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Mango Rainbow tasting table: varieties you should try

Kent Mango

🌈 Mango Rainbow tasting table: varieties you should try
  • 🥭 Kent Mango variety is native to Florida. It is originated in Coconut Grove, in 1945 from a Haden seed.
  • 🥭 Kent has an excellent flavor, large size, and very little fiber. Considered by many to be one of the best tasting Florida mangoes and one of the most beautiful, truly rainbow colored fruit!
  • 🥭 Eat before fruit gets too ripe.
  • 🥭 The most rewarding attribute is a bountiful late season crop.


❔ What Mango varieties do you have in your garden?
Share in comments 👇

📚 Previous Mango Rainbow Tasting Table: 1 • 2 • 3 • 

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Can you grow plums in Florida?

Plum tree fruiting in Florida

💝 Can you grow plums in Florida?

💕 Yes, absolutely! This year, starting end of January, we are harvesting our first Plums... Sweet! 🥰

🎥 Scarlet Beauty Plum. Hypoluxo variety just started flowering, fruit coming soon!

📚 Learn more from previous post:
The most rewarding hardy fruit tree suitable for hot climate: peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums

🛒 Shop Low Chill Peaches, Nectsrunes, and Plums

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When Peach trees are in full bloom

Flowering Peach Tree in Florida

🤟 When Peach trees are in full bloom
  • 🍑 Our Peach trees are in full bloom now. Early Spring started in January this year in Florida!
  • 🍑 You can grow peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums in Florida, provided you choose low-chill varieties. These have been developed specifically for subtropical regions like Central and South Florida, where traditional temperate varieties struggle due to insufficient chill hours.


📚 Learn more from previous post:
The most rewarding hardy fruit tree suitable for hot climate: peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums

🛒 Shop Low Chill Peaches

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How to get mango trees to bloom and set fruit

Mango trees flowering

🪚 How to get mango trees to bloom and set fruit
  • 🥭 Our Mango garden in Sebring, FL is in full bloom now! Early spring in Florida started in January this year. Surprisingly, all our mango varieties decided to start blooming: - early, mid- and late- season cultivars. It's a stunning view!
  • 🥭 Mango trees flower from late Winter to Spring, with the peak blooming season varying based on variety. During this time, mango trees produce hundreds of small, fragrant flowers in large panicles. A healthy mango tree can produce anywhere from 500 to 2,000 flowers per panicle. However, only a small fraction of the flowers will be successfully pollinated and develop into fruit, depending on the tree's size and health.
  • 🥭 To support healthy flowering and fruit set, mango trees need dry weather, as excessive moisture can inhibit pollination and fruit development. During flowering period, it's important not to overwater, as the tree is less active in water uptake.
  • 🥭 Avoid dry fertilizers during flowering since the tree is focused on reproduction rather than vegetative growth. You may continue applying Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango liquid fertilizer to support the tree's overall health and vigor. Sunshine Boosters deliver essential nutrients in optimum amounts, proportionally to water intake.
  • 🥭 Ensuring a dry, sunny environment will help the tree set fruit successfully.


📚 Learn more from previous posts about #Mango varieties

🛒 Check out new Mango varieties - just arrived!

#Food_Forest #Mango

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The star of the orchard

Start Fruit - Carambola Tree (Averrhoa carambola)

😛 The star of the orchard

Start Fruit - Carambola Tree (Averrhoa carambola). Growing this tree is a fun and rewarding way to enjoy this unique and delicious fruit right at home!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Star Fruit from our garden
How to grow your own Carambola
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #8. Carambola - Starfruit
Carambola Banana Whip
Carambola tree is the Star of the orchard

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica)

Loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 10: Loquat Tree.
  • 🍑 Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and highly cold-hardy tropical fruit tree.
  • 🍑 Heavy Producer: Loquats are juicy, aromatic, and apricot-like in flavor, ripening from early Spring to early Summer.
  • 🍑 Compact and Ideal for Small Gardens: Perfect for beginners and those with limited space.
  • 🍑 Undemanding: Loquat trees thrive in any soil, tolerate summer heat, winter cold, heavy rains, and occasional flooding.
  • 🍑 Nutrient-Rich: High in sugar, acids, vitamins B and C, minerals, and pectin. Eaten fresh or used in fruit salads, jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, pies, and wine-making. It's also popular as a natural sweetener.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:
🎥 YouTube video about Loquat
📁 Overlooked fruit: tasty Loquat recipes (PDF)

🛒 Start your fruit garden with Loquats

#Food_Forest #Loquat

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 9: Jackfruit Tree.
  • 🍐 Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a giant, eye-catching fruit tree and is the largest fruit grown on a tree, making it a showstopper in your fruit tree collection. Everybody wants to grow this giant Nature's Wonder - the biggest fruit in the world grown on a tree!
  • 🍐 Nutrient-Packed: Highly nutritious, Jackfruit is often used as a meat substitute in South Asian cuisine, as well as in curries and chutneys. Dehydrated jackfruit chips are a delicious snack.
  • 🍐 Fast-Growing and Ornamental: Jackfruit trees are fast-growing with large waxy leaves and ornamental value. They can be maintained at a compact height of 7-8 feet since the fruit grows at the base of the trunk. Keeping it short also makes it easier to protect the tree from cold if needed.
  • 🍐 Cold Tolerant: While cool temperatures can reduce fruit production, jackfruit trees are relatively hardy and can survive light frost. Established trees are more cold-hardy than young seedlings.
  • 🍐 Fast Fruiting: Jackfruit trees start producing fruit within 3-4 years from seed. Varieties come true to seed, so grafting is unnecessary, however, can be done when you need a particular variety.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Jackfruit varieties

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Guava Tree (Psidium sp.)

Guava Tree (Psidium sp.)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 8: Guava Tree.
  • 🍉 Guava Tree (Psidium sp.) - Guava trees are beloved for their flavorful fruit, commonly used in juices, drinks, and desserts.
  • 🍉 Popular Varieties: include Psidium guajava (Tropical Guava), Psidium littorale (Cattley Guava), Psidium friedrichsthalianum (Cas guava), and Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava).
  • 🍉 Cold Hardy: Despite its "Tropical" name, the Tropical Guava is relatively cold-hardy, and other varieties are even hardier, suitable for cooler climates with occasional frost.
  • 🍉 Water Needs: Guava trees like water and can tolerate some flooding.
  • 🍉 Compact Growth: Guavas are medium size bushes or trees that can be easily maintained at any height and shape.
  • 🍉 Fast Fruiting: Guava trees are quick to fruit, often within a year of planting, and some start fruiting in containers as small as 1 gallon.
  • 🍉 Dwarf Variety: The Nana variety is perfect for container culture, producing full-sized fruit in a compact form.
  • 🍉 Pest Control: In humid areas with rainy seasons, check for mealybugs, which can be controlled with neem oil as needed.
  • 🍉 Endless Supply: Planting multiple guava trees ensures a constant supply of fresh, juicy fruit and flavorful guava juice loved by kids and adults.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Guava varieties

#Food_Forest #Guava

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Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

🧛 Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?
  • 😇 The Legendary Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (also called Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) got its name from the flower's extraordinary ability to retain its spicy, sweet fragrance for centuries.
  • 😇 These flowers were used in ancient funeral ceremonies, placed in crypts to preserve their aroma for generations. Even today, dried Rosita de Cacao flowers can hold their scent for decades, a testament to their remarkable endurance.


    • History and Legends

    Aztec names: Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl, Flor Cacahuaxochitl, Cacaoxochitl.
  • 😇 The species was at one time widespread and growing wild throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico known for plants used in Shamanism.
  • 😇 Cherished by the Aztecs, the Rosita de Cacao was deeply intertwined with their rituals and daily life.
  • 😇 The flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl or "cacao flower," were blended with chocolate drinks like Tejate, a sacred, energy-rich beverage reserved for royalty and religious ceremonies. This frothy drink combined Cacaoxochitl with other ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and chili peppers to create what the Aztecs called the "drink of the gods."
  • 😇 Legend has it that Emperor Montezuma consumed up to 50 cups of xocolatl daily, infused with Rosita de Cacao, to fuel his energy and passion.


    • Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
  • 😇 The flowers of this tree were not just for flavor - they were also prized for their calming and medicinal properties. Natives used them to treat anxiety, fevers, and coughs, often mixing them with cacao for enhanced effects.
  • 😇 Modern studies suggest the flowers contain lactone alkaloids like funebradiol, which are known for their relaxing properties and are now being investigated for potential medicinal applications.
  • 😇 Beyond its rich history, Rosita de Cacao is an evergreen beauty with creamy white, aromatic flowers and large, leathery leaves. It's a perfect addition to any garden for those who want a piece of history, an enduring fragrance, and a touch of ancient legend.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Fruit of Money and Love
Fun Facts: Cacao beans

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#Food_Forest #Fun_facts #Nature_Wonders

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Papaya fruit (Carica papaya)

Papaya fruit (Carica papaya)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 7: Papaya Tree.
  • 🍊 Papaya Trees (Carica papaya) - are resilient, easy to grow, and deliver year-round fruit.
  • 🍊 Superfood Benefits: Rich in papain, a digestive enzyme that promotes gut health.
  • 🍊 Fast Fruiting: Papayas often start producing the same year they're planted, offering quick rewards for gardeners seeking quick rewards.
  • 🍊 Space-Efficient: Many varieties, especially dwarfs, reach only 6-8 feet tall yet produce large crops, ideal for small gardens.
  • 🍊 Cold and Wind Resistant: Papayas can withstand light freezes and strong winds, making them surprisingly hardy for a tropical plant.
  • 🍊 Self-Fertile, but Better with Multiple Trees: Planting 2-3 different cultivars ensures better pollination and higher yields.
  • 🍊 Solo Cultivars: Smaller, round or oval papayas are sweet and less susceptible to fruit flies.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Papaya Trees

#Food_Forest #Papaya

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