August 2013 Meeting - Oddball Fruits in the Lowcountry

Lowcountry Fruit Growers Society Meeting Minutes

August 18, 2013

Topic: “Oddball Fruits in the Lowcountry” (presentation here)

Announcements and Business:

·      Changed article 4 of group constitution regarding the officers of the group and their election cycle.

·      We elected a new vice president and treasurer:

o   Kathy Woolsey is vice president

o   Zennie Quinn is treasurer

·      Fruitmania GS

o   Malcolm Manners talking about peaches and stone fruits

o   Stan Mackenzie talking about citrus

o   Steve Parsley from Abide-A-While talking about annual fruits

o   Darren Sherrif talking about unusual fruits

o   vendors:

§  Stan McKenzie (citrus)

§  Dwane Ward (sells pomegranates, apples, figs, etc.)

o   There will be door prizes

o   all day for $25, which includes admission to Cypress Gardens

o   there will be a fruit jam and jelly people's choice awards

o   Camellia garden club is bringing chili (meat and vegetarian), drinks, and cornbread, otherwise you can bring your own lunch

o   we're going to set it up online ticket sales

o   there will be a fundraiser for sponsoring the event

o   we need committee chairs, particularly for fundraising

§  Chris Carnevale will try to orchestrate a bare root sale

§  Kathy Woolsey will organize vendors

·      Ideas for other vendors to include:

o   Roots N Shoots

o   Angel Oak Nursery

o   honey vendors

Presentation on Oddball Fruits by Darren Sheriff (presentation here)

Kiwi

·      native to southern China

·      can be grown in most temperate climates with adequate summer heat

·      hardy to 10 degrees

·      here was a big kiwi farm in Awendaw before Hurricane Hugo

·      they fruit just before Christmas

·      they have a lot of vitamin C

·      also known as Chinese Gooseberry

·      they don't like wet feet, but not dry either

·      be careful with fertilizer--it can burn the kiwis

·      you need a male and female plant to get fruit; the male must be within 50 feet of the female vine; 1 male for every 8 females.

·      they grow rampantly and need very strong trellises (i.e. with 6"x6" posts)

·      kiwi can live 50 years

·      they fruit on previous year's growth; so prune annually in winter

·      they will fruit after 3 years; full production after 6 years

·      Darren got his vine from EdibleLandscapes

Prickly Pears

·      native to Southwest US and Mexico

·      they propagate from pads, just stick the pad into some soil and they will

·      you can grow them from supermarket pads

·      they don't like wet feet

·      no pest problems

·      flower in yellow, red, and orange

·      some varieties are tastier fruit than others; also some are seedier than others

·      if you want more fruit, don't add nitrogen; if you want more pads, give it nitrogen

·      harvest when spines fall off; twist the fruit to get it off; you can add the fruits to a bag and shake it up well to take the spines off

·      the juice stains like crazy

Loquat

·      native to Southern China

·      they have been cultivated for 1,000 years

·      they need full sun or partial shade

·      they need good drainage

·      they are drought tolerant but will fruit better with watering

·      too much nitrogen fertilizer will give you lots of foliage but not as much fruit

·      they are susceptible to fire blight

·      fruit is high in pectin

Jujube

·      introduced to Texas in 1875

·      tolerates a wide range of temperatures and rainfall

·      they can handle down to 5 degrees

·      the fruit doesn't ship well

·      needs full sun

·      fruit ripens in late summer

·      fruit when less ripe tastes more like an apple; when more ripe, it's more like a date

·      H & L Market in North Charleston sells dried jujubes

·      Darren got his tee from EdibleLandscapes

·      no pest problems except root rot

·      can handle drought and wet feet for a while

·      doesn't need much babying; but if growth is slow, then add a bit of nitrogen

·      there's a nice specimen in the back of Abide A While

Plumcots

·      50% plum, 50% apricot

·      first hybridized in the 1920s by Luther Burbank

·      salt water tolerant

·      self-fruitful

·      full sun, well-draining soil

·      follow horticultural practices similar to plums or apricots

·      there are also pluots (75% plum, 25% apricot) and apriums (75% apricot, 25% plum)

Pomegranates

·      pomegranates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits int he world (records go back at least 4,000 years)

·      can handle down to 10 degrees

·      can grow easily from seed

·      root easily from cuttings in January and February

·      there are dwarf varieties for container growing

·      there are ornamental varieties and fruiting varieties

·      they can be prone to root rot--they don't like wet feet

·      they love heat

·      they don't need much fertilizer, just periodic composted manure

·      there is a great book about a pomegranate Gregory Levin Pomegranate Roads

·      someone got a really nice fruiting variety from Hyams

·      they are self-pollinated, but production increases with multiple trees

·      fruit is ripe 6-7 months after flowering

Pineapple Guava

·      somewhat tolerant of drought and salinity, but fruit production

·      they're ripe in about October

·      don't pick fruits off the tree, let them fall to the ground and pick up from the ground

·      the flowers are edible, tasty, and beautiful; squirrels eat the flowers

·      self-fruitful, but more than one will give you better fruit set

·      they grow and spread but they can be pruned in late winter/early spring