How to start your own vineyard

Vitis labrusca x vinifera - Blanc du Bois Grape

Vitis x rotundifolia - Southern Home Seedless Grape

🍾 How to start your own vineyard

🍷 Can grapes grow in the tropics?

🍇 Yes! With the right varieties, like muscadines and low-chill, heat-tolerant hybrids, grapes can thrive in tropical climates. For example:
🍇 Vitis labrusca x vinifera - Blanc du Bois Grape: A hybrid prized for winemaking, combining European and native Florida grapes. It's heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and thrives in the southern U.S., even in alkaline or salty soils.
🍇 Vitis x rotundifolia - Southern Home Seedless Grape: A gorgeous vine with delicate leaves and clusters of deep purple, sweet-tart grapes. It was developed at the University of Florida to handle heat and humidity. Self-pollinating and perfect for fresh eating.

🛒 Start your own vineyard

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Date: 1 Sep 2024

When you are in the mood for something special - you need a Loquat Liquor

When you are in the mood for something special - you need a Loquat Liquor. This is what you do with so many loquat fruit.

🍑 Loquat tree is an excellent choice for any garden, as it is quite cold hardy, drought-, poor soil- and salt tolerant. The delicious fruit look and taste similar to apricots, but there is only one problem: there are too many of them! Make Loquat the perfect fruit for an easy home winery...

🍹 Loquat Liquor recipe

Wash loquat fruit and slit in 4-5 places. You may leave seeds in for Apricot-nutty flavor similar to Amaretto. Combine fruit with vodka and sugar in a wide mouth jar and cover. Stir fruit once a day until sugar is dissolved. Then stir once a week for 4 weeks. Drain liquid and strain through fine cheesecloth. Enjoy!

You can dispose the used fruit but we usually give it a second life: add water, bring to boil, let sit, chill, and it will make another (almost non-alcoholic) drink!

✔️ 3 quarts of loquat fruit
✔️ 1 quart vodka
✔️ 3 cups sugar
✔️ vanilla to taste (optional)

📚 From previous posts:

🎥 YouTube video about Loquat
📁 Overlooked fruit: tasty Loquat recipes (PDF)

🛒 Shop Loquat varieties

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Date: 10 Feb 2025

When you have a big crop of Star Fruit: sweet and Spicy Carambola Salsa recipe

Carambola Salsa

⭐️ When you have a big crop of Star Fruit: sweet and Spicy Carambola Salsa recipe

😁 Ingredients:

· 2 ripe Carambola (starfruit), finely diced
· 1 small red bell pepper, diced
· 1 small red onion, finely chopped
· 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
· 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
· Juice of 1 lime
· 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
· Pinch of salt

📞 Instructions:

· Combine the diced carambola, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in a bowl.
· Add lime juice, honey, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
· Chill in the fridge for 15–30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
· Serve with tortilla chips, grilled fish, or as a topping for tacos.

🎁 This recipe balances carambola's sweet-tart flavor with a spicy kick! 😏

🛒 Plant your own Carambola Tree

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Date: 7 Jun 2025

From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 2: after germination

Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) - fruit

✍️ From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 2: after germination

Continued from previous posts⤴️

🍑 4. Transplanting Seedlings

When to Transplant: Once seedlings reach about 2-4” (5-10 cm) in height.
Transplanting and fertilizing: Move each seedling to its own pot and add controlled release fertilizer (Green Magic is the best), or use liquid balanced fertilizer Sunshine Boosters after 1-2 weeks once the seedlings establish.
Watering. Keep soil in a pot slightly moist but not soggy
Temperature. Keep seedling warm - above 70F (21C), and protect from extreme heat over 90F (35C) . For small plants, avoid freezing temperatures during winter. As the seedlings get bigger, they get higher drought-, heat- and cold tolerance. Established Loquat trees (2-3 years and older) may take light freezing temperatures.
Planting in the ground. You can plant the seedling in the ground when it reaches 2-3 ft tall (50-100 cm) in frost-free areas. During chill winter nights, young seedlings can be cold protected until established.

🍑 5. Sunlight Requirements

Light Exposure: Loquat established seedlings thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. Start seedlings in bright shade and protect from afternoon hot sun to avoid leaf burn. Once seedlings are established and new growth appears (2-4 weeks), gradually move them to full sun.
Why adequate sunlight (full sun) is important:

- promotes healthy growth
- helps to avoid fungus and insect problems
- is critical for future flowering and fruit production

🍑 6. Fruit production

Loquat seedlings start producing seed within 3-4 years from seed, providing adequate sunlight, warm temperatures and regular irrigation.
Grafted Loquats start producing right away or the next year
Fruit will develop over the winter and ripen from March through May depending on location

🛒 Shop Loquat Trees and enjoy fresh fruit benefits