Mamey sapote has a sweet, almond-like, unique flavor

The pulp has a sweet, almond-like, unique flavor.

Different cultivars produce at different times of the year and planting of 3-4 cultivars may suffice to have mature fruit year-round (e.g., 'Tazumal', 'Pace', 'Magana', and 'Pantin'):

- Pace, season Mar.-Apr., Excellent flavor, Tall tree, High yield, Precocious! Small fruit vs. large fruit for Magana, spring mamey like Magana. Fruit ripens evenly vs. Magana. Fruits every year vs. every other year for Magana. Pace is a cross between Magana and Tazumal. It has the smaller size and productivity of Tazumal, but it ripens evenly vs. Tazumal and Magana. Developed in 1970's.

- Magana - season April-May, Good flavor, Small/slow growing tree, High yield. Precocious! Enormous fruit, up to 5-6 pounds. Uneven ripening can be a problem. To make sure the fruit is ready to ripe, scratch the surface at the neck - it must be pink or red (not green). Spring mamey like Pace. Magana was developed by the Magana family in El Salvador.

- Pantin (old name: Key West), season July-Aug, Excellent flavor, Tall tree, Medium yield. Summer mamey like Pace. The original tree is apparently still standing next to Key West fire station as of 2019, hence the name, Key West.

- Lara, summer mamey like Pace. Blood-red color.

- 'Abuelo', season Oct.-Nov., Excellent flavor, Spreading tree, Medium flavor

- Tazumal, season Jan.-Feb., Good flavor, Medium tree, High yield. Tazumal is the only mamey to fruit in winter in Florida. The tree is very hard to find as of 2019. It is not very popular because the fruit ripens unevenly. Uneven ripening is similar to Magana.

- Florida', season Mar.-Apr., Good flavor, Tall tree, High yield

In Florida, there are two main varieties:

- spring mamey - Magana, Pace
- summer mamey - Pantin/Key West, Lara

Tazumal is the most productive variety but the fruit is small, although numerous. Here is a scientific paper from University of Puerto Rico comparing the top 4 commercial cultivars: http://buff.ly/2sfNfnI. They all reached their commercial potential in terms of production by year 5 after planting.

Many of the newer Mamey sapote varieties were developed by Pablo Lara at Lara Farms in Homestead, for example, Pace and Lara. If you go, the nursery is cash only. Here is the info: http://www.larafarms.com -- As of 2019, they are evaluating up to 10-15 new mamey varieties.

Mamey trees have the reputation of slow growers. Julian Lara offered the following tips in the video below in 2019: use fertilizer 20-20-20 every month, water with fresh water (no standing water, quick drainage area), water with liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks (1 even scoop Miracle-Gro in 1 gallon of water): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSIOOYXMBMQ

Mamey Sapote with The Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida (video):



How to tell when a Mamey Sapote is ripe:



References:

FC30/MG331: Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape http://buff.ly/2ncz1RF
http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/fruitproducts_m.htm
'Pace' Mamey Sapote http://buff.ly/2mk8XH2
The Mamey Sapote in South Florida http://buff.ly/2mkdOru
Pouteria sapota, Mamey, Mamey Sapote - http://buff.ly/2mjYEmi
Mamey Sapote http://buff.ly/2mki8Hn
Yield and Fruit Quality Traits of Mamey Sapote Cultivars Grown at Two Locations in Puerto Rico http://buff.ly/2sfNfnI
https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/49152/1/mamey_sapote.pdf

Jackfruit tree

The Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida present - Jakfruit- with your host, Julian Lara.
http://TropicalFruitGrowers.com



Fairchild's Senior Curator of Tropical Fruit, Dr. Richard J. Campbell demonstrates how to prune a jackfruit tree:



Related reading:

Growing Jackfruit in South Florida - The Survival Gardener http://buff.ly/1TSukLJ
http://theindianvegan.blogspot.in/2012/10/all-about-jackfruit-in-india.html
How to Germinate Jackfruit Seeds | The Survival Gardener http://buff.ly/2r5XoE1

Longans

The Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida present - Longans - with host Julian Lara.

http://TropicalFruitGrowers.com

Lychee fruit tree

The Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida present - Lychees - with host Julian Lara.
http://TropicalFruitGrowers.com



Related reading:

Lychees harvest near Miami - Summer 2015 http://buff.ly/1B6LvAr
Lychee as Dangerous Fruit: Mystery of Deadly Outbreaks in India Is Solved http://buff.ly/2kAjA7P

Passion Fruit

Passion Fruit with The Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida:



References:

All About Passion Fruit in India (Granadilla, Too!) http://buff.ly/2lbU85O

Sapodilla (sapote) fruit tree

Here are some sapodilla varieties:

Dwarf trees

- 'Alano' - smaller tree, best tasting as reported by Pine Island Nursery in Homestead, Florida. Originated in Hawaii. Season is November to June. Small tree, small to medium fruit. The fruit has a brown flesh and is bigger than Makok.

- 'Makok' - compact, dwarf, small tree. Originated in Thailand. Season is May to November, but it fruits year round in South Florida. Small tree, small fruit. Makok is a true dwarf tree and the tree itself is very productive. The fruit is small but with intense caramel flavor.

- 'Silas Wood' is a very productive tree at an early age. The fruit is the largest of the dwarf trees, bigger than Alano and Makok. Silas Wood always has fruit on the tree in South Florida in different stages of maturity.

Larger trees

- 'Hasya' is a commercial variety. Originated in Mexico. The season is November to June. Large tree. Overall, Hasya seems to be the best sapodilla tree for South Florida but it slower to produce than the dwarf trees above.

- 'Molix' is similar but with a different production season. Shorter season - February to April. Originated in Mexico.

- 'Morena' is a heavier producer. Shorter season - February to April. Originated in Mexico.

- Campeche. Originated in Mexico - state of Campeche.

- Ox. Originated in Mexico, full name is Oxkutzcab. May to September.

- Tikal, Main, December–March; minor, May–September. The advantage is the long production season, it only takes a break during April.

Seasons:

Summer and Fall: May to September/November
Makok
Ox
Tikal

Winter and Spring
November to June
Alano
Hasya
Tikal

Short season - Spring
Molix
Morena

Pine Island Nursery's Sapodilla Viewer: http://buff.ly/2hsSvmg

Sapodilla has one of longer production seasons among tropical fruits - 6 months: fruits http://buff.ly/2hsEh59

A sapodilla video from the grower Truly Tropical in Delray Beach, FL:



A video introducing sapodilla from the Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida:



Related:

HS1/MG057: Sapodilla Growing in the Florida Home Landscape http://buff.ly/2hsE55E
Sapodilla - Morton's Fruits of warm climates http://buff.ly/2jU0Srg
'Chicle': A Chewy Story Of The Americas http://buff.ly/2jUa3rN
How to pick sapodilla https://buff.ly/2pig5UB

Dragon Fruit Cactus

Dragon Fruit - Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida:



How to grow a Dragon Fruit tree 101 - YouTube http://bit.ly/16Duj6w:



Related:

How to Bulid A Simple Trellis 101 - YouTube http://bit.ly/16DuFKF
http://theindianvegan.blogspot.in/2012/10/all-about-dragon-fruit.html



https://gardenerd.com/blog/propagating-dragon-fruit-from-cuttings/

Waimanalo Low Bearing Papaya

Papaya (Carica papaya) is a short-lived perennial growing to 30 ft (9.14 m) high. Its hollow, herbaceous stem is usually unbranched.

Two kinds of papayas are commonly grown. One has sweet, red or orange flesh, and the other has yellow flesh; in Australia, these are called "red papaya" and "yellow papaw", respectively. Either kind, picked green, is called a "green papaya."

The large-fruited, red-fleshed 'Maradol', 'Sunrise', and 'Caribbean Red' papayas often sold in US markets are commonly grown in Mexico and Belize.

Genetically altered papaya (including 'SunUp' and 'Rainbow') have some PRV DNA incorporated into the DNA of the plant are resistant to PRVs. This was so successful that by 2010, 80% of Hawaiian papaya plants were genetically modified.

Solo papaya

The 'Solo' varieties are valued for productivity, uniform fruit shape and size, and excellent fruit quality. 'Solo' strains are predominantly self-pollinated and thus are highly inbred and uniform.

Three 'Solo'-type varieties are grown commercially in Hawaii:

- The most important is 'Kapoho', which has yellow-orange flesh and fruits that weigh 12 to 22 oz, considered an ideal size for export. 'Kapoho' is adapted to the Puna district of the island of Hawaii, where approximately 90 percent of the state's papayas are grown.

- 'Sunrise' variety, commercially grown primarily on Kauai, has reddish-orange flesh and larger fruit than 'Kapoho'. 'Sunrise' is grown and marketed on a large scale overseas, but in Hawaii its production and export are small compared to those of 'Kapoho'.

- 'Waimanalo' variety, which has yellow-orange flesh and somewhat larger fruit than other 'Solo' papayas, is grown and marketed almost entirely on Oahu.

Waimanalo Papaya

Waimanalo Papaya is a yellow flesh solo papaya, which bears low to the ground initially. It is larger than the popular Sunrise papaya, weighing 22-32 ounces. Sunrise has a pink flesh.

This papaya was developed in 1960 and was publicly introduced in 1968. In temperate zones it can be cultivated in large pots and taken indoors during the winter. As the name suggests, it starts bearing when very short and continues for a good couple of years.

How to grow

Papaya is grown from seed. Dry seed may be stored for a year or more in airtight refrigerated containers. Fresh seeds will usually germinate in 10 to 14 days.

Seeds are sown either in containers or directly in the ground. Transplanting container-grown plants is usually limited to areas where there is dependable rainfall or supplemental irrigation. When direct-sowing, 10 to 15 seeds are sown 1/4 to 1/2 in (63 to 127 mm) deep in each planting hole.

Papaya grows well on many types of soil, but they must be adequately drained. Restricted soil drainage promotes root diseases.

Seeds are available here: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/seeds.asp



Papaya - Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida.

References:

http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/crops/i_papa.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya
Overview of crop improvement projects in Hawaii (PDF, 1982) http://buff.ly/1ZyEH7r
Papaya - Hedonista http://buff.ly/1Mv3YZt

Star Fruit or Carambola

Carambola, also known as starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola.The fruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia. The tree is also cultivated throughout non-indigenous tropical areas, such as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand.

Lara Farms Carambola Video:



The Tropical Fruit Growers present - Carambola - with your host, Julian Lara.
http://TropicalFruitGrowers.com



Cultivation

The carambola is a tropical and subtropical fruit. It does not have a soil type preference, but it requires good drainage.

Carambola trees are planted at least 20 feet (6.1 m) from each other and typically are fertilized three times a year. The tree grows rapidly and typically produces fruit at four or five years of age.

In the United States, commercial cultivation and broad consumer acceptance of the fruit only dates to the 1970s. That acceptance is attributable to Morris Arkin, a backyard horticulturalist, from Coral Gables, Florida. During the late 1960s, Arkin began cultivating plants and trees in his backyard, eventually developing a kind of carambola, or star fruit, that became commercially viable and was named after him. Until the early 1970s, carambola had been grown only as specimen trees in botanical gardens and experiment stations and as a curiosity in home landscapes. However, because of its attractive star shape when cut in cross-section and yellow to golden color, it began to grow in popularity. Fruit from early introductions were however, sour and sometimes considered unpalatable. This limited market and public acceptance, inhibiting development and expansion of carambola as a commercial fresh fruit. Arkin cultivated the 'Arkin' variety – a sweet carambola with good handling characteristics – in the mid to late 1970s. Soon afterward, the limited commercial area of carambola under cultivation in south Florida (4 to 12 ha) was top-worked to 'Arkin' and this new cultivar led to a rapid increase in consumer demand for the fruit which further stimulated interest in establishing new commercial plantings. Today, the 'Arkin' variety represents 98% of the current acreage in South Florida.

The Star Fruit Tree - from Eat Your Backyard YouTube channel:



Star Fruit, or Carambola is an excellent fruit tree if you want something dependable and productive. Video by TheFloridaPrepper:



References:

HS12/MG269: Carambola Growing in the Florida Home Landscape http://bit.ly/1Pa8cHt
Carambola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://bit.ly/1Pa89LW
Star Fruit aka Carambola - John Kohler's OKRaw YouTube channel http://bit.ly/1Pa8oq6
The Star Fruit Tree - YouTube http://bit.ly/1DpgxzM
Florida Survival Gardening: Starfruit: An easy-to-grow fruit tree for South Florida http://bit.ly/1D6Wdq1
Carambola Trees - Pepe Plants, Davie, FL http://bit.ly/1Pa7Kcq
All About Starfruit in India http://buff.ly/2l7qa7b

Banana

Banana - Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida

Avocado

The best avocados to grow in your garden:



From California Gardening: "We show you the techniques on how to successfully grow avocados in your garden. See the different avocado varieties to grow in your garden and then decide which one you want to grow! We show you the Gem Avocado in detail. A daughter of the "Gwen Avocado", the "Gem Avocado" is one of the most prolific varieties of avocado to grow. By following these simple tips, you can grow tasty and healthy avocados in your garden."




Avocado - Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida

Guava

Guava - Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida



How to Grow Guava Trees by Richard Skinner, Hawkins Corner Nursery 813-752-4938, 3611 James L. Redman Parkway, Plant City, FL USA 33567

Cattley Guava is not grafted and can be grown from seed, just like papaya. They are smaller, but cattley guava is usually reported as disease- and pest-free.

References:

Cattley Guava http://bit.ly/1xWsbhP

Available from Ebay:

Showy Fragrant Strawberry Guava 15 Seeds RARE 1032 | eBay http://ebay.to/1xWuFfY
15 Dwarf Pineapple Strawberry Guava Seeds 1080 | eBay http://ebay.to/1xWvS7d
Psidium Cattleianum Strawberry Guava Tropical Fruit Tree Great for Pots Seeds | eBay http://ebay.to/1xWvXrB
GROW TROPICAL GUAVA TREE - YouTube http://bit.ly/16Dt1sl