Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Acid fruits

Acid fruits include lemons and limes, but the true lemon (Eureka & Lisbon types) is not recommended for home use because of its susceptibility to scab. The 'Tahiti' Persian lime and 'West Indian' (Key or Mexican) lime make a satisfactory acid fruit for the home since fruit can be picked any time of the year. The 'Meyer' lemon is a reasonable substitute for true lemons in home gardens. The 'Eustis' or 'Lakeland' limequat and the calamondin are all good acid fruit for landscape use, but have more limited appeal for most people.

Growing Red Plums From Seeds

Locate a red plum tree, and wait until late summer when the plums fall off of the tree. Pick up a fruit from the ground that is not rotten and that has not been chewed on by animals.

Place the red plum on a kitchen cutting board, and cut into it with a knife until you meet resistance. Cut the remainder of the flesh away from the plum to reveal the inner seed, which is large pit.

Hold the plum seed under running water, and rub it with your hands to remove the remainder of the pulp.

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Lay the plum pit in a dry location for one to two weeks to allow it to dry completely. Store it in a cool, dry location until you are ready to plant it.

Wait until the late fall, after the first frost occurs, and look for an outdoor planting location that has well-drained, fertile soil and direct sun.



Dig a 4-inch deep hole, and insert the plum seed into it. Cover the seed completely with soil, and press down on the top of the soil to compact it.

Water the soil to a 5-inch depth immediately after planting. The plum tree will emerge from the soil in the early spring, at which time you should resume watering.

Mandarin hybrids

Mandarin hybrids should have much interest as early-maturing tangerine substitutes. 'Fallglo' and 'Sunburst' are now favored. 'Dancy' tangerines may reach fair eating quality before Thanksgiving, but are usually better later. The 'Ponkan' is an excellent quality, easily peeled tangerine for the home landscape. The homeowner may well decide to substitute a tangor or tangelo for a tangerine when choice must be limited. 'Temple' tangor is superb in quality as well as appearance, as is 'Minneola' tangelo. Many people would choose one of these in preference to grapefruit if a choice were necessary and space were limited. Some of the varieties may be difficult to locate at local nurseries or garden centers. This is certainly true of the newer varieties and some of the older ones that may have fallen out of favor with commercial producers. Satsumas mandarins (often a substitute for sweet oranges) are especially suitable for cold locations (north of Orlando), maturing during late November and maintaining fruit quality on the tree for only about four to six weeks.