https://floridafruitgeek.com/annonaceae-the-cherimoya-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/fingersop-1.jpegfingersophttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/fingersop.jpegfingersopFingersop (Meiogyne cylindrica) fruits were ripe in abundance in late Septemberhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190602_173324616_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190602_173324616_HDR_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_2047.jpgimg_2047https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/12353227_478716158968138_750174834_n.jpg12353227_478716158968138_750174834_nSugar apple, Annona squamosahttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/11906269_810019382439774_1551032555_n.jpg11906269_810019382439774_1551032555_nAtemoya. This fruit is a cross between cheromya, Annona cherimola, and sugar-apple, Annona squamosa2025-10-06T19:49:39+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/2025/10/03/a-late-september-visit-to-fruit-and-spice-park/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/olosape.jpegolosapehttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/african-oil-palm-2025.jpegAfrican oil palm 2025African oil palm fruits make a nice snack - you can nibble the fibrous outer layer and suck out a rich oily liquid.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/abiu.jpegabiuThe two abiu trees near the Tropical Americas greenhouse were loaded, dropping ripe fruits all over the ground2026-03-15T20:19:07+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2021/06/30/growing-the-fruit-and-spice-parks-variety-of-himalayan-mulberry-in-north-florida/2024-06-13T11:00:28+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2023/05/19/experimenting-with-not-quite-as-cold-hardy-avocado-varieties/2025-11-11T13:58:44+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2022/10/03/growing-tropical-lettuce-aka-indian-lettuce-lactuca-indica/2023-04-30T16:10:01+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/plants-for-sale/2023-01-31T19:13:36+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/contact/2022-05-03T15:27:36+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/cold-hardy-avocados/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/brogden-avo-pic.jpgbrogden avo pic'Brogden' avocados are a hybrid between Mexican and West Indies types. They are mid-range in cold-hardiness between the pure Mexican varieties and commercial types, and they have a phenomenal flavor and texture.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/avo-gloria2.jpgavo Gloria'Gloria' avocado is very early-season, starting to ripen fruits in mid June.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/teno.jpgTeno'Teno' is one of the avocado varieties originally of Mexican parentage that were selected in Texas for cold-hardiness and fruit quality.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/avo-del-rio-tree.jpgDel Rio avocado treeThis is what can happen if you don't prune your avocado trees to keep the fruits within easy picking range. This is a five-year-old 'Del Rio' avocado tree that's over thirty feet (ten meters) tall. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gainesville2.jpgGainesville2'Gainesville' avocado. This variety gained fame by being in a prominent location on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville for decades. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/image8.jpegSeedling avocado fruitsPlanting seeds from trees growing in mixed plantings of good varieties of cold-hardy Mexican avocados can result in good new varieties. This is an as-yet-unnamed new seedling variety. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/image7.jpeg'May' avocados on the treeThe third subspecies of avocados is the Mexican group of varieties, grown mainly in home gardens at this point. Here are a couple of ripening fruits of variety 'May'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/image1.jpegDel Rio fruits on the tree"Del Rio' fruits on the tree. Planting Mexican variety avocado trees can enable people to produce large quantities of home-grown avocados in regions with winters too cold for commercial avocado varieties. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/14474380_540531232812562_2212359124711112704_n.jpg14474380_540531232812562_2212359124711112704_n'Wilma' has fruits up to six ounces (182g). Like all the Mexican avos, it has a thin skin you can eat like an apple, and a high-oil-content flesh that has a rich taste similar to 'Hass', but with its own distinctive flavor notes. Great for guacamole, or just eating out of hand with a dash of salt. 'Wilma' fruits have a distinctive long, skinny shape, including a long, skinny seed. The skin turns black at maturity. Like other Mexican types, the tree's leaves smell like licorice. People have grown this variety locally in Texas for many years under the name 'Wilma', but in the last decade a big nursery started propagating this type and selling the trees to big-box stores under their own trademarked name, 'Brazos Belle,' so you can sometimes find it under that name - but it is 'Wilma'. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14278933_1607900432844121_1817817782_n.jpg14278933_1607900432844121_1817817782_nYou won't find these avocado varieties in a supermarket. These are two of the high-oil-content, cold-hardy Mexican varieties whose skin is so thin you can eat them like an apple. Very rare - if you want these, you pretty much have to grow them yourself. On the left is 'Del Rio', on the right is 'Wilma'. They are super delicious, outstanding for guacamole. 2022-05-03T15:08:40+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/florida-fruit-growing-zones/2021-12-02T17:14:43+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/2021/11/30/a-new-autumn-tradition-best-flavored-pumpkin-contests/2021-12-01T04:00:05+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2021/03/31/winter-2020-2021-report-the-temperature-finally-dipped-below-freezing-this-season-but-not-by-much/2021-05-22T18:55:54+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/09/30/experimenting-with-kadushi-cereus-repandus-as-a-fruit-crop/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20200824_cereus-repandus-and-fruitgeek-3.jpg20200824_cereus-repandus-and-fruitgeek-3.jpgI'm getting increasingly excited about the potential of kadushi (Cereus repandus) as a fruit crop.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20201001_cereus-seedlings_1.jpg20201001_cereus-seedlings_1.jpgThese Cereus repandus seedlings are eight to ten months old. Grown from seed ordered from Israel, from the commercially grown "Koubo" form of this species. They're currently four to six inches tall. At the rate they're growing, they should be ready for planting out in the ground in spring 2021.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-08-29_cereus-repandus-blooms-n-fruits.txt_.jpg2020-08-29_Cereus-repandus-blooms-n-fruits.txt.jpgCereus repandus can produce multiple crops per year, with the different crops at different stages on the plant at the same time. Here a plant has flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit all at the same time. The flowers open only at night and close shortly after dawn, so I had to take this photo early in the morning to catch the blooms open.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-08-30_oliver-moore-cereus.jpg2020-08-30_oliver-moore-cereus.jpgCereus repandus can get quite large. That's Oliver Moore beside his plant, and he's 6'5". This plant does not get much sun, and Oliver reports that it's never flowered or fruited under those conditions.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-09-30_cereus-repandus-fruits.jpg2020-09-30_Cereus-repandus-fruits.jpgPeruvian apple cactus, Cereus repandus, seems to have considerable potential as a fruit crop. The fruits are tasty, and the plants are productive, yielding multiple crops per year.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200829_cereus-fruits-sliced-1.jpg20200829_cereus-fruits-sliced-1.jpgThe flesh of Cereus repandus fruits is white, flecked with small black seeds. The experience of eating it is similar to eating dragonfruit, although some people think Peruvian apple cactus tastes better.2023-09-14T03:09:54+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/08/31/how-pineapple-plants-grow/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2015-07-31_13.11.jpg2015-07-31_13.11A baby pineapple - actually a flower cluster. The little purple tubes sticking out the sides are the actual flowers.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2014-08-01_17.57harvest-time-pineapples-in-wheelbarrow-at-boondox-1.jpg2014-08-01_17.57,harvest time pineapples in wheelbarrow at Boondox 1A pineapple patch can yield abundant crops for several years.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2015-03-13_12.48pineapple-seeds_1.jpg2015-03-13_12.48,pineapple seeds_1.jpgIf two varieties of pineapple flower at the same time, and if a hummingbird transports pollen between the flowers, seed-filled pineapples can result.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/img_20200820_092658877_1.jpgIMG_20200820_092658877_1.jpgUsually I harvest pineapples as soon as a bit of yellow-orange color appears at the base of the fruit. Leaving it on the plant any further risks damage from wild critters At this point, the pineapple is within a few days of being fully ripe, and can ripen the rest of the way indoors.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/img_20200824_182754288_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20200824_182754288_HDR_1.jpgThere are three ways a pineapple plant produces crowns that can be used to start new plants, and this plant shows all three. The leafy top of the fruit, a slip (just under the right side of the fruit), and a sucker (further down below the slip, poking out between the long leaves.)2025-09-13T17:02:05+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/07/23/lasura-fruit-cordia-myxa-a-promising-crop-for-the-worlds-hotter-future/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_20200715_190457963_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20200715_190457963_HDR_1_1.jpgFruits of lasura, Cordia myxa. Taste is excellent, reminding me of cherry, watermelon, and bubblegum. But the texture, especially in the jelly-like layer around the seed, has an unusual glue-like stickiness.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_20200516_104035924_1_1.jpgIMG_20200516_104035924_1_1.jpgFoliage and flowers of lasura, Cordia myxa. These blooms were open for only a single day, on May 16, 2020. Fruits ripened about sixty days later, in mid July.2021-06-30T23:36:10+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/07/15/mulberry-variety-skinner/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_20200707_072520596_1.jpgIMG_20200707_072520596_1.jpgMulberry variety 'Skinner'. These fruits grew on a small plant growing in a 3-gallon pot. As a mulberry tree grows, it tends to produce larger, tastier fruits, so it's encouraging that even a small 'Skinner' mulberry plant was able to produce such large mulberries, which had excellent flavor.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_20200707_072500768_1.jpgIMG_20200707_072500768_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_20200613_084220963_1.jpgIMG_20200613_084220963_1.jpgI took this photo of the flowers on June 13, 2020. The resulting fruits shown in the other photo in this post were ripe on July 7. That's less than 30 days from flower to ripe fruit.2022-05-30T13:34:41+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/06/11/some-of-the-best-mulberry-cultivars-need-nematode-resistant-rootstocks-in-florida/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200519_100037720_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20200519_100037720_HDR_1_1.jpg'Himalayan' is the best-flavored mulberry I've ever tasted. Unfortunately, it is extremely nematode sensitive. Grafting onto nematode-resistant varieties may be necessary to grow it in the ground in many parts of Florida and other regions of the world where root-knot nematodes are prevalent.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200608_190541103_1.jpgIMG_20200608_190541103_1.jpgHere are the root systems of the eight cultivars of mulberry I planted out in a nematode-infested area of my garden. Varieties tested were: 'Dwarf Everbearing', 'Bryces Worlds Best', '318 Wild', 'Thai Mustang', 'Edible leaf', 'Bryces Worlds Best', '318 Wild', 'Thai Mustang', 'Sixth Steet', 'Olivers Wild Mulberry', and 'Illinois Everbearing'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200514_104013411_hdr_1_12.jpgIMG_20200514_104013411_HDR_1_12.jpgA plant of the extremely delicious and extremely nematode sensitive cultivar 'Himalayan', which I grafted onto the fairly nematode resistant cultivar 'Sixth Street'. Photo taken less than a year after grafting. In contrast to this vigorous growth, when I tried planting out 'Himalayan' on its own roots, the plants struggled weakly for a while and eventually died.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200608_192657569_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20200608_192657569_HDR_1_1.jpgRoot knot nematodes burrow into a plant's root system, causing bumpy, knobby lesions. This damage impairs the root system's ability to perform its functions of absorbing water and nutrients from the soil, and it can stunt or even kill some varieties of mulberry. 'Dwarf Everbearing', and common variety in the nursery trade in Florida, turns out to be extremely sensitive to nematodes. The plant in my trial died altogether.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/img_20200322_181037728_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20200322_181037728_HDR_1.jpg'Bryces Worlds Best' is an outstanding mulberry cultivar which produces very heavy crops of large, sweet berries. But it is extremely susceptible to damage from root-knot nematodes. I was able to produce this crop by grafting onto the nematode-resistant mulberry variety 'Sixth Street'. (Note: 'Bryces Worlds Best' is sometimes also just called 'Worlds Best' in the nursery trade. 2024-04-05T15:33:15+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/11/18/where-to-buy-jackfruit-in-central-florida-the-jackfruit-king-at-mustang-market/2024-02-18T15:03:51+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/05/31/dwarf-sapodilla-varieties/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_20200517_194914384_1.jpgIMG_20200517_194914384_1.jpgHere's the same 'Makok' sapodilla tree two years later in May 2020 - it's loaded with fruit at just three feet (1m) tall, growing in a 7-gallon pot. It's hard to get a pic that shows all the fruits on this tree - they tend to hide among the dense foliage.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_20200531_170735_1.jpgIMG_20200531_170735_1.jpgThe 'Silas Wood' variety of dwarf sapodilla in my greenhouse, with fruits in many stages of development, and barely knee high. As with the other pic, there are more fruits on this tree than is obvious in a single photo.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_20200517_185450757_1_1e_1.jpgIMG_20200517_185450757_1_1e_1.jpgThis fruit is from one of the dwarf varieties of sapodilla, it's variety 'Makok'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2018-05-19-makok-sapodilla-tree-purchase-at-mustang-market.jpg2018-05-19 Makok sapodilla tree purchase at Mustang Market2022-01-16T22:18:58+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/04/25/small-scale-intensive-home-vegetable-production/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/img_20200315_100852476_hdr_1-1.jpgIMG_20200315_100852476_HDR_1-1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/img_20191023_132433.jpgIMG_20191023_132433If landscape supply operations are still open in your area, they are a great place to get soil. In my area, these places sell a cubic yard of potting soil for about thirty to sixty dollars a cubic yard. That's a perfect amount for a garden like this, and it'll fit neatly into the bed of a small pickup truck (They'll use their equipment to dump it in). Many places will deliver soil for an added fee.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2013-01-29_14.13.jpg2013-01-29_14.13You can order a 72-cell plastic tray and a bag of "germination mix" potting soil for starting vegetable seeds. For a small garden like the one I built, you don't need to plant the whole tray all at once. You can plant a few rows at a time. Doing this once a month allows you to succession plant for continuous harvest.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/img_20200321_082620163_1.jpgIMG_20200321_082620163_1.jpgIt's amazing how much production you can get from a small garden. I harvest a huge salad every day from this one. I planted it on Feb 12, and took this picture on March 21, 2020.2021-02-04T17:08:42+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/03/18/introducing-loquat-variety-ellen-marker/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/img_0440-1.jpgIMG_0440Elllen Marker is a tropical fruit enthusiast (and really great person) who lives in Norway. Despite the challenges of a serious medical condition and living in a cold northern climate, she tracks down many tropical fruits. Here she poses with a soursop/guanabana, Annona muricata.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/img_20200311_172514170_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20200311_172514170_HDR_1.jpgA cluster of 'Ellen Marker' loquats. Best flavor is when they reach a slight orange-yellow tint.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/screenshot_20200318-114041_1_1.pngScreenshot_20200318-114041_1_1.pngThe original 'Ellen Marker' loquat tree in July 2019. This tree had struggled along for years under conditions of neglect, but once it fruited for the first time I realized how special it was and I started taking better care of it.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/img_20200307_174517434_hdr.jpgIMG_20200307_174517434_HDRLoquat variety 'Ellen Marker' has large, pear-shaped fruits with an excellent, rich, fruity taste. Fruits are pyriform (pear-shaped), with a creamy white flesh and one to two seeds per fruit.2023-07-16T20:00:01+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/03/31/two-extraordinarily-mild-winters-in-florida-2018-2019-and-2019-2020/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/img_20200222_062217.jpgIMG_20200222_062217I got especially nervous after some of my young 'Bryces Worlds Best' mulberry tree broke dormancy in mid January this year, pushing out tender new growth. Mulberry trees can generally handle cold temperatures while they're fully dormant, but a freeze while they're pushing out growth can be catastrophic. So I wrapped the tree with frost cloth during cold fronts the rest of the winter, and one cold morning when the forecast had me especially concerned, I got up before dawn and lit two small fires, one on either side of the tree. But it turned out my efforts were unnecessary. Frost sensitive plants out in open areas away from my fires came through with virtually no damage.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/img_20200306_151542300_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20200306_151542300_HDR_1_1.jpgI took this photo of a ripening stalk of bananas on March 6, 2020. Normally banana leaves and developing stalks of fruit get demolished by freezing temperatures during December, January, and February.2020-06-02T14:37:15+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/02/28/another-potential-nematode-resistant-fig-rootstock-hybrid-ficus-pumila-x-ficus-carica/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ficus-pumila-x-carica-1.jpgFicus-pumila-x-carica-1.jpgThe two plants a bit over a month after I received them from Woodlanders. They arrived in great shape, root balls wrapped in plastic. I put them into 3-gallon sized pots, and they had put out some new growth by the time of this photo.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ficus-pumila-x-carica-2.jpgFicus-pumila-x-carica-2.jpgThe two clones of Ficus pumila x Ficus carica which I received from Woodlanders. Cultivar 'Ruth Bancroft' is on the left, the un-named clone is on the right.2025-07-11T17:23:08+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2020/01/26/evaluating-mulberry-varieties-for-early-bud-break-jan-2020/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/img_20200126_145744_1.jpgIMG_20200126_145744_1.jpg'Bryce's World's Best' mulberry, in active growth and with developing fruits, on January 26, 2020. If we don't get any freezing weather during the remainder of this winter, this tree should produce an abundant crop of fruit. If we do get freezing temps and the tree is unprotected, it will likely receive substantial damage.2024-04-09T01:56:39+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/12/22/fig-nematode-resistant-rootstock-project-2019-status-report/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191222_141656_1.jpgIMG_20191222_141656_1.jpgThis is the one I got from Echo in Fort Myers. I'm calling it 'Ficus Echo' until I can definitely ID it (probably it's Ficus sycomorus). This Ficus definitely makes a nematode resistant rootstock for figs, but it is frost sensitive.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/screenshot_20191222-144645_1_1_1_1.pngScreenshot_20191222-144645_1_1_1_1.pngFig, probably 'Southern Brown Turkey', grafted onto Ficus pumila. I've grafted several figs onto this rootstock, and they all seem to show a curious pattern: the plant sends up one or more "normal" upright stems, but also sends out from just above the graft union some densely branching stems with profuse numbers of figs. It seems like there is some kind of dwarfing effect happening with this rootstock.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191222_141350_1.jpgIMG_20191222_141350_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191222_144235_1_1.jpgIMG_20191222_144235_1_1.jpgThe scion-rooting issue. Most of the Ficus species I am working with as potentially nematode resistant rootstocks are tropical, and do not handle freezing temperatures. So I am grafting low, and covering the graft union. In many cases, the scion sprouts out roots when I do this. Here I grafted an 'Alma' fig onto 'Ficus Echo' (probably F sycomorus). That rootstock is on the right, graft union is near the tip of my index finger. The fig rootstock has sprouted out that big root on the left. I don't know if leaving this will cause the plant to let the grafted rootstock die off.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191005_160451_1.jpgIMG_20191005_160451_1.jpgA fruit of 'LSU Scott's Black' fig from a plant grafted onto the nematode resistant rootstock which I am calling 'Ficus Echo' (probably Ficus sycomorus). My project is to pair the best-tasting, most well-adapted fig varieties in Florida to the Ficus species which do best as rootstocks in this area. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191208_093448_1_1.jpgIMG_20191208_093448_1_1.jpg'LSU Tiger' fig grafted onto Ficus Echo (which is probably Ficus sycomorus). This plant was less than knee high when planted out in early summer. Photo taken in December.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190624_183117428_1_1.jpgIMG_20190624_183117428_1_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191013_084059_1.jpgIMG_20191013_084059_1.jpgThis one came from a packet of seed that was labelled Ficus racemosa. I got it from Shadowood Farm, so for now I am calling it Ficus 'Shadowood' pending positive ID.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190920_111048_1_12.jpgIMG_20190920_111048_1_12.jpgOne grafting technique I am experimenting with is to cleft graft fig scions onto branches of tropical, nematode resistant Ficus species. Once the grafts have taken, I will trim those branches and root them as cuttings to hopefully get plants with a graft union low enough to easily protect by covering with soil or mulch.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191017_093629_1.jpgIMG_20191017_093629_1.jpgThis grew from a packet of seed labelled Ficus opposita.2024-09-16T21:37:15+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/ebenaceae-the-persimmon-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/diospyros-virginiana-turkey-lake-2017.jpgDiospyros virginiana turkey lake 2017Good varieties of American persimmon, like these "Turkey Lake" fruits, develop their full sweetness once the fruit is completely soft and squishy. Contrary to popular belief, frost is not necessary for these fruits to sweeten and lose their astringency, only time.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/diospyros-texana-ig-saekakeely.jpgDiospyros texana, ig saekakeelyTexas persimmon fruits are small and sweet, tasting a bit like a small version of Chocolate Pudding Fruit (described above). But this species can take considerable frost, potentially allowing cultivation of "chocolate pudding that grows on a tree" into areas outside the tropics. (Diospyros texana)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/diospyros-discolor-dee-sem.jpgDiospyros discolor, dee semGood varieties of velvet apple, or mabolo, have a pleasant, juicy flavor, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The skin is fuzzy, and in some varieties of this fruit the skin smells like cheese! (Diospyros discolor)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/diospyros-discolor-cut-open-dee-sem.jpgDiospyros discolor cut open, dee semGood varieties of mabolo make a nice fruit breakfast, especially when chilled. Just slice the fruits in half, grab a spoon, and dig in. (Diospyros discolor)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/diospyros-digyna-dee-seem.jpgDiospyros digyna dee seemChocolate pudding that grows on a tree! That is what a good fruit of this tropical persimmon from Mexico tastes like. Unripe fruits above, ripe ones cut open below. Known as chocolate pudding fruit or black sapote, Diospyros digyna. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/16789169_1610970515596659_7863674232339693568_n.jpg16789169_1610970515596659_7863674232339693568_nChocolate pudding fruit (aka black sapote) is a persimmon native to Mexico that really does taste like a delicious, rich chocolate pudding. But there's a trick to it: when the fruit looks good, it doesn't taste good. You have to wait till they get really ugly, so raunchy-looking you'll swear they're spoiled (like the fruit on the right in the photo) - that's when they taste REALLY good. Diospyros digynahttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/14592142_1461791633837731_4679766700382486528_n.jpg14592142_1461791633837731_4679766700382486528_nThis is the flavor of autumn. Asian persimmon is truly a world-class fruit - and they taste like pumpkin spice! Diospyros kaki https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/14597318_544794699051602_5893109749074886656_n.jpg14597318_544794699051602_5893109749074886656_nThe supremely delicious 'Turkey Lake' American persimmon. Diospyros virginaianahttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/14482300_350260535315198_475859372551962624_n.jpg14482300_350260535315198_475859372551962624_nFrozen persimmons are a great way to enjoy the persimmon varieties that ripen to a soft pudding-like texture. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/14134615_696473447184926_408667240_n.jpg14134615_696473447184926_408667240_nBoth the Asian persimmon varieties in the picture are in the 'astringent-until-deliciously-ripe' category: the acorn-shaped ones are 'Saijo', and the flattened-tomato ones are 'Great Wall.' 2019-12-19T13:14:59+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/anacardiaceae-the-mango-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190606_124725654_1.jpgIMG_20190606_124725654_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190601_143608157_1.jpgIMG_20190601_143608157_1.jpgSpondias purpurea has many common names, including jocote, ciruela, mombin, and hog plumhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/13556759_1115256755221004_141666665_n.jpg13556759_1115256755221004_141666665_nThis is mango variety 'Haden', and its story is a great illustration of how the process of fruit improvement can work. 2019-12-19T12:59:23+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/moraceae-the-mulberry-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190331_092355098_1.jpgIMG_20190331_092355098_1.jpgMulberries, Morus alba, variety 'Sixth Street'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190701_183303166_1.jpgIMG_20190701_183303166_1.jpgCommon fig, Ficus carica, probably variety 'Celeste'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/artocarpus-anisophyllus-1-fit-shortie.jpgArtocarpus anisophyllus 1, fit shortieArtocarpus anisophyllus, very rare. Reported to be delicious, with a sweet flavor a bit reminiscent of baked pumpkin.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/artocarpus-champajack-10kg-fitshortie.jpgArtocarpus champajack-10kg fitshortieChampajack is a hybrid between two great fruits - Champedak (Artocarpus integer) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophylla). Taste reportedly is phenomenal.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-sericicarpus-fitshortie-pedalalai.jpgArtocarpus sericicarpus, fitshortie-pedalalaiPedalai (Artocarpus sericicarpus) has been described as "the Holy Grail of Borneo fruits" for its outstanding eating qualities.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-odoratissimus-tarap-fitshortie.jpgartocarpus-odoratissimus tarap fitshortie-The sweet pods of marang (tarap) taste like vanilla-lime marshmallows, with hints of tangerine. Artocarpus odoratissimus. Photo by Fit Shortiehttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-hypargyraeus-maja-parker-1.jpgArtocarpus hypargyraeus maja parker 1https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-odoratissimus-maja-parker-marang.jpgArtocarpus odoratissimus, maja parker marangMaja Parker climbed to the top of a marang tree in Hawaii to harvest these two fruits. Artocarpus odoratissimushttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-altilis-maja-parker.jpgArtocarpus altilis maja parkerhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/artocarpus-integer-cempedak-fitshortie.jpgArtocarpus integer cempedakChampadak/cempedak (Artocarpus integer), rated by some as "the best fruit in the world".2019-12-17T11:50:08+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/myrtaceae-the-guava-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190419_164017017_1_11_1.jpgIMG_20190419_164017017_1_11_1.jpgPurple jaboticaba, "Sabarah" type.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/eugenia-brasiliensis-grumichama-maja-parker.jpgEugenia brasiliensis grumichama maja parkerhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/eugenia-uniflora-maja-parker.jpgEugenia uniflora maja parkerhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/tropicalguava2.jpgtropicalguava2https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/grimal-jaboticaba-1.jpggrimal jaboticaba 1Grimal jaboticaba, Myrciaria spirito-santensishttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/eugeniareinwardtiana.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/grimal-jabo-2.jpgGrimal jaboticaba fruits on the tree, Myrciaria spirito-santensishttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/17437880_108663156319588_4776510379163385856_n.jpg17437880_108663156319588_4776510379163385856_nPurple Jaboticaba, 'Sabarah' typehttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/14659389_1308602505851068_7049312870688882688_n.jpg14659389_1308602505851068_7049312870688882688_nFeijoa fruits, Acca sellowianahttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/14145465_911271308979024_531734537_n.jpg14145465_911271308979024_531734537_nYellow form of Cattley guava, Psidium cattleyanum2019-12-15T20:15:53+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/fabaceae-the-bean-family/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_2038.jpgimg_2038Dipteryx alata, baru nut. Tastes like a cross between cashews and peanuts.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20190628_164359125_1.jpgIMG_20190628_164359125_1.jpgHymenaea courbaril trees make hard shelled pods filled with a sweet, dry, strongly scented pulp around the hard seeds. Known as jatoba, stinking toe, and West Indian locust.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191018_104138_1.jpgIMG_20191018_104138_1.jpgPods of the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua are delicious, sweet, chewy and with a taste a little bit like a natural, healthful candy bar.2019-12-15T19:45:10+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/10/31/lagenaria-siceraria-a-highly-productive-vegetable-for-hot-humid-climates/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_20190910_152636539_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20190910_152636539_HDR_1_1.jpgLagenaria siceraria is an outstandingly productive vegetable during Florida's summer months. It provides an excellent substitute for Zucchini/courgette and cucumber during the hottest months of the year.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_20190910_151833_1.jpgIMG_20190910_151833_1.jpgLagenaria siceraria is an amazingly productive vegetable for hot, humid climates. The taste is intermediate between cucumber and zucchini/courgette.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_20190917_092522_1.jpgIMG_20190917_092522_1.jpgLagenaria vines grow best on a trellis.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_20190913_131357_1.jpgIMG_20190913_131357_1.jpgThe local Asian food store sells what appears to be a much smaller fruited form of Lagenaria siceraria than the one my friend's farm grows. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_20190914_175142_1.jpgIMG_20190914_175142_1.jpgLageneria fruits are great raw. They can be cut into veggie sticks, sliced into salads, or cut into "zoodles", the raw vegetable noodles that have recently become popular as a tasty yet low calorie dish.2024-09-05T19:19:25+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/09/22/i-tried-a-fruitarian-diet-for-a-week-heres-what-i-experienced/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_171211172_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20190602_171211172_HDR_1_1.jpgHere's some of my fruit supply for the week, including mango, jackfruit, lychee, soursop, mamey, multiple varieties of banana, mangosteen, a couple kinds of passionfruit, sapodilla, casimiroa (aka white sapote), jaboticaba, mammee apple, ciruela, chocolate pudding fruit, cacao fruit, dragonfruit, tamarillo, and sprouted coconut.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_173326940_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190602_173326940_HDR_1.jpgWhatever fruits were ripest on a particular day were usually the ones I ate that day. This South Florida-grown guanabana (soursop, Annona muricata) was super-ripe when I got it, so it was one of the first to get eaten.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_110238951_1.jpgIMG_20190602_110238951_1.jpgLychee fruits are sweet-tart and juicy, a bit like a really good grape. Eating all fruit, I realized I needed to include a proportion of juicy fruits like lychee in my diet.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_172909259_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190602_172909259_HDR_1.jpgMamey (Pouteria sapota) is a an extremely rich, dense tropical fruit. The first few days I was eating a lot of mamey and gourmet varieties of bananas as my staples.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190608_094718329_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190608_094718329_HDR_1.jpgWhen I'm not experimenting with a raw/fruitarian diet, this is a typical kind of meal for me, a mix of cooked and raw plant foods. Cooked black beans and noodles, with raw carrot, purple cabbage, mango, and ginger, with a bit of oil, vinegar, and soy sauce added.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_170151392_hdr_1_1_1.jpgIMG_20190602_170151392_HDR_1_1_1.jpgMy fruitarian experiment didn't give me the results I expected, but it was an interesting experience. Maybe I'll try it again someday.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/img_20190602_171211172_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190602_171211172_HDR_1.jpgHere's some of my fruit supply for the week, including mango, jackfruit, lychee, soursop, mamey, multiple varieties of banana, mangosteen, a couple kinds of passionfruit, sapodilla, casimiroa (aka white sapote), jaboticaba, mammee apple, ciruela, chocolate pudding fruit, cacao fruit, dragonfruit, tamarillo, and sprouted coconut.2024-10-25T12:57:27+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/04/06/protecting-your-mulberries-and-other-fruit-trees-from-deer/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190406_142903259_1_1.jpgIMG_20190406_142903259_1_1.jpgMulberry leaves and twigs are among the favorite foods of deer. So if you live in deer country, and you're planting out young little mulberry trees in the hopes of getting harvests like this, you should invest in some deer protection.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190405_095113355_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20190405_095113355_HDR_1_1.jpgHere is my deer protection solution for young fruit trees: a cylinder of wire fencing, open on both ends, about 5-6 feet (1.5.2m) high, and about 3 feet (1m) in diameter. That's wide enough to not tip easily, and it keeps the deer away from the tree. And it's easy to lift this cylinder up and set it aside to do weed control and mowing around the tree. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190403_173753195_hdr_1_1.jpgIMG_20190403_173753195_HDR_1_1.jpgLook close and you can see the "browse line" created by deer on this mature mulberry tree. In my grove, the deer are welcome to eat all they want of the lower leaves and twigs on mid-size and larger fruit trees - this saves me the work of trimming to keep the underside of the tree clear.2021-01-31T19:06:18+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/03/22/how-do-trees-know-winters-coming/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/img_20190320_145817029_1.jpgIMG_20190320_145817029_1.jpgTrees keep track of what season it is by measuring the length of the nights. This sycamore tree is bare everywhere except where the street light shines on it at night. The night time illumination has fooled those branches into thinking it's still summer, so they've held onto their leaves. (Photo taken March 20, the spring equinox)2019-12-08T19:59:13+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/11/28/the-turkey-lake-american-persimmon-free-fruits-scionwood-are-available-in-gainesville/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191110_130119_1_1.jpgIMG_20191110_130119_1_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191121_131346_1_1.jpgIMG_20191121_131346_1_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191121_133337_1.jpgIMG_20191121_133337_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191102_160000_1.jpgIMG_20191102_160000_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191102_155114_1.jpgIMG_20191102_155114_1.jpgFruit trees planted in public locations create an abundance of food, accessible to all.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_20191121_131802_1.jpgIMG_20191121_131802_1.jpgPlease help protect this tree (and passers by) by removing fruit debris from the sidewalk. A few swipes with the bottom of your shoe and push fruit debris off the sidewalk.2024-11-04T14:02:41+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/08/21/chocolate-pudding-fruit-successfully-grafted-onto-american-persimmon/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/paul-zmoda-bs-on-dv.jpgpaul zmoda bs on dvPaul Zmoda's chocolate pudding fruit (Diospyros nigra) grafted onto American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), as of August 2019, growing near Tampa, FL. Paul says the three-year-old tree has flowered but not set any fruit yet. (possibly it may be needing a pollinator). The graft appears successful so far.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2015-04-25_18.00.261diospyros-digyna-grafted-onto-diospyros-virginianawg.jpg2015-04-25_18.00.261,Diospyros digyna grafted onto Diospyros virginiana,#wgBy April 2015, all the grafts of Diospyros nigra onto Diospyros virginiana were successful.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2015-02-12_09.51.304diospyros-digynablack-sapotechocolate-pudding-fruit-grafted-onto-diospyros-virginiananative-persimmonin-greenhousewg.jpg2015-02-12_09.51.304,Diospyros digyna,black sapote,chocolate pudding fruit, grafted onto Diospyros virginiana,native persimmon,in greenhouse,#wgIn approach grafting, you slice off some bark from both scion and rootstock and bind those cut places together while they hopefully join together. In February 2015, I tried this technique to graft chocolate pudding fruit onto several potted plants of American persimmon.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/bs-on-dv-graft-union-500p.jpgbs on dv, graft union, 500pA successful three-year old graft of chocolate pudding fruit (Diospyros nigra) onto American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana). Grafting and photo by Paul Zmoda.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/paul-zmoda-cleft-grafted-black-sapote-on-american-persimmon.jpgpaul zmoda cleft grafted black sapote on american persimmonIn August 2016, Paul Zmoda tried this same combo of Diospyros nigra onto Diospyros virginiana, using a cleft graft, and he also succeded.2021-07-08T04:57:30+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/07/31/what-its-like-to-eat-cacao-fruit/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img_20190607_100442706_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190607_100442706_HDR_1.jpgTo me, fresh whole cacao fruit is the highest, purest form of chocolate. Unfortunately it's hard to find this for sale in the US. Raw cacao nibs are the next best thing, in my opinion, and they are widely available.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_20190607_100431680_hdr_1.jpgIMG_20190607_100431680_HDR_1.jpgThe source of all chocolate is the cacao fruit. The white fruit pulp surrounding the beans is delicious, but it is usually discarded in making chocolate.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_20190702_072604720_1.jpgIMG_20190702_072604720_1.jpgThe cacao beans I processed from fresh fruits and sun-dried. In this form, I was able to store them in jars and enjoy them for many weeks.2024-05-10T06:58:07+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/06/17/where-to-get-tropical-fruits-in-south-florida-redland-market-village/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_101720593_1-1.jpgIMG_20190602_101720593_1-1.jpgMamey, rambutan, and litchi for sale at the Redland Village Market. Rambutan trees don't fruit well in Florida, so it was almost certainly imported. Mamey and litchi are major crops around the Homestead area and this was their season, so I'm assuming they were locally grown. If it's important to you to get local fruits, be sure to ask the vendor.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_101819321_1-1.jpgIMG_201906 02_101819321_1-1.jpgBeans and spices are for sale in bulk at the market. I didn't notice it till after I left the market, but the stuff sack in the center foreground looks like cacao beans - I've never seen those for sale outside of very expensive packages in natural food stores in the US.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_102001489_1-1.jpgIMG_20190602_102001489_1-1.jpgCiruela, also known as jocote or hog plum, is Spondias purpurea. It's a distant relative of mango with an excellent fruity flavor. This was the first time I'd ever seen the fruits for sale.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_101619292_1-1.jpgIMG_20190602_101619292_1-1.jpgThe covered pavilion near the entrance of Redland Market Village houses the produce vendors, with many tropical fruits available.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_110229867_1-1.jpgIMG_20190602_110229867_1-1.jpg2023-04-01T13:14:07+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/06/14/a-visit-to-mango-men-richard-campbell-sons/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190601_094521740_1_1.jpgIMG_20190601_094521740_1_1.jpgMango expert Richard Campbell and his sons run their small business, Mango Men, selling fruits from their tiny grove of choice mango varieties.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190601_094521740_1-1.jpgIMG_20190601_094521740_1-1.jpgMango expert Richard Campbell and his sons run their small business, Mango Men, selling fruits from their tiny grove of choice mango varieties.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190601_093139996_1-1.jpgIMG_20190601_093139996_1-1.jpgI was pretty excited about all the excellent mango varieties available.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190601_101159210_1-1.jpgIMG_20190601_101159210_1-1.jpgIan Campbell offers visitors samples of the choice mango varieties that the Mango Men grow.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_20190602_165147880_hdr_1-1.jpgIMG_20190602_165147880_HDR_1-1.jpgThis is what you get in a box of mixed varieties from Mango Men. Every week during mango season, the exact varieties available shift.2023-09-16T05:40:13+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/04/14/a-seedling-loquat-tree-with-very-impressive-fruits/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190401_084649332_1.jpgIMG_20190401_084649332_1.jpgThe nine foot (3m) tall tree made several clusters of fruit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_20190401_082518430_1.jpgIMG_20190401_082518430_1.jpgThis loquat tree's first fruiting produced some of the largest loquat fruits I've ever seen, despite growing under very adverse conditions. I'm interested in how it performs under better growing conditions.2019-12-23T11:47:53+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/02/28/a-good-year-for-loquats/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/img_20190205_122406467_1.jpgIMG_20190205_122406467_1.jpgLoquat trees (Eriobotrya japonica) can take some frost, and make a sweet fruit combining flavor elements of peach, pear, and mango.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/img_20190218_175932853_1.jpgIMG_20190218_175932853_1.jpg2024-03-29T12:42:29+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/01/31/the-gainesville-winter-fruitluck-was-chilly-but-fun/2019-12-07T01:12:59+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/12/29/its-tangerine-season/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181219_170129653_1.jpgIMG_20181219_170129653_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181219_161028552_1.jpgIMG_20181219_161028552_1.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181229_061641_513.jpgIMG_20181229_061641_513.jpghttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_20181219_095601105_HDR_1.jpgIMG_20181219_095601105_HDR_1.jpg2019-12-07T01:08:39+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/10/29/the-first-time-i-ever-ate-asian-persimmon/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_20181016_181453859-01.jpegIMG_20181016_181453859-01.jpeg'Hachiya' persimmons. This is the sight that greeted me in the store in early 90's that introduced me to this fruit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_20181016_181636975-01.jpegIMG_20181016_181636975-01.jpeg'Hachiya' persimmon, opened. This is an astringent-until-fully-ripe variety, and the instructions I got on those first persimmons said they should be as soft as a water balloon before eating. 2019-12-07T00:55:08+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/09/21/the-lettuce-that-thrives-in-the-steamy-heat-of-a-florida-summer-lactuca-indica-indian-lettuce/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_1607.jpgimg_1607At maturity, Indian lettuce can be taller than a person, flowering and setting seed.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_1606.jpgimg_1606Indian lettuce (Lactuca indica) is a relative of common lettuce with long, pale-green leaves that make an acceptable substitute for common lettuce in salads during hot, humid weather.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_1608.jpgimg_1608Flowers of Indian lettuce (Lactuca indica).https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_1364.jpgimg_1364As Indian lettuce (Lactuca indica) gets taller and taller, it keeps making good, harvestable leaves.2024-08-31T23:46:42+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/08/28/mystery-fig-number-two-please-help-id-this-big-red-luscious-fig/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_12651.jpgimg_1265This fig variety has an open, spreading growth habit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_4457.jpgimg_4457https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_4862.jpgimg_4862https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_4909.jpgimg_4909The fruits of this mystery fig are large and red, with an open eye. They have a distinctive melt-in-your-mouth quality.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_1264.jpgimg_1264Here's some of the diversity of leaf shape of this variety, alongside the fruit.2025-07-31T17:56:04+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/08/05/were-having-a-fruitluck-in-gainesville-fl-august-12/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_1390.jpgimg_1390At the fruitluck, there should be some fruits from the experimental, super-rich and creamy avocado varieties some of us are growing in North Florida.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0319.jpgimg_0319A fruitluck is an opportunity to share a great variety of different kinds of fruit, some of which you might not have ever tasted before, and to meet lots of great fruit-loving people. It's so much fun to see the rainbow of different colors of fruit arranged on the table at one of these events.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_1375.jpgimg_1375Breadfruit, jackfruit, and many other fruits are at Wards Supermarket lately.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_1376.jpgimg_1376You can find frozen durian for sale at Asian food stores. It's not cheap, but one durian can supply many people with a taste of this amazing tropical fruit. This photo was taken at Chun Ching Market in Gainesville. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0953.jpgimg_0953https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_0255.jpgimg_0255I hope to see you at the fruitluck!2019-12-07T00:38:30+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/08/01/ive-been-eating-breadfruit/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_1350.jpgimg_1350https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_1356.jpgimg_1356My favorite way (so far) to cook breadfruit is to pan-fry it with sliced onion in a bit of coconut oil. So delicious! 2022-04-03T03:45:03+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/07/20/cold-hardy-avocados-workshop-with-oliver-moore-july-29/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_1203.jpgimg_1203A number of seedling avocado trees have come into bearing in Oliver's yard, showing mixed characteristics of multiple excellent parent avocado varieties.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_1277.jpgimg_1277Cold-hardy Mexican avocados have a high oil content, giving them a rich flavor, and a thin, edible skin. 2021-05-06T03:21:06+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/07/13/golden-crispy-melon/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/img_1255.jpgimg_1255Golden Crispy Melon has a mild, fruity flavor, without the "musky" taste of many other melons. And it has a crispy texture, almost like eating an apple. 2019-12-07T00:19:54+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2017/10/06/fig-grafting-update-progress-with-ficus-pumila/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ficus-carica-grafted-onto-ficus-pumila.jpgCommon fig, Ficus carica, grafted onto creeping fig, Ficus pumila. Note the different leaf types above and below the graft.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cam01596.jpgFicus pumila fat stemSince I first did those grafts, I've discovered Ficus pumila can make stems fat enough to support a small fig tree. This Ficus pumila stem is about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/18889305_134844397083466_1633432919445864448_n.jpgFicus carica, common fig, grafted onto Ficus pumila, creeping fig.A little over a year later, the little tree is loaded with fruit. Common fig, Ficus carica, grafted onto Ficus pumila.2022-12-11T04:29:34+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/12/16/in-search-of-nematode-resistant-fig-rootstocks-progress-report-1/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/ficus-glomerata-grafted-fig-tree-at-echo.jpgFicus glomerata grafted fig tree at ECHOA tree of common fig, Ficus carica, grafted onto nematode-resistant Ficus glomerata rootstock at ECHO in Fort Myers in 1998. Sprouts at base are from the rootstock species, Ficus glomerata.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/ficus-palmata.jpgFicus palmataThis is the plant I got under the name Ficus palmata, which turned out to be highly sensitive to nematodes.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1-moraceae-ficus-carica2006_06_01_dscf1448-olivers-virginia-fig-1.jpg1.Moraceae.Ficus carica,2006_06_01_DSCF1448 olivers virginia figFigs are an outstanding fruit tree for Florida, but a rootstock that's resistant to nematodes could help them be much more successful here and in other subtropical and tropical regions.2022-04-11T17:58:14+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/06/28/mystery-fig-number-one-can-you-identify-this-fig-variety/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/img_1142.jpgimg_1142Mystery Fig Number One has a compact, spreading growth habit, with densely foliaged branches. Compare it to open, spreading habit of the fig trees in the background.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/img_1140.jpgimg_1140Leaf shape is quite variable on this tree (as it is on most fig trees). Here are the fruits, and the range of variation in leaf shape on this one tree.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/img_1135.jpgimg_1135Can you identify this mystery fig? It's got small, reddish purple, intensely sweet fruits, and they've been ripening in June, a month ahead of most fig varieties around here. 2021-10-14T22:08:51+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/05/31/the-magical-sweetening-power-of-miracle-fruit/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_0863.jpgimg_0863My miracle fruit tree is now over twenty years old. It's taller than I am, and produces abundant crops of fruit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_0877.jpgimg_08772022-10-22T20:57:23+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/05/06/my-simple-inexpensive-solar-fruit-dehydrator/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_0832.jpgimg_0832Slices of carambola/starfruit (Averrhoa carambola), and a few mulberries, after spending a sunny day dehydrating on the roof.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_0846.jpgimg_08462019-12-06T23:40:10+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/04/21/jaboticaba-has-some-tasty-cousins/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/red-jaboticaba-cut-open.jpgred jaboticaba cut openRed jaboticaba ( Myrciaria cauliflora hybrid). These have a delicious flavor, and produce multiple crops a year.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1-myrtaceae-plinia-cauliflora-2013-04-03_16-34.jpg1.Myrtaceae.Plinia.cauliflora.2013-04-03_16.34The purple jaboticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) was the first one introduced to Florida, and is the most widely grown here.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/grimal-jabo.jpggrimal jabo'Grimal' jaboticaba, Myrciaria spirito-santensishttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_0700.jpgimg_0700Jaboticaba cousins. Clockwise from lower left: trunciflora jaboticaba (Myrciaria trunciflora), red jaboticaba (Myciaria cauliflora hybrid), Grimal jaboticaba (Myrciaria spirito-santensis), yellow jaboticaba (Myrciaria glazioviana).https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_0741.jpgimg_0741Yellow jaboticaba, Myrciaria glazioviana. Called cabelluda or cabeludinha in its homeland of Brazil.2022-05-28T01:56:18+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/04/15/were-harvesting-loquats/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_0653.jpgimg_0653https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_0649.jpgimg_0649https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_0656.jpgimg_06562019-12-05T02:12:43+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/03/22/first-fruiting-of-my-red-jaboticaba-tree/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0453.jpgimg_0453https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0473.jpgimg_0473This fruiting of red jaboticaba coincided with the first fruits of the season from my "Sixth Street" mulberry.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0487.jpgimg_0487First fruiting of the red jaboticaba tree in my greenhouse. As the tree matures, it should fruit so heavily the tree-trunk won't even be visible because of all the fruits sprouting out of it. (Myrciaria cauliflora aka Plinia cauliflora)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0488.jpgimg_0488Jaboticabas have the speediest time from flowers to ripe fruit of any species I know. I photographed these flowers on the red jaboticaba tree on February 18, and they became ripe fruits on March 21, just thirty-one days later.2024-03-05T23:36:42+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/03/15/i-named-this-carambola-variety-anna/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0123.jpgimg_0123The 'Anna' carambola trees in my greenhouse sometimes set very heavy crops of fruit. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0338.jpgimg_0338Carambola (starfruit), variety 'Anna'. Averrhoa carambola. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_0393-1.jpgimg_0393-1I grafted an 'Anna' twig onto a side-branch of the 'Kari' tree in my greenhouse. In subsequent years I selectively pruned to allow the 'Anna' trunk to become dominant. 2019-12-05T01:58:58+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/02/25/the-tampa-bay-monthly-fruitluck/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0283.jpgimg_0283We had a great time eating lots of heavenly fruit, and enjoying lots of great conversation. The Tampa Bay Fruitluck is a great community-building event.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0231.jpgimg_0231https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0255.jpgimg_0255https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0320.jpgimg_0320So many great people, and so much heavenly fruit! The Tampa Bay Fruitluck is a very fun event.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0287.jpgimg_0287Matt and his wife were vacationing from Vermont, where they have an apple orchard. Matt brought some 'Honeycrisp' apples from trees he grafted himself. 2019-12-05T01:28:06+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/01/28/sparkleberry-the-wild-blueberry-cousin-that-supplies-me-with-antioxidants-all-winter/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/lnd_b4ee7fa9-25eb-4379-ab58-909e4fa22f21.jpgsparkleberry oatmealSparkleberries add a powerful antioxidant punch to my winter breakfasts of oatmeal. (Vaccinum arboreum) Here also featuring "Dwarf Orinoco" banana slices, and "Anna" carambola.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5354.jpgharvesting sparkleberriesSparkleberries are a wild blueberry relative available free for the picking here in North Florida. They have similar antioxidant anthocyanin pigments as blueberries, and are available from November through February. (Vaccinium arboreum) https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5318.jpgIMG_5318If you live in the southeastern US, you can likely find antioxidant-rich sparkleberries growing wild. (Make sure you're 100% sure you've correctly identified anything before eating it.) https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12568212_1718798185008336_1297804998_n.jpg12568212_1718798185008336_1297804998_nSparkleberries (Vaccinium arboreum) next to their cultivated relative, blueberries. 2023-07-04T16:26:02+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2018/01/11/florida-got-frosted-january-2018/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/image1.jpegtangerinesThese 'Sunburst' tangerines came through the freeze fine, and are now getting sweeter every day. Most citrus varieties carry fruit through at least part of the winter. For 'Sunburst', I've found it's got to get down to at least 20F (-7C) to damage either trees or fruit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/tub.jpgtubThe heating system for my tropical fruit greenhouse is a wood-fired hot tub. During freezing weather, it is absolutely luxurious to soak in the steaming hot water, gazing at the tropical fruit trees all around, knowing that water is protecting the fruit trees from the cold.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/seedlings.jpgseedlingsThese small tropical fruit trees survived the freeze with no damage, because they were planted in the shade of big evergreen oak trees. Chocolate pudding fruit (aka black sapote, Diospyros digyna) on the left, mango (Mangifera indica) on the right. Had they been planted in the open, they probably would have been killed to the ground.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/nursery-covering.jpgnursery-coveringThis method of cold protection for nursery plants doesn't look pretty. It's labor-intensive. And it makes a mess of spilled soil. But laying cold-sensitive plants on their sides and covering with layers of plastic and frost cloth works beautifully for protecting them from cold. Shown here fully covered, and partially uncovered - still green!https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/frozen-papaya.jpgfrozen papayaYou don't often see a papaya plant encased in ice. A farmer near Gainesville turned on misters spraying water in his greenhouse overnight as a heat source to protect the potted papayas and other plants. The night got colder than he anticipated, and temperatures in parts of the greenhouse dipped low enough to freeze both the sprayed water and some of the potted papayas, encasing some in ice. Fortunately, some parts of the greenhouse didn't get as cold, so not all his papaya stock, intended for spring planting, was lost. (Believe it or not, this papaya plant actually survived - details in a later post.)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/image.jpegimageTangerines: 'Sunburst' tangerines, doing fine after the freeze, getting sweeter every day. Most citrus varieties carry fruit through at least part of the winter. For 'Sunburst', I've found it's gotta get down to at least 20F (---C) to damage either trees or fruit.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5209.jpgIMG_5209This is the first time I've ever seen papaya plants with icicles on them. A local farmer had misters spraying water in his greenhouse overnight as a heat source to protect the potted papayas and other plants. The night got colder than he anticipated, and temperatures in parts of the greenhouse dipped low, freezing both the sprayed water and potted papayas. Fortunately, some parts of the greenhouse didn't get as cold, so not all his papaya stock (intended for spring planting) was lost.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5208.jpggreenhouse within a greenhouseMy tropical fruit greenhouse currently features a greenhouse-within-a-greenhouse. Trees that can handle a touch of frost are in the outer greenhouse; more cold-sensitive species are in the inner structrure. All covers come off for the summer.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_5158.jpgIMG_5158These papaya plants are warm and snug in their beds on a frosty winter night, dreaming tropical dreams. We wrapped Christmas lights wrapped around them as a heat source, and covered with a layer of frost cloth and plastic. They survived the freeze okay, while papaya plants given lesser protection froze.2019-12-05T01:15:32+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2017/12/28/im-converting-sour-plum-trees-into-sweet-plum-trees-by-grafting/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/image3.jpegplum graftIn the modified technique I've been using to graft sweet varieties onto sour wild plums, I choose smaller diameter stems to graft onto - one inch (2.5 cm) diameter or smaller. And I've been setting the graft a bit back from the cut off stem. Here's what a successful graft done this way looks like two years later. (The branch coming off to the lower right is from the rootstock, so I need to trim that off.)https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/newberry-plum-edited.jpgNewberry plum, editedI found a group of wild plum trees along a roadside near Newberry, Florida that make outstandingly delicious sweet, red fruits - much better than any other wild plum fruits I've sampled around here. I collected budwood twigs from the trees, and I've been grafting it onto my wild plum trees, labeling it variety, Newberry'.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2014-03-22-12-10-39-1.jpgbark grafting plumsTo convert sour-fruited plum trees to sweet varieties, I first tried the bark graft (aka rind graft). It's an easy graft to do and gave quick results: these budwood twigs had been fully dormant when I inserted them a week before the photo was taken, and just seven days later they were sprouting new growth. But I found this graft often had problems: the scions would grow for weeks or months, then get snapped off by a heavy wind, or just mysteriously die. I've since modified my plum-grafting technique.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2015-05-23wild-plums.jpg2015-05-23, Newberry sweet wild plumsAlong a roadside near Newberry, Florida, I found a group of wild plum trees with outstandingly delicious sweet, red fruits - much better than any other wild plum fruits I've sampled around here. I collected budwood twigs from the trees, and I've been grafting it onto my wild plum trees, labeling it variety, 'Newberry'. 2021-03-10T03:27:12+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2017/12/21/i-just-got-a-plant-of-silas-woods-the-dwarf-everbearing-sapodilla/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/manilkara-sapota-dee-sem.jpgManilkara sapota, dee semhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/silas-woods-sapodilla.jpgSilas Woods sapodilla'Silas Woods', the dwarf, everbearing variety of sapodilla. All these fruits were on a two year old tree. Photo by Celeste Welch.2019-12-05T01:03:31+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2017/12/07/limequat-a-delicious-type-of-citrus-and-the-fruit-geek-who-created-it/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/1894-freeze-citrus-1.jpg1894 freeze citrus, 1The devastating freezes of 1894 and 1895 destroyed many of the citrus trees in Florida, and raised awareness of the need to develop citrus trees with increased cold tolerance.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/walter-swingle-portrait.jpgwalter swingle portraitWalter Swingle, fruit geek extraordinaire. Born in 1871, Swingle grew up on a farm in Kansas, and moved to Florida at age 20 to work for the US Department of Agriculture on citrus. He traveled the world collecting crop varieties. Among his many other breeding projects, in 1909 he crossed Key lime and kumquat to create limequat.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/image2.jpegimage'Lakeland' limequat is outstandingly productive. It's possible to harvest over a gallon (four liters) of fruit from each tree every week for many months of the year.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/image1.jpeglimequatLimequat is a cross between Key lime and kumquat. It combines the flavor and aroma of Key lime with the cold hardiness and edible peel of kumquat.2023-04-01T16:46:19+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2017/11/12/i-got-to-taste-a-kind-of-fruit-that-dinosaurs-ate/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/asimina-parviflora-cut-open.jpgAsimina parviflora cut openhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/meiogyne-cylindrica-cut-open.jpgMeiogyne cylindrica cut openhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/asimina-parviflora-pawpaw-and-meiogyne-cylindrica-fingersop.jpgAsimina parviflora pawpaw and Meiogyne cylindrica finger-sophttps://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/meiogine-cylindrica-larry-shatzer.jpgMeiogine cylindrica, larry shatzer2019-12-05T00:39:42+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2019/12/04/exploring-florida-citrus-history-at-the-winter-garden-heritage-museum/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191130_140552_1.jpgIMG_20191130_140552_1.jpgOn frosty winter nights, growers would place among their trees smudge pots, a metal contraption filled with oil, and let them burn all night to keep the trees warm.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191130_140631_1.jpgIMG_20191130_140631_1.jpgSome of the vintage citrus crate labels at the museum.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191130_140430_1.jpgIMG_20191130_140430_1.jpgThe museum shows original equipment used in harvesting and shipping citrus. Here there's a "crate jig" for assembling the fruit shipping crates in a packing house, and a bag used by workers in the groves to harvest oranges.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/clock-tower-citrus.jpgclock-tower-citrus.jpgThe Winter Garden Heritage Museum is small, so it's best considered as part of a visit to downtown Winter Garden. One part I thought was especially fun: seeing the vintage crate label for "Clock Tower Brand" citrus in the Museum, then stepping out to see the actual Clock Tower featured on the label from almost a hundred years ago, still standing in downtown Winter Garden. I didn't realize till after I took these photos that the clock was at almost exactly the same time. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_20191130_140612_1.jpgIMG_20191130_140612_1.jpgThe walls of the citrus room at the museum are covered with early to mid twentieth century art, the beautiful labels affixed to citrus crates to create brand loyalty.2021-06-03T21:59:30+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/12/09/a-warm-fall-has-meant-a-great-papaya-crop/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/papayas-for-sale-at-market.jpgpapayas for sale at marketSelling ripe papayas at the farmer's market. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/12224598_1391796237788604_1776363436_n.jpg12224598_1391796237788604_1776363436_nThis papaya was a small potted plant that was set in the ground in May. Photo taken in November. 2019-12-03T01:47:05+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/11/25/first-fruiting-of-eugenia-reinwardtiana/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/11421834_939229759457833_683656791_n.jpg11421834_939229759457833_683656791_nEugenia reinwardtiana, Cedar Bay Cherry - first two fruits ripening.2019-12-03T01:42:48+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/11/10/gainesville-fl-people-the-turkey-lake-persimmon-tree-at-dreamers-garden-is-loaded-right-now/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1445293688.jpgGainesville people: the 'Turkey Lake' persimmon tree at Dreamers Garden is LOADED right now. Free to all. Please indulge in some sweet autumnal bounty. Corner of NW 10th Ave and 4th St, across from Earth Pets.#diospyrosvirginiana #autumn #harvest #ebenaceae #persimmon #treecrops #floridafruit #fruit #rawfood'Turkey Lake' native persimmon.2019-12-03T01:25:11+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/11/02/working-on-building-a-good-foundation/2019-12-03T01:12:45+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/fruit-and-spice-park-the-all-you-can-eat-tropical-fruit-botanical-garden/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_20190601_162938_1.jpgIMG_20190601_162938_1.jpgBe sure to check under the jackfruit trees: if you're really lucky, you might discover a fallen jackfruit before any other visitors have found it.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_20190601_111933_1.jpgIMG_20190601_111933_1.jpgFruit and Spice park boasts a 37-acre collection of tropical fruit trees, open to the public. At the front desk, park staff assemble a constantly-changing display of fruits currently in season, along with tasting plates of sliced samples of these fruits.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2013-04-07_10.57-fsp-african-oil-palm.jpg2013-04-07_10.57 fsp african oil palmYou can see some trees in the park that are rarely seen in the US, like African Oil Palm, the controversial source of vegetable oil in many of the foods we eat.https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2013-02-09_13.20-avocado-fsp.jpg2013-02-09_13.20 avocado fspDuring the fall-to-winter avocado season, there is an unbelievable abundance of avocados falling from the trees at Fruit and Spice Park. When I visit during those months, it's fun to some bread slices, a bit of salt, and make avocado sandwiches.2019-07-03T19:25:46+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/web-mentions/2018-07-20T19:39:44+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/how-to-start-fruit-trees-from-seed/2018-04-13T01:38:33+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/videos/2018-03-15T01:09:23+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/how-to-use-botanical-names/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/pawpaw-name.jpgPawpaw name2017-09-23T17:35:28+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/the-vision/https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/14717525_397062713990817_1127759954099306496_n.jpg14717525_397062713990817_1127759954099306496_nThe extreme productivity of starfruit trees never ceases to amaze me. All these fruits are growing on one smallish branch, on a tree that's not much taller than I am. https://floridafruitgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/15875871_1805955082976128_5330147486277304320_n.jpg15875871_1805955082976128_5330147486277304320_nThe tropics hold tremendously promising underutilized tree crops. Shown here are some obscure cousins of durian and jackfruit from the island of Borneo. (Photo by <a>Fit Shortie)2017-09-17T21:55:48+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/botany-basics/2017-08-16T00:00:08+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.com/2015/10/14/bring-on-the-fruit-and-get-your-geek-on/2015-10-14T20:58:31+00:00monthlyhttps://floridafruitgeek.com/about-2/2015-10-14T20:10:49+00:00weekly0.6https://floridafruitgeek.comdaily1.02026-03-15T20:19:07+00:00