A: I was able to locate two universities (Washington State and University of California) which have conducted studies of various types of apples. Both universities have discovered the potential cause most likely occurs after harvesting of the ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & VegetablesNot every fruit tree will grow and reliably produce fruit in North Florida. Temperature is the most important factor determining where certain fruits can be grown. It’s the reason why apples and blueberries do not do well in South Florida. ... READ MORE
Category: Events, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
By Ralph E. Mitchell I often wander through our Demonstration Garden at the East Port Environmental Campus on Harbor View Road in Port Charlotte to see what is blooming, producing fruit, or has a pest infestation. Our Natal plum specimen, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Q: Last year I had the ends rot out of watermelon and cantaloupe. They bloom but no fruit developed. This year, I planted zucchini instead and I am getting the same problem. The fruit is rotting out from the bloom end. I now have cantaloupe ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
A: Satsuma mandarin bears its fruit early in the year which makes it a good choice for our area, especially for the home landscape. The name Satsuma comes from a specific province in China. Since the fruit matures before we generally have any ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Q: Do you know of anyplace where I can get some osage oranges? It is supposedly also referred to as monkey balls. I read online somewhere that they are an excellent deterrent to spiders and ants. A: You can purchase Osage Orange, Maclura ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Q: I have an orange tree I want to protect from the freeze. I am told I can run water over it and it will protect it from freezing but it seems like a waste of water. What should I do? A : In order to totally protect the tree ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Q: I have an orange tree that used to produce sweet fruit. We pruned it back a few years ago after a freeze and now it only produces small sour oranges that are full of seeds. Is there some kind of fertilizer we can apply to the tree to make ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Q: I purchased a Mandarin Orange tree called ‘Robinson’ at a local nursery and was told I needed a pollinator tree to produce fruit. Is that true and if so what should I use to pollinate it? A : Many citrus trees are self-pollinators meaning ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
A: There are two juicing oranges which grow best in our area and they are Hamlin and Pineapple oranges. Hamlin oranges are generally harvested from October through early January. Pineapple oranges are harvested from December ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes