What’s Fruiting

  It’s been a long wait— five years— for fruit from our Jose Antonio avocado tree. Every year it dropped all its fruit, but they lasted on the tree longer and longer each year, and finally this year it’s been keeping them to maturity. This first one was on the …

All seven of our Sabara jaboticaba trees are producing their first wave in 2020. The first five pounds were sold yesterday at Nature’s Co-op in the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. We expect to send more to Nature’s Co-op in coming weeks.

The first jaboticabas of 2020! Our oldest Red jaboticaba tree produced an early crop, which went to Nature’s Co-op in the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. The Sabara jaboticaba trees are loaded and should start at the market next Saturday.

We’re still getting going on this outstanding, underutilized rare fruit. Our oldest tree NW-A-8 has been through a lot, but it’s producing, and several of our younger canistels are getting cranked up. If this year’s fruit quality meets our standards, we expect to market it next year.

Jujubes have begun their short winter season. This rarely seen small fruit is moderately sweet, with an appealing apple-like flavor and texture. This year’s crop will be smaller than last year’s. We’re not sure why, but maybe our jujube tree NW-I-2 is just taking it easy this year.

  This 2018 addition to our collection of starfruit is already off to a productive season.

Lemon season has started, and it looks like a good year. We should have some on sale at Nature’s Co-op in the Sarasota Farmer’s Market most weekends.

Our longan trees have just about recovered from Hurricane Irma. The Biew Kiew had a small crop just on the north side of the trees, but they have ripened to market quality and will be on sale, while they last, at Nature’s Co-op in the downtown Sarasota farmer’s market.

A unique, intense flavor puts the Sweet Tart in a class by itself. A recent development by the Zill Nursery of Boynton Beach, the plain-looking exterior hides a super-sweet mango with a tart element to its taste. Some find it jarring, but many mango snobs consider it a transcendent experience. …

Peachy and moderately sweet, the Cogshall mango ripens with a red blush, often on a yellow background color. One of the best varieties for the Florida home grower, Cogshall trees are very compact, nearly dwarf, and disease resistant. Tip: Be careful not to let it get overripe.