I think it was that post of yours that finally made me buy one. I’ve always thought they looked interesting but I’d never heard anyone remark anything about the fruit until you did. I also want more cold hardy evergreen stuff to protect the more tender stuff
Meiwa
Marumi
Nagami is always a few weeks behind these two. Fukushu yet to show buds so maybe another year sans fruit
Villarica strawberry Chilean guava will finally be tasted
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Something sent one of my 3 black sapote to the guillotine yesterday/last night
But that’s why I bought 3 seeds and not just one haha
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Probably either a rabbit or a squirrel? A squirrel did that to one of mine that still had the seed coat on last week, but it carried off the seed. A rabbit would more likely eat the new growth for its own sake and not bother with the seed, I’m guessing.
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Nah likely a pillbug, or some insect. The seed was left in the pot and I’ve never seen a rabbit in the yard ever.
What kind of pill bugs do you have?? Those stems seem pretty sturdy, I wouldn’t think anything but a large grasshopper or caterpillar could chomp through one.
I’m not sure if it’s some combination of sunburn (were recently moved from full sun inside the greenhouse to full sun outside), soil-borne pathogens, and cold sensitivity (the lows have been in mid 40s °F on a few recent nights), but mine are all turning a bit black on them like this:
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Very easily could be a grasshopper, pillbugs are my most destructive pest here (other than squash vine borers) so I’m quick to toss them the blame to them haha
Got some new seeds to germinate today. Hildebrandt’s Moringa seeds, another Cinnamon apple seed, 3 Annona Stenophylla seeds, 2 Dasyblasta Surinam cherries and 2 Zill’s Surinam Cherries, tamarillo seeds again, a bag of Solanum Muricatum (Pepino), Fuschia excorticata seeds and Che seeds.
Excited to see these sprout. I’ve had a decent success with similar types of trees. Really hopefully for the Annona Stenophylla, its supposed to be a rhizome-based custard apple. Reminded me of like a blackberry or raspberry bush.
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Cool, I’m awaiting a late usps delivery of a Eugenia Pyriformis and a Eugenia sp „sweet blackberry”
Idk why but I didn’t realize pepino was in that genus. I’ve never had a pepino I’ve enjoyed a lot. Maybe I’ll try to grow them sometime. That Annona species sounds really interesting, looking forward to hearing how it does
What’s different about that Moringa? I have some “dwarf” moringa seedlings but I’ve never gotten one to get large of any type of moringa
For the pictures I’ve seen of it, it has a much thicker trunk. It also has much larger seeds (airy like a pumice rock). It was just an interesting variety that is extinct in the wild. I didn’t find anything about its edibility, but nearly all other moringas seem to be edible, including some from the same area.
Best thing about Eugenias is that they basically always come pregerm’d, so I just stick in a pot right away.
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@sharq im thinking next year to only grow litchi tomatoes and maybe Everglades tomato’s. Have you grown the latter? I’m sick of fighting with tomatoes dying of everything and almost no pollination due to temps
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I grew the EFN version last year based on their description of it being well suited to the PNW, and it was very prolific and never seemed to get any kind of blight or pathogen, it just slowed down as it got colder and eventually died.
Their description basically said that many tomato issues are similar in the SE and PNW, because our cool/wet fall triggers similar disease pressure to your hot/humid climate.
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335 Everglades tomatoes harvested off like 10 plants in the last two monthes (with inconsistent recordkeeping). They really did not like 100+ with low humidity (no humidity means no clouds here) but they survived it. Thrive in 90s and humid, especially the ones I have in the aquaponics system. Very very small fruit, like a plump dime. I also have had good luck with Midnight Snack, which is a cherry tomato, it survived our spring drought and its back to producing again. About 100 fruit off of 3 plants since May 1st (one that produced all through winter though).
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Is the flavor palatable?
I found the flavor phenomenal, especially if you wait until they are about to fall off, but that was after our usual dry summer weather, so basically water deficit gardening.
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I like them, they taste like tomatoes. I don’t eat them raw because I don’t like raw tomatoes though. Low acidity, high sweetness, not a lot of juice. I’ve had them in salads, in tacos, cooked in stir-frys and as spaghetti sauce, and has been delicious everytime.
I will say there are two “Everglades Tomatoes”, one thats a currant tomato (Solanum pimpinellefium), and one that is a crossbreed between a currant and a common that is sometimes bigger and I believe was developed by UF (the one @swincher posted is also a cross but for PNW).
I can now confirm that size is definitely a big difference. My seeds sprouted last night/this morning, and heres a side by side comparsion between this one and a common moringa seedling, both basically day 1 sprouts. First two pics are the Hildebrandt’s.
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Interesting that the hildys have a first leaf like that, none I’ve ever sprouted have one. I do have some dwarf moringa seeds from baker creek but I couldn’t tell any difference in those and other seeds I’ve had. Never had a Moringa get big tho
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Mine have never had a first leaf either. I bought a “seedling” (I suspect its older as its central limb was an obvious offshoot after the main trunk was cut) at the USF spring plant sale in April. It and my pomegranate (from the same vendor) did the best in our killer drought, and it is sizing up very well. Although I doubt I’ll get any seedpods this year, I’ll probably make some moringa salads before winter comes.
My seed grown ones are also doing well. No slug issues so far.
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