PERSIAN LIMES

Persian Limes

Grown in Hillsbrough County, Pesticide Free.

                                                      Carambolas (Star Fruit) 

 Steve sl.rainforest@gmail.com

DRAGON FRUIT / PITAYA

Dragon Fruit

Pitaya, commonly known as Dragon Fruit is a tropical  cactus which normally grow in trees in the forest, originally from Mexico. It can easily be grown here in central Florida. You can grow it from seed, but it is much easily grow from cuttings. With in 2 to 3 years it will be mature and you will begin to get flowers followed by fruit.

How to grow your Dragon Fruit

You can either plant it in a Large pot or directly into the ground. In either case you will need a 6 foot trellis for it to climb. Plant in full sun. Water it twice a week and keep it weed free. Mulch it with pine bark as it needs a little acid.

Ripe Dragon Fruit

Unripe Fruit

Dragon Fruit almost ready to pick

Dragon Fruit plant

Dragon fruit with tentacles looking for a place to climb.

PLANT ZONE BY ZIP CODE

Posted by: Steve Lohn

      Email: tropicalfruittrees@gmail.com

Ive been asked many times, how I determine what planting zone I'm in. Well here is a web site put out by the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx

In this web page  all you do is insert your zip code and the site gives you you're planting zone. For those of you outside of the United States, I'm sorry, this only works here.

Dragon Fruit

It's finally cooled off here in Central Florida (high 80's / low 90's), the temperature been so hot(high 90's) that I was only able to spend a few hours a day in my garden. While cleaning out weeds I ran across a couple of Dragon Fruit. These are Photos of the same fruit.

Vietnamese Jaina

Vietnamese Jaina

51/2" Vietnamese Jaina

Vietnamese Jaina sliced

JACK FRUIT

   Jack Fruit is an interesting fruit, it is reported to be the largest fruit in the world. It grows not from a branch, but, on the trunk of the tree. In Asia is grows to a weight of over 100 lbs. In the U.S.A. it grows much smaller I've seen them weighing 25 lbs. The flavor is similar to Juicy Fruit gum, some say that Juicy Fruit gum actual got its flavor from the Jack Fruit. 

   Preparing a Jack Fruit is not as easy as some fruit. Unless very ripe, it is full of latex. You need to either oil you hands and knife with vegetable oil or at least wear kitchen gloves while cutting it. Both the fruit and the seeds are edible.

Apex. 20 lb Jack Fruit

SUGAR APPLES

   Sugar Apple, Sweetsop, [Annona Squamosa] originally from Jamaica, can be found in most of the Caribbean Islands.  Unlike most fruit trees, the Sugar Apple will start to flower and bear fruit two years from seed. 

   Eating them is kind of like eating fondue, a lot of work for a little bit of great flavor. The way it works, is that most of the fruit is wrapped around each seed and there are a lot of seeds. The inside of the Sugar Apple's skin can be scraped with your feet or a spoon, its taste is like eating brown sugar. 

   Sugar Apples are not a good produce for the Super Market, as it doesn't reach its full flavor until it begins to fall apart. A specialty shop may be able to market it if the grower is near by, because it ripens is only a few days. 

Sugar Apple Flowers

Green Sugar Apples

Red Sugar Apple

Pineapple's

PINEAPPLES

The beginning of a Pineapple

A Pineapple almost ready to be picked

      Pineapples are so easy to grow, I don't know why more people don't grow their own. Keep in mind that it takes eighteen months to grow one Pineapple and after you have picked it; the plant will produce another Pineapple. The Pineapple is ready to be picked when you lean over and it smells sweet.

 

 For more information on Pineapples, look up my Posting's:

                "History of Pineapples"

                "Growing Pineapples".

Pineapple's from my yard