Thank you Arthur for explaining your growing conditions and 'hard-canes.' I have absolutely no room for them, that is the reason they get tossed on a corner, left dry and ignored until Spring. They are tall, but you can get away with stuffing them in small pots. Howard - Southern Exposure?? OMG! Before I knew anything 'formal' about growing orchids, I always had dens. Some nobiles, but mostly hard-canes. Rarely got the nobiles to flower (some hybrids did), but they grew and grew. Hard-canes stopped growing after flowering and I assumed they went dormant. So I put them away until I saw sign of life. They rarely got watered (which I know goes against the rules). I do not put them under lights because they are too tall. They have few leaves and because of this don't require strong light. They are potted in rock or Aussie and maybe given a bit of water once a month. They are bone dry. They couldn't rot if they tried. They could dry up (that's happened) but if I notice any major shriveling, I give them some water - not much. I keep the nobiles in the window, but the hard-canes are in a North corner, not by a window. But my room is bright. I don't have room for them in winter. I have too many high light orchids which need the windows and lamps. They don't seem to grow any differently with or without light...they don't grow over winter! Plus, they are ugly sticks and I hide them until spring. I think the big mistake is treating them as if they are growing. Just leave them be and they will wake up when the time is right. Its the care they receive over summer that determines the amount of spikes. These plants are tough but so magnificent when they bloom well. If you get it right, you will have more flowers than any other orchid you could grow. They become giant bushes of flowers. I love them. Jane

wow, over a decade later, I am resurrecting this thread :p I am growing Mixed of Tropical and Native (Path to a food forest) Pawpaws (shenandoah, Susquehanna, Mango, Maria's Joy, KSU Atwood, KSU Benson, Allegheny) Feijoa (two varieties, Apollo and unknown) Persimmon (Hyakume, Fuyu, Giant Fuyu, Jiro, Maru, Chocolate, Coffeecake) Phalsa (Potted) - Grewia Asiatica Guava (Mexican Cream, Larkana Guava) Jujube (Honey Jar, Sugarcane, Li) Figs (bunch to list) :p Apple (Pink Lady, Candy Crisp, Gala, Red and Yellow Delicious) Pears (Bartlet and MoonGlow) Plums (Bubblegum, and 2 varieties I can't recall) Peaches (2 varieties) Eleagnas Cherries (Bing, Unknown Red and Green Cherries) Blackberries, Blueberries, Huckleberries Grapes, Currents(Black and Red) Goji Rhubarbs Meyers Lemon and Improved Meyers Lemon Mulberry so on

I've had some good Surinam cherries off a bush (these were big bushes). They are best when they get all the way ripe. Still not as good as regular cherries though, in my opinion. Also I noticed the fruits from different bushes growing right next to each other had slightly different flavors. Some had a slightly stronger plum/nectarine flavor, others more cherry, blackberry, or spicy bell pepper. Almost more like the type of thing to snack on off the bush than something people would specifically want to buy. Asian pears are definitely not "just bland". Maybe they were not fresh or picked before they were all the way ripe (which would be understandable in a supermarket). They have a strong musky perfume type of aroma. They are less sour and can be a little less sweet than regular European pears, as well as having a more crunchy-watery jicama-like texture than the more buttery-paste texture of European pears. I'm not a huge fan of pineapple, just feel so-so about it. Rarely I might buy one if it looks really fresh. I really like the exterior look of the fruit more than I like eating them. I can only eat a little bit before the back of my throat starts becoming a little bit itchy. Maybe I have a slight allergy to it.

I've never seen root rot on a jaboticaba. Mine, which are in ground of course, are in the lowest point in my entire property. There have been some multi-day rain events that have left standing water in this area for a full 10 days without any root issues. During dry season, I'll let the hose run completely flooding the area. That doesn't leave any standing water for more than a day, but I usually have to do it a day or two in a row before flowering commences. Good luck. Harry