UF Experts Suggest Alternative Fruit Crops After Canker-Eradication Program

By:
Suzanne Ackermann

Source:
Carlos Barlerdi cfb@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu, (305) 248-3311, x 233

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— While many South Florida residents have lost citrus trees in the state canker eradication program, there are other types of fruit trees that can be planted in backyards across the region.

Tropical fruit experts at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have developed a new document, which is located on the Web, for residents looking for new plants to replace citrus trees that have been removed.

The publication, “Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops for the Home Landscape: Alternatives to Citrus,” describes plants such as the carambola, also known as a “star fruit” tree. The document also provides information on different types of fruit, growing seasons and areas where they can be planted.

To learn more about which fruit trees can be planted in South Florida, visit UF’s Electronic Data Information System (EDIS) Web site http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and look for publication number HS812 or digital library number MG373. Use the keyword search for a quicker, more in-depth overview.

“South Florida is the only area in the continental United States where residents can grow a variety of tropical fruits, and this publication shows them how to do it,” said author Carlos Balerdi, a Miami-Dade commercial tropical fruit crops extension agent based in Homestead.

Balerdi, who authored the publication, said the EDIS Web site has a wealth of other information for citrus growers who have lost trees in the canker eradication program or who want help caring for their groves. He said the Web site also has more than 450 other educational resources for the citrus industry, including items such as “Tropical Fruits CD-ROM,” “Florida Citrus CD-Rom,” and “UF Weather Network Helps Citrus, Vegetables Survive Cold.” These and other publications are listed in the “What’s New” section on EDIS.

Other new documents listed on the Web page include “2000-2001 Comparative Citrus Budget” and “Summary of 2001 Ridge and Indian RiverSouth Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys.”

EDIS has compiled 19 resources related to the citrus canker and its control. The articles include “An Overview of Argentina’s Citrus Canker Control Program” and “Grower Costs of Having Citrus Canker in Florida.”

Free tropical fruit crop publications and nursery location information also are available from UF Cooperative Extension Service offices in Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County. Books and other for-sale publications can be ordered from the IFAS Extension Bookstore at 1 (800) 226-1764.

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Posted: October 16, 2001


Category: UF/IFAS



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