds of others? Take care, Horticordially, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Wanted-Flowering Quince Tree-In New Jersey From: Topbananna@aol.com Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 19:21:33 -0400 (EDT) I am Fran Goldstein, living in Haworth, NJ, zone 6. I have a few old apple trees. (I bought part of what had been an 18th century fram). I'm looking for some plants that would have been used on such a farm. Especially a flowerng quince TREE - not shrub. Fran mailto:Topbananna@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Wanted-Flowering Quince Tree-In New Jersey From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 18:21:49 -0700 To: Fran Consider NAFEX - For Fruit Growers In Temperate Zones The information below may not all be still current, but if you check on the internet you should find it. Not all fruit growers live in the sub-tropical fruit growing zones. Many of them turn to NAFEX for help growing such fruits as grapes, apples, pears, medlars, peaches, plums, pears, apricots.... They may subscribe to Rare Fruit News Online for information about growing subtropical fruit. I have subscribed to NAFEX for over thirty years, and recommend it to you. There also is a NAFEX newsgroup, with frequent mailing to subscribers. I'll be delighted to send the Rare Fruit News Online newsletter to you. But, for maximum support, also check out NAFEX at the following web page: http://www.nafex.org/ to get the quarterly publication "POMONA" by snail mail. For the email newsletter, go the END of the webpage: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex "Subscribing to nafex" where you leave your email address and password. Be sure to write to ask questions when the newsletters begin to appear. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Fwd: Yellow pitaya plants From: Lon Rombough Date: Wed, 09 May 2007 08:26:09 -0700 Begin forwarded message: Subject: Yellow pitaya plants From: "Nancy Arciniegas" Date: May 9, 2007 7:10:01 AM PDT To: Dear Friends, My name is Nancy Arciniegas I would like to know if you have information about the presence of yellow pitaya plants Hylocereus megalanthus (Syn: Selenicereus megalanthus), cropped in your area. Thank you, Nancy Arciniegas mailto:nancy.arciniegas@colomsat.net.co USDA-APHIS-IS US Embassy in Colombia ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Lúcio/Brazil-Subscription, Mango, Pitaya, Atemoya Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 12:57:33 -0300 From: Lúcio_Mauro_Stuani?= Hi Mr. Leo: Once I e-mailed you to get the newsletters. I received only one time (January-2007). I want to continuous receive the newsletters, is it possible? I read about your favorite fruit is mango. Do you know, have or tried the Taiwan mango Golden Queen? About pitayas: do you have the yellow skin Hylocereus undatus? I heard about new atemoyas in Australia with red skin and pink flesh, do you know anything about it? Best regards, Lúcio/Brazil mailto:lm.stuani@uol.com.br Subject: RES: Lúcio/Brazil From: Lúcio Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 21:28:08 -0300 Mr. Leo I read about mango Golden Queen in a Phillipine site (Dizon, Tereza nursery). They imported this variety from Taiwan. I'm interested too. I have other Taiwan variety: Tinfan. It's a young grafted tree, maybe in 1 year I will have fruit. I heard about cherimoya Selma but I read in an article from Actahort something about new atemoyas from Australia and something about a hybrid with red skin and pink flesh. Best regards, Lúcio mailto:lm.stuani@uol.com.br -----Mensagem original----- De: Leo Manuel [mailto:rarefruit@san.rr.com] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 11 de maio de 2007 18:51 Para: Lúcio Mauro Stuani Assunto: Re: Lúcio/Brazil Hi Lucio I have put your name back on the mailing list. I am not famiiar with the Golden Queen. Tell me about it. There is a cherimoya here called Selma that has pink flesh but I don't know the skin color. I have it grafted onto my tree, but it hasn't set fruit yet. I have a pitaya that MAY be yellow-skin H. undatus, but it hasn't borne fruit yet. Maybe this year. I don't expect that the taste of it will be too exciting. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RES: RES: Lúcio/Brazil From: Lúcio Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 21:44:44 -0300 Mr. Leo: I read about mango Golden Queen in this site: http://dizon-exoticfruittrees.com/mango/index.htm And mango Tinfan was a Chinese got to Brazil several years ago. He dead and his widow get budwood for my friend. Regards, Lúcio mailto:lm.stuani@uol.com.br -----Mensagem original----- De: Leo Manuel [mailto:rarefruit@san.rr.com] Enviada em: sexta-feira, 11 de maio de 2007 21:39 Para: Lúcio Assunto: Re: RES: Lúcio/Brazil Hi Lúcio Would you send the information you have on both of those mangoes from Taiwan? I can put it in the newsletter. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Golden Queen Mango From Taiwan From: Leo Manuel Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 17:54:29 -0700 http://dizon-exoticfruittrees.com/mango/index.htm Golden Queen- Taiwan's best mango, with its fruit weighing 1.2 to 1.4 kilo per fruit. This cultivar bears fruit voluntarily. In the Brazilian farm of Mr. Eulogio Mallari, it bears fruit continuously during dry season with three sets of fruits - flower, egg size and 1-kilo fruit. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Bio-wash colloidal cleaner for frost protection? From: Maurice Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 00:57:26 -0400 (EDT) Dear Leo: In February CRFG San Diego Chapter Newsletter, Tom Del Hotal wrote an article on "Recovering from frost damage" on the devastating effect of the recent freeze suffered by many members throughout California. The citrus industry according to reports received also suffered as well and may lose as much as 70% of their citrus crop. Jim Little, in Lemon Cove, California, got lucky. He did not suffer any damage to his orange grove. Since frequent frosts and the occasional unwelcome freeze do occur in California, perhaps a lesson can also be learned from Jim's good fortune. He credits his good fortune to a spray program he started in 2006 with an organic product called Bio-wash 1227 colloidal cleaner which he concludes also protected his orange trees when the temperature registered 30 F. at his orange grove. In April and in November 2006, Jim sprayed his 4,400 trees with this organic product and again by coincidence a week before the surprise freeze. Although the official temperature reported by the local news media was 27 degrees Fahrenheit and much to his surprise, his grove was not affected whereas his neighbor across the highway lost most of their orange crop. Photos taken shortly after the freeze of both groves showed a remarkable difference. Jim's trees were completely unaffected compared to his neighbor's grove who crop was virtually devastated. Jim, who has his own private lab also did a brix test of oranges from both groves. Oranges from his grove had 20% more sugar content than his neighbor. The skin color of Jim's oranges (from photos received) were yellow compared to his neighbor's which were still green. Although his findings were not official, it nevertheless meant he will be able to get a premium for his crop. Ellis Fleming, the manufacturer's chemist, believes that in addition to generally improving the plants health and hardiness, it appears Bio-Wash 1227 colloidal cleaner also improves the plant metabolism enough to make the trees more resistant to frost bite. In Florida, nurseries use this product primarily to control whiteflies especially in greenhouses also drench their plants with this product before each frost and freeze warning. Jim Little's lucky discovery may yet be another organic option for future frost protection in California. For further information on Bio-wash colloidal cleaner, contact Maurice, Rare Fruit Council, International, Miami. (305) 554-1333 mailto:chino228@aol.com [I wouldn't have thought 30º F would have damaged citrus trees. -Leo] <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <><>Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/<><> From: "Scott D. Russell" Bot-Linx List http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/ None this time <><><> NAFEX List From: nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org <><><> None this time <><> [rarefruit] List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rarefruit <><> None this time <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200705B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - June 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200706A.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Multiple Trunk Trees - What do you know about them? There is a webpage of DIZON EXOTIC FRUIT TREES that describes them a little, and I extracted from it in the newsletter but it doesn't say enough for me to know how they get them going. I assume that inarching is done between the multiple trunks. Time for me to begin grafting mango. Some years I have much better results than others. In recent years, my 'takes' have been very poor. I don't know why.... Please keep those letters coming to tell us of your fruit trees. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber - Tallahassee, Florida Kendall Register Kendall Register kendall.1smart1@gmail.com <><><> Readers Write <><><> Large 'Lemon' Fruit Robert Cantor Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit Leo Manuel To: Robert Cantor Yellow pitayas Barry Hicks Stevia Bill Burson Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit Robert Cantor Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit Leo Manuel To: Robert Cantor Re: Yellow pitayas Leo Manuel To: Barry Hicks Re: Yellow pitayas Barry Hicks Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit Robert Cantor Freeze report ChiuMoho@aol.com Re: Where Did You Get Your Tripod Orchard Ladder? George Emerich Mangosteens Gerardo Garcia To: timnovida@aol.com I'm Looking For Seeds Of Chilean hazelnut Johan Husselman Re: Chilean hazelnut Leo Manuel To: Johan Husselman Peach and Plum Trees Are Loaded! "Spanglet, Harry" DIZON EXOTIC FRUIT TREES Leo Manuel Ka Bernie Dizon - Mango - Double Or Triple Trunk Leo Manuel Source for rare citrus? Forrest Wilson Re: Source for rare citrus? Leo Manuel To: Forrest Wilson Re: Source for rare citrus? Forrest Wilson Re: Pinetop-Lakeside AZ-What To Plant Here? teban tani To: Johnfcryptic@aol.com <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber - Tallahassee, Florida From: Kendall Register Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 21:26:37 -0400 I am Kendall Register, and live in Tallahassee, Florida I am growing Baobab(8 months old) I was looking into this newsletter for more types I could try Comments, anything readers will find of interest about you: I am also a musician Kendall Register mailto:kendall.1smart1@gmail.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Robert Cantor Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 18:47:18 -0700 To: Leo Manuel My sister lives in Oakland, CA. She has a lemon, probably a ponderosa. The lemons are almost the size of basket balls but they are mostly pith and the fruit is very dry. The climate is not very dry and they have green grass growing a few feet from the tree. Anyone have any ideas on what would make the fruit jucier? Thanks! Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Leo Manuel Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 19:17:15 -0700 To: Robert Cantor Possibly the grafted tree died below the bud or graft and the tree is rootstock. Leo Manuel ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Yellow pitayas From: Barry Hicks Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 12:45:31 +1000 Hello Leo! I am seeking info on pitayas. I bought a yellow pitaya plant a little over a year ago and it grew like crazy, flowered and I now have 12 small fruit. Could you please tell me where I can access general information on pitayas? Regards Barry Hicks mailto:barryhicks@westnet.com.au ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Stevia From: Bill Burson Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 22:07:05 -0500 Leo, I had bought Stevia @ Anderson's Nursery in Poway several times. Any good herb nursery should have it Bill Burson mailto:TheMortgageStore@mchsi.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Robert Cantor Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 22:33:25 -0700 Good thought. What rootstock would it be? The tree was mature long before she bought the house. Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 05:55:28 -0700 To: Robert Cantor Other readers will have more valid suggestions. There is a Rough Lemon that was once used as a rootstock. A Google search for Rough Lemon Fruit gave me this: The rough-lemon is a lemon with a rough skin. It is mostly cultivated in the tropics. The fruits are round and a bit bigger then lemons. They are used in the same way as lemons. That doesn't sound like your fruit, however. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Yellow pitayas From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 06:01:33 -0700 To: Barry Hicks Hi Barry, I think that the best place is the Yahoo group I started a few years ago, at Pitaya Fruit:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PitayaFruit/ Where do you live? Here, the yellow pitaya blooms and fruit at the end of the summer. If you have other pitayas, you might try pollinating them with the yellow. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Yellow pitayas From: Barry Hicks Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 05:58:00 +1000 Hello Leo Thanks for the prompt reply to my query. I live in a little place named Beerwah in S.E. Queensland, Australia about 70km north of Brisbane. As far as I know, its only claim to "fame" is that it is in the middle of the Glass House Mountains named by Capt. James Cook in 1770 because they reminded him of the glass houses back home in the UK. My pitaya flowered in April which is as near to autumn as we get in our warm temperate climate. Regards Barry Hicks mailto:barryhicks@westnet.com.au ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Robert Cantor Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 07:47:07 -0700 Thanks. I'll try to get a picture on the web today. Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Freeze report From: ChiuMoho@aol.com Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 14:23:54 -0400 (EDT) Hi Leo, Here is the status of the fruit trees in my Yard in Moreno Valley (Southern California). The hard January freeze has done a lot of damage. Dead are my mango and pitaya. The large guava is coming back, but does not have a full complement of leaves, and I would doubt that there will be any fruit this year. One of my three cherimoyas has sprouted a leaf . My star fruit has fresh stems coming up from the ground. My meyer lemon lost its leaves, but has recovered and has had some blossoms. Navel orange seems undamaged, the sapota seedling was first to get new leaves and is thriving. The fig, jujube, pears, peach, nectarine, plums and loquates are all fine. I don't know if I will replace the mango or cherimoyas, maybe I will put in a dwarf apple tree instead. Driving around the city you can see a lot of dead shrubs and large trees in people's yards and parks. Al Turnbull mailto:ChiuMoho@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Where Did You Get Your Tripod Orchard Ladder? From: George Emerich Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 13:32:37 -0700 Leo: Damned if I know. I suspect that as most ladders are now made of Aluminum, it is structually safer to have a framework instead of a single leg. There are a couple of old wooden tripods around in pretty poor condition, I might add. Good Luck and keep in touch. George mailto:gemerich@tfb.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mangosteens From: gerardo garcia Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 17:15:50 -0400 To: timnovida@aol.com Not to nitpick but all mangosteens (Garcinia mangostana) are purple when ripe, while so-called yellow mangosteen is actually another species, Garcinia xanthochymus - indeed, very sour, though juicy. Some years ago the RFCI in Florida distributed a few seeds of a purported G. xanthochymus cultivar that was supposedly sweet, the leaves do look different from other Garcinias and Rheedias I have and I've been coddling it since but it's only 6 feet tall and so far has not borne fruit. Gerardo García Ramis mailto:manilkara@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: I'm Looking For Seeds Of Chilean hazelnut From: Johan Husselman Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 11:06:36 +0200 Hi Leo Thanks for a great news letter, I'm always looking forward to read all the news and views. I'm looking for seed of the Chilean hazelnut, Gevuina avallana. Do you know where I can obtain some? Thanks Johan Husselman mailto:JohanH@arc.agric.za Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Crops Cultivar development P/Bag X11208 Nelspruit 1200 Tel: +27 13 753 7036 Fax: +27 13 752 3854 Cell: 083 4102398 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Chilean hazelnut From: Leo Manuel Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 06:40:22 -0700 To: Johan Husselman I did a Google search for 'Gevuina avellana seed' (note spelling) and came up with over 600 hits. I don't know who sells them. Perhaps a newsletter reader will. Take care, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Peach and Plum Trees Are Loaded! From: "Spanglet, Harry" Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 08:25:10 -0700 Leo, My peach and plum trees in Davis are LOADED with fruit. I think it was the lack of rain, because last year I watched my trees bloom in the rain and got very little fruit, and this year no rain and I got tons. Harry Spanglet mailto:spanglet@water.ca.gov Davis, CA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: DIZON EXOTIC FRUIT TREES From: Leo Manuel Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 12:41:45 -0700 Home of Quality Imported and Exotic Fruit Trees Ka Bernie Dizon - The Philippine Star, Agriculture/Environment, Sunday, December 1, 2002 One man's forest of desire gets bigger and bigger by Ramon Ma. Epino Pomologist Bernardo O. Dizon finally gets his wish for a bigger orchard of exotic fruit trees in the city which gives easy access to interested entrepreneurs. After 10 years of successfully pursuing his passion for fruit trees he gets only 4,000 square meters but also another 20 years extension (renewable for another 20 years) to his 10-year contract. No less than the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) makes sure that Dizon could continue with his good work and influence agri-entrepreneurs along the way. The new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) enjoins Dizon to establish more techno-demo farms to attract more investors. This time, each type of fruit tree would have its own farm site, making for several orchards - unlike before where different types of fruit trees were planted near each other in one site. It began on June 8, 1992 with the signing of a MOA between then DENR Secretary Fulgencio S. Factoran Jr. and pomologist Bernardo O. Dizon. The latter was awarded a lease of 10 years for 500 square meters by the DENR's Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) and got his wish. In the piece of barren, waterlogged land at the Ninoy Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon City - he put up his dream project. In 10 years, he had a demonstration garden / orchard of exotic fruit trees serving as a techno-demo learning center where he conducts regular Sunday seminars and technology demonstrations for free to the public. There's no secret to the success of Dizon's project - hard work, expertise and selfless fixation with fruit trees and farmers / entrepreneurs where the MOA with Factoran assigned Dizon with the following tasks: Dizon will establish, maintain and operate a demonstration garden that will serve as a showcase for multiple rootstock techniques for Millennium and Guimaras mangoes, chico varieties, mangosteen, rambutan, longkong, duku lanzones, lychee, apple makopa, Magallanes pummelo and many other local and foreign fruits. More-over, the garden should show farmers, orchard owners and backyard growers that traditional (mango) and non-traditional fruit trees (lychee, orange, rambutan, durian, pummelo and many others) are potential dollar savers and even dollar earners. For successfully doing his part of the MOA, the next DENR secretary, Victor O. Ramos, with the comment "excellent work" approved an additional 1,500 square meters for Dizon's project on June 11, 1998. His garden - by now, totaling 2,000 square meters - is now a-bloom with a myriad of fruits. In the new agreement, Dizon, in addition to the past conditions of the other MOA with Factoran and Ramos, is enjoined to propagate investors' interests in fruit tree farming with seminars and demonstration and provision of seeds. Dizon sees the project as an opportunity: "I welcome the thrust of DENR on fruit trees, among others, and its trust in me I will do my very best to prove them right." ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Ka Bernie Dizon - Mango - Double Or Triple Trunk From: Leo Manuel Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 12:47:53 -0700 These outstanding Carabao mangoes could be propagated or multiplied for planting in different parts of the country. Through grafting, any variety of mangoes could be used as rootstock and scion coming from outstanding varieties approved by NSIC. Always plant double rootstock because they are more resistant to typhoon, fast growing and early fruiting. Double or triple rootstock make the mango prolific, overcome biennial fruiting and counter the side effects of potassium nitrate. It is not true that a grafted Carabao mango has short lifespan as claimed by mango pseudo-experts, which appeared in some video interview, newspapers and seminars. At the Central Luzon State University, hundred of century old mango (both grafted and not grafted) planted side by side at the University avenues are all fruiting well and no mortality has been experienced. A grafted mango has broad base while mango grown from seeds do not have a broad base; and the diameter of its trunk from the base to the middle is the same. CENTURY OLD GRAFTED CARABAO MANGO AT CLSU Excessive spraying of potassium nitrate is the cause of a mango tree's short lifespan - not grafting. Even if grown from seedlings, the tree would still die due to abuse. Bernie Dizon observed this when he collected scions throughout the country way back in the 90's for planting in a 3000 hectares of mango plantation. Pico Mango This is a prevalent variety in Tanay, Rizal and nearby areas including the Sounthern Tagalog region. The fruit is oblong and as big as Carabao mango. It also has a distinct beak and a yellow orange skin. Its flesh is very sweet but it lacks the aroma found in Carabao mangoes Pahutan or Supsupin Often called as Señorita or Supsupin, these are small fruits, less than 100 grams, fibrous, very sweet and with big seeds. Big trees of Pahutan mango can be found mostly in Cavite, Batangas, and in Mindanao, Pahutan is an ideal rootstock for grafting Carabao mango, leaves and shoots of Pahutan is similar to Carabao mango that some unscrupulous nurserymen passed it off as Carabao mango. IMPORTED MANGOES Chokanan (Chooke Anan) 2-year-old double rootstock Chokanan mango The most popular varieties grown in Thailand and Malaysia for local and export market. It is one of the sweetest mangoes in the world and its average weight is 0.5 kilo per fruit. A ripe fruit of this variety is referred to as Mangga Madu or Honey mango because of its almost similar taste of honey. Green-mango fanciers also favor this variety because it does not taste too sour like our Carabao mango. Because of its thick skin, it does not spoil easily and it is resistant to pests and diseases. Eating Green Also known as the Kaesaway variety, this is the pride of Thailand. This is very sweet and even when green. Its fruit weighs an average of 1 kilo per fruit. Under local conditions, it is a fast growing tree. Golden Queen Taiwan's best mango, with its fruit weighing 1.2 to 1.4 kilo per fruit. This cultivar bears fruit voluntarily. In the farm of Mr. Eulogio Mallari, it bears fruit continuously during dry season with three sets of fruits - flower, egg size and 1-kilo fruit. Planting Materials are available at DENR-PAWB-Dizon Botanic Fruit Garden and Techno-Demo Farm at Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center, North Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. DIZON EXOTIC FRUIT TREES Home of Quality Imported and Exotic Fruit Trees mailto:ka_bernie_dizon@yahoo.com.ph ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Source for rare citrus? From: Forrest Wilson Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 12:46:40 -0700 Dear Leo, my name is Forrest and I live in coastal Del Mar. I would like to plant 8 or so dwarf citrus trees in my yard, and would very much like to include some uncommon varieties of sweet orange and tangerine (shamouti, encore, etc). Is there a nursery in San Diego that you know of that might have such a selection? Thank you very much for your time :) Forrest Wilson mailto:forrest112@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Source for rare citrus? From: Leo Manuel Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 14:00:38 -0700 To: Forrest Wilson Hi Forrest, I've had good luck with Clausen Nursery 3132 Blackwell Dr Vista, CA 92084 (760) 724-3143 I'm sure there are others in inland north county, such as Fallbrook. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Source for rare citrus? From: Forrest Wilson Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 15:33:46 -0700 Wow that looks like a great nursery! I'm going to give them a call right now. Don't worry about checking around, I think Clausen is exactly what I'm looking for for most of my trees, and I might just order the israeli citrus online. Thanks very much! Forrest Wilson mailto:forrest112@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Pinetop-Lakeside AZ-What To Plant Here? From: teban tani Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 09:38:46 -0700 (PDT) To: Johnfcryptic@aol.com For your area deciduous trees are best, although a pineapple guava might survive. Grafting several varieties on a single rootstock saves space and extends the season as they arrive weeks apart. Peach rootstock accepts necternes,plums,and apricots. Plums and prunes can all be together, and dozens of kinds of apples can hang from the same tree. Practice grafting on anything until you have the budwood and scionwood ready and the time is best. They will store as vegetables in the refrigerator. Best Wishes, Papa Teban mailto:tebantani@yahoo.com <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Precise Irrigation Could Boost Raspberry Health From: ARS News Service Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 06:41:28 -0400 --View this report online, plus photos at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Where is the best place to water raspberries--from above ground or below? That's a persistent question for berry growers throughout the Pacific Northwest. About 80 percent of the nation's raspberries are grown in California, Oregon and Washington, and irrigation methods tend to vary regionally. But are growers choosing the best watering methods to maximize their plants' growth, yield potential and general health? New research from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists aims to answer that question. Plant physiologist David Bryla and his colleagues in the ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, Ore., are examining two irrigation methods to evaluate how each affects raspberry plants' yield and susceptibility to root rot. Improved irrigation methods could reduce the disease's frequency and severity, with major benefits for plant health and fruit production. The scientists planted Meeker and Coho plants and watered them via overhead sprinklers or subsurface drips. They also applied varying amounts of water to different plants in order to observe the effects of over- and under-watering. Results showed that the amount of water received affected berry yield more than the way the water was delivered. Neither irrigation method had a significant effect on yield. The sprinkler system produced more fruit-bearing canes, called floricanes, per plant and more berries per cane, but the berries were smaller, particularly on insufficiently irrigated plants. In addition to producing larger fruit, drip irrigation considerably reduced the amount of water required. The scientists found no root rot in either cultivar. It's worth noting that the study was conducted during the plants' first year of production, and that results may differ in older plants. Further testing will determine how mature plants respond to the same watering conditions. The scientists will also adjust the irrigation schedule, applying water more liberally before harvest, to more closely mirror a typical growing environment. The results of this study could help raspberry growers throughout the Pacific Northwest make better informed management decisions to promote the health and productivity of their crops. ARS is the chief in-house scientific research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Maps Predict Path of Destructive Citrus Pest From: ARS News Service Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 07:58:01 -0400 --View this report online, plus photos at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ The distribution of diaprepes root weevils (Diaprepes abbreviatus) is constrained by temperature, a key finding that could be vital to predicting and limiting the spread of this pest, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Ft. Pierce, Fla. The team of researchers, led by entomologist Steve Lapointe at the ARS Subtropical Insects Research Unit (SIRU) in Fort Pierce, used probability maps to make the discovery. Since its arrival in 1964, the diaprepes root weevil has been a major contributor to the decline of Florida's citrus industry. The pest's ability to feed on more than 200 host plant species has aided its spread throughout citrus-producing areas of peninsular Florida--the southern two-thirds of the state. The probability maps use a combination of soil and air temperatures to delineate the current distribution of both the diaprepes root weevil and of parasitoid insects that attack its eggs and have potential to serve as biological controls of the pest. The researchers have shown that adult female weevils stop producing eggs at 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and the eggs themselves are highly susceptible to cold. Eggs already laid become nonviable when exposed to 53 degrees F for 4.2 days--about 100 hours. This explains why egg parasitoids of D. abbreviatus haven't been able to establish themselves in northern Florida. Using this knowledge, Lapointe and his team worked with scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Center for Plant Health Science and Technology to develop probability maps to describe the current diaprepes distribution in Florida and in portions of Texas, Arizona and California that are most susceptible to its establishment. The maps will be used to guide survey and control efforts in those states. Already, the parasites Quadrastichus haitiensis from Puerto Rico and Aprostocetus vaquitarum from the Dominican Republic--both introduced into southern Florida to control the weevil--are considered to be successfully established there. Read more about the research in the May/June 2007 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may07/weevil0507.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief in-house scientific research agency. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200706A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - June 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200706B.txt ___________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Mango paraíso (petacón)-I'm hoping you can help me in my hunt for information on it. See my letter in 'Readers Write.' I've been placing mango grafts, hoping for a better success rate than that of last year. I had become too self-confident and not really doing everything I knew to do, such as get the rootstock pushing, and select the scions when they show promise of opening soon. Of course, I haven't paid any attention to the signs of the moon, which Paul Thomson says can mean the difference. So, if I fail, I can point to the moon.... Do you notice the waxing and waning quarters of the lunar body when you garden? Some pitayas are about to open blooms. It seems that the white- fleshed H. undatus always bloom later in the season than most red-fleshed ones. G-1 and G-2 are about to open, as is Florida Red Sweet and Paul Thomson's 6-S. How about yours? <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> News letter Carlos Monzon <><><> Readers Write <><><> Helen Thomson's Obituary (Wife of Paul Thomson) Leo Manuel Mango paraíso (petacón) Leo Manuel Lemons the size of basketballs Laurie To: rcantor@att.net Re: Lemons the size of basketballs Laurie To: rcantor@att.net Big, pithy citrus Robert Cantor To: Laurie , i_donquixote@hotmail.com, otonti2@comcast.net Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit Marvnpet@aol.com Re: big, pithy citrus Laurie To: rcantor@att.net Re: big, pithy citrus Laurie To: rcantor@att.net Citrus junos cultivation Yonatan Baum (Yuzu a Citrus junos) UCR: Citrus Variety Collection Leo Manuel Bill Whitman has passed away CannonConsult Bill Whitman, 92, Is Dead; Scoured the Earth for Rare Fruit - New York Times Leo Manuel Macadamia Bloom John Pitaya "Lon J. Rombough" Caffeine Foils Snails Leo Manuel Caffeine Foils Snails - ARS Link Leo Manuel RE: Know Where To Buy 100% Pure Caffeine? "Holzinger, Bob" Sigma Chemical Co Pure Caffeine Leo Manuel To: "Holzinger, Bob" RE: Sigma Chemical Co Pure Caffeine "Holzinger, Bob" Quail Garden's Picnic Date CHANGED Leo Manuel Looking For Mango Tree - Winters (20222) Herman Persaud To: leom@rarefruit.com <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Better Fruit-Fly Controls ARS News Service Catnip "Cologne" Attracts Good Bugs ARS News Service Biofuel Crops Curb Greenhouse Gases ARS News Service Cowpea Plants React to Insect Attack ARS News Service Can the Right Potting Mix Replace Fungicide? ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: News letter From: Carlos Monzon Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:39:18 -0700 My name I Carlos Monzon, I live in Bakersfield California. The fruit trees that I am successfully growing in my back yard are, 3 different cultivars of avocado (Mexicola Grande, Bacon, and Hass. The Hass in my latest addition I planted early this spring. The others are all over 15 feet tall. I as have a Jaboticaba that survived our last major freeze this past winter. It is only a couple of feet tall but is doing quite well. I had a very large Macadamia tree, but the freeze killed much of the top; it is now growing new shoots from the trunk area. I have some Hayward Kiwi vines, a Fuyu persimmon tree, a strawberry and pineapple guava tree, and a White Sapote that his doing fine. I have been experimenting with some Dragon fruit plats that have grown quite well. I was surprised that they are starting to recover from almost being frozen to the ground, very tough plant compared to some of the other succulents around town. Carlos Monzon mailto:carlos_monzon@khsd.k12.ca.us <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Helen Thomson's Obituary (Wife of Paul Thomson) From: Leo Manuel Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:58:01 -0700 Memorial: Helen Adelaide Benlehr Thomson August 5, 1910 to May 17, 2007 Helen was born at Elcot Lodge in Landaur-Mussurie, United Provinces, India. She was 96 years old and died of natural causes at Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside. Helen was born to Missionary parents, Charles and Cornelia Benlehr of Wilmington, Ohio. She had three brothers, all deceased. She graduated from high school at Wesleyan Girls School in Naini Tal, India. She came to the United States in 1929 and attended Wilmington College, a Quaker College, for two years. For her last two years of college she moved to Los Angeles, where her brother lived, and graduated from California Christian College for her BA degree. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mango paraíso (petacón) From: Leo Manuel Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:35:52 -0700 I'm hoping you can help me in my hunt for information on Mango paraíso (petacón). I did a search for Mango paraíso (petacón) because I ate a delicious mango from Guatemala, heard that in Mexico it's thought to be a variation of 'Tommy Atkins.' It was so much better than every 'Tommy' I had eaten, so I sought more information. Every 'hit' was in Spanish, so I couldn't understand what I read, but Tommy Atkins was not mentioned. The most descriptive seemed to be this: Fruto comestible de color amarillo o amarillo rojizo, de aproximadamente 15 cm de largo y forma ovalada, con un extremo terminado en punta y ligeramente desviado; su piel es delgada y su semilla grande y generalmente aplanada; pertenece a distintas variedades y es muy apreciado por el sabor de su pulpa: /mango de Manila, mango criollo, mango petacón /*2* (/Mangifera indica/)/ /Árbol de la familia de las anacardiáceas que produce este fruto. Es de origen asiático, crece en climas tropicales y llega a medir hasta 15 m de altura. Su tronco es recto y de corteza negra y rugosa; sus hojas duras y lanceoladas; su copa grande y espesa, y sus flores pequeñas y amarillentas. Se cultiva por su fruto Approximate translation by Jim Neitzel: An edible fruit, yellowish or reddish yellow in color. Approximately 15 cm long, oval in shape, with one extreme end terminating in a small point slightly off-set. Its skin is thin and its seed large and generally flattened. There are different varieties and is very esteemed because of the taste of the flesh. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Lemons the size of basketballs From: Laurie Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:18:14 -0400 To: Robert Cantor I would suggest that the "giant lemon" fruit is that of a pommelo (pomelo, pummelo). If it sour, add lime as a soil amendment or cut it down. I do not know a way to make it juicier. Laurie Master Gardner, Univ. of Hawaii mailto:timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Lemons the size of basketballs From: Laurie Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2007 06:18:45 -0400 To: Robert Cantor Bob, Trust me, lemons do not grow the size of basketballs no matter what you used for fertilizer. You probably have excellent rootstock that suckered when the graft died, the result is dry, sour fruit and you think it is a lemon tree because it also has thorns. As your fruit matures, so do the number and size of seeds. Here's the test: Pummelos have typically 16-18 segments, grapefruits/lemons - about 12. There are excellent sweet and juicy varieties that you can purchase. Buy a airlayered pummelo variety to get fruit that is true to the parent plant. I've some trees and am holding off getting another if/when a thornless variety is developed. Try picking mature fruit and storing it in a cool, shady spot for 3-4 week befor peeling, the taste should have improved with aging. You may want to sweeten the crop by annually sowing lime, kosher sat or epsom salt at the canopy drip line. If nothing works, keep your sis' tree as a novelty and use the rind to make candy. Here is a hotlink for you http://whatscookingamerica.net/pomelo.htm Laurie Master Gardner, Univ. of Hawaii mailto:timnovida@aol.com -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: Lemons the size of basketballs From: Robert Cantor To: Laurie Sent: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 7:19 pm Although the size and pith are like pumelos, the taste and pulp are like lemons. When they're 4-8" in diameter they're still juicy and turn progressively more yellow. As they approach 10 they dry out. The bigger ones have more seeds, although I don't know if they don't develop seeds until late or the ones that will develop seeds get bigger than the ones that wont produce seeds. The pulp "cells" are much bigger in the larger fruit. They don't turn fully yellow until they're close to 10" I'll have pics up in a few weeks, but I can't send the taste. Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Big, pithy citrus From: Robert Cantor > Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:38:38 -0700 To: Laurie , i_donquixote@hotmail.com, otonti2@comcast.net Thanks for your reply. I have a few fruit here so I cut one "sideways". 10 segments. I'll be taking pics of the tree, branches and leaves when I visit her tommorrow and soon after I hope to have a place on the web for them. My sister got mad at me when I suggested it might be a pomelo, so I'm glad it's not. You don't want to face my sister when she's angry ;) I don't think she's ever fertilized it. Other than her wrath, I have no vested interest in what this turns out to be. I live far away but I'm working here a few more days. Tommorrow is probably my last chance to look at the tree so if there's anything else to photograph that would be helpful please let me know. Her's some fruit pics. The 10 incher is stuck in my cell phone, I'll get it out eventually. I put more fruit pics on thew web http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2TZy3ctGGO I'll add the tree/leaves/branches next week. Robert Cantor mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Marvin Daniels Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:09:22 -0400 (EDT) --Original Message-- Subject: Large 'Lemon' Fruit From: Robert Cantor Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 18:47:18 -0700 My sister lives in Oakland, CA. She has a lemon, probably a ponderosa. The lemons are almost the size of basket balls but they are mostly pith and the fruit is very dry. The climate is not very dry and they have green grass growing a few feet from the tree. Anyone have any ideas on what would make the fruit jucier? Thanks! Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net Ponderosa Lemon. 'Ponderosa' is not a true lemon although its fruit are much like citrons and lemons. It originated as a chance seedling during the 1880's. 'Ponderosa' trees are rather small and somewhat thorny; its fruit are very large and seedy, with yellow, thick, bumpy-textured peel. 'Ponderosa' is more cold sensitive than true lemons. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/Citrus/lemons.htm Marvin Daniels, Pismo Beach ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: big, pithy citrus From: Laurie Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:40:42 -0400 To: Robert Cantor -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: big, pithy citrus From: Robert Cantor To: Laurie Sent: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 6:23 pm LOL, Thanks! So with ten segments, where does that leave us? I'll cut more fruit in a few days. Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Laurie To: Robert Cantor Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 4:24 PM Subject: Re: big, pithy citrus Bob, You may want to sweeten your sister by annually sowing lime, kosher salt or epsom salt on her too ;-). You are a good brother to inquire for her. Laurie -----Original Message----- Subject: big, pithy citrus From: Robert Cantor To: Laurie ; Robert Cantor ; i_donquixote@hotmail.com; otonti2@comcast.net Sent: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 11:38 am Thanks for your reply. I have a few fruit here so I cut one "sideways". 10 segments. I'll be taking pics of the tree, branches and leaves when I visit her tommorrow and soon after I hope to have a place on the web for them. My sister got mad at me when I suggested it might be a pomelo, so I'm glad it's not. You don't want to face my sister when she's angry ;) I don't think she's ever fertilized it. Other than her wrath, I have no vested interest in what this turns out to be. I live far away but I'm working here a few more days. Tomorrow is probably my last chance to look at the tree so if there's anything else to photograph that would be helpful please let me know. Here's some fruit pics. The 10 incher is stuck in my cell phone, I'll get it out eventually. I put more fruit pics on the web http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZs2TZy3ctGGO I'll add the tree/leaves/branches next week. Bob C. mailto:rcantor@att.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: big, pithy citrus From: Laurie Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:04:08 -0400 To: Robert Cantor Bob, Yes, I'd bet the farm on it being a pummelo. I think the lemon-like thorns swayed her conclusion, and I can understand that. Here's a pic of Meyer lemon leaves, notice the single-form leaves and small thorns? Flowers of the lemon Environment is favorable for citrus, suggest replacing tree with a Kaffir lime tree, can use both fruit and leaves. Laurie Master Gardner, Univ. of Hawaii mailto:timnovida@aol.com -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: big, pithy citrus From: Robert Cantor To: Laurie Sent: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 10:30 pm I don't know why it made her angry (I suggested it when I first saw the fruit in early May.) She was sure it was a lemon. Pummelos aren't even ordinary here. So even with ten segments it's still likely to be a pumelo? I think she wants to cut it down anyway. Bob C. mailto:Robert Cantor ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Citrus junos cultivation From: Yonatan Baum Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 10:05:39 +0200 Hello there, I am an information worker at Kibbutz Sasa in Northern Israel. We grow various breeds of apples, kiwi fruit, cherries, and various types of citrus in our Huleh Valley orchards. One of our students is doing a project for his BS in agriculture on rare citrus types. Do you know where it is possible to find information on the cultivation of Citrus junos? Thanks very much. All the best, Jonathan Baum mailto:yonatan@sasa-da.co.il www.sasa-da.co.il Sasa-Da Information Services Kibbutz Sasa, 13870 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: (Yuzu a Citrus junos) UCR: Citrus Variety Collection From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 08:11:56 -0700 Yuzu may be the most widely known in the family of Citrus junos, judging by the frequency with which it appears in internet searching for C. junos. It's a small tree, from 6-25ft in height. The yuzu is one of the hardiest of citrus fruits, reportedly surviving to 10¬∫ F. Fruits usually ripen towards the end of Fall, earlier than many other citrus. Propagation: By seed and grafts. Yuzu, C. junos, or C. ichangensis X C. reticulata var. austera, is a small acidic citrus fruit that originated in China but is more widely-used in Japan. The tree is medium-sized and spreading and is quite cold-hardy. The fruits are small and round to slightly flattened, with a rind that is thick, rough, and bumpy. Yuzu fruits are normally harvested in autumn while still green, although the fruits eventually turn a dark yellow color. The flesh is yellow, acidic and bitter, and seedy. Yuzu‚Äôs most notable characteristic is its pungent aroma. Both the rind and the juice of Yuzu find use in Japanese cuisine, and dried Yuzu is used as a spice. The fruits are even used in a ritualistic bath at Lunar New Year to ensure good health. http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/kumquats.html#Yuzu University of California, Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences UCR Citrus Variety Collection ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Bill Whitman has passed away From: CannonConsult Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:50:26 -0400 Hi Leo, You likely already know but Bill Whitman passed away this week. I have put up a obit of sorts for him at: http://www.quisqualis.com (currently the rest of the pages are closed in mourning unless you enter my site from an internal page). Sadly, Bob Cannon mailto:b.cannon01@verizon.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Bill Whitman, 92, Is Dead; Scoured the Earth for Rare Fruit - New York Times From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:27:28 -0700 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/us/04whitman.html?ex=1181707200&en=01942442bcddc398&ei=5070&emc=eta1 Bill Whitman, 92, Is Dead; Scoured the Earth for Rare Fruit By DAVID KARP Published: June 4, 2007 William F. Whitman Jr., a self-taught horticulturist who became renowned for collecting rare tropical fruits from around the world and popularizing them in the United States, died Wednesday at his home in Bal Harbour, Fla. He was 92 Mr. Whitman, who had suffered strokes and a heart attack, died in his sleep, his wife, Angela, said. Among rare-fruit devotees, Bill Whitman, as he was known, was hailed as the only person to have coaxed a mangosteen tree into bearing fruit outdoors in the continental United States. Native to Southeast Asia, mangosteen is notoriously finicky and cold-sensitive. That did not deter Mr. Whitman, whose garden is propitiously situated between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, minimizing the danger of catastrophic freezes. (Mangosteen is the most prominent of the exotic ‚Äúsuperfruits‚Äù like goji and noni, which are made into high-priced beverages from imported pur√©es.) Mr. Whitman managed to cultivate other fastidiously tropical species like rambutan and langsat, and he was recognized as the first in the United States to popularize miracle fruit, a berry that tricks the palate into perceiving sour tastes as sweet. In pursuit of rare fruit, ‚ÄúBill was a monomaniac,‚Äù said Stephen S. Brady, his doctor and friend, who traveled with him. ‚ÄúHe‚Äôd hear about a fruit tree, and pursue it like a pit bull to the ends of the earth.‚Äù Richard J. Campbell, senior curator of tropical fruit at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Fla., went on many of these expeditions. ‚ÄúWhen people said, ‚ÄòYou can‚Äôt grow that in Florida,‚Äô he took that as a challenge,‚Äù Mr. Campbell said. William Francis Whitman Jr. was born in 1914 in Chicago, a son of William Sr. and Leona Whitman. His father owned a printing company in Chicago and added to his fortune by developing real estate in Miami. Bill and his brothers helped pioneer surfing in Florida, and he was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame in 1998. After serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, Mr. Whitman, along with his brother Dudley, built and patented an underwater camera that provided film for several movies, including "The Sea Around Us" which won an Academy Award for best documentary in 1952. Mr. Whitman‚Äôs devotion to collecting and propagating rare species and varieties stemmed from a sailing trip to Tahiti, where he became enchanted by the fruit. Mr. Whitman was a founder of the Rare Fruit Council International, based in Miami, and was its first president, from 1955 to 1960. Foremost among the fruit he introduced to Florida was Kohala longan. A book collecting his articles, "Five Decades with Tropical Fruit" was published in 2001. His first wife, Dorthea, from whom he was divorced, died a few years ago. Besides his wife, Angela, he is survived by three children from his first marriage, Christopher, of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica; Eric, of Palm City, Fla., and Pamela Mattson, of San Diego; his brothers, Dudley, of Bal Harbour, and Stanley, of Miami Shores, Fla.; and seven grandchildren. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Macadamia bloom From: John Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2007 09:45:09 -0800 Hi Leo I was wondering if any of your readers have had similar experiences with little or no Macadamia fruit set this year I live in the Lake Hodges area of Escondido and have always had good crops previously It is probably related to the big chill this year The good news is that my cherry trees set well Any others in the San Diego area with good cherry set this year Regards John mailto:jcobbe@mail.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Pitaya Wanted From: "Lon J. Rombough" Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:14:23 -0700 After reading about Pitaya for a couple of years now, I'd like to get a FEW (like two or three) easy to grow varieties that I could grow in pots here in Oregon. Could someone on the list recommend a few and a source? mailto:lonrom@hevanet.com -Lon Rombough Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003. For even more grape lessons, go to http://www.grapeschool.com For growing supplies and more; http://www.grapegrowersolutions.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Caffeine Foils Snails From: Leo Manuel Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:00:49 -0700 Coffee isn't very effective. It doesn't contain enough caffeine to be deadly to snails/slugs. Spent coffee grounds are worthless. The reason is simple. Caffeine is very water soluble even in cold water, much less at brew temperatures. Grounds have virtually no caffeine left in them. You need to use pure caffeine powder. It makes a clear, colorless solution in water that doesn't stain. I use 2 oz/gallon of water. That gives a 1.6% solution. This solution kills all snaiIs and slugs in a matter of a few hours. Even in the bottom of potted plants where slugs love to hide. You need to water it in immediately after application. The residue is virtually non toxic to mammals, insects, rodents, birds and fish. The residue rapidly (2-3days) breaks down into completely innocuous compounds, including nitrates. I have found that this only needs to be applied every two to three years. Apparently it takes that long for the 'strays' to re-establish. If you scout about a bit, you should be able to buy it for $35-40/lb. Sorry, I bought enough for several applications several years ago. My supplier has now gone out of business. Here is a link to an article from the USDA re: caffeine's effectivity on Hawaiian orchid snails. Caffeine is even more effective on common garden snails. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020626.htm Phil ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Caffeine Foils Snails From: Leo Manuel Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:00:49 -0700 Here is the contents of the ARS page: Caffeine Foils Snails By Marcia Wood June 26, 2002 Caffeine can repel or kill snails that might otherwise eat and ruin plants, Agricultural Research Service scientists report in the June 27, 2002 issue of the scientific journal Nature. An environmentally acceptable, natural compound, caffeine has great potential as an alternative to today's snail- and slug-killing chemicals. That's according to Robert G. Hollingsworth, a research biologist with the agency's U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii. Hollingsworth conducted caffeine studies in collaboration with research entomologist John W. Armstrong at the Hilo Center and Earl Campbell of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu. The idea of using caffeine to quell pests isn't new. But Hollingsworth and colleagues apparently are the first to report its prowess in clobbering pesky molluscs such as Hawaii's orchid snail, Zonitoides arboreus. The tiny snail is a common and costly pest to growers of Hawaii's colorful and exotic tropical orchids. These orchid farms are world renowned for the quality, quantity and variety of the flowers that they produce. In preliminary experiments at his research greenhouse in Hilo, Hollingsworth applied a 2 percent solution of caffeine in water as a spray to the coconut husk-chips material in which orchids are grown. This growth medium, called coir, was infested with the tiny snails. The scientists found that the caffeine spray killed up to 95 percent of the snails. In another experiment, the researchers showed that growth medium treated with the 2 percent caffeine solution had only 5 snails, when checked 30 days after the spray was applied. That's in contrast to the 35 snails that they found in growth medium that had been treated with a standard dose of metaldehyde, a common molluscicide. Future investigations will provide further details about the ability of caffeine sprays to protect floral crops from marauding molluscs. Caffeine, a naturally occurring compound in coffee and chocolate, for example, is ranked "generally recognized as safe" by the Federal government. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Know Where To Buy 100% Pure Caffeine? From: "Holzinger, Bob" Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:01:16 -0700 Hi Leo, If you buy it by the kilo from Sigma Chemical Company it will cost $209/kilogram(kg), plus shipping. A 2% solution would make up 500 kg or 1100 lbs of water with caffeine. Water is 8 lbs to the gallon, so that's 137 gallons. Ignoring the shipping cost, that comes out to $1.52/ gallon. Not bad for a potent spray. You wouldn't need the whole kg of caffeine, you could split an order with others. Sigma is in St. Louis at (800) 325-3010. Bob ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Sigma Chemical Co Pure Caffeine From: Leo Manuel Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:07:24 -0700 To: "Holzinger, Bob" Hi Bob, I visited their webpage and found several grades and price quotes. C0750 */ReagentPlus/^¬Æ , powder* 1 KG $128.50 C8960 *SigmaUltra* (Sigma-Aldrich) 1 KG $230 C1778 *Sigma Reference Standard* (Sigma-Aldrich) 5VL $240 C7731 *meets USP testing specifications, anhydrous* 1 KG $158 27602 *Ph Eur, anhydrous* (Fluka) 250G $31.60 W222402 *FCC, Kosher* (Aldrich) 1 KG $38.70 (in glass bottles) Is there any reason to choose one over another? Thanks Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Sigma Chemical Co Pure Caffeine From: "Holzinger, Bob" Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:41:01 -0700 Leo, After looking at their catalog (hard copy) I would try to get either the C0750 powder or the C7731 anhydrous material. However the C0750 material is supposed to only allow a 1.5% solution. The anhydrous material may not be any more soluble, it doesn't say online or in my catalog. The SigmaUltra material is really pure and not necessary for your application. I have no idea what Sigma does with a buyer like you, I've only ordered from them as part of a company, so our purchasing department takes care of the details. Just call their 800 number and ask them. Bob mailto:bholzing@amgen.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Quail Garden's Picnic Date CHANGED From: Leo Manuel Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:58:01 -0700 Quail Gardens has moved our July picnic date from July 7 to July 21. Repeat our picnic is now July 21. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Looking For Mango Tree - Winters (20222) From: Herman Persaud Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 21:04:02 -0700 (PDT) To: leom@rarefruit.com Hi Leo, I am a former CRFG member just getting back into the group. I have 14 types of fruit trees in my back yard in Clairemont (some I got as seedlings from CRFG San Diego). I would like to purchase a 5 to 15 gallon 20222 mango tree. Do you have one or know where I can get one? Your help would me much appreciated. Regards, Herman Persaud 858-277-2374 mailto:hermanpersaud@yahoo.com <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Better Fruit-Fly Controls From: ARS News Service Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:22:43 -0400 --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ A new combination of fruit fly controls being tested by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for use against oriental and melon fruit flies is proving to be more effective, longer lasting and less hazardous to the environment than current technologies. Such a product could offer significant benefits to California--which spends more than $15 million a year on eradication programs to keep exotic fruit flies from becoming endemic--as well as to Florida, which is in a similar situation, and Hawaii, which has been suffering from exotic fruit flies for nearly 100 years. The most successful oriental fruit fly control tested by ARS entomologist Roger Vargas--who's with the agency's U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii--is SPLAT-MAT, a combination of a substance called SPLAT and low doses of a toxicant called spinosad. SPLAT is a waxy emulsion matrix containing the fruit fly lures methyl eugenol or cuelure. The "MAT" part of the name indicates that SPLAT-MAT attracts and kills only male fruit flies, making it a "male annihilation technique" (MAT) product. SPLAT-MAT can be sprayed instead of confined to traps, and the formulation, which slowly releases semiochemical attractants, is exceptionally long lasting, even after rain. The product is being commercially developed by ISCA Technologies and Dow AgroSciences. In initial tests with methyl eugenol, 10 to 12 weeks after application, SPLAT-MAT captured nearly 14 times as many oriental fruit flies as the carrier Min-U-Gel with Naled, which is the current product used against this species of fruit fly. Spinosad--which comes from the soil bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa--is more environmentally friendly than the products currently used because it is considered to pose less risk to mammals, birds, fish and beneficial insects. SPLAT-MAT can be applied by shooting it at telephone poles, tree trunks, stakes or other surfaces with a high-powered spray gun or even regular spray equipment. That speeds up delivery and eliminates the need to establish or replenish traps. It also lasts longer than gels currently in use. Read more about how ARS research is helping suppress and eradicate exotic fruit flies in the May/June issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may07/flies0507.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Catnip "Cologne" Attracts Good Bugs From: ARS News Service Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 06:14:26 -0400 --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ A new lure being developed by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and their collaborators could bring relief to growers trying to guard crops and gardens against aphids and mites. The lure is a natural product that attracts lacewings, a beneficial predator that enjoys devouring destructive aphids and mites. Chemist Kamal Chauhan and entomologist Jeffrey Aldrich, with the Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., led the project. Chauhan used the laboratory's patent-pending separation method to extract the key compound--iridodial--from catnip oil. Laboratory tests showed that the iridodial prepared from catnip extract matches the chemical structure of the male lacewing's pheromone. The attracting vapor-like substance is emitted from thousands of glands that cover the male's tiny abdomen. The separation method offers an economical way to make large amounts of this insect "cologne" that attracts several lacewing species. Organic farmers and growers purchase lacewings as eggs or larvae to protect crops from aphids and mites. Results from a 2-year field study showed that iridodial attracts both male and female lacewings that later produce another generation of beneficial predators. So a commercial formulation based on iridodial could relieve farmers of the need to repeatedly buy and release beneficial insect larvae. Iridodial is very potent; just 25 milligrams is sufficient to treat an acre of land. Another advantage is that the attractant is environmentally benign and remains active for five weeks, degrading slowly. Chauhan is now working with Spokane, Washington-based Sterling International to commercialize formulations that attract specific beneficial insects. Read about this research in the May/June 2007 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may07/insect0507.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Biofuel Crops Curb Greenhouse Gases From: ARS News Service Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 06:59:14 -0400 --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Corn and soybeans may be the current "go-to" crops for producing ethanol and biodiesel, respectively. But two other crops--switchgrass and hybrid poplar--could steal the show in the future when it comes to curbing greenhouse gases, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and collaborating scientists. In a study published in the April issue of Ecological Applications, ARS scientist Paul Adler and colleagues compared the net production of carbon dioxide and two other greenhouse gases associated with producing biofuels from several different bioenergy crops. In short, it takes energy to produce energy, notes Adler, who's in the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, Pa. For example, operating a tractor to plow, plant, fertilize and harvest all require gasoline or diesel fuel. This, in turn, releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases tied to global climate change. The good news? Bioenergy crops offset their greenhouse-gas contributions in three key ways: by removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in crop roots and soil as organic carbon; by producing coproducts like protein for animal feed, which saves on energy to make feed by other means; and by displacement, whereby replacing a fossil fuel with a biobased one "recycles" rather than adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Together with ARS scientist Stephen Del Grosso of Fort Collins, Colo., and William Parton of Colorado State University, Adler predicted a 40 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions if ethanol and biodiesel from corn-soybean rotations were used instead of gasoline and diesel. This reduction was about two times greater than using ethanol produced from corn grain alone. However, the team predicted that using switchgrass and hybrid poplar would produce nearly a three-fold greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to corn-soybean rotations. This research shows that biofuels do indeed have potential to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere while helping reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, according to Adler. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Cowpea Plants React to Insect Attack From: ARS News Service Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:52:47 -0400 --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Cowpea plants can indirectly perceive attack from fall armyworms by detecting and responding to degradation products of their own tissues--the first time this ability has been observed in plants, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Gainesville, Fla. The scientists hope to capitalize on this discovery by finding a way to intensify this defense response, thus boosting a plant's ability to protect itself. Previous studies have shown that plants have the ability to indirectly perceive pathogen attacks and protect themselves against these microbes. But this is the first time such a plant defense mechanism has been seen in response to insect attacks. The findings are reported in the June issue of Plant Physiology. The indirect perception of insects means the plant doesn't recognize the pests directly. Instead, the plant perceives abnormal digestive protein fragments of itself--produced by insect digestion--as an insect attack. This begins a series of biochemical responses geared to preventing further injury. Armyworms are a group of related caterpillars that defoliate a wide range of crop plants. Plant physiologist Eric Schmelz and colleagues at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology's Chemical Research Unit isolated and identified a small peptide, called inceptin, from the oral secretions of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) larvae. In cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata)--also known as blackeyed peas--this peptide triggers the production of ethylene and a series of other defense-related phytohormones. In lab studies, only fall armyworm larvae that produced inceptins significantly induced cowpea defenses. Plants can perceive and defensively respond to attack either directly, by impeding pest growth, or indirectly, by promoting advantageous interactions with beneficial organisms. In 2005, the United States produced almost 23,000 tons of cowpeas. Worldwide, cowpeas rank among the top five food fiber crops because they can tolerate poor, dry soils. ------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:39:23 -0400 From: ARS News Service Subject: Can the Right Potting Mix Replace Fungicide? --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Potting mixes custom-tailored to fight plant diseases can work much better than systemic fungicides. Agricultural Research Service plant pathologists Leona Horst, James Locke and Charles Krause found this was true for a mix of peat, compost and the beneficial fungus Trichoderma hamatum strain 382. Horst and Krause are at the ARS Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster, Ohio. Locke is part of the unit's relatively new Greenhouse Production Research Group in Toledo, Ohio. In a test with begonias, the scientists found that the mix reduced Botrytis gray mold, caused by the Botrytis cinerea fungus, better than the standard fungicide chlorothalonil did. Botrytis gray mold is the most common disease of greenhouse floral crops such as begonia, carnation, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, geranium, impatiens, petunia and marigold. The beneficial Trichoderma fungus seems to enter the plants through the roots and spread through the entire plant internally. One advantage of systemic biocontrol--as opposed to spraying the plant leaves with a solution containing beneficial fungi--is that it doesn't leave a residue on the plant that harms plant market value. Begonias grown in this mix had much fewer gray mold symptoms and much higher market value that those grown in straight peat and sprayed with chlorothalonil. The improvement in plant quality and market value makes the Trichoderma-compost mix very promising for greenhouse operations. Also, Botrytis has developed resistance to several fungicides. The Trichoderma fungus thwarts Botrytis on more than one front. It prevents Botrytis from infecting fresh wounds, and produces compounds that keep Botrytis spores from germinating. Surprisingly, the compost mix had a similar effect even without Trichoderma. This means there could be naturally occurring beneficial fungi or other biocontrol agents in the compost. But, growers need to add beneficial fungi like Trichoderma to their mix, because they can't count on commercial composts to have them naturally. Read more about the research in the May/June 2007 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may07/plants0507.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200706B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Be Sure To Copy In Subject To MaxBulk Before Mailing!! Rare Fruit News Online - July 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200707A.txt __________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Few letters from subscribers! There have been very few letters from you for this newsletter, which makes me uneasy. Please consider passing along questions, suggestions, sources, etc. to make the newsletter more relevant. Grafting mangoes - I put dozens of grafts on during June. Paul Thomson has used phases of the moon to guide him in grafting to achieve maximum success. He certainly was highly skilled, for whatever reasons. Do you use lunar signs for any garden activities? Grafting deciduous fruit trees during the summer - Have you been successful doing it? I have a dying seedling nectarine that I really don't want to lose.... Consider adding mulch around fruit trees to conserve water. We may have reduced rainfall in California for years, and water may become more expensive in the future. In some areas, free or inexpensive mulch is available from the cities, including in San Diego, at the dump (landfill.) <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> None, this time <><><> Readers Write <><><> Paul Thomson Discusses Grafting North County CRFG Is caffeine safe to use? Oscar Jaitt To: bholzing@amgen.com Pure Caffeine On eBay Samuel Schwartz Re: Inquiry about climatic range of the Kaffir lime tree Laurie To: vital233@hotmail.com <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Letting Plants "Talk" to You ARS News Service Herbivores May Be Key to Curbing Invasive Weeds ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> None, this time <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Paul Thomson Discusses Grafting From: North County CRFG Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 22:25:15 -0700 In a recent meeting of the North County CRFG, Paul Thomson addressed the group, discussing his grafting ideas and experiences (Based on San Diego calendar). 1. Marianna is a good root stock for deciduous trees. It will accept the bud wood of almost all stone fruit. 2. When grafting deciduous trees the rootstock should be growing and the scion should be dormant. 3. Consider your soil conditions when selecting your root stock. 4. A sharp knife is essential to get a flat cut. Any curve in a cut of the scion or rootstock makes it hard for the cambium to match up. 5. He puts tree heal on the tip of the scion. This is often is enough to keep the scion from drying out before the union is formed 6. He wraps the splice graft with clear plastic tape. 7. If he thinks the scion needs more help in retaining moisture he then paints the exposed part of the scion with Dr. Farwells Grafting Seal rather than wrap it in parafilm. 8. Another way to keep the scion from drying out is to shield it from the sun by covering the completed graft and scion with a small paper bag with air holes cut in the corner. This is useful if you use asphalt emulsion or a dark tree heal to cover the exposed part of the scion. Dr. Farwells grafting Seal is orange and reflects enough light that the paper bag is not necessary. 9. Different types of trees graft best at different times of year. A) Deciduous trees: Feb. through Mar. B) Cherimoyas: April C) Sapote: May D) Mangos: June & July. 10. Some trees don’t have enough starch in the scion to keep it alive long enough to form a union. Use “girdling” to increase the starch content of the scion. Girdling means you remove a 1 inch wide swath “girdle” completely around the limb. Scrape the girdle deep enough to remove the bark and the cambium. Do this just below the scion 6 weeks before cutting the scion. This is useful with Macadamia and Cherimoya. 11. The 2 varieties of deciduous fruit trees listed below normally have thorns: CHE Cudrania cuspidata Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos. You can propagate a thornless version of these 2 varieties by letting some suckers grow to about 4 feet tall and then harvest your scion from the thornless tip. You will get a thornless tree. 12. You can sometimes graft your scion to an incompatible root stock by using the “interstem technique” This involves 2 splice grafts where the middle piece is compatible with a rootstock and the scion. 13. To protect your scions wrap them in a damp towel, place them in a sealed plastic bag and put in your refrigerator, this will keep them for 4 to 5 weeks. 14. He has had much better success with grafting during a waxing moon; a waxing moon is during the first 2 quarters when the moon is going from a new (dark) moon to a full bright moon. The moon also moves through the signs of the Zodiac. It changes sign every couple of days. The position of the moon in the zodiac is referred to as the “moon sign”. The moon sign can be found in the “Farmers Almanac” or at several internet sites. Grafting will be most successful when the moon is waxing and the moon sign is Cancer, Pisces or Scorpio. These are the water signs of the Zodiac. 15. Use dormant cuttings for rooting. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Is caffeine safe to use? From: Oscar Jaitt Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:38:54 -1000 To: bholzing@amgen.com While caffeine may sound safe people should realize that 100% caffeine is not safe at all. That is a very highly concentrated product, not at all like coffee you would drink! Use caution if you do decide to use this product. Read the label and instructions thoroughly. Here is part of the product safety sheet for caffeine: CAFFEINE: TOXIC. ACUTE EXPOSURE- Low concentrations may cause a small decrease in heart rate. Ingestion of large amounts may result in headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, chills, fever, excitement, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, mild delirium, hallucinations, tinnitus, constricted pupils, decreased visual fields, amblyopia, diplopia, photophobia, and scintillating scotoma. Neurologic symptoms may persist for several days. May cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, stimulation of gastric acid secretion, anorexia, hematemesis, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and diuresis followed by oliguria and dehydration. Other effects may include alternating states of consciousness and muscle twitching, tremors, hyperesthesia, hypertonicity or hypotonicity, trismus, opisthotonus and convulsions. Slight increase in basal metabolic rate, metabolic acidosis, ketonuria, glycosuria, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia and rhabdomyolysis have been reported. Other effects may include dyspnea, tachypnea, chest tightness, palpitations, increase in systolic blood pressure, and arrhythmias including tachycardia and extrasystoles. Seizures generally precede death. CHRONIC EXPOSURE- In addition to the effects detailed in acute exposure, agitation, disturbed sleep, caffeine-induced psychosis, heartburn and hyperventilation may occur. Low grade fever and elevated plasma free fatty acid have been reported. Respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest may occur. Prolonged use of high doses may result in tolerence, physical and psychological dependence. Symptoms of withdrawal may occur following abrupt cessation. Use of caffeine by pregnant women has been associated with increased incidences of spontaneous abortion, breech presentations, stillbirth, premature delivery, low birth weight, developmental abnormalities of the craniofacial and musculoskeletal systems and babies with decreased activity and decreased muscle tone. Other reproductive effects have been reported in animals. As evaluated by RTECS, administration to mice resulted in a statistically significant increase in the incidence of carcinogenic tumors of the skin and appendages. Oscar Jaitt Thank you, Oscar Jaitt mailto:fruitlovers@hotmail.com Fruit Lover's Nursery, http://www.fruitlovers.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Pure Caffeine On eBay From: Samuel Schwartz Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:40:38 -0700 (PDT) Hi Leo, Keep up the good work with Rare Fruit News. For anyone looking for pure caffeine, there is plenty of it on eBay. Just search for "pure caffeine" on eBay and it will pop up. Regards, Sam Schwartz mailto:emale04@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Climatic range of the Kaffir lime tree From: Laurie Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:28:17 -0400 To: vital233@hotmail.com Vital, Dave's Garden is an excellent site for gardeners. Here's is the information you seek. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/67460/ . Kaffir Limes should do very well in your area. Good luck! Laurie mailto:timnovida@aol.com Master Gardener, University of Hawai <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Letting Plants "Talk" to You From: ARS News Service Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:07:44 -0400 ___________________________________________ View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ The greenhouse manager of the future walks around the greenhouse, pointing an infrared "flashlight" at potted plants. A tiny screen tells whether each plant has too much, too little, or just the right amount of nutrients. During the past three years, at a new facility in Toledo, Ohio, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant pathologist Jim Locke and horticulturist Jonathan Frantz have made a great deal of progress toward realizing this automated future. Frantz is testing commercial nutrient sensors with a view toward developing improved portable ones. Devices like these can give greenhouse growers a few--often critical--extra days to correct nutrient problems before their plants are seriously damaged. In one approach, Frantz, Locke and colleagues are testing ways to bounce infrared light off plants, in order to read the earliest possible signals of nutrient deficiency. The signals could be key proteins or other molecules associated with stress, or a change in a leaf‚Äôs light reflectance as a result of a deficiency. Spotting ways in which plants signal stress would be a way to detect a problem before any visible evidence of damage to the plant occurs. Currently, the scientists use commercial portable sensors that detect nutrient ions but are expensive and have to be calibrated properly. They would like to develop an easy-to-use portable kit that growers could buy at a reasonable cost. The scientists also use inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry to determine plants' total nutrient content, but that test is suitable only for laboratory use. The Toledo location is a worksite of the ARS Application Technology Research Unit at The Ohio State University-Wooster. It comprises labs, offices and greenhouses on the University of Toledo's main campus, as well as 8,000 square feet of greenhouse space leased from the nearby public Toledo Botanical Garden. At the garden, sensors have been installed to record everything from nutrient levels in leaves to moisture in the soil or potting mix. Read more about this research in the May/June issue of Agricultural Research magazine, online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may07/plants0507.htm ARS is the USDA's chief scientific research agency. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Herbivores May Be Key to Curbing Invasive Weeds From: ARS News Service Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:50:39 -0400 ___________________________________________ View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Joint research with scientists in Argentina, Australia and China could lead to discovery of new biological control agents for several exotic weeds plaguing Florida and other U.S. states. Some of the worst offenders are hydrilla, Brazilian pepper, Chinese tallow and Australian pine. These and other aggressive invasive weeds occupy diverse habitats and cause many environmental problems, especially a decrease in biodiversity within infested areas. Entomologist Greg Wheeler and colleagues at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have been focusing on this growing problem in the United States. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. The Fort Lauderdale scientists have been collaborating with counterparts at the ARS South American Biological Control Laboratory in Hurlingham, Argentina, and the ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory in Indooroopilly, Australia, as well as with China's Academy of Science. Together, the researchers are conducting extensive field surveys to discover herbivorous insects and mites that feed on the invasive weeds in their native ranges. The researchers have recovered many promising new candidate biological control agents, including weevil, thrip, psyllid, moth and mite species. Several are undergoing--or have completed--preliminary testing to determine their safety for U.S. release. One, the aquatic moth Paracymoriza vagalis, is a promising hydrilla biological control agent from Indonesia. Protected from predators in dense plant material, the moth's larvae can survive submersion for extended periods while feeding on the weed's underwater portions. Other potential biocontrols include a South American weevil, Omolabus piceus, which may be effective against Brazilian pepper, and a possibly safe and host-specific insect, a leaf- rolling weevil called Apoderus bicallosicollis, which consumes vast quantities of Chinese tallow leaves. Wheeler has been invited to report these biological control findings at the SICONBIOL (Brazilian Society for Biocontrol) in Brasilia, Brazil, June 30-July 4. This year's symposium theme, "Innovate to Preserve Life," will focus on the development and application of new biological control technologies and strategies, especially on progress being made in demonstrating the outstanding potential of certain herbivorous candidates. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200707A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - July 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200707B.txt _____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Jack Skeels, a stalwart San Diego CRFG worker has been in the hospital for several weeks, and may not be able to get around as well as he did. He was physically very active and helpful in working for our chapter. We miss him and wish him the very best as he recovers. Scrambling! - In less than one month from now I am expected to use PowerPoint in my mango presentation at the Festival of Fruit, here in San Diego. Since I had never used the application, I have spent lots of hours learning and getting started. Consequently, I didn't realize that today is Newsletter day until after I'd been up for a while. Malabar Chestnut Blooms - We have had a Malabar Chestnut for several years, but this was the first year I saw it in bloom. Both the bloom buds and flowers are strikingly attractive and eye-catchers. Saigon Mango - I harvested the first fruit from a so-called Saigon Mango. What do you know about it? This one had gold skin and flesh, had little fiber, and a good flavor. It was tiny - weighing only 2 ounces and was so late that it was early. (The fruit carried over the winter.) Is it likely that it really is a Saigon? <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA "Gary Fulgham" RE: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA "Gary Fulgham" Re: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA Leo Manuel To: "Gary Fulgham" <><><> Readers Write <><><> Ramblings from Hilo, Hawaii Dan Lindsay & Susan O'Neill My Garden Report - Modesto, CA Jeff Earl Santa Monica Garden Report David Lappen CRFG Festival of Fruit 2007 Jose Miguel Gallego How And When To Germinate Pitaya Seeds? dracademia@aol.com Longons ROBERT WALISZEWSKI Re: Longons Leo Manuel To: ROBERT WALISZEWSKI <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> Listening to Thirsty Plants ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA From: "Gary Fulgham" Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 21:33:08 -0700 Hi, I would be very interested in receiving your email mewslatter. I have always had a great like for unusual eatable fruits. At present I only have a tomato tree. I know, not rare, but unusual for sure. I am interested in growing several rare fruit varities. Thanks in advance for considering me for the newsletter, Gary mailto:Jungletouch@comcast.net 707-874-1146 ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA From: "Gary Fulgham" Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:16:10 -0700 HI Leo, Yes, the tomatoe tree fruit has Lycopene but I dont believe as much a regular tomoatoes. I really enjoy the high acidic taste of the tomatoe tree fruit. It must be a deep red before eating though. I slice mine in half and sprinkle with a tad bit of sugar. I'm not sure if the various sub-species have different taste. I found your website while searching for information on Dragon Fruit. But I have been unable so far to find plants to grow at my place. Gary -----Original Message----- From: Leo Manuel [mailto:rarefruit@san.rr.com] Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 5:16 AM To: Gary Fulgham Subject: Re: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA Hi Gary, I haven't eaten fruit from the tree tomato for some time, but I didn't find them to be very tasty. Are any significantly better than the others. Can they be eaten out of hand, or only used cooked? Do they have lycopene, as are in 'regular' tomatoes? Thanks, Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: New Subscriber - Sebastopol, CA From: Leo Manuel Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:53:15 -0700 To: "Gary Fulgham" Hi Gary Pitaya plants are available on the internet, but it's probably important to have only self-fertile varieties. Some of these will have red-flesh (which I prefer), some are white inside (Hylocereus undatus), and there is a Yellow pitaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) with yellow skin but almost clear flesh. This last is the sweetest, but may be more difficult to keep healthy. It also has spines on the skin (easily removed). Did you join the Yahoo newsgroup PitayaFruit? If you post letters there you may get lots of responses from people. I have a few plants for sale, but I'd rather not ship them. My home is in San Diego. Leo <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Ramblings from Hilo, Hawaii From: Dan Lindsay & Susan O'Neill Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2007 06:37:17 -1000 I always read "Rare Fruit News" with great interest, but as I'm such a rank beginner I am reluctant to comment. But since you want more contributions, Leo, here are a few. One practical tip to pass on, which I read in a good little book by Sharon Lovejoy called Trowel and Error. For fungus and mildew on plant leaves, two aspirin dissolved in a quart of water makes a very effective foliar spray. Cheap, non-toxic, and it works! What could be better? We've had weird weather in Hawaii that last two years, with 2006 being extremely wet and 2007 featuring a drought from April through mid-June. I've been using mulch to retain moisture for some time, and have had very good results. I didn't lose anything to the drought, though many of my trees are still very young and all are too far from a water supply to be watered except by hand. I understand it is very important to keep an area around the trunk clear, making a "mulch doughnut," to keep from attracting insects to the tree. I fertilize quarterly, and usually the grass and weeds under the fruit trees burst into growth at once (thus providing a source of mulch close at hand). But this year, it was so dry that my April fertilizer didn't kick in till it began to rain in June! Last year I planted three Mysore Raspberries, a true black raspberry from India, which I bought from Oscar Jaitt. They love the Hilo climate and are giving me wonderful delicately flavored fruit this year. The mainland raspberries I was used to before moving to Hawaii have very few thorns, but the Mysores have thorns to rival a blackberry! They're well worth it, though. Interestingly, I cannot grow either Mangoes or Mangosteens where I am, at about 1400 feet with year-round heavy rain. Mangoes lose their blossoms before fruit can set due to the rains, and Mangosteens are just too tropical. About three years ago, I asked a knowledgeable nursery woman if I could grow Mangosteen, explaining where I lived. She said slowly, "Well, yes...." "So what's the catch?" I asked. "Well, it will need shade for the first seven years, and then full sun." "Okay, I can do that," I answered. "How soon will it bear fruit?" "At your elevation, about 15 years." I decided that, at 65, it was silly to try to wait 15 years for a tree to fruit! So I plant things that will bear sooner than that, and buy my Mangosteen at the farmers' market! Dan Lindsay Hilo, Hawaii mailto:danl1@aloha.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: My Garden Report - Modesto, CA From: Jeff Earl Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:34:39 -0700 Hi Leo, Sorry I have posted much for awhile. After 30 years, I kinda drifted away from the CRFG when they started drifting away from tropical and sub-tropical rare fruit in favor of rare apples and plums. Anyway, I am still alive and well here in Modesto, Ca, still growing and fruiting a number of frost-sensitive fruit trees, in spite of the 23f degree cold we had to endure this past winter. Here is a list of fruit trees I grow and some comments. I do not provide any protection from the winters cold for any of my trees, not even a cover such as a sheet. 1. White Cherimoya, about 20 ft tall in the center of my small back yard, maybe 6 years old from planting. Fruits like crazy if I hand-pollinate and when our weather is not in a heat wave during blossom time. Lost about 90% of its leaves during this past winter, and many small branches less that 1/2 inch thick. Recovered fine and is in the pre-frost size and shape and setting a few fruit as I did not hand pollinate this summer. 2. Lychee - oh yes I have a 5 year old and 12 ft tall Mauritius Lychee tree growing on my side yard. IT GOT NO DAMAGE THIS PAST WINTER. This year for the first time it has set fruit and is holding on to them. I'd say they are half grown. Lychee's hate my soil. It didn't do well until I planted a nurse tree next to it ( heliconia ) then it took off. 3. Tropical Guava - several Varieties. Got frozen back to wood 1 inch in diameter, but are now recovering. 4. Beaumont Macadamia - About 12 years old - no damage. I may remove it as it is near my driveway and dropping nuts year round onto my new Dodge Ram. 5. Star fruit - about same damage as guavas - recovering. 6. Roseapple - first time it got damaged. These 12 year old trees have been putting out lots of fruit. It got froze down to 2 inch wood but is also recovering. 7. Longan - 6 year old longan did well every year - producing lots of fruit from year 2. It was frozen to the ground but is an Airlayer and is now about 2 ft tall. 8. Small white Sapote - No damage. 9. Surinam cherry - 9 feet tall - light damage to the top. Recovered in 1 month, but no fruit though. 10. Jaboticaba 9 ft tall 10 years old - no damage, but no fruit. btw...I have plenty photos if anyone is interested. Email me at tropic2tropical@hotmail.net Jeff mailto:jeffearl@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Santa Monica Garden Report From: David Lappen Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:58:25 -0700 I live in beautiful Santa Monica, so we get even coastal weather and no freezes. But I haven't been having the luck with my plants that others around me are having and was wondering if you had some suggestions. Issues: * Fruit drop - I have been loosing all of my mangos ever since they started flowering on two different trees. One seems to develop mildew. The other appears fine, but drops fruit when it is pea sized. * Lack of flowering. I have perhaps 10 dragon fruit plants that are about 4 years old and have grown well, but never flowered. * I do fine with my figs and citrus, but most of the other plants produce very limited fruit. I have done soil anaylsis in the past and things looked pretty good, although the soil is heavy clay and doesn't drain well. Most of my plantings are either in pots or in raised mounds to help with that problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, David Lappen mailto:dlappen@digitalams.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Where To Find Dr Farwell's Seal Graft And Moon Info? From: dracademia@aol.com Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:33:03 -0400 Hi Leo, Where could I buy the Dr Farwells seal graft and the Farmers Almanac or the web site for the waxing moon? Thanks, Hermie mailto:dracademia@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: CRFG Festival of Fruit 2007 From: Jose Miguel Gallego Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:56:30 -0700 Dear CRFG Member, The Festival of Fruit planning committee hopes you are making plans to attend the "Year of the Mango" in San Diego. The meeting dates are August 10 & 11, 2007 at Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista, CA. There will be 24 interesting sessions, and local tours before and after. For more information and registration forms please visit our website, www.FestivalofFruit.org. See you at the Festival. José M. Gallego mailto:JMGallego@LosGallego.com CRFG Festival of Fruit 2007 CRFG San Diego Chapter ------------------------------------------------ Subject: How And When To Germinate Pitaya Seeds? From: dracademia@aol.com Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:37:03 -0400 Hi Leo, How do you germinate the pitaya seeds. When is the best time to do it and how long would it take for them to sprout? Thanks, Hermie ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Longons [sic] From: ROBERT WALISZEWSKI Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 07:47:09 -0600 I stumbled across the rare fruit website. I hope you don't mind this question: We just got back from Hilo, Hawaii where we were privileged to eat fresh longons [sic] right off the trees. Where would I find them stateside? How much do they cost per pound approximately? I was told my the orchard owner they are very expensive, but he did not give a price (he gave us the ones we ate). Thanks, Bob Waliszewski Colorado, USA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Longons [sic] From: Leo Manuel Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 07:04:28 -0700 To: ROBERT WALISZEWSKI Hi Bob If you have oriental markets around in a nearby city, you will probably find fresh, frozen, or canned longans (note spelling) for sale. We can grow them in southern California. You can probably find internet sources for sellers of fresh fruit in season shipped to you. Leo <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Listening to Thirsty Plants From: ARS News Service Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:31:12 -0400 ___________________________________________ --View this report online, at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Is it true, as some "green thumbers" claim, that talking to our plants really helps them thrive? If you ask Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Robert Evans--who's built a state-of-the-art irrigation system that uses the latest in wireless technology for "communicating" with his crops--the answer is probably "yes." An agricultural engineer, Evans isn't so much talking as listening to plants--thanks to the prototype irrigation system he and colleagues have developed, which comprises Bluetooth technology, sensors, weather stations and traditional irrigation equipment. Evans works at the ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, Mont. He and ARS research associate James Kim built the novel irrigation system with two goals in mind: to increase crop survivability and save precious water and fertilizer. So just how does their technology work? Scattered across a field are sensors that, like little thermometers, constantly take the temperature of the plants and soil around them. Bluetooth enables the sensors to wirelessly transmit data back to the base station, which then instructs individual sprinkler heads exactly how much water to dole out. The new system washes away one of the biggest challenges facing irrigators: the endless variation in soil types that can exist across a field. Take, for instance, clay and sandy soils, which have nearly opposite behaviors: one practically repels water, while the other sucks it in readily. But in a given field, these soils may be close neighbors, leading to an inevitable underwatering or overwatering scenario. However, Evans and Kim's system treats a field not as a "one-size-fits-all" soil zone, but as a collection of smaller, individual plots, each with its own set of organic idiosyncrasies. According to Evans, innovations such as these are necessary if society is to better manage its diminishing freshwater supplies--an estimated 60 percent of which are currently used for irrigation worldwide. Read more in the current issue of Agricultural Research magazine at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/wireless0707.htm <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200707B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - August 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200708A.txt ____________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> August 1 ends the ideal time to graft mango trees. Between June 1 and July 31, I placed about 20 mango scions on young seedlings or on established trees in the yard. Most appear to be successfully growing, but there were about 8 unsuccessful attempts. If an opportunity comes along to graft more this month I'll try, with less expectation of success. Festival of Fruit, 2007 is here in San Diego August 10 and 11. I have a tentative schedule of events that I'll send by email, *on request.* It contains information about the location of Southwest College; parking lots suggested for our use; and the schedule of events on Friday and Saturday. Yard tours will be 1) Friday morning for San Diego North County, and 2) Sunday for San Diego city region, which includes Rancho Peñasquitos and my yard. On Saturday, August 10 I will be there with a PowerPoint presentation called "Me And My Mangoes." This will be a first for me. I had never tried to use PowerPoint until asked if I would talk about mangoes. Learning any new application, it's been a struggle to learn and I'll sweat more than usual. On Sunday, parts of my yard will be available to be seen. My current handicap of an inflammed Achille's tendon limits my ability to go up and down the hill often, so I'd rather you don't enter the multiple terraces, for your safety. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> None this time <><><> Readers Write <><><> Mango Hybrid - Valenica (Pride) and Carrie? Traciedlv@aol.com Fresh Longan Fruit And Ranch 99 Markets timnovida@aol.com To: walis3@msn.com Where I Get Doc Farwell's Grafting Compound Permacltur@aol.com Jakfruit and black sapote Ollie Freeze Damage to Citrus and Avocados... Joe Sabol To: "jsabol@calpoly.edu" CRFG San Diego July 2007 Newsletter "editor@crfgsandiego.org" Guava trees leaves curling up Eric Burritt Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Lúcio Where to buy sweet table grapes in San Diego area? John Brode <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm Gaining Strides Against a Giant Reed ARS News Service No-Till for Pacific Northwest? Not in Dry Years ARS News Service -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> None this time <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Mango cross Valenica and Carrie? From: Traciedlv@aol.com Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:26:36 -0400 (EDT) Hi, I'm typing this for my father, He has around ten different mango trees with other types of fruit in his yard. He lives in Davie Florida 33324. 10375 SW 20 St. Felix de la Vega He recently purchased a mango tree that is a cross between a Carrie and a Valencia. He would like to have some info on this mango. He has asked a couple of growers and they were not aware about this mango. Do you have any info on this type? Please send the info to the above address, or E-mail here and I will forward a copy to him thanks Rick ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Fresh Longan Fruit And Ranch 99 Markets From: timnovida@aol.com> Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:06:34 -0400 To: Laurie Robert and Leo, Fresh longans, reasonably priced are available at 99 Ranch Market. http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/10/relaxing_at_ran.html This is an Asian market chain with plenty of stores. See if there is one in your area. http://www.99ranch.com/StoreLocator.asp?Store=All Unfortunately the store here closed, but price per pound for fresh longan in Chinatown run $5-6. Since the fruit is forced year round in Hilo, the supply is abundant. It is peak Lychee season in the islands and the price is about the same for the Hilo fruit. Inferior, aborted-then-treated, greenish-tinged, small lychee from China is $3-4 a pound, ugh. Laurie Master Gardener, UH Harry ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Where We Get Doc Farwell's Grafting Compound From: Permacltur@aol.com Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:46:21 -0400 (EDT) We get the Doc Farwell's grafting compound from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply in CA. There are doubtless other suppliers, but of the catalogs we get, they are the only ones who carry it. Dan Hemenway ------------------------------------------------ Subject: jakfruit and black sapote From: Ollie Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:46:11 -0400 Hi, As I sit here looking out the window at my jakfruit tree I decided to rave about it a little bit. Forgive me if I've done this before--I just can't help it. ;-) This tree of mine, which is a seedling 'NS-1' that's less than four years old, is already over 20 feet tall, with dark green, beautiful foliage and abundant flowers (all male so far, evidently, but females should follow soon). I have only fertilized this tree once in its lifetime, and I only irrigate during Florida's dry Spring season. Insect problems are non-existent as long as I keep an eye out for honeydew-farming ants, and I've had no issues with diseases. I can't think of a tree that has been as easy and rewarding to grow, and again, this is a *seedling*, not a $50 grafted tree. I had to laugh when I read the following from CRFG's Web site: "There are only a dozen or so bearing jackfruit trees today in southern Florida, and these are valued mainly as curiosities." That *might* have been true in the 1920's or so, but there are many thousands if not tens of thousands of jakfruit trees growing in Florida today. (http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jackfruit.html) I was also hoping someone could provide information on black sapote pollination. I have a grafted tree that has flowered but not fruited for two years now, and I'm beginning to worry. . . . Sincerely, Oliver Patterson ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Freeze Damage to Citrus and Avocados... From: Joe Sabol Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:49:50 -0700 To: "jsabol@calpoly.edu" Dear Friends of the damaged citrus trees!!! See great article by Ben Faber and Nick Sakovich below: Joe **************************************************** COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF VENTURA COUNTY Agriculture & Natural Resources University of California Ventura, California 93003-5401 E-mail: ceventura@ucdavis.edu Rehabilitation of Freeze-Damaged Citrus and Avocado Trees by Nick Sakovich and Ben Faber For the first time since the great freeze of '89-90, we have experienced a little more than minor damage to our crops. Compared to the San Joaquin Valley, Ventura country escaped without major damage; although there were some areas harder hit like the Ojai Valley and some canyons near Santa Paula. Many parts of the SJV were hard hit. As in the freeze of 1990, your trees must be cared for in the same way during this post freeze period. In 1990, advice was issued to the grower about the rehabilitation of their trees, both citrus and avocado. We would like to review that information for you at this time. How can we best aid tree recovery so that tree growth and yield will proceed most rapidly? FREEZE DAMAGE Citrus and avocado leaves appear wilted or flaccid during periods of low temperature. This is a natural protective response to freezing temperatures and does not mean the leaves have been frozen. Leaves will be firm and brittle and often curled when frozen. Leaves become flaccid after thawing, and if the injury is not too great, they gradually regain turgor and recover, leaving however, dark flecks on the leaves. Seriously frozen leaves collapse, dry out, and remain on the tree. Foliage form recent flushes are most susceptible to this damage. If twigs or wood have been seriously damaged, the frozen leaves may remain on the tree for several weeks. If the twigs and wood have not been damaged severely, the leaves are rapidly shed. Trees losing their leaves rapidly is often a good sign and is not, as many growers believe a sign of extensive damage. Cold damage to the twigs appears as water soaking or discoloration. In older branches and trunks it appears as splitting or loosening of bark where the cambium has been killed. Bark may curl and dry with many small cracks. Dead patches of bark may occur in various locations on limbs and trunk. Sensitivity to frost is dependent upon many variables. In general, mandarins are the most cold hardy followed by sweet orange and grapefruit. Lemons are very frost sensitive with Eureka decidedly more sensitive than Lisbon. For avocados, Hass is about as cold tolerant as lemons, while Bacon is more cold tolerant. Limes are the least cold hardy. Healthy trees are more tolerant than stressed ones. The rootstock also imparts sensitivity onto the scion. Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture, Nutrition, Family & Consumer Science, and 4-H Youth Development U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of California and County of Ventura Cooperating Injury to the foliage and to young trees may be immediately recognizable but the true extent of the damage to larger branches, trunks, and rootstocks may not appear for on to four months following the freeze. No attempt should be made to prune or even assess damage from the frost until spring when new growth appears. WHITEWASHING The only treatment that should be done rapidly after a freeze is whitewashing. Often the most sever damage following a freeze results from sunburn of exposed twigs and branches after defoliation. Avocados and lemons are the most susceptible to sunburn, oranges not as much; but, if the tree has been defoliated, applying whitewash would be precautionary. Temperatures do not have to be extremely high to cause sunburn. PRUNING Pruning should be carried out to prevent secondary pathogens and wood decay organisms from slowing tree recovery. Again, however, there should be no rush to prune. Premature pruning, at the very least, may have to be repeated and, at the worst, it can slow tree rehabilitation. It should be remembered that when pruning, all cuts should be made into living wood. Try to cut flush with existing branches at crotches. Do not leave branch stubs or uneven surfaces. Tools should be disinfected in bleach or other fungicide before moving on to the next tree. The extent of pruning is dictated by the amount of freeze damage: Light Damage Medium Damage Severe Damage Extreme Damage Where only the foliage and small twigs are injured,pruning is not required Where a considerable part of the top has been killed but the trunk and main crown limbs show little damage, branches should be removed back to living wood above vigorous sprouts Where the top and crown limbs are severely damaged but there are sprouts above the bud union, the tree should be cut back to the uppermost sprout. Where trees are killed to the bud union or the rootstock has been girdled, the trees should be removed and replaced with new trees. IRRIGATION Irrigate carefully! Remember that when leaves are lost, obviously evaporation from leaves is greatly reduced, and, therefore the amount of water required is also greatly reduced. A frost-damaged tree will use the same amount of water as a much younger or smaller tree. Over irrigation will not result in rapid recovery. Instead, it may induce root damage and encourage growth of root rotting organisms. This is particularly true for avocados. Irrigation should be less frequent, and smaller amounts of water should be applied until trees have regained their normal foliage development. FERTILIZATION Fertilization of freeze-damaged trees should be carefully considered. There is no evidence to indicate that frozen trees respond to any special fertilizer that is supposed to stimulate growth. If trees are severely injured-with large limbs or even parts of the trunk killed-nitrogen fertilizer applications should be greatly reduced, until the structure and balance of the tree become re-established. Trees should be watched for evidence of deficiencies of minor elements. Deficiencies of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron are most likely to develop. For citrus, these materials should be applied as sprays, and they should be used as often as symptoms are observed. Two or more applications may be required the first year. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: CRFG San Diego July 2007 Newsletter From: "editor@crfgsandiego.org" Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:31:45 -0400 Hello, You're receiving this email because you're a member of the CRFG San Diego Chapter. Please let me know if you're unable to open the attachments so a hard copy can be mailed to you ASAP. This month's meeting: Thursday, July 26 in Room 101, Casa del Prado in Balboa Park. Program: Stone Fruits grown in SD County presented by Jim Bathgate of the North County Chapter Announcements: 1. Sat. 11 am July 21 - Joint Potluck Picnic w/ NC Chapter at Quail Botanical Gardens 2. Festival of Fruit: August 10 & 11 at Southwestern College a. Volunteers Wanted!!! Contact Joy Bladykas @619/224-8109 or joybladykas@yahoo.com b. If you have plants to sell at the Festival, contact Mike McCright at 619/384-1989 or natureboy43@sbcglobal.net c. Early Registration ends on July 27th. Register online at www.festivaloffruit.org or by slow mail (Registration form on Page 5). If you're unable to volunteer, then please support our Chapter by registering and attending the event. This should be a lot of fun for everyone. The only thing missing in this event is the amusement rides, and Jose has replaced that with the Tijuana Tour, which is sure to be a top destination tour! Thanks, Cielo CRFG San Diego Chapter mailto:editor@crfgsandiego.org ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Guava trees leaves curling up. From: Eric Burritt Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:32:14 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Hi, I am Eric Burritt. I have a small tree service here in Melbourne, Florida where I was born and raised.I am studying to be an arborist and I'm finding that I will probably be doing this for the rest of my career,there is so much to learn. I have a small property that I have crammed with Banana's, Pineapples, grapefruits, naval oranges, 3 different species of mango's, myer's lemon, key-lime, and cherimoya. This is the second guava tree I have planted. The first one I raised from a seed and after three years, sadly the leafs curled up and dryed out and finally all fell off and the tree died. I was so dissapointed because I was so looking forward to having my own tasty guavas from the back yard. I initially had thought that I over-fertilized it and burned it to death, however. I just bought another one and after planting it with root-stimulator and a week later some more stimulator (1/2 a gallon each time) now it is starting to have the same symptoms. Eric ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: Lúcio Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:13:50 -0300 Hi Leo I’m Lúcio from Brazil. I’m interested in cherimoyas varieties: Booth, White, Pierce, Selma, Elixir, Chaffey, El Bumpo and new hybrids. Anybody can help me? Best regards Lúcio ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Where to buy sweet table grapes in San Diego area? From: John Brode Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:13:37 +0000 (GMT) Dear Leo, I was wondering if you could help me out with something please. today my hubby John was purchasing some grapes from ONGs nursery. my neighbour also had wanted to purchase the same grapes. so she went along with John unfortunately ONG only had a few grapes vines left which he had set aside for me–and my neighbour got none. so was wondering as ONG will not have any more on hand until early next year do you know of anyone else from Rare Fruit growers who would have grape vines to sell. I have noted on occasions that there are references made to exceptional grape vines for sale. any information would be greatly appreciated. am feeling quite bad about this as my neighbour is such a wonderful person and I told her she would love these grapes from Ongs nursery. Thanks Leo, Marion <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. Subject: Gaining Strides Against a Giant Reed From: ARS News Service Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:14:01 -0400 ___________________________________________ --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ The tenacious and aggressive weed known as Arundo donax, also called Carrizo cane and giant reed, can easily grow three to seven inches a day and reach a height of 30 feet. It’s such a pernicious nuisance that it is now the top target for entomologist John Goolsby, who works at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Beneficial Insects Research Laboratory in Weslaco, Texas. Brought to North America in the 1600s from Mediterranean Europe, A. donax found many practical uses, including as baskets, roof thatching and fine-quality reeds for musical instruments. But its negative aspects have far outnumbered any positive traits. For example, giant reed invades riparian habitats and irrigation canals, leading to loss of biodiversity, catastrophic stream bank erosion, and damage to bridges. It also necessitates costly chemical and mechanical controls along waterways, and it competes for water in arid regions. Arundo has been cited as a troublesome invasive weed in Kentucky, Virginia and other eastern states, the American Southwest, northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. Taking a high-tech approach to control, Goolsby and collaborators James Everitt, a rangeland scientist, and agricultural engineer Chenghai Yang are using remote sensing to delineate Arundo’s distribution and density along the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Working with Texas A&M University scientists, the Weslaco specialists are assessing how much water Arundo actually uses. But the best option for long-term management of the weed may be biological control using insects from the native range of A. donax. So far, three insects--captured and identified by scientists at the ARS European Biological Control Laboratory in Montpellier, France--seem the most promising candidates. Tetramesa romana, a wasp that’s harmless to humans and animals, feeds on new Arundo shoots and canes, while the wormlike larvae of Cryptonevra flies prefer to stick to the tightly-compacted new shoots. The flat-bodied scale insect known as Rhizaspidiotus donacis favors Arundo roots and tubers. Read more about research on this and other invasive weeds in the July 2007 issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/weeds0707.htm ------------------------------------------------ Subject: No-Till for Pacific Northwest? Not in Dry Years From: ARS News Service Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:17:19 -0400 ___________________________________________ --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ Despite no-till's ability to keep soil from blowing in the wind, it still doesn't pay to use it in arid areas of the Pacific Northwest. A joint study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Washington State University (WSU) scientists on Ron Jirava's wheat farm near Ritzville, Wash., from 1997 to 2004, showed that average net returns for no-till annual cropping lagged behind the conventional fallow rotation by $24 to $29 an acre. WSU's William F. Schillinger led the study. ARS participants were Ann Kennedy, a soil scientist in the ARS Land Management and Water Conservation Unit, and Tim Paulitz, a plant pathologist in the ARS Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit, all at Pullman. With just 11 inches of precipitation a year, parts of the Pacific Northwest are so dry that farmers traditionally plant a crop only every other year, to give the soil a year in which to store up enough moisture to allow another crop to grow. They use conventional tillage, which leaves soil bare and exposed to erosion that wastes valuable topsoil and causes air quality problems because of increased windborne particles. According to WSU agricultural economist Douglas Young, returns from growing no-till spring wheat every year were competitive with the conventional-till wheat-fallow system, from 1997 to 2001. However, in the dry years of 2002-2004, annual no-till spring wheat yields were significantly lower than the conventional wheat-fallow system. Ideally, in dry regions, crops should be grown with no tillage every year, to conserve water and leave crop residue to protect soil from wind erosion. It is also the best way to keep dust out of the air. But this study suggests that until ways are found to raise no-till yields in this region, researchers should experiment with intermediate solutions using minimum tillage with wheat-fallow rotations. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200708A.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - August 15, 2007 - AKA RFN200708B.txt ____________________________________________________________ <><><><><><><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><><><><><><> Festival of Fruit - October 11 Weekend - Went Well Several of you were there and reminded me of your subscribing to RFNO. Some of the presentation rooms didn't have a microphone, so people near the back had to move forward to hear. On Monday, there was a yard tour at our home. It worked out well, with attendees coming throughout the day and seldom more than one family at a time. A voiced criticism of the planners was that there was no map showing relative locations of gardens to be toured, causing unnecessary driving. Mango grafting has been much more successful this year than in recent years past. I've continued trying to almost the middle of this month – so expect fewer successes for August's Send me an email to set up a time, if any of the rest of you want to come by. My handicap has not permitted me to keep abreast of the weeds and cleanup, however. <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><><><><> New Subscriber–Exeter, CA–Asks About Spondias mombin Martin New In La Jolla–Needs Help Planning Rare Fruit Site Anu Simh <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write <><><><><><><><><> Valcarrie Mango Harry Pitayas Begin Blooming Again James Freedner Re: Problems with mango and lychee plants Belle Shenoi Southeastern Citrus Expo–Aiken, SC-11/17/07 Stan Santa Monica Garden Report in the RFNO Vital Scherrer To: David Avocado not setting fruit Niki Wessels Mango problems hmhausman@aim.com To: b.shenoi@wright.edu, rarefruit@san.rr.com Herb sweeteners live in Paraguay - Los Angeles Times Herminio Academia To: dracademia@aol.com, leom@rarefruit.com RE: Achilles Tendon Joel Vinikoor Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas.... Vital Scherrer To: Lúcio Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Vital Scherrer To: Lúcio RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Vital Scherrer To: Lúcio RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Vital Scherrer To: lm.stuani@uol.com.br <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm New Plant-Insect Interaction Discovered ARS News Service <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber–Exeter, CA–Asks About Spondias mombin From: Martin Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14: 10: 22 -0700 Hi Leo, I talked with you on the Festival of Fruit in San Diego and would like to receive your newsletter. We live in Exeter on 5 acres, and we have a greenhouse where we put our tropicals in, but we heated it only up to 45º F. I have been a member of the CRFG since 1988 and when we moved from Orange County to Exeter, we started the Sequoia Chapter of the CRFG. All the knowledge about growing rare fruit I got from the CRFG. I grow in my greenhouse: Different varieties of bananas, cherimoyas, rollinia, guavas, java plum, rose apple, jackfruit, ambarella, wax janbo, Malay apple, Malay gooseberry, Monstera deliciosa, Tamarillo. Also in the greenhouse several varieties of medicinal, Indonesian gingers Outside in the ground: White sapote, 6 var. of figs, 8 var. of pluots, plums, pomagranate, 6 var. of grapes, 20 var. of citrus etc. I would like to find a source of scionwood of the Rollinia (Biribiri) to graft on my seedlings. Before We came to the US in 1960, I was a Dutch citizen born in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, so I am familiar with fruittrees from that part of the world. I bought a plant at the plant sale of the San Diego Chapter and it was labeled "Spondias mombin", however when I looked it up on the internet it must be something else, maybe you can tell me the name of this fruittree, see pictures below. The leaves look almost as the leaves of the Aleurites moluccana, but slightly different. Thanks, Martin Berghuis mailto:mberghuis@wcwinc.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: New In La Jolla–Needs Help Planning Rare Fruit Site Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:38:28 +0200 (CEST) From: Anu Simh Martin Berghuis mberghuis@wcwinc.net Dear Leo I picked up a a few plants (mango, guava, papaya and sapote) at the festival last week. I was wondering if you know anyone who does consultations. My husband and I are not very sure where and how to plant everything. Thank you Anu <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Valcarrie Mango From: Harry Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23: 48: 14 -0400 To: Rick Hi Rick: I live near your father, probably no more than a mile or two away. I have 82 varieties of mango growing in my yard. But. Valcarrie isn't one of them. I do have Valencia Pride and Carrie, the two parents and am wondering what the cross is like. I did a google search and it turned up a poster for sale that has over one hundred varieties of mango pictured, including the Valcarrie. Anyway, feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss it further. I would very much like to try the fruit, or at least get a report about it. Take care. Harry M. Hausman mailto:HMHausman@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Pitayas Begin Blooming Again From: James Freedner Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23: 43: 16 -0700 (PDT) Hi, Leo, It's the full moon, and once again, my pitaya plant has begun blooming for the summer - only 2 flowers open tonight, but they smell wonderful. A few more buds on the way for tomorrow. Hopefully more flowers throughout the warm season but it has been so dry for everything here. Moved the little guava trees to a shady side of the house. They were getting fried in the sun. They seem to be doing OK for now but will have to be transplanted from their pots pretty soon I suppose. J. Eric Freedner Sun Valley, CA ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Problems with mango and lychee plants From: Belle Shenoi Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08: 01: 53 -0400 Leo: Since you are the expert on mangos, I thought of writing this letter. I live near Tampa, where the temperatures go to 90-92 daytime and 70 at night in June-July and it rains almost every afternoon in August September. Is there a book on diseases and treatments of mango trees that you can recommend? I have two problems with my plants at present and I would appreciate your advice. I have a Kent mango tree about one year since I planted and the tender leaves on the very top have curled, are black around their edges and there are black spots on their surfacealso. What is the cause and what is the solution ? The tip of my lychee plant leaves are brown in color as if they have burned in hot recent hot summer months. What is the reason and what is the solution? Regards Bell ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Southeastern Citrus Expo–Aiken, SC-11/17/07 From: Stan Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21: 41: 39 -0400 Hey Leo, Please post the following info in one of the upcoming issues. You can wait til Sept/Oct if you like. Thanks, Stan McKenzie Mark your calendar! 5th Annual Southeastern Citrus Expo will be held at Aiken Technical College, Aiken, SC on Nov 17th 2007. The event will begin at 9 a.m. There will be a fruit contest, speakers, plant sales and a tour of citrus plantings in the town of Aiken. Bob McCartney of Woodlanders Nursery is this years host. Anyone needing additional info can email me at citrusman99@hotmail.com. Everyone interested in growing dooryard citrus outside of the citrus belt is welcome to attend. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Santa Monica Garden Report in RFNO From: Vital Scherrer Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15: 15: 14 +0100 To: David Dear David, As I could not find any replies to your Santa Monica Garden Report in the Rare Fruit News Online - July 15, 2007 nor in the new one, and I made the same experience with one of my questions there, I would like to send you the suggestions I am capable of. First of all I would suggest, you get in touch with the "others around" you or with the people of your local California Rare Fruit Growers Chapter. Besides that, I am not a fruit tree expert, certainly not for the mango and dragon fruit plants, but my approach would be to give them as much as possible the same conditions as they have in their native ecosystem, which would probably include a thick permanent leaf mulch (if possible, at least 1 ft. or more, as they "shrink" rather quickly) - or as mentioned in the same newsletter, a "mulch doughnut", though a cover of the whole orchard ground, especially with fully grown trees, would be better, as in their native forests - which, as you may already know, is particularly recommended to improve clay soils. It serves three purposes in one go: It suppresses weeds, which may deprive the nutrients in the soil at the same time when the trees would need them, it reduces the need for water and keeps the soil humid for longer and it supplies the nutrients needed by the trees as it decomposes. Other organic (preferably clean, meaning unpolluted) material may be suitable as well, depending on the availability where you live. You may also add compost or rotten manure (instead of chemical fertilizers, in case you have used any of those), as it takes a while until the mulch decomposes to provide nutrients. A seaweed spray is also always useful, not just if a mineral deficiency is causing the problems. It is supposed to provide all of the scarcer minerals and trace elements required, as sometimes a mineral which is needed in a tiniest amount, may not be detected by a soil analysis, and it helps the plants to defend themselves against diseases and pests too. I hope I did not just tell you what you already knew at that it will be of any help. Wishing you all the best Vital P.S. In case you are interested in resolving problems with plants the way nature is dealing with them or as close to this as possible, as they are usually caused by unnatural cultivation practices, I would recommend information published by authors of the Permaculture practices, like Bill Mollison's "Introduction to Permaculture" or, though more relevant for temperate climates, Robert Kourik's "Designing and maintaining your edible landscape - Naturally". ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Avocado not setting fruit From: Niki Wessels Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 06: 05: 26 +0200 Hi Leo With spring in the Southern Hemisphere approaching our avocado tree is budding again, and again we're wondering if it will perform this year. I don't know the variety, but it has large green-skinned fruit of excellent quality. Unfortunately it is pretty stingy with these: Last year we only got one, and some years there are only five or six. There are exceptions: One year the tree was so loaded that it represented a health hazard to those needing to pass under it, and a few years it didn't do too badly. Flower set is always good. I've been trying, without success, to work out the reason for these differences in fruit set. Two or three times in the 14 years since the tree started bearing there were obvious reasons, such as unseasonally late frost or hail. Most of the time, however, we've had our normal weather. We usually have our rains starting rather late in spring, and I've wondered whether that could be a factor - although watering the tree doesn't seem to help. I've also tried pollination by hand, but the flowers don't seem to produce pollen. Anyone can offer help? Regards Niki ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mango problems From: hmhausman@aim.com Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18: 36: 54 -0400 To: b.shenoi@wright.edu, rarefruit@san.rr.com Hi Leo forwarded me your e-mail about some mango problems you have encountered. I live in Davie, located west of Fort Lauderdale, in central Broward County. I have about a hundred or so mango trees. My biggest problem in most years is anthracnose. This year, because of the draught, it was much less of an issue. The most authoritative listing of mango diseases is found in Julia Morton's Fruits of War Climates. You can find this on line at: http: //www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html In pertinent part it states: Pests and Diseases The fruit flies, Dacus ferrugineus and D. zonatus, attack the mango in India; D. tryoni (now Strumeta tryoni) in Queensland, and D. dorsalis in the Philippines; Pardalaspis cosyra in Kenya; and the fruit fly is the greatest enemy of the mango in Central America. Because of the presence of the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa, in Florida, all Florida mangos for interstate shipment or for export must be fumigated or immersed in hot water at 115° F (46.11° C) for 65 minutes. In India, South Africa and Hawaii, mango seed weevils, Sternochetus (Cryptorhynchus) mangiferae and S. gravis, are major pests, undetectable until the larvae tunnel their way out. The leading predators of the tree in India are jassid hoppers (Idiocerus spp.) variously attacking trunk and branches or foliage and flowers, and causing shedding of young fruits. The honeydew they excrete on leaves and flowers gives rise to sooty mold. The mango-leaf webber, or "tent caterpillar", Orthaga euadrusalis, has become a major problem in North India, especially in old, crowded orchards where there is excessive shade. Around Lucknow, 'Dashehari' is heavily infested by this pest; 'Samarbehist' ('Chausa') less. In South Africa, 11 species of scales have been recorded on the fruits. Coccus mangiferae and C. acuminatus are the most common scale insects giving rise to the sooty mold that grows on the honeydew excreted by the pests. In some areas, there are occasional outbreaks of the scales, Pulvinaria psidii, P. polygonata, Aulacaspis cinnamoni, A. tubercularis, Aspidiotus destructor and Leucaspis indica. In Florida, pyriform scale, Protopulvinaria Pyrformis, and Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis, are common, and the lesser snow scale, Pinnaspis strachani, infests the trunks of small trees and lower branches of large trees. Heavy attacks may result in cracking of the bark and oozing of sap. The citrus thrips, Scirtothrips aurantii, blemishes the fruit in some mango-growing areas. The red-banded thrips, Selenothrips rubrocinctus, at times heavily infests mango foliage in Florida, killing young leaves and causing shedding of mature leaves. Mealybugs, Phenacoccus citri and P. mangiferae, and Drosicha stebbingi and D. mangiferae may infest young leaves, shoots and fruits. The mango stem borer, Batocera rufomaculata invades the trunk. Leaves and shoots are preyed on by the caterpillars of Parasa lepida, Chlumetia transversa and Orthaga exvinacea. Mites feed on mango leaves, flowers and young fruits. In Florida, the most common is the avocado red mite, Paratetranychus yothersii. Mistletoe (Loranthus and Viscum spp.) parasitizes and kills mango branches in India and tropical America. Dr. B. Reddy, Regional Plant Production and Protection Officer, FAO, Bangkok, compiled an extensive roster of insects, mites, nematodes, other pests, fungi, bacteria and phanerogamic parasites in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region (1975). One of the most serious diseases of the mango is powdery mildew (Oidium mangiferae), which is common in most growing areas of India, occurs mostly in March and April in Florida. The fungus affects the flowers and causes young fruits to dehydrate and fall, and 20% of the crop may be lost. It is controllable by regular spraying. In humid climates, anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Glomerella cingulata) affects flowers, leaves, twigs, fruits, both young and mature. The latter show black spots externally and the corresponding flesh area is affected. Control measures must be taken in advance of flowering and regularly during dry spells. In Florida, mango growers apply up to 20 sprayings up to the cut-off point before harvesting. The black spots are similar to those produced by AIternaria sp. often associated with anthracnose in cold storage in India. Inside the fruits attacked by AIternaria there are corresponding areas of hard, corky, spongy lesions. Inasmuch as the fungus enters the stem-end of the fruit, it is combatted by applying Fungicopper paste in linseed oil to the cut stem and also by sterilizing the storage compartment with Formalin 1: 20. A pre-harvest dry stem-end rot was first noticed on 'Tommy Atkins' in Mexico in 1973, and it has spread to all Mexican plantings of this cultivar causing losses of 10-80% especially in wet weather. Fusarium, Alternaria and Cladosporium spp. were prominent among associated fungi. Malformation of inflorescence and vegetative buds is attributed to the combined action of Fusarium moniliforme and any of the mites, Aceria mangifera, Eriophyes sp., Tyrophagus castellanii, or Typhlodromus asiaticus. This grave problem occurs in Pakistan, India, South Africa and Egypt, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela, but not as yet in the Philippines. It is on the increase in India. Removing and burning the inflorescence has been the only remedy, but it has been found that malformation can be reduced by a single spray of NAA (200 mg in 50 ml alcohol with water added to make 1 liter) in October, and deblooming in early January. There are 14 types of mango galls in India, 12 occurring on the leaves. The most serious is the axillary bud gall caused by Apsylla cistellata of the family Psyllidae. In Florida, leaf spot is caused by Pestalotia mangiferae, Phyllosticta mortoni, and Septoria sp.; algal leaf spot, or green scurf by Cephaleuros virescens. In 1983, a new disease, crusty leaf spot, caused by the fungus, Zimmermaniella trispora, was reported as common on neglected mango trees in Malaya. Twig dieback and dieback are from infection by Phomopsis sp., Physalospora abdita, and P. rhodina. Wilt is caused by Verticillium alboatrum; brown felt by Septobasidium pilosum and S. pseudopedicellatum; wood rot, by Polyporus sanguineus; and scab by Elsinoe mangiferae (Sphaceloma mangiferae). Cercospora mangiferae attacks the fruits in the Congo. A number of organisms in India cause white sap, heart rot, gray blight, leaf blight, white pocket rot, white spongy rot, sap rot, black bark and red rust. In South Africa, Asbergillus attacks young shoots and fruit rot is caused by A. niger. Gloeosporium mangiferae causes black spotting of fruits. Erwinia mangiferae and Pseudomonas mangiferaeindicae are sources of bacterial black spot in South Africa and Queensland. Bacterium carotovorus is a source of soft rot. Stem-end rot is a major problem in India and Puerto Rico from infection by Physalospora rhodina (Diplodia natalensis). Soft brown rot develops during prolonged cold storage in South Africa. Leaf tip burn may be a sign of excess chlorides. Manganese deficiency is indicated by paleness and limpness of foliage followed by yellowing, with distinct green veins and midrib, fine brown spots and browning of leaf tips. Inadequate zinc is evident in less noticeable paleness of foliage, distortion of new shoots, small leaves, necrosis, and stunting of the tree and its roots. In boron deficiency, there is reduced size and distortion of new leaves and browning of the midrib. Copper deficiency is seen in paleness of foliage and severe tip-bum with gray-brown patches on old leaves; abnormally large leaves; also die-back of terminal shoots; sometimes gummosis of twigs and branches. Magnesium is needed when young trees are stunted and pale, new leaves have yellow-white areas between the main veins and prominent yellow specks on both sides of the midrib. There may also be browning of the leaf tips and margins. Lack of iron produces chlorosis in young trees. That all being said, I usually suggest spraying with Cooper fungicide to start off with. That can jump start the overcoming of most problems that are fungus related. I haven't sprayed in many years as I find that most mangoes, if given plenty of water and any kind of nutrition at all will out grow almost all disease and pests. I hope this helps. Harry M. Hausman mailto:HMHausman@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Herb sweeteners lives in Paraguay - Los Angeles Times From: Herminio Academia Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09: 44: 38 -0700 <> http: //www.latimes.com/business/la-ft-stevia6aug06,1,5224472.story ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Achilles Tendon Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:28:48 -0400 From: Joel Vinikoor Hi Leo, If you have pain in your Achilles tendon put a heel raise in your shoe. A 1/8" piece of felt glued to the inside of the shoe is good. When it flattens add more material on top. The drugstores have a rack with foot stuff. Joel Vinikoor [That's exactly what my Podiatrist told me! Thanks, Leo] ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas.... From: Vital Scherrer Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10: 25: 51 +0100 To: Lúcio Olá Lúcio, I probably can send you graft wood of at least the White and EL Bumpo, but I guess that will be viable only around next April. I don't know which cultivars are new ones. I would be interested in information about these as well. By the way, I am also still looking for cultivars like Honeyhart, Libby, McPherson (syn. Spain), Sabor and similar with best flavor as well as particularly early and late ripening ones. I don't suppose you could supply for exchange some plants or propagation material like of cultivars of feijoa or of other relatively low heat requiring subtropical or tropical fruit and/or nut trees or even low chill decidous ones? I am always very grateful and interested in any information, propagation material and/or plants of cultivars with best tasting fruit. Kind regards Vital ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas....+ P.S. From: Vital Scherrer Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11: 34: 22 +0100 To: Lúcio Olá Lúcio, I probably can send you graft wood of at least the White and EL Bumpo, but I guess that will be viable only around next April. I don't know which cultivars are new ones. I would be interested in information about these as well. By the way, I am also still looking for cultivars like Honeyhart, Libby, McPherson (syn. Spain), Sabor and similar with best flavor as well as particularly early and late ripening ones. I don't suppose you could supply for exchange some plants or propagation material like of cultivars of feijoa or of other relatively low heat requiring subtropical or tropical fruit and/or nut trees or even low chill decidous ones? I am always very grateful and interested in any information, propagation material and/or plants of cultivars with best tasting fruit. Kind regards Vital P.S. Imagine you are a fruit enthusiast - well, I suppose most of those who will read this won't have to use imagination for this - you bought a piece of land in a climate where more fruit tree species can be grown than in most places and then you find out most of the best cultivars are not available locally, because you are in a remote part of a continent which is almost exclusively situated in temperate climates, where low chill deciduous varieties and most subtropicals are not grown, where you are glad if you can pick up a few macadamia nuts or pineapple guavas from the ground in the botanical garden, where most people think of fruit as poor man's food, something to, if at all, occasionally nibble on, and in the best case, where they are glad if they can sell any, and where you therefore depend on very rare kind soul mates from overseas, who are willing to supply a few cuttings. ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: Vital Scherrer Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14: 34: 59 +0100 To: Lúcio Alô Lúcio, As I am originally from Switzerland and as my English is better than my Portuguese, I prefer to write in English. But I should be able to understand it if you write in Portuguese; probably more than when you speak it, as I have a lot more difficulties to understand the spoken Brazilian Portuguese. However, yes I am living now on Madeira island. As far as I could find out, there is only one variety of cherimoya available here and I could not find anybody yet who would tell me its name. Either the people from the only nursery, run by the state and which appears to me like one you would expect in a country with a communist dictatorship, are awkward or couldn't care less, some engineers included. - Once, it must have been about ten years ago, I asked them for a list of their species and cultivars. I was told not to ask again, that they will get in touch with me. I am still waiting. - Anyway, it is likely to be the same as the common one in Spain, as they get a lot, if not most, of their fruit trees from there; I believe that would be Fino de Jete or Concha Lisa. There seem a lot of seedlings with rather seedy fruits growing around here. But at least some bear fruits earlier or later than usual. The fruit growers in California, the same goes for Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia, can get rather easily just about any cultivar they might be looking for and unfortunately, as I had to find out the hard way, they don't care enough about those of us who are spread over the rest of the planet and which often do not have as easy access locally. I suppose there is no way around an expensive journey at least to California and New Zealand to get those numerous plants I am looking for. I might have to go to Chile as well to get a few of the very interesting cultivars of the Chilean Hazel (Gevuina avellana) too. By the way, have you ever heard of grafted Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria sp.)? They take so many years to fruit if grown from seed ("... this can be up to 40 years from seed"). Best wishes Vital ----Original Message Follows---- Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: "Lúcio" To: "Vital Scherrer" Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 07: 54: 53 -0300 Hi Vital Are you from Portugal or Madeira Island? I live in São Paulo State. I have a fruit collection. My only cherimoya variety have offspring from Madeira Island. In California there are good cherimoyas like: booth, pierce, Selma, M&N, elixir, etc. Some people have it there. For example: Edgar Valdivia have 29 different species but he don’t send seeds. Axel Kratel have too. Are you prefer I write in Portuguese or English? Best regards, Lúcio ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: Vital Scherrer Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13: 52: 05 +0100 To: lm.stuani@uol.com.br Olá Lúcio, Thanks so much for this very valuable information. I never heard of the lucuma, which sounds like a tree which might thrive in my climate zone. I have tried to get a few subtropical papayas as well. I wonder which species they cultivate at the Guallarauco farm. I will send them an e-mail anyway. Maybe they are willing to supply propagation material to small scale fruit growers or can submit a contact of a supplier. I forgot to mention that I also have the cherimoya cultivar Perla, supposedly one of the best in New Zealand. I do not know though whether this is the one you referred to nor whether it adapts well to other than maritime areas. I also have a few other cultivars from California: Bays, Santa Rosa and Schlom. You may remind me about your request at the beginning of April. Até logo! Vital P.S. About my complaints in the previous e-mail, I would like to add that I am aware of the import restrictions for plants and that except for Citrus most (sub)tropical and many temperate plants can be imported without restrictions. And not to forget a good word about our nursery: If somebody is looking for a place with very nice views and walks for a holiday and is looking for a basic selection of some fruit and/or nut trees for very reasonable prices, then Madeira is the place you might want to visit. But ask first about what is available, as many plants are for sale for short and at different periods only. You may contact me about them. I would collect them for you when they are available. ----Original Message Follows---- Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: "Lúcio" To: "Vital Scherrer" Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 14: 10: 51 -0300 Vital: Araucária (Pinhão) is on the red list of endangered plants of Brazil. It’s not easy to find plants. Grafted trees I never see but it’s possible. Gevuina avellana (avelã) maybe have in south Brazil. For you I think interesting Lucuma. In Chile there is an interesting farm (Guallarauco). They have very interesting plants and very good cherimoyas too. I heard about an interesting resistent anthracnose cherimoya from New Zealand but I don’t know the name. -----Mensagem original----- De: Vital Scherrer [mailTo: vital233@hotmail.com] Enviada em: quarta-feira, 1 de agosto de 2007 10: 35 Para: lm.stuani@uol.com.br AssunTo: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Alô Lúcio, As far as I could find out, there is only one variety of cherimoya available here, it is likely to be the same as the common one in Spain, as they get a lot, if not most, of their fruit trees from there; I believe that would be Fino de Jete or Concha Lisa. I find its flavor to be very weak; still some of its fruits taste very good as they are very sweet and must have a perfect acid level and texture. There seem a lot of seedlings with rather seedy fruits growing around here. But at least some bear fruits earlier or later than usual. Best wishes Vital P.S. About the cherimoya cultivar available on Madeira: I could not find anybody yet who would tell me its name. Either the people from the only nursery, run by the state, which appears to me like one you would expect in a country with a communist dictatorship, are awkward or couldn't care less, some of their engineers included. But I suppose that's what would happen anywhere when people are paid the same whether they are doing a good job or not. - Once, it must have been about ten years ago, I asked them for a list of their species and cultivars. I was told not to ask again, that they will get in touch with me. I am still waiting. - The fruit growers in California, the same goes for Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia, can get rather easily just about any cultivar they might be looking for and unfortunately, as I had to find out the hard way, they don't care enough about those of us who are spread over the rest of the planet and which often do not have as easy access locally. I suppose there is no way around an expensive journey at least to California and New Zealand to get those numerous plants I am looking for. I might have to go to Chile as well to get a few of the very interesting cultivars of the Chilean Hazel (Gevuina avellana) too. By the way, have you ever heard of grafted Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria sp.)? They take so many years to fruit if grown from seed ("... this can be up to 40 years from seed"). As I am originally from Switzerland and as my English is better than my Portuguese, I prefer to write in English. But I should be able to understand it if you write in Portuguese; probably more than when you speak it, as I have a lot more difficulties to understand the spoken Brazilian Portuguese. However, yes I am living now on Madeira island. ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Lúcio" To: "'Vital Scherrer'" Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 07: 54: 53 -0300 Hi Vital Are you from Portugal or Madeira Island? I live in São Paulo State. I have a fruit collection. My only cherimoya variety have offspring from Madeira Island. In California there are good cherimoyas like: booth, pierce, Selma, M&N, elixir, etc. Some people have it there. For example: Edgar Valdivia have 29 different species but he don’t send seeds. Axel Kratel have too. Are you prefer I write in Portuguese or English? Best regards, Lúcio ------------------------------------------------ Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas From: Vital Scherrer Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15: 33: 11 +0100 To: lm.stuani@uol.com.br Lúcio, I have two Casimiroa edulis (white sapote) seedlings growing. I don't like to repeat myself, but this is another tree which is not available here, not even seedlings, nor seeds. I got the seeds from the very kind Bill Nelson of the former Pacific Tree Farms. Imagine how proud I would be to have a few grafted trees of these. About the problem with the pollination of the cherimoyas, I wonder if that exists only in California or in Brazil too. I have never heard of it over here nor in New Zealand. Best wishes Vital ----Original Message Follows---- Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil - These Cherimoyas From: "Lúcio" To: "'Vital Scherrer'" Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 10: 15: 28 -0300 Vital: In Guallarauco farm there are other interesting fruits for you: a little pear (miniature) and a local papaya. The weather in this Chilean lands maybe is relative of yours. Do you know Casimiroa edulis (white sapote)? Very interesting your cherimoya collection. I’m interested in cherimoya for cross breeding with others brazilian annonas species. Best regards, Lúcio -----Mensagem original----- De: Vital Scherrer [mailTo: vital233@hotmail.com] Enviada em: quinta-feira, 2 de agosto de 2007 09: 52 Para: lm.stuani@uol.com.br Subject: RE: Wanted In Brazil: These Cherimoyas Olá Lúcio, Thanks so much for this very valuable information. I never heard of the lucuma, which sounds like a tree which might thrive in my climate zone. I have tried to get a few subtropical papayas as well. I wonder which species they cultivate at the Guallarauco farm. I will send them an e-mail anyway. Maybe they are willing to supply propagation material to small scale fruit growers or can submit a contact of a supplier. I forgot to mention that I also have the cherimoya cultivar Perla, supposedly one of the best in New Zealand. I do not know though whether this is the one you referred to nor whether it adapts well to other than maritime areas. I also have a few other cultivars from California: Bays, Santa Rosa and Schlom. You may remind me about your request at the beginning of April. Até logo! Vital P.S. About my complaints in the previous e-mail, I would like to add that I am aware of the import restrictions for plants and that except for Citrus most (sub)tropical and many temperate plants can be imported without restrictions. And not to forget a good word about our nursery: If somebody is looking for a place with very nice views and walks for a holiday and is looking for a basic selection of some fruit and/or nut trees for very reasonable prices, then Madeira is the place you might want to visit. But ask first about what is available, as many plants are for sale for short and at different periods only. You may contact me about them. I would collect them for you when they are available. <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. New Plant-Insect Interaction Discovered ARS News Service ___________________________________________ --View this report online at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr ___________________________________________ A new class of compounds has been discovered that should help shed more light on how plants respond to insect attacks. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists with the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) in Gainesville, Fla., along with colleagues at the Virginia Military Institute and the Pennsylvania State University, isolated the compounds from oral secretions of Schistocerca americana grasshoppers fed corn seedlings. Plants, and the insects that feed on them, engage in a relationship involving many resultant hormonal and chemical changes in the plant, including induced production and emission of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These physiological changes, brought about by a group of compounds known as elicitors, vary--not only for different plants, but also with the insect species feeding on a plant. Understanding the plant-insect interaction is important in crop science and insect pest management. ARS chemist Hans T. Alborn, in CMAVE's Chemistry Research Unit, led the team that isolated the previously unidentified class of compounds. They named them caeliferins because preliminary analyses of oral secretions collected from several species of Orthoptera (grasshoppers, katydids and crickets) indicated that the compounds may be present in most, if not all, grasshoppers--members of the suborder Caelifera--but not in crickets or katydids in the suborder Ensifera. The caeliferins that Alborn isolated have some unique properties, so they should provide new biological tools and directions for exploring the physiological ecology of, and interactions between, insects and plants. Interestingly, the pattern of caeliferins may determine whether S. americana grasshoppers are solitary or gregarious. If so, the compounds may be found to influence swarming behavior of locusts. The CMAVE scientists study elicitors of plant volatile releases to find ways to induce defensive responses to help crop plants under insect attack remain healthy and vigorous. It's well known that insect chewing may induce release of plant VOCs that summon natural enemies of the attacking insects. But insects' oral secretions may also provoke direct plant defenses that impair the pests' performance. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200708B.txt <><><><><><><><><><> Rare Fruit News Online - September 1, 2007 - AKA RFN200709A.txt _______________________________________________________________ <><><><> Notes In Passing - Leo <><><><> Some of us visited Paul Thomson yesterday. He is a co-founder of CRFG and is moving from the home he built in Bonsall a long time ago. Dick Snow, Jim Neitzel, and David Archer took him to lunch at Home Town Buffet in Oceanside, then went back to his home to try to help him move into a retirement home (Silvergate), in Fallbrook. We didn't accomplish much as he needed more time to get his 'stuff' together, and to de cide on the disposition of the large quantity of stuff he can't move. Some of us will try again Friday, as supposedly that is the last day he will be permitted to be in the home. August is going out with high temperatures and humidity, and it could happen that much of September will be the same. This was a successful year to graft mango trees for me. I'm tempted to continue a few days into September, with the warm temperatures. I don't know how the shortening day length will affect them, however. If you have experience in September mango grafting in S. California, please tell me what you've learned. The Fruit Festival in the San Diego area went pretty well. There were a few glitches, but overall I believe that it was well received. How did you find it? If you have suggestions that should be received for future events, please pass them on. Read the message from Edgar Valdivia about the Pitaya Festival coming quite soon. You need to make reservations, but it is free. Keep those letters coming. This was a good month for RFNO! <><><><><><><><><> Table Of Contents <><><><><><><><><> -> -> -> Messages follow the Table Of Contents <- <- <- <><><> New Subscribers <><><> New Subscriber, Has Pest Concerns And.... Marsha Rold Florida Rarefruit Grower - New Subscriber Adam Shafran <><><> Readers Write <><><> Pitaya Festival - Pre-registration Required Edgar Valdivia I Need Help Planning Planting Sites In La Jolla Anu Simh Salacca edulis Tony & Sandra Avocado tree not fruiting? Laurie To: Nikki Yellow-Skin, White Flesh, Seen In Hawaii! Larie Some Mango Diseases Respond To Bio-wash 1227 CHINO228@aol.com Re: Yellow-Skin, White Flesh, Seen In Hawaii! Laurie Question about figs N Sterman Re: Question about figs Leo Manuel To: N Sterman Doesn't Anyone Grow Papaya Trees? Alex Bahoor Dragon fruit report William Chow Re: Doesn't Anyone Grow Papaya Trees? Leo Manuel To: Alex Bahoor Great picture(s) of very old fashioned farm implements at work Norman Beard <><><> Announcements and / or Web Sites To Consider <><><> http://www.crfgsandiego.org For *San Diego Chapter* CRFG Information http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:ars>news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm None, this time -> -> -> -> -> -> Messages <- <- <- <- <- <- <><><><><><><><> New Subscribers <><><><><><><><><> Subject: New Subscriber, Has Pest Concerns And.... From: Marsha Rold Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:36:39 -0700 Hi, My name is Marsha Rold. I live in Crest, east of El Cajon, CA – near San Diego – on a gentle south slope. I have 30 year-old Reed and Bacon avocados, Tangelo, lemon, lime, grapefruit and 3 orange trees that are hanging in there. Original stone fruit trees are gone and in the last 3 years I have been slowly planting new trees - a fig, pomegranate, persimmon, mango, nectarine, mandarin, Dorsett apple, loquat, pineapple guava, Hass, passionfruit... I was very excited about the presentations at the weekend conference. I would like to try a couple of more mangos, a cherimoya if I can control the size, and??? My biggest concerns are ground squirrels and cost of water. So far the squirrels have managed to break thru every net I have put up. They jump from other trees and fences if I put up trunk barriers. I think I need a dog! Marsha mailto:rold@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Florida Rarefruit Grower - New Subscriber From: Adam Shafran Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:57:18 -0400 Hi, My name is Adam Shafran, I stay at 32789, FL. Plants that I have include: Atemoya, 3 mango varieties (carrie, nam doc mai, po pyu kalay), pawpaw (asimina triloba), papaya, feijoa (2 varieties), miracle fruit (large leaved variety), grapefruit, orange, passion fruit (possum purple, sweet sunrise, and native maypop), bananas, lychee (brewster, muaritius), longan (kohala), persimmon, pitaya, Jaboticaba, Cambuca' (yellow jaboticaba), blueberry, jakfruit, grumichama and cocoplum. I want to grow sapodilla, sugar apple, cacao, babaco, and cherimoya. I sell vacant land in the panhandle of FL. Growing things to eat at my home is what I do for fun, and to eat things that I can't find at the store. Next year I'm hoping to have lots of fruit to harvest. God Bless your harvest. Adam Shafran mailto:adamdanashafran@gmail.com <><><><><><><><><> Readers Write<><><><><><><><><><> Subject: Pitaya Festival - Pre-registration Required Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:48:50 -0700 From: Edgar Valdivia Dear Folks, Here is the finalized program for our Pitaya Festival to be held on September 15th at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center, 7601 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 92618 8:00-9:00 Registration-Coffee-Pastries 9:00-9:10 Welcome and Introductions-Ramiro Lobo & Edgar Valdivia 9:10-9:30 Overview of South Coast Research & Extension Center (SCREC)-Gary Bender, UCC Farm Advisor 9:30-10:00 Pitaya Research at UC: Overview and Update-Ramiro Lobo, UCCE Farm Advisor 10:00-10:30 Brix Scores and Other Factors Affecting Flavor in Pitayas-Speaker TBA, UC Postharvest Management Specialist 10:30-11:00 Markets and Marketing Outlook for Pitayas-Bill Gerlach, Melissa's World Variety Produce, Inc. 11:00-12:00 Tour of Pitaya Research Field Plots: Varieties, Culture Practices and Lessons Learned-Ramiro Lobo & Irma DeBonis 12:00-2:00 Pitaya or Dragon Fruit Tasting-Edgar Valdivia, Ramiro Lobo, Gary Bender and Irma DeBonis (The testing will be of the best pitayas brought by the growers) **PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH** THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS EVENT, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. If you have not already done so please register (space is limited) by going to this site: http://ucanr.org/pitahaya This form will help us to create a data base for future events. Ramiro Lobo and Edgar Valdivia mailto:edgarv@lafn.org ------------------------------------------------ Subject: I Need Help Planning Planting Sites In La Jolla From: Anu Simh Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:01:15 +0200 (CEST) Hi Leo My name is Anu Simh I live in La Jolla, California. I am hoping to find someone who can help me plant the tropical fruits I purchased at the festival. If you know of anyone I would greatly appreciate it. Sincerely Anu Simh mailto:anitaleon0312@yahoo.es ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Salacca edulis From: Tony & Sandra Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:11:35 +1000 Hi Leo I hope all is well for you and yours. I'm writing to the newsletter with a question about Salacca edulis - the snake skinned fruit from Bali. Does anyone grow it outside the tropics? We are in a frost free area of Australia with I suppose the equivalent of the USA zone10. What I specifically would like to know is: What are the requirements - soil, water, light to successfully grow Salacca edulis. And, can it be grown in a large pot? I hope some people on the newsletter will be able to help. Cheers and best wishes Tony Magrathea Dicky Beach mailto:paradisi@aapt.net.au Australia ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Avocado tree not fruiting? From: Laurie Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:19:15 -0400 To: Nikki Nikki, Plant another avocado tree close to yours. You may have had a tree in the vicinity cut down recently. I am fortunate enough to have a tree in a neighboring yard. My neighbors, coworkers and pals are sick of seeing me with a basket of fruit bearing down on them. I do not want to waste such a great food source. I do not want to discourage you but flowers can be pollinated on one day only. That is why there are so many flowers open at different stages during the short blooming period. Here's a rather wordy excerpt from http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/ Persea/index.html The story of pollination in avocado is a remarkable one, and it makes one appreciate how hard it is to get fruit to set. Avocados have flowers that open twice, on two successive days. The first day the pistil is receptive and protrudes from the flower; the second day the pistil is no longer receptive, and the stamens shed their pollen. Here is an example of protogyny, which means that the female is mature before the male ("early female"). The consequence of this is that a flower cannot self pollinate, but requires transfer of pollen, typically by bees, from another flower, often another tree. Within avocado there happen to be cultivars that open with a receptive pistil in the morning of Day I and then reopen in the afternoon with stamens of Day 2 (A Group). Other avocados open with a receptive pistil in the afternoon of Day I and then reopen in the morning with stamens on Day 2 (B Group). Some growers take advantage of these differences and plant the two near each other, so th So it really is dumb luck if you only have one tree and it fruits. If you have multiple trees and they bloom around the same time, you and your neighbors, coworkers, and pals can have facials, guacamole, smoothies and pies until all of you are fat and sassy. Sometimes land is scarce as is is on Oahu and you have to use canopy management. Trim the extra tree and let it bloom; use the best/biggest tree for fruit production. Good luck. Laurie - UH Master Gardener ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Yellow-Skin, White Flesh, Seen In Hawaii! From: Larie Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:03:41 -0400 Leo, I saw yellow-skinned, white-fleshed pitaya form Hilo for sale in Chinatown this week. Is this variety superior in taste to the pink-skinned, pink-fleshed variety? Laurie UH Master Gardener mailto:timnovida@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Mango diseases From: CHINO228@aol.com Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:00:31 -0400 (EDT) Hi Leo: In addition to Harry M. Hausman detailed letter regarding various mango problems and diseases worldwide, I’d also like to include some experiences of other mango growers. A Florida west coast nurseryman had serious mango problems at his nursery. The registered pesticides he had apparently didn’t help. He heard about an organic solution called Bio-wash 1227 (that was not made specifically for plants). Out of desperation and possibly the closing of his nursery, he tried it. His mango trees recovered. He was even able to solve his problems with damping-off with carambola seedlings. The Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead, Florida found Bio-wash 1227 effective for sooty mold. RFCI members found it effective for whiteflies and other soft bodied insects. One RFCI member also found it reduced his anthracnose problems when he used it as a regular part of his spraying program for mangoes and was rewarded with a bumper crop of mangoes. Maurice Kong mailto:CHINO228@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Yellow-Skin, White Flesh, Seen In Hawaii! From: Laurie Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:16:33 -0400 Leo, This coming Tues. I will take a picture of the fruits on display and ask who the distributor is. Heck, I'll even buy one to taste it for you. The yellows were $3.99 a pound (same as the pinks) so I bought Hilo lychees instead. I remember a sticker on the fruit so maybe that will yield some clues too. Will get back to you with info and a pic. I dearly want a purple mangosteen seed/fruit/tree, the yellow ones that my friend 's enormous tree produces were soooooo sour that my ears ache recalling the taste. Every Tuesday I scour Chinatown for fresh fruit/produce and used to see mangosteen fruit. Do you know where I can get seeds? Bringing a plant to Hawaii is a nightmare; last year I had to get very expensive inspections and accompanying certificates just to bring in some free lotus & water lily plants from Texas. Laurie mailto:timnovida@aol.com -----Original Message----- Subject: Yellow-Skin, White Flesh, Seen In Hawaii! From: Leo Manuel To: Laurie Sent: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 4:50 pm I've never seen one, and I hope you bought one and can tell me. I expect that the pink-to-red fleshed ones will be significantly superior. Thanks for telling me. You should see if you can get a cutting of it, as a novelty, it should be highly sought. Also, maybe post this useful info on Pitaya Fruit. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Question about figs From: N Sterman Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:28:44 -0700 Hi Leo Here is a question for the RFNO I planted a 3' tall Panachee fig into a large pot - at least 3 x 3' this past spring. I covered the hole in the pot with window screen to hold everything in except water. Soil was up to the rim. The soil has compacted so much now that it is about 5" down from the rim. I know that ideally, I should pull the tree out, add more soil and replant. But I keep wondering if I couldn't simply add soil to what is there without pulling out the fig. After all, fig cuttings root easily - would the lower several inches of the little tree's trunk sprout roots if it were to be covered with soil? What do you think? Thanks! Nan Sterman mailto:info@PlantSoup.Com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Question about figs From: Leo Manuel Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:53:30 -0700 To: N Sterman I'll post your question, but I feel certain that adding soil wouldn't be a problem. As you know, it's the same for tomato plants. Leo mailto:rarefruit@san.rr.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Doesn't Anyone Grow Papaya Trees? From: Alex Bahoor Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:45:08 -0700 Leo, I have not heard any talk about Papaya trees. Is it because is not suitable to our climate? Alex mailto:abahoor@nextwave.com ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Dragon fruit report From: William Chow Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:06:33 -0700 Hi Leo, I just came back from a long trip to New York and New Hampshire. They are selling a lot of Vietnamese dragon fruit in Chinatown in New York. The skin is red and the webs are green. In Canada, apparently the import is easier. I saw in Toronto lots of tropical Fruits: sour sop, mangosteen. I saw in Chinatown in Toronto both the Vietnamese Dragon fruit and the yellow pitaya. I bought a yellow pitahaya because I have never tasted that. It is quite sweet and the fruit is smaller than the Vietnamese dragon fruit. I don’t know if they have hylocereus polyrhizus because it looks the same from the outside. I am looking forward to the Pitaya festival organized by Edgar. Regards, William ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Doesn't Anyone Grow Papaya Trees? From: Leo Manuel Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:19:37 -0700 To: Alex Bahoor Papayas are frost sensitive and need excellent drainage. If you can provide it they will thrive. If your summers are also pretty warm-hot, they will have sweeter fruit. There should be letters in back issues of RFNO. Leo ------------------------------------------------ Subject: Great picture(s) of very old fashioned farm implements at work From: Norman Beard Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 http://www.templetonchamber.com/pdf%20files/2007%20Threshing%Bee Norman Beard mailto:beardtropics@earthlink.net <><><><> Announcements And Web Pages To Consider <><><><> San Diego Chapter California Rare Fruit Growers Meeting: Where: Casa del Prado Building Room 101, Balboa Park When: Fourth Thursday Of Each Month (Except December) See: http://www.crfgsandiego.org http://members.cox.net/ncsdcrfg For North County CRFG Chapter Meeting http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about ALL CRFG chapters. http://www.crfg.org/chapters.html For information about all CRFG chapters. <> Agricultural Research Service (ARS) mailto:news@arsgrin.gov <> http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. None this time <><><><><><><><><> End of RFN200