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View Full Version : Your favorite/easiest potted tropical fruit tree?


Gardener972
04-28-2008, 12:17 AM
Just curious... what tropical fruit tree/s are you growing in a pot that you find to be the easiest to grow, most disease resistant, and that fruit for you?

Richard
04-28-2008, 12:43 AM
Babaco, the "pineapple papaya" -- see this thread: http://www.bananas.org/f8/babaco-3825.html#post30678

Dean W.
04-28-2008, 09:33 AM
Kumquat... I'll post a picture later. :flouenaner:

Dean

lorax
04-28-2008, 09:34 AM
If I grew in pots, I'd be seconding the Babaco. Followed closely by the Mito (highland papaya) and Giant Granadilla (Passiflora quadrangulis) Finally, Ecuadoran white pineapples.

What are you considering a "tropical" fruit? I ask, because most likely you're already growing Nanners outside. Certainly in Texas you can get away with growing a lot more outdoors than in other parts of the States.

Richard
04-28-2008, 10:43 AM
Kumquat... I'll post a picture later. :flouenaner:

Dean

I'd agree with Dean that the Nagami Seedless Kumquat is an excellent choice for a container-grown "tropical" fruit.

Dean W.
04-28-2008, 11:31 AM
Here's my Kumquat. I'm unsure what kind it is. I bought it at an oriental market.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee185/Dean_Wil/100_6917.jpg
Dean

mskitty38583
04-28-2008, 11:40 AM
as of this moment the only fruiting tropicals that i have are nanas and a barbco. but both are still a long way away from fruiting. richard the barbco still has the 3 little leaves coming out the top and hey they are still green. wahoo! guess i must be doing something ok. lol.

Richard
04-28-2008, 01:59 PM
as of this moment the only fruiting tropicals that i have are nanas and a barbco. but both are still a long way away from fruiting. richard the barbco still has the 3 little leaves coming out the top and hey they are still green. wahoo! guess i must be doing something ok. lol.

:woohoonaner:

Although most people would spell it "Babaco".

mskitty38583
04-28-2008, 02:09 PM
im the first one to say," hey i cant spell ". LOL! but neither could einsteine. and look how he turned out!:bananajoy::bananajoy::p:bananajoy::bananajoy:

magicgreen
04-28-2008, 02:44 PM
No matter how you spell it..........
Your still alright, allright, awright.......OK with me Sam!

Gardener972
04-28-2008, 03:24 PM
Here in Dallas, I've planted a Satsuma orange (3rd year now--no oranges), a kumquat (he didn't know the variety but it's round and sweet), a couple sagos, windmill palm, & persimmon in the ground. Also some other tropical landscape plants. I'm pushing the zone by doing it though as I'm in far north Dallas. As of today, I don't have a banana yet but it's coming this week! :bananaflipflop:

I'm curious just how easy it is to grow a mango in a pot and have it fruit. Anyone with experience on that? Also how about an avocado in a pot? Is there such a thing as a miniature mango or avocado?

john_ny
04-28-2008, 03:44 PM
I've grown lots of stuff in pots. Here, in N.Y., we have to take things in for the winter, so pots are much easier. I've grown a couple of seedling mangoes, but gave up on them, after a couple of years, when they got too tall for the greenhouse. One of my favorites is, 'Julie'. I mentioned, to a grower in Florida, that I wished they didn't get so big, because I'd love to have one, and she said she had Dwarf Julie. Only gets about 8 feet.

lorax
04-28-2008, 06:36 PM
Oh jeez, mango in a pot? You'll have to knock out a ceiling before that fruits for you. Unless you can find the cultivars called "Condo Mango" which are dwarf varieties that fruit at about 3' tall. Even then it's tough to do.

And before you consider growing a mango indoors, find out if you're allergic or sensitive to the fumes of turpentine. A mango in closed quarters with the appropriate amount of sunlight and heat is a highly fragrant beast, and some people have difficulty with the strength of their smell - it can cause eye irritation, for one thing. This goes double for when they're blooming.

Avocado in a pot won't fruit for you. The tree needs to be at least 13 years old, in the ground, and generally grafted from a producing tree onto other rootstock if you want it to produce edible fruits. Nice foliage trees, though, if you can keep them alive.

chong
04-28-2008, 07:13 PM
Feijoa (Pineapple guava), Citromello, Calamondin orange (lots of them), Variegated Lemon, Musa Thomsonii, Musa Balbisiana, Musa CA Gold, Musa Dwarf Orinoco. My favorites are the Calamondin and the bananas.

Richard
04-29-2008, 02:14 AM
...
Avocado in a pot won't fruit for you. The tree needs to be at least 13 years old, in the ground, and generally grafted from a producing tree onto other rootstock if you want it to produce edible fruits. Nice foliage trees, though, if you can keep them alive.

A good Avocado cultivar like Holiday grafted on appropriate rootstock and grown in 40-gallon or larger pot will start producing fruit in the 2nd or 3rd year after grafting. Even unsold nursery stock in 7 to 15 gallon pots will start producing the 2nd year in the nursery.

Gardener972
04-29-2008, 11:25 AM
Who has the strength to move a 40 gal. pot & tree and where would a person put it through the winter? What's the lowest temp it will take?

Do those Calamondin oranges fruit? How big is your pot?

chong
04-29-2008, 11:57 AM
Who has the strength to move a 40 gal. pot & tree and where would a person put it through the winter? What's the lowest temp it will take?

Do those Calamondin oranges fruit? How big is your pot?

I have 3 Calamondins in 5 gallon pots that fruit profusely. My wife cannot get enough of the fruit. We use them for condiment/garnish with steamed or baked fish, pancit (chow mein), as seasoning in lieu of lemon, add to soy sauce as dip, and for refreshing cold lemonade or soothing hot lemonade for sore throat and colds.

My 2 Sapodilla were in 10 gallon pots and the fruit, albeit, not very much. But that was the first year we had them. The guavas we had 3 years ago, were also in 10 gallon pots. 2 or 3 of them fruited. 2 Carambolas bloomed but did not develop fruits due to onset of the cold weather.

mskitty38583
04-29-2008, 04:42 PM
to move a 40 lb pot with a tree in it...use a moving dolly with a strap.

john_ny
04-29-2008, 04:48 PM
Sam - That's a 40 gallonpot, not 40 lb. Considerably heavier than 40#.

mskitty38583
04-29-2008, 04:56 PM
that was my bad, didnt have my glasses on and im 5 ft. away from the puter.:2750::0493:. and yes that does make a difference. duh. hey i just finished 2 finals my brains on overload! LOL!

damaclese
04-29-2008, 06:23 PM
OK here it gos i have one coca tree in pot just got it so don't have a clue i had until this spring in pots now in grown 1 key lime on Myer lemon not that tropical but still and i have a Japanese tangerine two bananas one desert pineapple guava which just got planted but fruited just fin in the pot u cant kill them two pacifica gingers. :sumbrero:

john_ny
04-29-2008, 06:46 PM
I had a friend, in St. Lucia, who had a plantation, where he grew, mostly, nutmeg as his primary crop, but also had bananas, coffee, pineapples, etc. He had some Theobroma cacao (Cocoa), but they were huge trees. I don't know how you could grow these things , in anything lower than a zone 11, unless you had a very high greenhouse.

damaclese
04-29-2008, 07:03 PM
I had a friend, in St. Lucia, who had a plantation, where he grew, mostly, nutmeg as his primary crop, but also had bananas, coffee, pineapples, etc. He had some Theobroma cacao (Cocoa), but they were huge trees. I don't know how you could grow these things , in anything lower than a zone 11, unless you had a very high greenhouse.
wow i had no idea they dint say much on the web site were i orderd them i rember seening them on a plantation as a small kidd and they looked quite small to me mabe all be donating it in a few years
im building a green house conservatory on the sid of my house this fall its going to be 35 foot high but i wasint planing on it being that wide or long just mabe 15 wild and mabe 20 long they thingsgs going to go all the way up the side of my house hmm im not sure the cocoa tree is werth a biger green house its already costing a bundal
well if any one wants a cocoa tree just kiding !
mabe i could bonsi it hmmm food foor thought
the things i do to grow stuff hehe its got to be an addiction:islandsharkbanana:

damaclese
04-29-2008, 07:09 PM
o i forgot i have a pasaflora in a pot to i don't know its name but it was marked rouby glow

Rmplmnz
04-29-2008, 08:32 PM
Here's my Kumquat. I'm unsure what kind it is. I bought it at an oriental market.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee185/Dean_Wil/100_6917.jpg
Dean

Are you sure that is a Kumquat (Fortunella)?

Looks like Calamondin (citrofortunella ) to me...

Dean W.
04-29-2008, 08:38 PM
Rmplmnz,

I think it's a Kumquat.

Dean

Rmplmnz
04-29-2008, 08:51 PM
Feijoa (Pineapple guava), Citromello, Calamondin orange (lots of them), Variegated Lemon, Musa Thomsonii, Musa Balbisiana, Musa CA Gold, Musa Dwarf Orinoco. My favorites are the Calamondin and the bananas.

Show-off:woohoonaner:

Rmplmnz
04-29-2008, 08:53 PM
Rmplmnz,

I think it's a Kumquat.

Dean

Dean,

You should know...but looking at the leaves and the wood...I would bet you a banana plant it is a Calamondin..

Rmplmnz

:nanadrink:

chong
04-29-2008, 10:04 PM
Rmplmnz,

I think it's a Kumquat.

Dean

Dean,
Have you tasted the fruit? Like they say, the proof's in the pudding. While I agree with Chris(Rmplmnz) that it looks like Calamondin, if it tastes like Kumquat, it is Kumquat. Kumquat has a sweet rind. I dare anyone to taste Calamondin rind!

Chong

Rmplmnz
04-29-2008, 10:21 PM
Dean,
Have you tasted the fruit? Like they say, the proof's in the pudding. While I agree with Chris(Rmplmnz) that it looks like Calamondin, if it tastes like Kumquat, it is Kumquat. Kumquat has a sweet rind. I dare anyone to taste Calamondin rind!

Chong

Calamondin Rind is very thin and very sweet,,the pulp is very tart my friend:-)

As corroborated from Wikipedia (and my back yard:-)

"In spite of its appearance and aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, though the peel is sweet."

Calamondin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamondin)


:2181:

Rmplmnz
04-29-2008, 10:25 PM
Calamondin Rind is very thin and very sweet,,the pulp is very tart my friend:-)

As corroborated from Wikipedia (and my back yard:-)

"In spite of its appearance and aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, though the peel is sweet."

Calamondin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamondin)


:2181:

I think you meant "pulp"...as it is very very tart..

Chong, I have a Mamey seedling for you..also Jak Fruit if you are interested. $10 each..both over a year old.

Gardener972
04-29-2008, 10:28 PM
I've had calamondin juice (frozen) from the Asian grocery store... to die for!!! Ummmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!

Richard
04-29-2008, 10:38 PM
Dean,
Have you tasted the fruit? Like they say, the proof's in the pudding. While I agree with Chris(Rmplmnz) that it looks like Calamondin, if it tastes like Kumquat, it is Kumquat. Kumquat has a sweet rind. I dare anyone to taste Calamondin rind!

Chong

I made the mistake of tearing one open with my teeth several years ago. An unforgetable experience!

chong
04-29-2008, 11:06 PM
I made the mistake of tearing one open with my teeth several years ago. An unforgetable experience!

L - M - A - O! ! !!!! Only thing worse is pummelo rind. Or maybe, they're about the same.

chong
04-29-2008, 11:08 PM
I've had calamondin juice (frozen) from the Asian grocery store... to die for!!! Ummmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!

In CA, Costco sells the juice in 1/2 gallon cartons. It's such a treat.

chong
04-29-2008, 11:23 PM
I think you meant "pulp"...as it is very very tart..

Chong, I have a Mamey seedling for you..also Jak Fruit if you are interested. $10 each..both over a year old.

Thanks, Chris. Check's on it's way! Oops, give me an idea what the shipping might be. Hold off on the Jackfruit, until next month. (I'm expecting 200 Dwarf Ambarella seeds, and if the USDA processes them quickly, I might just be able to sprout them. Unfortunately, they are short lived. If the USDA hangs on to them until they dry out, they'd be worthless.) Or send me a bill for 3 Mamey seedlings after you send them. Anybody out there know a source for Dwarf Ambarella seeds from Florida?

If you're referring to the Kumquat pulp, yes they are tart. But the rind is sweet. On the Calamondin, the pulp is very sour, with a hint of sweetness and strong orange taste. That's why Filipinos are hooked on this fruit as a condiment and for hot or cold lemonade. The rind . . . . well, OK, it has a sweet smell, but it is b-i-t-t-e-r!!!!!!

Richard
04-29-2008, 11:56 PM
L - M - A - O! ! !!!! Only thing worse is pummelo rind. Or maybe, they're about the same.

The pummelos I used to obtain from Indio, CA had a rind which you wouldn't purposely eat, but a few bits left on the fruit was o.k.

There are both oblong and round kumquats. When we are out of calamondin at the nursery, some of the customers from the Phillipines will buy the round kumquat thinking they are "calamondii". For some of these people, I can't convince them otherwise unless I have both plants present.

chong
04-30-2008, 12:07 AM
Dean,

You should know...but looking at the leaves and the wood...I would bet you a banana plant it is a Calamondin..

Rmplmnz

:nanadrink:

If I were you, unless you've tasted the fruit (and you have two that look ripe!), I wouldn't take the bet. If you can confirm by taste, take it! He has great healthy banana plants.

chong
04-30-2008, 12:15 AM
The pummelos I used to obtain from Indio, CA had a rind which you wouldn't purposely eat, but a few bits left on the fruit was o.k.

There are both oblong and round kumquats. When we are out of calamondin at the nursery, some of the customers from the Phillipines will buy the round kumquat thinking they are "calamondii". For some of them, I can't convince them otherwise unless I have both plants present.

Minced meat used in fruitcake is from the white puffy cushionny rind of the pummelo. I was very surprised when I first learned this, considering how bitter it tastes. But I guess with enough sugar and heat, it could change things.

Like I said, all he's gotta do to confirm it is by tasting the rind. The pulp of the Kumquat can sub for the Calamondin's, but you'd have to peel them before using them for the same application. The sweetness can make it taste like squeezing a regular orange on your Pancit noodles. That wouldn't be the same. You'd be better off using a regular lemon.

Dean W.
04-30-2008, 10:35 AM
Yes, I assumed it was a Kumquat. When I bought it at the Oriental Market it had no tag, so. I guess the "proof is in the pudding." Unfortuately, the fruits in the picture are overly ripe. To the best of my recolection the fruit was tart and I can't rember right now what the rind taste like. :05:

Dean

Bananaman88
04-30-2008, 11:42 AM
I have the following in pots, all doing very well: 'Meyer' lemon, 'Ponderosa' lemon, variegated lemon, unidentified lime, 'Celeste' fig. That's it for edibles. As for other tropicals in pots: Philodendron selloum, Dw. Ficus lyrata, raphis palm, chamaedorea palm, peach-leaf fig, two different types of pothos, 'California' EE, 'Frydek' EE, Carnation of India, variegated tapioca, Jatropha sp., various heliconias and bananas. Too much to list it all!

Bananaman88
04-30-2008, 11:45 AM
Oh yeah, I forgot about my seedless Meiwa kumquat!

Richard
04-30-2008, 12:30 PM
Yes, I assumed it was a Kumquat. When I bought it at the Oriental Market it had no tag, so. I guess the "proof is in the pudding." Unfortuately, the fruits in the picture are overly ripe. To the best of my recolection the fruit was tart and I can't rember right now what the rind taste like. :05:

Dean

Kumquats are eaten whole, or perhaps bitten in half. The rind is the better tasting part of the fruit.

Dean W.
04-30-2008, 12:47 PM
Richard, would a picture of the fruit cut in half help? Or do I need to taste it to make sure it's a Kumquat?

Dean

Richard
04-30-2008, 12:54 PM
Richard, would a picture of the fruit cut in half help? Or do I need to taste it to make sure it's a Kumquat?

Dean

Bite the fruit in half and attempt to eat the half you have bitten. If you are spitting it out because the rind is extremely bitter: you have a calamondin. If instead the rind is tolerable and the fruit is like mild grapefruit, you have kumquat.

Richard
04-30-2008, 12:58 PM
I forgot to add that in the Citrus category you have many more to choose from! See this listing: http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/guides/CommonCitrus.pdf

Dean W.
04-30-2008, 01:18 PM
Everyone,

I think I won a bet. LOL! The fruit was a little tart. The rind was sweet tasting.

Richard, thanks for the link. I bookmarked it for future refrence.:2214:

Dean

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 04:00 PM
Kumquats are eaten whole, or perhaps bitten in half. The rind is the better tasting part of the fruit.

The rind is also the sweet part on the Calamondin. Calamondin's are very common in Asian markets and frequently miss-labeled as Kumquats. The rind on a kumquat is very thick and the pulp does not have much juice. The calamondin rind is very thin (aka Mandarin) and the pulp is very juicy (hence why juice is sold in Asian markets).

Dean,

Is the rind thin or thick?

Does the pulp have a lot of juice?

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 04:28 PM
Everyone,

I think I won a bet. LOL! The fruit was a little tart. The rind was sweet tasting.

Richard, thanks for the link. I bookmarked it for future refrence.:2214:

Dean

Look at the foliage and fruit in your pictures and compare to the following links:

Plant Answers (http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/feb05/1.htm)

CALAMONDIN: THE MINIATURE ORANGE (http://www.geocities.com/verymad_scientist/)

Good article:

Digging Deeper - Citrus: sweet and sour - Limes, Kumquats and Calamondin (http://www.greenfingers.com.au/services/digging_deeper/citrus/Limes_Kumquats_and_Calamondin.htm)

Link from Texas:

Urban Harvest Gardening Advice - Fruit (http://www.urbanharvest.org/advice/fruitgardening/fruitvarieties/kumquatcalamondin.html)

Varieties of Kumquat and Calamondin for the Houston Area Climate


Changshou Kumquat This large kumquat has a sweet mild flavor with less seeds and more juice than Meiwa.

Meiwa Kumquat Large, round, very sweet flesh and rind. Great for fresh eating-skin and all is edible. Very ornamental. A heavy bearer. Survives 17 degrees F. or below. Ripens when bright orange in late November and best in February. Grows to about 8' tall and 6' wide.

Meiwa Seedless Kumquat Large, slightly oval, very sweet. Great for fresh eating-skin and all is edible. Very ornamental. A heavy bearer. Survives 17 degrees F. or below. Ripens when bright orange in late November and best in February. Grows to about 8' tall and 6' wide.

Nagel’s Seedless Kumquat Discovered by Dr. Nagel, this kumquat has outstanding flavor without all those seeds. This is the second year of this coveted fruit. The freeze tolerance is the same as the other kumquats.

Calamondin Small upright kumquat-size fruit, outstanding sour juice. Very decorative plant. Great for fish, lemonade, and flavoring drinks. Cold hardy into the teens. Produces a quarter-sized juicy fruit that has a tender pulp that is acidic. The fruit can be eaten fresh or is wonderful when used in marmalades. This tree is very showy when grown in a container and used as a patio specimen.

Which variety of Kumquat do you have?

chong
04-30-2008, 04:33 PM
The rind is also the sweet part on the Calamondin. Calamondin's are very common in Asian markets and frequently miss-labeled as Kumquats. The rind on a kumquat is very thick and the pulp does not have much juice. The calamondin rind is very thin (aka Mandarin) and the pulp is very juicy (hence why juice is sold in Asian markets).

Dean,

Is the rind thin or thick?

Does the pulp have a lot of juice?

Chris,
In my own observation, Kumquats are more common in regular supermarkets than Asian supermarkets. Not that they're not available in Asian markets, though.

I hate to burst your bubble about the peel, but here's an excerpt from your referenced Wikipedia:
"Uses
Kumquats are frequently eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy center is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole, to savour the contrast, or only the rind is eaten. The fruit is considered ripe when it reaches a yellowish-orange stage, and has just shed the last tint of green. The Hong Kong Kumquat has a rather sweet rind compared to the rinds of other citrus fruits."

Dean W.
04-30-2008, 05:06 PM
Rmplmnz,

The rind is very thin. So thin in fact when harvesting it from the tree some of the rind was left behind. The pulp does have alot of juice.

There are a few seeds in these fruits. I have one more fruit left I can sacrifice. Should I get some shots of it cut in half? Are more pictures needed of the tree itself?

Rmplmnz, thanks for providing the links. I need to spend some more time looking at them.

Dean

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 08:07 PM
Chris,
In my own observation, Kumquats are more common in regular supermarkets than Asian supermarkets. Not that they're not available in Asian markets, though.

I hate to burst your bubble about the peel, but here's an excerpt from your referenced Wikipedia:
"Uses
Kumquats are frequently eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy center is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole, to savour the contrast, or only the rind is eaten. The fruit is considered ripe when it reaches a yellowish-orange stage, and has just shed the last tint of green. The Hong Kong Kumquat has a rather sweet rind compared to the rinds of other citrus fruits."

Chong,

My awesome friend...we are in total agreeance on Kumquats (Nagami kumquats)...no doubt the rind is sweet and the pulp is tart..and they are typically eaten whole..

I am just saying Kumquats are "very pulpy: and calamondins have lots of juice..with very thin rinds that often pop when you pick the fruit...

On to more important things...do you want to use up some of your shipping credit for a 6 pound piece of Citrus..a "Lee Pomelo"..teardrop shaped with white sweet pulp..LMK..;-)

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 08:31 PM
Rmplmnz,

The rind is very thin. So thin in fact when harvesting it from the tree some of the rind was left behind. The pulp does have alot of juice.

There are a few seeds in these fruits. I have one more fruit left I can sacrifice. Should I get some shots of it cut in half? Are more pictures needed of the tree itself?

Rmplmnz, thanks for providing the links. I need to spend some more time looking at them.

Dean

You are welcome my new friend:-)


http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9383&cat=604

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 08:37 PM
Citrus....

Tampa, Florida January 6, 2007


Left to Right:


Arkin Carambola (star fruit), Sri Kembangan Carambola (star fruit), Lula Avocado, Nippon Orangequat, Variegated Pink Eureka Lemon, Valencia Orange, Honey Murcott Tangor/Tangerine, Duncan Grapefruit, Lee Pumelo and on top Variegated Calamondin


And we still have room to grow bananas....

chong
04-30-2008, 08:53 PM
Citrus....

Tampa, Florida January 6, 2007


Left to Right:


Arkin Carambola (star fruit), Sri Kembangan Carambola (star fruit), Lula Avocado, Nippon Orangequat, Variegated Pink Eureka Lemon, Valencia Orange, Honey Murcott Tangor/Tangerine, Duncan Grapefruit, Lee Pumelo and on top Variegated Calamondin


And we still have room to grow bananas....

Now, who's showing off???????? Or, maybe, you're complaining?

Dean W.
04-30-2008, 08:54 PM
Nice collection. :)

Dean

Rmplmnz
04-30-2008, 09:12 PM
Now, who's showing off???????? Or, maybe, you're complaining?

Ha ha..Chong you work twice as hard as anyone I know meticulously cultivating your treasured fruit trees/plants..kudos to you my friend!