supermario

I've learned the hard way that quality comes at a price. I purchased many plants online only to end up dissappointed. The nursery Richard mentioned is not far from where I live and is an excellent place of business.

My negative experiences are not limited to online purchases either.. I purchased a jaboticaba and sapodilla plant from Richard Lyon's nursery, which is also nearby. I have been struggling to keep the sapodilla upright since the day I bought it because the root base was sooo small. The jaboticaba has done well, but I paid far too much for the plant. I know this because I found a nursery(Ray's Nursery right by Pine Island), which sold me a Jaboticaba tree 3 times the size of Richard's for only $10 more!! Richard also assured me that black pepper did not grow well here, yet I purchased a plant from Pine Island Nursery and I now have a monster of a plant loaded with fruit!

I guess what Im trying to say is.. based on Pine Islands reputation, their plants are a bargain! Richard Lyon's is more expensive and is complete garbage. Ebay sellers rarely have the real deal and usually ship plants bare root.

Also, in order to get the most out of the plant, you will need to make a significant investment into building a proper support structure. My plan is putting me over $100.. far more than I paid for the plant!

Here is a picture of a well established, properly supported plant.


You can use lots of different techniques. I have to worry about hurricanes, so I am building and extra sturdy support. Either way though, I don't think there is a cheap way to build a good, strong support since the plants can weigh over 100lbs after only a few years!

P.S. Richard Lyon's nursery is not the Richard that posts on this site. Just wanted to make that clear.