Cuttings/ seeds/ seedlings Swap

Nick starts with ...
Hey everybody, I thought I'd make this post so everyone can trade cuttings, seeds and stuff all on the same page (let me know if you think its a good idea or not). To start things off, I've got planty of Captivator gooseberry cuttings to give away if anyone's interested.
Nick

Nick says...
Thanks Phil, I'm sure gooseberries are still a chance in New South Wales (how cold does it get in Tyalgum?). What I've done is put mine on the south side of a really high fence which gets about an hour of direct sun in summer and none and at all in winter. It doesnt seem to mind this shady position, considering it tripled in size since when I planted last July, but just remember to give it plenty of water in summer.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
k-hey guys leave your e-mail addresses here and I'll be in touch after I delete them for privacy reasons on this site.

Haakon says...
Gday Phil,

I would really love some pepino cuttings. How do they travel in the mail?

Nick says...
Sure thing Jantina (the white sapote geoff gave me is coming along great by the way). My email is niksmaster2008@hotmail.com.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Yes but you still haven't replied to the e-mail I sent to you privately Nick.

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
Yes I did Zady, maybe it is still in your junk box, so let me know either way.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
They are twelve month old seedlings - how do you think they would fare down south Jason?

Nick says...
I didnt get the email either! hahaha.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Zady just found the original e-mail in her junk folder in case anyone was wondering..

Phil@Tyalgum says...
sure Nick, will do

Nick says...
No problem Ady, just send me an email at niksmaster2008@hotmail.com. :)

peter says...
hi nick,
i can spare a few small ones at the moment or if you wait about a month
theyll be bigger.
what varieties do you want. i have
vc
red flesh
pink flesh
f1 hybrid
yellows

Nick says...
Hi guys, does anyone have any jaboticaba, grumichama, rambutan or sapodilla seeds/seedlings/plants? I've got an abundance of pomegranate and quince seedlings as well as custard apple,carambola, longan and citrus seedlings, persimmon seeds; gooseberry, cape gooseberry and carambola cuttings and also small fuchsia plants.

jason says...
Are you the Mike that worked at Limberlost?

Nick says...
By the way, do you have any durian seeds/seedlings? Would you like a $10 Daleys voucher in return?

Nick says...
I understand that theyre hard to grow, but while theyre young I'm gonna bring them in when the weathers too cold and during the day they'll be in the greenhouse which usually gets to above 20 degrees except on cloudy days.

Brad says...
does anyone have 9 star perennial broccoli?

Mike says...
Nick,I'll have a short holiday from swapping and sending and as I said get a few off to you in Spring.

Brad says...
They are related Nick.
9 star is apparently Brassica oleracea botrytis aparagoides and looks like this

Romanesco is also Brassica oleracea, sometimes known as fractal broccoli and looks like this

Jason says...
I don't grow any fuchsia's at the moment but I've eaten lots of them. Sometimes they are pretty good!, lets say much better than a capulin cherry anyway lol.

In Melbourne the other day I was in a Spsnish shop and I bought Lucuma puree and I also saw some Ulluco's in a can. For anyone whos like I was and hasn't tasted Lucuma. It tastes like...... Sweet potato with sugar or caramel added more less. In fact pretty much exactly like that

Rowan says...
Hi all, anyone got some varieties of gooseberry cuttings I can buy. I have plain old 'Captivator' but would like to try some others.
PS. My parents used to have a fuchsia nursery. Try different kinds/varieties as many taste quite different. Makes nice jam - what doesn't, lol.

Nick says...
Anybody want some Hardenbergia or "The Santorini" tomato seeds?

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MaryT says...
Abutilon is also edible (flowers) and there's always a lot of nectar. Easy to grow from cutting, very pretty, lots of flowers.

MaryT says...
Thanks for the tip, Amanda; I hope to get there one day... I looked up the list and realised I lied when I said I have been to all the WH sites LOL Anyway, my love of nature grew from travelling the Oz wilderness.

MaryT says...
I don't see why you cannot send plants interstate unless it's WA/Tas - nurseries do it all the time. But we don't know since none of us ever sends plant material interstate.

David says...
Thanks all

juanita says...
Hi Nick, is that european bilberry? Hubby brought home a jar of preserved bilberry from UKR ages ago, it was so delicious & supposed to be full of antioxidant & good for our eyesight..how abt the chill factor? will it thrive here in melb?

Nick says...
You've got quite a lot of planting to do Mary! Are those the papaya seeds in pic 6? You must have an extraordinary collection at your place Mike, where do you source all your rare seeds etc?

MaryT says...
Daleys sells it too, chillilover; we're just looking for seeds :)

MaryT says...
Chillilover if you wait till summer in the northern hemisphere you'll find rambutans in the shops (if you're after seeds).

Mike my Boesenbergia rotunda has flowered - wonder if it's the same as your krachai?

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Nick says...
Unfortunately it was a frozen durian, i doubt the seeds would germinate at all so I didnt get it. I forgot to mention, I also found what I thought was cheap turmeric rhizomes there so I bought a few of those too. Whats santol taste like? I've always wanted to try one!

Nick says...
Dont worry its fine, I bought tonnes of fruit just in case! :)

chillilover says...
Hi Nick, i got your seeds on Monday. Is that even possible. When did you send it. Rambutans already planted but what was the rest. Thank you so much for being generous. I am hoping you trying to germinate rambus as well. Wish you success.

Nick says...
The fuchsia seeds are about the size of carrot seeds- very small!

John Mc says...
Hi Peter, I might be able to help you out soon. I have a seedling and a Guy Sam in fruit ATM. The harvest will be very small but you're welcome to all the seeds. They're probably still a month off.

Mike says...
Peter I has better get another wish list from you.If you're interested in knowing more about DF I can send some info to you in case you don't have enough.

Mike says...
Peter,this is my reading of it....not really for here but for Israeli and American ones yes there is a bit more on sun tolerance.The general theme seems to be start them in shade and let them grow into full sun except if you are in a low humidity (often inland and dry areas),hot summer area and then shadecloth protection helps during summer.Most good american types seem to be able to handle full sun in a mediterranean climate like Adelaide.Some types have thicker,more waxy 'skin' that helps.The yanks reckon the yellows struggle more in cool and drier places.

Ours appear to be a motley crew without cv names.Desert King in the NT and the newly named columbian supreme have names at least.The aussie ones have not been selectively bred for dry,cool climates or harsh summers.

I had better send a few references to you.

John Mc says...
Peter, I remove everything off the main stem till it reaches the top of the post then it can fan out and drop over the top of the post and multiply from there. If I'm removing shoots from a good var, I let them get up to a propagating size before I remove them. I have a large pink that hasn't flowered in the last two years so I started spraying it with a foliar feed of liquid potash and seasol a week about and blow me down I got a flower.

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peter says...
hi guys
last year i was removing the side stems
every week but the more i removed the more seemed to grow, ill start removing them again and also try the folar spraying.

Mike says...
Jicama are vigorous plants that look like runner beans but it is onlt the tubers that are edible.Some seeds can take longer to germinate.

Mike says...
Peter,hammering those side shoots into submission and foliar spray on the aerial roots is probably a good strategy.If my ken's red turns out to be a desert king and I get one of those with a 4.5 cold tolerance on the table I flicked to you they might be a better bet down there.Your F1 and yellow might be the toughest ones to get any satisfaction from.

Mike says...
BJ the seeds and SC we discussed can't fit in their 500g express bag.Even with just 3 seeds of each it comes to 700g.I will box them today instead and send them pony express on Monday which should take 4 days.The pepper and sprouting plants should be fine.

MaryT says...
OMG Mike - thanks for a most interesting parcel of goodies that I'd just picked up from the PO. I'm letting them breathe while I write to say a big THANK YOU BUT you should not have sent money! The swap is more than fair. For your sin you will have to put up with more plum jam!

MaryT says...
thanks, Mike. I'm planting!

MaryT says...
Well done, Nick. Go to the top of the class. lol

Nick says...
The herbs and starch crops last time were enough to confound me! All the 4 sweet potatos are sprouting and so are the curcuma and arrowroot (a bird or something snapped off the arrowroot sprout though rrrrrrrr) :)

MaryT says...
Nick do you know how long the seeds are viable for? Because I still have some seeds that I took off a bush in Tassie in 2009. I've forgotten I had them until now. You can have them if you want. They still smell good.

p.s. I'm talking about Tasmannia lanceolata.

Nick says...
Unfortunately I dont think theyd be still viable.... http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter/nsf/Attachments/LJEM-7CV7BN/$FILE/Tasmannia%20lanceolata%20Notesheet.pdf

Nick says...
I also have Native Frangipani seeds (Hymenosporum flavum) for anyone whos interested :)

Nick says...
I had bali ones earlier in the holidays but the ones I collected seed from were thai salaks.

Nick says...
Id love some! Would they want anything in return?

Mike says...
Nick you must have lots of space to house all your acquisitions.It is good you share with chili who seems eager to expand the collection.You guys probably should put a wish list out and you never know what could happen.

BJ says...
Mike, the parcel arrived today. Packed full of goodies. The Mangosteen looks pretty good, just have to hope there is enough time for recovery before winter. Triage was hectic this afternoon!

John Mc says...
I'm glad they made it. I thought my packing may have been a little dodgy this time round.
I have just trimmed my Vietnamese DF if you want a cutting? It produces very large pink\white fruit, and as far as I can tell, is self pollinating.

MaryT says...
Nick I have your address from Mike so I've passed it on to my friends. They will send you the cuttings. It seems the leaves of the Dorrigo pepper is being used to make pasta (as a flavouring) by a Melbourne restaurant and they're buying them up.

Nick says...
Oops I forgot to mention durian seeds.

MaryT says...
That's OK Nick. Mike I have not finished the 'homework' you set yet so won't dare ask for more. :) Meanwhile seeds are sprouting and plants are growing out of their homes! I need to visit the tip to pick up more pots!

Mike says...
There wasn't much variety in your parcel if I remember correctly and it is good if all 4 S.P.'s are getting their act together.When the runners root,chop them to make new plants and you can eat the tips as a green (or purple).Was it the WI arrowroot or the canna/common arrowroot?

Mike says...
Nick,they are very different plant species but both have starchy rhizomes/tubers.The canna AR has big ginger like rhizomes and the west indian AR has multiple carrot like tubers.

Nick says...
The cuttings arrived in great condition today and theyre now nice and cosy in the greenhouse. Thanks again for you and your friends generosity, if theres ever anything I have that you guys want I'll be more than happy to send it :)

MaryT says...
John Mc your parcel should arrive tomorrow. Hope it has not turned into chilli paste but the seeds should still be viable, I hope.

MaryT says...
Thanks, John Mc! Good luck with the chillies. I have not done a taste test so perhaps you'd want to try it before you plant it, but the shape is amusing.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Welcome back Mike. I hope you had a good time in the dry tropic.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Good to come home to see some actions in the garden.
I know it is very hard when you go away and there is not much rain.
For pots, I normally make holes in soil and insert some water saver peals before I go. BTW, my lufa fruits are hanging down and one of them nearly 1 meter and still very skinny not yet ready to pick.

MaryT says...
Good tip, Jujube. Hi Mike; good to hear that you're out of jail :) While you're away the snake gourd seeds sprouted! They were so mouldy when they arrived I was tempted to throw them away but you said they'd be still good and so they are!

David says...
Welcome home Mike, and yes the seeds are sprouting like crazy here too

MaryT says...
Mike, I am trying to work out HOW I can grow snake gourd around here :) I'll pot them up tomorrow to the next size and hope it would wait till I find a solution. More jimcamas' come up, corianders, chillis...

Mike says...
David the Z4's were probably crossed with an E4 that grows next to the mother tree so have taken on some of E4 characters.E4 and Z4 are the 2 best but E4 is different from other abius,being hairier,broader 'mango' leafed and a weepy habitat.Once chemps and jacks come up they are pretty hardy.

Mike says...
Mary T I can pack something tonight and send it tomorrow. The perennial coriander has no seeds but I have another plant that seeded before.So it's coriander,tumeric,C.xanthorhiza,mekong vine,P. paw paw,betel leaf.jicama pods and maybe brazilian lettuce.Is more sugar and duruka of interest?

MaryT says...
Not sure what I would do with betel leaf , Mike, but brazillian lettuce sounds good. If there's room I wouldn't mind another piece of sugar and duruka just in case... hope I'm not being too greedy.

MaryT says...
Thanks, Mike; I didn't have time to look everything up so I just put the piece in a pot standing up LOL (makes sense to me at the time!) though I did wonder at the roots coming out of the 'joints'. Never mind, it worked; kind of. It's trial and error around here. I can't keep my eyes open so to bed; it's been a hot humid day (for us). Don't go out again; I have enough.

Mike says...
Packages are arriving all around thanks Mary T and I'm loaded with good stuff once again.I know what the next package has to be filled with.

John Mc says...
On the left is the rootstock of a grafted Tamarillow. I bought it only because it had the rootstock shooting, cut the grafted tamarillow off and let the original rootstock grow. I was keen to see what the pro's used. The right is, of course, a red tamarillow.

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JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Mine is ok with lots of fruits as big as an apple. I tasted my first fruit yesterday. Even though it was yellow 100% but I think I will leave them on the tree for a bit longer to get a sweeter version. A bit like tomato in flavor but very solid. I added some to my curry it tasted good. I think the flesh can be chopped up and add to Bruschetta. I will try with the next fruits.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi John Mc,

You make my mouth watering. They look soo beautiful and yummy and the tree is very productive. Do you know the name of the variety?

They are ready when they are all red like the big two fruits in the first picture. I love them very much but I think you should save some for your family only the spare ones that I will want them. They are hard to find you know.

Many thanks for the offer. I am very much appreciated.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Amanda,

You can eat them out of hand, very good for summer when you are thirsty. Stew with raw sugar and serve with ice cream. The tree is stunning when in fruits.

John Mc says...
It's a red seedling from Daley's. It's a pity they didn't ripen some more, but I can bring the satchel up to 3kg with the largest, ripest fruits.

So far, I'm packing 2 male /female gac, a chinese liquorice and the rest with wax jambu fruit, have I forgotten anything?

Mike says...
Mary T I hope you were happy enough with the parcels. As you could see there were only few plants in the one from me due to the tumeric hogging the space.I bet you got some good stuff from John Mc as I have before.

Mike says...
Yeah I left work a bit early on Friday.It is still 24 to 32c here with 1000% humidity.
Too bad if there are few casualties as there should be enough survivors to keep you entertained.Now that you have seen the tumerics do they seem different from your ones? The C.xanthorhizas are perhaps not to everyones taste.
I found some resprouting brazil lettuce and can get the thick black sugar if you have space for more recruits.

John Mc says...
Hey Lucy,
I just had a look at the Maqui berry, there's no roots showing in any of the air layers as yet, bit more time,it's been quite cold here. As soon as some roots show through, I'll send them up.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi John Mc,

Many thanks for letting me know. Not too worry about Maqui berry, I understand how the weather like in Sydney and Melbourne: cold. That is the reason for Propagation process is very slow.
On the other hand Mike's area and mine are boiling hot and rain at times.

MaryT says...
Hi Mike, this came unmarked in the parcel. Not looking fabulous but overnight it seems to be trying hard to survive - see the new shoot? You definitely need to wrap it in paper first to prevent steaming. ID please.

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MaryT says...
Thanks, Mike! It may come good yet. We're having a 27 degrees day before the temperature drops again. Sydney weather!

MaryT says...
Ah but you have mangosteen...

MaryT says...
Guess you have to take the mangosteen with the heat, humidiity and rain, Mike. We can't complain. Plenty of stone fruit at the moment but I guess we all yearn for what we rarely see. Just checked the paw paw; still hanging in there. I looked it up; very cute.

Mike says...
That was a premature submission,anyway I am tanking up on them right now and these fruits are exceptional.They are outstanding in taste flesh recovery and fruit size.Let me know if you're in the market for seeds of them I am loaded with them.

David says...
Yes Yes Yes, oh did i say Yes, thanks Mike, that would be great, HAve tried Marangs here did ok.Thanks again

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
BJ ,When you say decent mangoes,im curious what varieties do you have, good ones are so hard to track down

David says...
forgive the computer is on its last legs

David says...
Mike this sounds great,will post some bags up to you tomorrow, to at least cover some of the expense, my advice stop eating, hope your not diabetic.Describe the taste compared with Amber.

David says...
Mike it still irks me that some retail nurseries are still pumping out the crapier cultivars and passing them of as something as good as sliced bread. Seriously, do you honestly think youll sleep tonight on such a full tummy

David says...
I guess the problem up your way Mike is that trees grow so big so quickly, refering to the artocarpus species,where as down here the problem is climate,Brissie must be on the cusp of the southern limit for growing these species

David says...
There is a chap John Picone i think that has Marang growing and he is in Nth NSW,also cocao, not sure on the last 3 you said ,The weather is definately turning into the Autumn patterns here the overnight temp dropped down to 19 last night, still lots of moisture round so the humidity is still ok. Your right and spot on mike about establishment. THe biggest problem here is not june or july but August when low humidity and wind chill factor are at there worst

Mike says...
John Mc when in doubt chop it is my motto.I would trim the abiu now.At 2 years here they are past the lanky stage.I'll get some seeds off to you next week.

Mike says...
Mary, I received your parcel today and thank you once again.I chutney,express bags and plenty of reading.Your plants and seeds can be ready to go at any time and the mangosteens,we'll find out about tomorrow.The plants will be good ones next time.

Mike says...
Nick I haven't planted any yet because it is still too hot and wet.When I swap to the winter crops in 5 weeks with tomatoes,radish,shallots,pak choi,bok,mustard,lettuce etc then all of those will go in.Those jicama are chinese so should be more cold hardy than most.That was a pretty miserable parcel I sent you before and my intention is to send a better selection soon if it is not too cold.

Mike says...
Thanks David

MaryT says...
Hey Mike please know that we value every little thing you sent - the most insignificant volunteer from your garden when nurtured becomes a cherished addition to ours.

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BJ says...
Thanks Mike. I'll wait until next season to try for Baccaurea.

Mike says...
David the bags arrived thank you,they will be used and now I am loaded with bags.If I can't squeeze everything into one then it will be easy just to toss it into another.BJ the season is not over for them yet and those I saw were poor quality which I presume was due to the varieties.the.I'd rather not send anything that is not a top quality type.
Soon I will be practising propagation so the spares will be looking for good homes.

Mike says...
David, rambais and BG's are the two best in the genus with BG's being a little sweeter and bigger in improved varieties.They are also better suited to subtropics as they extend into NE Thailand.Some I got for BJ got eaten by 'accident' and I haven't found good ones again.

Mike says...
Yes David it was a very sad incident about 200m downslope on my street.Police were there evaluating the scene for much of the day.
Tampois are around but they just aren't good enough to get people interested.I don't know what tawn is, but many varieties of tuan (fiji longan) can be found.I can't remember what I sent you and what I haven't.Did I send any Sam Ru Du or Santol seeds and I'm not sure if you want herbs,gingers or vegies other than the fruit seeds discussed?

Mike says...
BJ,I have done a little marcotting and grafting before and if I get extra of those that could do alright down there,I'll send some.It could take a litle while.
Some tuan are really good with lots of flesh but the trees are big.
They were small portions in that last bag and I hope there was enough of the black sugar to strike.I found a perennial coriander in the yard.Do you want kang kung and rice paddy herb?

Nick says...
what kind of fruit seeds do you have at the moment Mike?

Mike says...
David and BJ parcels are in the post.BJ I think I didn't label a bag with brazil lettuce,rice paddy herb and culantro.

Mike says...
I suspect all 4 parcels will arrive tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning at the latest.

David says...
Ditto , honestly i feel like a kid waiting for a penny lollipop.

David says...
Thats the trouble mike when you taste top shelf ,the rest are alsoruns, pity about Limberlost, on recollection i think i have been buying from them on and off since 1995 i think,Mike used to be so helpful on the phone when id ring up to order.

Mike says...
With the seeds,don't keep jackfruit and marang seeds too wet as they prefer to germinate in a drier mix.Rollinia,ackee and the others are not as prone to rotting and are not as fussy.

Mike says...
There are only a few ackee seeds and some have sprouted so it might take some care with my dodgy packing.I spread them around and only had a limited number of the very good type and ditched the poorer types.It seems good quality types are quite rare.

David says...
Hi Mike, The seeds arrived at7.10am this morning was just going of to work when the postie showed up, so it was a quick rush to bury the seeds in seed mix, must say you have outdone yourself this time ,all arrived ok. Discovered 2 of the sam du ru ,seeds were rotten, 1 ok so fingers crossed.Cant beleive how small marang seeds are compared with jackfruit. Thanks again Mike. p.s Thanks also for the bonuses. David

David says...
Where did you learn your technique for packing everything was in great condition and yes it was the older and the smaller one hope the other germinates ok. Mike are the fruit bowen shape or the elongated asian shape.

David says...
Am i right in thinking they flower more than once in any given season.Saw a photo of Mike Fabian couple of weeks ago standing in front of a big Matisia tree, holding a fruit in hand, dont know when it was taken.

BJ says...
Min e arrived today too. Thanks Mike!
The Guava is a surprise. Tastes like pineapple candy. Will definitely find a spot in my yard!

Mike says...
I'll take it easy for a while then while keeping my eyes peeled.BJ the guava is the mystery guava from a thread last year and the tree is everbearing and prolific.It is no ordinary P.guineense and I should strike some cuttings.It is way better than a yellow cherry guava in my opinion.The shiso cutting was not struck first so will be a challenge.I ran out of space for other greens.

Mike says...
BJ the only reference to the guava was someone who called it a pineapple guava, and another person said it is not a brazil guava being too sweet,with soft skin and soft seeds.If the seeds don't come up I'll make sure I have cuttings because it should be 'out there'.You should have piece of green and black village sugar the rest is duruka.The marang with just a few seeds 'not salleras commercial' is something special.

Mike says...
Mary it could be better if you have a rest from sending parcels as well as you have sent plenty already.The forecasts are for continuing rain but it is only sprinkling this morning.The temps have been a brisk 24-29 and the rain feels cooler so winter must be on the way.

John Mc says...
How nice were those Mangosteens? I've saved all the seed, just gotta give them a go. I might have half a chance of growing them when my poly tunnel gets built.

I'm with you Mary T, I've run out of exotic material to send to Mike, thanks is not enough for my constitution. Maybe I can send him some of my special loquats when they're at their prime.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Sound good. Good luck Mike. I hope you got what you want.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Thanks Mike. It has been raining here heavily too. I packed your things and ready to go. I am thinking of driving North on 24th and stay back overnight and leave the next day for the festival. I am watching the weather and will let you know closer to the day.

MaryT says...
Mike I forgot you're not at work and sent you an email. Just wanted to let you know that I'm sending a book.

MaryT says...
Thanks Mike; most of the plants are doing well, even the papaya is still hanging in there. There's a forest growing outside my door!

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Mike says...
Wow it is all looking good Mary and nearly all of those should handle the weather there.Is pic 4 a miracle fruit or gramichama? I don't have too many other worthwhile herbs and vegies but seem to stumble across good new ones on a regular basis.

Mike says...
They don't need much soil so if you trim the top and use that pot will last a while yet.The grasshoppers do most of the trimming for me.

Mike says...
That type of mint is tough and vigorous and even grows in cracks between bricks.At rustys' yesterday the mangosteens were scungy and expensive,but dragonfruit,rambutan,longans,mabolo and many others were cheap and good quality.I bought some sam ru du mangoes that were around 500g and perfect for $3/kg and a giant 1kg matisia that tasted good and only had 1 fully formed seed.

Mike says...
Mary,I woke to continuing rain and a heavy fog/low cloud that has retreated upslope now.Even my ducks are sick of it.Day temps have cooled here also with the wet weather but it still is not falling below 24 at night and the humidity is high.And there goes another downpour,it is perfect for growing fungi on all surfaces including walls,fabric,plant roots and trees.

Mike says...
David,now that I am a bagman I could hang on to the sam ru du seeds (or germinate them) until I get a few other seeds or plants to join them on a trip to Brisbane in a couple of weeks.Is it best to cut them open and only plant the good ones? Do you still have vacancies for new plants and seeds?

Mike says...
It was actually the plants I was talking about going on the trip.All my trips this year will be to remote places in the northern half of Queensland,unless I go to SE Asia in December.
I only have one seeds of the giant fruited (1kg) matisia but I'll check out a few varieties in case the smaller types taste good.Bad ones are stringy,watery and taste of cooked pumpkin but good ones are like rockmelon with a hint of mango.I haven't been chasing seeds very hard but they keep 'falling into my lap' through friends and the markets.I could be getting a batch of seeds from NE Thailand soon and there could be some rarities amongst them.

Mike says...
Mary I still have a couple of 3kg express bags hanging around making nuisances of themselves.While I'm likely to be busy late next week, I may be able to round up a few asian mangoes the following week.Mary,sorry to hear that health challenges are getting in the way of travelling.

MaryT says...
Mike if I have to stay put I can think of worse places than Sydney; anyway I'm in remission (hurray), it's just fatigue (from treatment and other complications) and decrepitude of old age which happens to everyone. :)
I am philosophical. You know you won't ever run out of express bags if you keep sending them out. They always come back. :) In fact I know one that's coming your way. lol

Mike says...
Every time I go into the garden a cloudburst chases me back inside.Matisia have juicier, slightly fibrous flesh more like that of a mango than the 'paste' of a mammey.They are likely to appeal to more people than mammeys.
Mary a lady I know is in a very similar position.From now on I had better use up the bags I already have.

MaryT says...
Thanks guys; growing edibles has been one of the most positive things - not just for eating, but watching things grow is unbelievably uplifting.

MaryT says...
You are so lucky, BJ! I have only had the yellow cherry here but my strawberry guava is flowering. Is the nice 'pineapple guava' a feijoa?

Mike says...
BJ no worries and there can be more in the future if you have room.I hope you get a good survival and germination rate.
I don't bother with my yellow cherry guava as the seeds are too hard and the taste is so inferior to that guava.In the mystery guava thread its difference from the regular P.guineense (not a feijoa) made it hard to identify,especially as it fruits continuously.If the cuttings strike I'll send you one because it needs to 'get out there'.

MaryT says...
Hey yellow cherry guava tastes pretty good when they're all you have!! I don't even notice the seeds though they're there. Is the strawberry really so bad, BJ? I've waited so long for it to even flower.

Mike says...
My neighbour has a big red cherry guava that is festooned with fruit right now.They are almost as large and tasty as the yellow cherry guava but the kids there don't eat many preferring to raid my brazil guava near the boundary.Brendan showed a picture of brazil guavas but his had white flesh,bigger seeds and hard skin but were still the same species.

Mike says...
BJ Brazil guavas are the most widespread and genetically diverse guava species with varieties cultivated in the Carribean and Peru.I figure this pineapple one is a good cultivar rather than the wild type that seems to be the typical one here.The foliage and young fruit look the same.Could your yellow guava be a mexican cream? My first crop of those is just about to get ripe.

MaryT says...
I love to 'glean' as well BJ; I know where I can get pink pepper corn, lemon myrtle leaves, Monstera deliciosa, all sorts of edible blossoms and herbs from the roadside as I go by :) In fact it was a massive Rosemary bush that was pulled out by the Church around the corner that forced me to take some of its cuttings and grow my own.

David says...
Same ,local loquats ,mangoes, custard apples, pawpaw

David says...
Your providing a valuable community need , keeps people in touch with where real food comes from, good on you Mary

Mike says...
David I would like to swap but I just give it away.My friends and family seem to have this psychic vibe and always turn up when produce is ready for harvest and for that matter when I arrive home from fishing.

MaryT says...
Hahaha; you'll find us at your doorstep too if we live within cooee, Mike. Free fruit and fish; who wouldn't come running? I met my friend/neighbour at the supermarket and she said "I need a bunch of mint but I'm not buying it 'cause I know you have plenty". I said, "do I?" - it seems others are watching my plants closer than I do. :)

BJ says...
db, I'd wait until winter. That's when everyone gets out their pruners and offers up all the prunings as cuttings. At the fruit club there are usually 4 or 5 different types on the give away table at that time. Also, you wont get much growth before they shut down for winter anyhow and are no better off starting now.

David says...
Mary there is an avenue of Tamarind trees in Mt Gravatt, southside Brissie, that the council planted some time agoill bet one of the workers was asian to influence there choice. During fruiting the trees are ransacked of there fruit, by those in the know.

David says...
There is Mary the same is repeated several places in Bribane that i know of, Tamarind seems to have been the tree of choice 15 to 20 yrs ago

David says...
Max height here is about 6mt, im sure they get bigger though, pretty when in flower.

David says...
Mike all that rain must be doing your head in ,saw the road at Redlynch under water on the nine news tonight, looks like more to come up your way,hows the web feet going

BJ says...
DB, this is the club http://stfc.org.au/about

Yes, there are lots of streets with tamarind. I can think of 5 with dozens each, one with near 100 (West End). Unfortunately, they are set upon by borers before i remember to check them.

David, you must be lucky to find good street mangoes. I know of plenty of park mangoes, but they are all pretty turpsy. Good for composting and getting the black soldier fly larvae working though.

David says...
BJ, you just might be right ,the mangoes are pretty good where i go but came across a lady who lives in West end,her father owned the property she now lives on and the original mango tree came from the Sarina area in the 1930s,as a seed brought back from a family holiday, the old lady describes the fruit as a bullock heart,which i had heard of before but never come across. Must say had the best bowen type flavour ive ever tasted,also hardly any fibre

David says...
BJ, also you mentioned West End along Dornoch Tce there is a row of Tamarinds maybe 10 or 12 planted some 20 yrs maybe more ago.

David says...
Nick that sound great

David says...
The family name is Stiller i think from memmory.There is a road named after them. I think of german decent.

Nick says...
Every plants sap contains water, I think its the certain substances ie sugars in certain plants that raise or lower the freezing point of the sap, making a plant hardy or tender :)

Mike says...
David that is a triple bunger composite question that a physiologist,ecologist,geneticist and people in a dozen different fields could throw their 2 bobs worth in.Adaptability often refers individuals within a species rather than the species as a whole.Some plants specialise their physiologies and behaviour to get an edge over generalists in particular conditions.Genetic and phenotypic 'plasticity' varies alot between species and many climate specialists have little plasticity.Plants are genetically programmed to respond to particular temperature and daylength cues,seek particular pollinators etc.Cactus or arctic lupins would be outside their tolerances at my place and a guava or tomato could go ok through 40 degrees of latitude.Mangosteens are wet humid specialists with fungal resistance,stomata configuration and cuticle set up for that climate.And this could get long so I'll leave it there.

Mike says...
Was all that double talk me? All plants have a climatic envelope that they can operate in and they develop features to suit.They can be bred to increase cold tolerance and there will be physical traits that change over generations to allow it.I know that no plant on the planet would enjoy the deluge I have had in the last hour.