Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Status Report... Ripe Fruit and Anticipated Fruit

Ripe Fruit available Saturday 9am-noon...
  • Carambola
  • Black Sapote
  • Sapodilla


Caimito (Star-apple) will probably start to ripen toward the end of February


Most of our mango trees haven't bloomed yet, but we're hoping the recent cold will be enough to induce bloom in all of our varieties.  Perhaps even our lychees will fruit this year! 

Mango varieties that have small fruit now include Nam Doc Mai, Rosa, Jakarta and Dwarf Hawaiian.

Mango varieties which have begun to bloom include Dot, Carrie, Graham, Florigon, Zill Indochinese, Beverly, Edward, Cogshall and Alphonso.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Consider Growing Your Own...

Many of our customers already have at least one mango tree, and some grow an incredible amount of their own food.  This year we are experimenting with easy, low-labor ways to grow vegetables.  Yesterday Har and I put in some edible annuals including tomatoes, strawberries, collards, bibb lettuce and herbs.  Below are pictures of our quick project.

We used 14 bags of composted cow manure.  Some we dumped on top of an existed bed, some we mixed with composted mulch and used in large pots, and we planted directly in one bag.  "Black Cow" and "Timberline" brands seemed exactly the same, except for price.  Timberline is less than half the price of the name brand. 

One of our goals before next mango season is to convert a small grass area to raised beds.  Next winter we will probably grow and sell young plants and greens.

Happy and Healthy New Year to All!




Small raised bed... Mulch mounded for sides, composted cow manure for planting bed. 
Arugula and Tomato planted with herbs and lettuce in large pots.


An ornamental that didn't survive transplanting now is future support for tomato plant.
Three strawberries are planted on south side of tomato. 
Two bags of compost provide the planting medium, surrounded by one mulch ring.

Planted in a bag of composted cow manure are a strawberry plant and a young collard.
We poked lots of holes in the bottom of the bag for drainage.
Some people plant directly in bags of potting soil.  Composted manure is cheap...we'll see how well it works.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Mango Forecast, etc.

We have over fifty varieties of mangos, but only five varieties are flowering or have small fruit now.  Rosa and Nam Doc Mai have small fruit.  Edward, Jakarta and Dwarf Hawaiian are in full flower.  Of course a strong cold front could destroy the flowers and small fruit, but chances are good that fruit from some of these trees will be ready before June.  The rest of our varieties will probably have ripe fruit in June or later.

More details to follow...

Hours
Saturdays:  9 am - noon


Fruit for Sale Tomorrow
  • Carambola
  • Avocado
  • Sugar Apple