Nice setup! So great seeing successful fruitings! What does the pineapple guava taste like?

Hello Jacob!!!

I love your new greenhouse!! Congratulation on this beauty!!! What are the dimensions of you old verses the new? If I may ask?

The pictures of all of you fruit trees are terrific!!! Makes me want to move further south!!! Are you in Florida?

Santa brought me a new greenhouse...and I am very excited about it...nothing like yours, but it will be a big help to me and my larger palms, and Plumeria!!!

I especially love the cute little one in pink!!! She's a true beauty!!!

Thanks for letting us see your wonderful trees!! Makes me smile to see trees loaded with fruit!!!

Take care everyone!!!

Laura in VB

Jacob - yes, where do you live? Like Everett, I've wanted to like figs for a LONG time myself, and this one seems to be the Beverly Hills of figs.....

great setup, healthy trees, keep it up - I should assume these are UNHEATED greenhouses.....or not???

right on - mangopuppy

your genova red looks like an atemoya

Hello
Very nice pics..I was wondering where you ordered the rambutans,and where did you purchase the greenhouses, the smaller and the larger,was it online or at a store. Plse INFORM I really want to buy rambutans and a greewnhouse

Hi Jacob:

Really nice set up you have there. Looks like everything is doing well. Of course, as these things get larger and larger, you're going to have to keep moving up in greenhouse size. LOL......it is a neverending quest afterall that we all are undertaking at one level or another. Regarding your Genova Red annona, it does look like an atemoya to me as well. I would wait to see it mature and cut open to pass final judgment. Have you contacted the seller to see if he has any better idea what it might be since it is obviously not Genova Red? I might suggest doing that before more time passes and it becomes increasingly difficult to correct the ID error. Take care.

Harry

Hello Friends,

Thank you all for your Kind Words!

Nancy - I live in Zone 10, I am in Santa Barbara, CA. We just got through a Crazy Freeze with Temps down to below 30. I had some damage, to my Rambutans and Pedalai. It Comnpletely defoliated and destroyed a couple of my Abius. Hopefully they are still alive, I think they are, as the same thing happened last year and they bounced back...I should have known and prepared better.

Ethan - You are Welcome Anytime!

Sun Worshipper - I would say that the Pineapple Guava has a very pleasant taste. Definitely doesn't taste like one of the Pink Guavas. I don't think they taste like Pineapple either. They are sweet and a bit Citrusy with a minty undertone. Hard to describe as they don't really taste like any other fruit, but a good fruit.

Laura in VB - The New Greenhouse is 10' Feet wide by 12' feet long, and 11' Feet tall at the center roof line. The smaller GH (which I used to think was really big) in only 6' x 8' Feet. I actually live in Southern California, in Santa Barbara. Yes, your Plumeria will love the Greenhouse, mine did. Thanks!

Mango Dog - Yes, for the most part, they are unheated Greenhouses. Only when it gets down to Freezing I put a heater in them. As for the Fig.....definitely from Beverly Hills. Truly delicious!

Kobe24 - I got the Rambutan online from the following website: http://www.hawaiitropicalfruits.com/ They are out of Season right now. They also sell Longan and Lychees. I got the Greenhouses from Harbor Freight. You can also find them online if you don't have a store nearby.

Harry - If that isn't the Truth! And I used to think that the Smaller Greenhouse was so big..LOL. Thanks for the Fruit I.D.

Thanks again to everyone and Hope you all have a Fun and Safe New Year's Eve. Blessings

- Jacob

Nice greenhouse. Where did you get the rambutans? I was just doing a quick online search and couldn't find anyone selling them.

Nice looking setup. I had considered getting that same GH but read some reviews that it was not very sturdy. Have you found that to be the case?

Thanks for the link to those rambutans. I have been searching for a while for a reasonably priced source. I'll definitely be grabbing some when they are available.

Jacob of Santa Barbara - I was just thinking today if I was still "stuck" in Upstate New York where I was from for the first 29 years, I would definitely have probably 3 or 4 (at least) of your greenhouses put up and working hard growing everything tropical I could get my hands on....to me that would be the only way to survive the depressing 6 month mostly freezing,gray & cloudy winters.

Obviously Santa Barbara is not upstate NY, but I know it can be cold and foggy a lot there, so kudos for pushing past your zone denial!!!.

Will you be planting anything in the ground inside the GH or keep everything potted????

YourDogMango

I love Pineapple Guava! I have a seedling tree(couldn't find a named variety around here) that gave me a few fruits last summer for the first time, not the best I've tasted, but hoping will improve when the tree matures a little more...but I love the fact that I never need to protect it during freezes, so its one of my favorite trees for that reason alone :o)

Sun, you definitely need to buy one of these trees. I have two since I read most of them needed two to fruit...one's a bush and the other is a tree form. Easy care and you don't have to cover/protect them. They have pretty red blooms in May/June and if I'm lucky fruits ripen in early fall. They can survive down to 15 degrees or lower. Mine has never had any damage in the temps we've had for the last 4 winters I've had mine. I prefer the taste to regular guavas.

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oh. doi. that link.

Jacob,
Great pics. You definitely have a green-thumb...your plants looks SO HAPPY!
I like your big Hak Ip lychee...one of (if not my favorite) lychees. Has it fruited yet? Neat pics of your cherimoya and what a beautiful tangerine tree! Keep it up.
Thanks for sharing!

Hello Again Friends,

cocobananas - I am glad that you found the link. I bought Rambutans from them 3 different times and they were always excellent. Out of 24 pounds of Rambutans, only 1 single Rambutan was bad.

jsvand5 - I had read that same thing about them. Both my smaller and larger Greenhouses are plenty sturdy. I think the problem with them is that they don't give good instructions, nor do they provide for sturdy foundations. We built custom foundations for both, which were cheap and easy and that took care of the problem. In fact, we just had some 70 to 80 mph winds that were knocking over trees, my Greenhouse had absolutely no problem. So, unless you live in Tornado Alley, you should be just fine. Let me know if you purchase a GH and I will show you how we did our foundations. Also, they are definitely the cheapest priced Rambutans you'll find and they were Awesome.

MangoPerro - I have lost things in the cold winters for the last time, The Greenhouses provide enough protection in my area for me to outlast the Winters here. I am probably going to keep most of my stuff in containers. I will be planting in the front and back yards a couple of Lychee trees, a Mango tree, and a Jakfruit tree. I am just waiting for them to get large enough to be able to withstand the cold well enough. I'm pretty close to planting out my Lychees, as I have left a couple of them outside this entire time and they are doing fine, like my "Sweetheart" that has been in a growth flush this entire cold spell as shown in the pictures and has done just fine. Maybe my Green Sapote too, as it was outside for a while too and did okay as well, although it is now in the Greenhouse.

BluePalm - Thanks for the Nice Words. I am really Happy with the Hak ip too. I haven't got any fruit from it though although I have been close. Glad to hear that it is your favorite so hopefully I will like them too. I am not too picky when it comes to Lychess though. I thought I was going to get some this year from both my Sweetheart and my Hak ip, as they were both loaded. Then we had this crazy Heat Wave over 105 for a few days and lots of things got cooked, including all the fruit which quickly dropped after that. Thanks again for the compliments!

- Jacob

Hi Pug,

Beautiful Trees!!! You are so lucky to be able to grow fruit tree like that!!!

You should be very proud of that beauty!!!

Take care everyone!!

Laura in VB

Beautiful pictures, everything looks very healthy. The Satsuma tangerine, looks so productive for its container. Great job on all your plants and the garden.

Thanks for the info on Pineapple Guavas. Thanks for the picture Pug. Seeing it, I think I've seen these around here as hedges. I'll have to look closer this summer!

Hello All,

Nullzero - Thank you for the compliments. My kids love the Satsuma, so I give it plenty of TLC. Truthfully, its been pretty hands-off but is really doing well.

Sun Worshiper - You are probably right. They are used as hedge plants over here quite a bit so I am sure they are used for the same over there as well.

- Jacob

Hello Friends,

A Recent Picture of my 'Fuyu' Persimmon Tree (Left) and my 'Lapins' Cherry Tree (Right)

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Thanks,

Jacob

Hello Again Friends,

Here are some more pictures of Some of my fruit trees and some newer stuff as well. I hadn't posted pictures of them since last June, give or take a month. Unfortunately I did not have the new larger Greenhouse at the beginning of the last Cold Snap and Flooding, so many of the plants suffered and were killed or Completely Defoliated. Alas....the life of a Tropical Fruit tree Grower and Collector in Southern California.

So despite the damage, here is their progress.

My New Pickering Mango Tree in Bloom

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My Wampee, Which has grown a full foot in the past 4-5 months

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Grumichama Cherry Tree, which between the Heat Wave and Cold Snap, has taken quite a bit of damage but still lives on and is now recovering in the GH

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'Saludo' Canistel, starting to put on some new growth

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My Rollinia. The one in the first 2 pictures, used to be 6' feet tall, before it died back due to transplant shock. It is now recovering nicely in the GH.

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The is my other Rollinia that is also doing pretty good. Hopefully it will improve now that is in the GH

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'Black Pearl' Wax Jambu - Tripled in Size since I got it and has already given me a bunch of fruit.

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'Prolific' Sapodilla - Another that is rebounding nicely from previous Cold Damage. It survived this last cold snap with no problems and should be fine now that it is permenantly in the GH.

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Ice Cream Bean (Inga Feuillei)

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Madrono del Monte - Which is Fairly New

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'Giant Florida Purple' Surinam Cherry - This one is growing like Crazy. It has already Fruited but dropped them all because of the Freeze. It is already in flower again though.

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My new Red Fleshed Durian - It's a bit of a challenge but is hanging in there.

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My poor Abiu - For the 2nd year in a row, it Froze and was completely Defoliated. I should have learned my lesson last year. It is however, already bouncing back and there are a bunch of new nubs about to break out.

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Cabelluda or Yellow Jaboticaba - Growing Nicely in the smaller GH.

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'Choc-anon' Seedling Mango tree - Growing nice and steadily in the smaller GH.

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Spanish Lime or Quenepa/Mamancillo

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Jakfruit Forest

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A Couple of New Chempadek Seedlings

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Some Atemoya and Ilama Seedlings

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I will try to get some more pictures up in the next few days.

Thanks,

Jacob

Way to go Jacob - splendid green thumb you have. Your Pickering mango looks great and if I may ask - where did you get the Choc Anon mango seed???

Notice I only comment on the mangos (!) but seriously, everything looks happy if not recovering nicely. Crazy CA weather this last month, eh? Hopefuilly, we'll smooth out over the next couple months and then SPRINGTIME...ahhhhhh.....

mangomax

MangoDoggie,

I actually traded for the Mango seedling a while back. Hopefully it is what they said it is. I don't have any reason to doubt them. Thanks for the compliments.

Like you said, a couple of more months and then Spring Time.......AHHH!!

Jacob
You collection is very impressive! Thanks for posting your pics I enjoyed looking at them all. I love the green house. If I wasn't in zone 10 with only a handful of days a winter into the freezing 30' range I would consider getting one.

Jacob
You collection is very impressive! Thanks for posting your pics I enjoyed looking at them all. I love the green house. If I wasn't in zone 10 with only a handful of days a winter into the freezing 30' range I would consider getting one.

Jacob, I always enjoy looking at your collection of exotic plants. Your kid is very cute too. Great job, and I am going to check out that green house now :)
I always wonder how all the trunks of your trees are so thick and strong. I have a couple of spindly mango trees which continue to remain spindly.

Thanks for the beautiful photos! I have some questions, if you don't mind.

Where can I find that Violet de Bordeaux fig?
How do you pour the GH foundation?
Do you take all the plants out of the GH in the summer?
What temps do you see in the winter, inside the GH, unheated? Do you have any problem with spider mites?

Thanks a lot for answering any of my questions.

Hello Friends,

Maria - Thanks for the Compliments!

Ashley - Thank you also for the Compliments

New Gen - Thanks for the Compliments as well. As for the Violette de Bordeaux Fig, You can find them at a couple of different Places. It also goes by the name Negronne, I have seen them used interchangably. One Green World Carries them as Negronne, Edible Landscaping as Violette de Bordueax, Figs 4 Fun as Violette de Bordueax. If you in fact do purchase this Fig Tree, you will not be Dissapointed. Absolutely Heavenly.

As for the Greenhouse. I didn't acutally pour a foundation. I built it using 4" x 4" inch pressure treated lumber staked into the ground using 2' foot pieces of rebar. An Absolutely wonderful sturdy rock hard base, then filled it with 3/8" inch gravel.

Here is a link that can pretty much give you step by step instructions as to what I did. I didn't however, use the metal base that comes with the Greenhouse and which they instruct you to secure the GH frame to. After securing the wooden base to the ground, I simply screwed the GH frame the wooden foundation. Here is the Link: http://hfgh10x12.blogspot.com/2007/08/part-two-foundation-two.html

In the Summer Time, It does get pretty hot in the Greenhouse so I do take almost all of the plants out. The others that are left in the greenhouse are treated to a misting system I have installed in the Greenhouse to keep it cool as well as leaving the windows and doors open. However the plants that require higher Humidity almost all stay in the Greenhouse as it provides the Humdity our weather lacks.

Inside the Greenhouse in the Summer can easily get well over a 100 degrees so I have to be careful and stay on top of it. As for the Winter, it is as cold as 30 degrees outside and about 40 degrees in the Greenhouse. Although, I'll throw a small portable heater and humidifier to fight the dryness in the Greenhouses when it gets that cold. It's only about 10 nights out of the year, so I can keep up.

As for the Spider Mites, I occasionally run into them but it's not a huge problem, I regularly release Lady Bugs and use an occasional Organic Insecticidal Soap Spray to get rid of any pests that linger, but I haven't had any real problems with them as of yet.

Hope this helps!

- Jacob

Jacob,

Thanks for the very helpful answers. I'm in Bakersfield, and there's no way anything can survive inside the GH in the summer! I'll need it for the winter though, as we normally get pretty good sunshine (except for the recent weeks of storm). Last year, I had a bunch of tropical plants in my heated garage, and spider mites were a big problem, especially on the plumerias and papayas.

Hi Jacob, great pics! I love your jakfruit and pickering mango. They are very green and healthy! Also, thanks for letting us know that your Violette de Bordeaux Fig goes by different names. I live about 40 minutes from One Green World and will be making a visit very soon!!

Cheers!

-Bo

p.s the little girl in pink is very cute and adorable too. ( :

beautiful Jacob,

I've had a mamoncillo seedling for a year and it has gone nowhere, in fact it looks like crap. Your looks very healthy. What diffrence a GH makes in our climate.

Hello Again Friends,

Bo - It is nice to hear from you. It has been a while since we last talked. Thanks for the compliments. My Pickering seems to love it's pot and soil mixture I used. It seems to like it in the Greenhouse as well. As for the Jackfruit, I will have to post some more pictures of my Bigger trees. I have a few that are about 4' feet tall. I will post them tomorrow. I promise that you will love the Violette de Bordeaux Fig tree.

Jeff - My Mamancillo has taken quite a long time for it to get where it is at. When I first got it, it was only about 4" inches tall, and was a single stem with 2 leaves. It stayed that way for about 1.5 years, only putting on a few leaves. Then within the past about 6 months, it really took off to where it is now at a little over a foot. It actually got scorched during that heat wave we had a few months ago. It bounced back pretty quickly and looks great now. But yes, very slow growing.....

- Jacob

These are fantastic pics - very envious!

I'm in an apartment, so I'm very limited in what I will be able to do. I've gotten some guavas and citrus to thrive - they are too young to set any fruit just yet.

I have poor luck with annonas, so far. I intend to keep trying.

Ditto with pineapple guava/feijoa. I had a couple grafted trees that slowly steadily declined, and I was never able to diagnose the problem. Likewise, my seedlings never took off. They struck me as being a little more sensitive than the 'literature' suggests. Other guavas have been the most effortless thing I've grown, so I dunno!

Pineapple guavas are probably my fave fruit - the flavor is out of this world. Most of the growers in CA I've contacted have given me the 'due to local demand, we are unable to ship any fruit out of state' issue. We get them in the supermarket here for about one week every year - tiny, shriveled, $2 per fruit, and they still will sell out in roughly 36 hours. Thus, I'm going to keep attempting them until I can keep a pair of them alive!

Hello Friends,

Davecito - Thank you so much for the compliments. As for the Pineapple Guavas, I have 2 trees that are approximately 12' Feet tall and about 8' feet wide. When it fruits, there are litterally hundreds. So much more than we can eat, I will send you a bunch if you are interested. It is loaded with flowers right now so the fruit should be following shortly.

- Jacob

incredible pics jacob- i wonder if the hawaii websites prices will be so reasonable next season. great resource- i am so happy you provided the link. cant wait to order from them. did you ever order lychees from them.

Hello Again Friends,

lycheeluva - I am happy that the link has been helpful. I have yet to order any Lychees from them, but if their Rambutans are any indication of their fruit quality, then I am sure they will be just as Excellent. I can't wait to order Longans and Lychees as well, as I am a Lychee Lover myself. Thanks for the compliments.

- Jacob

Hello Again Friends,

Here are some more of my Tropical Fruit Trees. Hope you enjoy!

This is my Jamaican Strawberry Tree (Mutingia Calabura). I got this tree about 6 months ago and it was about 3' Feet tall. It is now 6'-7' Feet tall. This one grows so fast!

'Mexicola Grande' Avocado tree. It is starting to Flower right now.

Violette de Bordeaux Fig. This is another Fig from my tree. Just when I thought it couldn't get better, this Fig was indredibly delicous. It was super sweet with Rasberry and Strawberry undertones.

'Tabouey x J-30' Jakfruit tree - About 4' Feet tall.

'Biew Kiew' Longan Tree

Barbados Cherry tree

'Paulista' Jaboticaba Tree

Green Sapote Tree - Growing very steadily and very healthy. It has more than doubled its size in the last 6 months.

Hope you guys liked the pictures. I will be posting some more in the next few days.

- Jacob

Jacob,
What kind of potting mixture is your Pickering growing in?
Thanks, Keep up the good work!

Hello again Friends,

Maria - Thanks for your kind words. As for the Pickering, it is potted in a pretty basic simple mixture. A couple of years ago, our County gave away free composters, so I compost all of my yard clippings and kitchen green waste. What results is the most awesome rich compost mixture you could ask for. I also use E.B Stone's Super Potting Soil from our local nursery, and a Redwood Shaving and Sand mixture.

I would say that I use about 10% of the Redwood Shavings and Sand mix, 30% of my homemade Compost, and 60% of the E.B. Stone's Super Potting Soil. It seems to like it. I use this mixture with most of the stuff I re-pot. Thanks Again!

Hello Friends,

Here are some Pictures of my 'Pickering' Mango Tree that I have been Wintering in the Greenhouse. It seems to love it inside the Greenhouse and is Flowering like crazy.

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Hopefully I will get a fruit or 2 from the tree this year.

- Jacob

Awesome pics Jacob...Congrats! Hope you get to taste a couple of fruits this year...I love the taste of pickering!

YOur pickering is beautiful and loaded with tons of flower spikes. I hope you get fruits this year! Also, your jakfruit looks healthy and has nice growth, too! I wished I could say the jakfruit you sent was 4' but it's only half that size. Though, I still find it to be a very handsome seedling! And it's finally starting to spit out a new leaf lol

I still can't get over how very tasty your violet de bordeaux looks! AS a matter of fact, I look forward to trying one of these spectacular treats, though, that might be a few years. But maybe I might get lucky and find them at whole foods? In any case, this does very much encourage me to make the trip out to one green world and purchase one. Thanks for recommending this variety !

-Bo

Hello Friends,

Hey Bo - Thanks for the compliments. As for the Fig, you should definitely pick one up from One Green World, they are excellent, and you don't have to wait years to taste them. After I got mine, it was like 4-5 months before mine had figs, albeit only about 10, but I still had figs. This variety is known to fruit at a very young age and at a very small size. I wouldn't be surprised that if you were to buy a Fig Tree right now, that you would have some Figs this summer. I would bet on it! Good Luck

- Jacob

OH Jacob!

Way to GO - you are representing So Cal so well!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANd you act like a proud papa - all those pictures for the photo album! I am so happy you are passionate about your plants and sharing all that love with us.

A greenhouse is a lot like the tropics so you should continue to have great success.....let us know about the first mango or two you eat and maybe a picture of them.....

good going.....desertmangomadwoofie

Hi Jacob, that's excellent news! I know you get a lot more sun and warmth but I am very encouraged, so I might end up with more than one violet de bordeaux!

-Bo

Hi Jacob,
I agree with Bo. Your report on fruit production at such a young age is great news! I am waiting on some rooted cuttings that I am going to get along with 'Celeste', and also I will be getting 20 cuttings, 10 each of Chicago hardy and another variety that I cannot remember off hand.

I emailed you today. Check it out and get back to me when you have the time.
Andrew

Hello ,
Read that someone might have yellow Jaboticaba seed and wonder If you would consider parting with a few seeds
Ursula
culejools@yahoo.ca

hi Jacob ,,
What a great set of trees and fruiting rate u have ,, it shows how much you care about them ,,
But why do you need a greenhouse while you live in santa Barbara which is zone 10 i think ,, what is the lowest it gets in the winter nights ,,

Thanks, Amr

amrk,

Some of the ultra tropical fruit trees like Rambutan don't like temps below 50 degrees fahrenheit / 10 celsius. Santa Barbra can get high 30s fahrenheit with a cold snap in the winter. Avocado's, citrus, and other sub tropicals will grow outside all year long in Santa Barbra shrugging off the cooler nights.

Hello Friends,

amrk - For the Most Part and most of the Year, the westher in Santa Barbara is Great, But we do get pretty cold for about a month in the Winter Time. In fact, the past 2 years we have gotten down to below 30 degrees for several nights. So, things like Rambutan, Abiu, Rollinia, Caimito, Sugar Apple, Custard Apple, and others don't like it that cold and they sure showed it this past winter so thats what the Greenhouse is for. Plus, I can control the humidity for plants that like and need higher levels of it.

Thanks,

Jacob

jacob13: What is you preferred soil mix for all those containers?

Thanks!!!