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re: Louisiana Tropical Fruit Gardening - Experiences and Updates

Posted on 4/13/26 at 2:30 pm to
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 2:30 pm to
That cattley guava is taking off, nice! Unfortunately I don't know anything about muscadine. Closest I come is jaboticaba which is, uhhh, not helpful.
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
16970 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 2:43 pm to
quote:

If it is, surely there’s a male vine growing near enough in the tangle behind the yard. Is that enough to get it to fruit? Or do I need to go dig one up?


I'd get an improved variety. Ison's is an awesome place to order them. I just dug two up and tossed them. My dog was eating them and getting kidney problems from it.

My dad has been growing them for about 30 years. He gets a few hundred lbs per year and juices them.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48938 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 4:38 pm to
I looked over the vine good then went scraping thru the bramble looking at the other vines, they all look the same since the flowers haven’t opened yet. Thanks for the tip on isons that looks like the ticket.

also, I am now reverse zone pushing…Home Depot had lilacs and I couldn’t resist. I’ll plant it tomorrow (I already got into the beer fridge) and post a pic
This post was edited on 4/13/26 at 4:56 pm
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
16970 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 4:53 pm to
I'm thinking that I need to prune my cattley guava now before it gets any bigger. Am I right in cutting below the line and having only two trunks or is it fine going triple?

Posted by audioguy
Member since Aug 2019
128 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 5:39 pm to
I don’t have any specific muscadine wisdom, but I have to say, I love seeing little pops of wood sorrel flowers this time of year.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48938 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 6:17 pm to
my man
wood sorrel is awesome I have it up everywhere right now. It’s edible too
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 6:37 pm to
Is that a red cattley guava (strawberry) or a yellow cattley guava (lemon)? Slightly different growth habits and will change my answer.
Posted by AyyyBaw
Member since Jan 2020
1243 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 6:46 pm to
Isons is a great resource for muscadines. I currently have Supreme, Ruby crisp, Late fry, and Ison growing down a single wire. Pruning every year is key since they fruit on new growth.
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
16970 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 7:03 pm to
quote:

Is that a red cattley guava (strawberry) or a yellow cattley guava (lemon)? Slightly different growth habits and will change my answer.


It's the lemon
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 7:15 pm to
quote:

It's the lemon

OK good. That's the one you want. It's better than the red in almost every way... except growth habit. The red can be trained into a nice sturdy standard tree but the yellow is always going to be this sprawling spindly thing with long thin branches. I would definitely recommend pruning to two trunks for a few reasons. First, the more trunks you have the more random shoots you will get growing everywhere that have to be pruned. I have to prune this tree A LOT. 3 trunks will be a mess. 2 trunks is perfect because in my experience it really doesn't want to have a stable single trunk and you need a couple to provide enough hardwood to give the tree structure. Third, the long spindly growth habit means it is an easy tree to break. Hurricane, pot falls over, etc. If one trunk gets accidentally broken you have a backup until it can develop a new one. Here's what mine has ended up looking like. It's about 8 feet tall and the trunks are tied to a 6 foot t-stake. You will also notice that 1 of my 2 trunks splits, so it basically serves the same function as a 3rd trunk. I would rather that shape than three unconnected trunks.





Years down the road when these trunks are thick enough I'll hat rack the tree and finally grow it out as a standard.
This post was edited on 4/13/26 at 7:23 pm
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
16970 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 7:30 pm to
Awesome, thanks. I remember you talking about how they were pretty spindly but I couldn't find it in the 90+ pages. I'll hack that lil sucker off tomorrow. Since the weather has warmed up it has grown about 6" or so.
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/13/26 at 10:33 pm to
Yeah it's going to take off in that huge pot. Such a great easy tree. Looks good too.
Posted by DickTater
Geismar
Member since Feb 2013
214 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 10:08 am to
Have we found anything that is more aesthetically pleasing that is large?

I get the injection molded pots are cheap and strong, but not keen on black nursery pots by my pool.

I found a 20g teracotta colored plastic pot at my nursery, but eventually will
Need larger.

Guess I could paint the black ones ?
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48938 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 10:20 am to
drop the plastic pot in an appropriately sized clay or porcelain pot. I absconded with all of my mom’s giant pottery pots when they moved but honestly I don’t use them much for direct planting because they are so heavy. The great big ones get used to spool up my hoses LOL
Posted by Neauxla
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2008
34534 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 10:31 am to
I have these which are 97 quarts.
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 10:40 am to
Like cgrand said, just go to your local nursery and pick out some huge clay planters (prepare to pay $$$) and drop your plastic pots into the clay ones. I never recommend planting anything directly in an ornamental clay pot unless you are fine with eventually digging the tree out of it, which can be nearly impossible, or breaking the pot.

Costco has a sale on 20gal white polymer pots right now. They are great and stay cool. I think they are like $13 each.

I have tried painting the black pots white before, but be prepared to apply a couple of coats of primer first before the paint. The paint does not want to stick to the plastic and will flake off and look terrible.
This post was edited on 4/14/26 at 2:10 pm
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
48938 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 12:23 pm to
quote:

unless you are fine with eventually digging the tree out of it, which can be nearly impossible, or breaking the pot.
yes if you pot a large plant in clay, eventually you’ll be using a hammer
Posted by Neauxla
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2008
34534 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 12:55 pm to
quote:

unless you are fine with eventually digging the tree out of it, which can be nearly impossible, or breaking the pot.
yes if you pot a large plant in clay, eventually you’ll be using a hammer
How do you get a 35+ gallon plastic pot full of soil and tree out of a ceramic/concrete/etc. decorative pot? You got a forklift?
Posted by DickTater
Geismar
Member since Feb 2013
214 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 1:28 pm to
Well damn. Guess the options are limited.
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
22759 posts
Posted on 4/14/26 at 2:11 pm to
quote:

How do you get a 35+ gallon plastic pot full of soil and tree out of a ceramic/concrete/etc. decorative pot? You got a forklift?

Be strong and don't care about your back. That's how I handle it anyway.
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