Fruits
Apples
Q: I have several acres and would like to grow apples. What kind of apples can I grow here?
A : We can grow several varieties of apple here, but they will be different than your grocery store type. But the tree itself is beautiful and well worth the effort. Apples grown here require full sun, good air circulation, and a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Planting on hill tops is preferable to low lying areas because hill tops confer good air and surface water drainage. The recommended cultivars are 'Anna', 'Dorsett Golden' and 'Tropic Sweet'. Most apple cultivars are not self-fruitful; thus more than one cultivar should be planted together for cross pollination. 'Anna' and 'Dorsett Golden' originated in Israel and the Bahamas, respectively. 'Tropic Sweet' is a new patented cultivar from the University of Florida breeding program. All three varieties serve as pollinaters to each other. Fruit ripens on these three varieties from late May through June. Tree bloom and fruit ripening are generally 2 to 3 weeks earlier in north central than in north Florida. All three cultivars have good keeping quality and will last up to six to eight weeks with refrigeration. For more information look up the University of Florida publication called, “Low Chill Apple Cultivars for North and North Central Florida” or check out the website:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG368
Apricots
Q: What is the best way to grow apricots from seed?
A: We would discourage you from trying to propagate and grow apricots from the seeds you purchased in the local grocery store. These seeds are often hybrids and are generally not suited for our warm climate. Most of the apricots produced in the United States come from California. Some historians believe the original apricots came from northeastern China near the Russian border.Apricots, like other stone fruits, need a period of time when they are exposed to cold temperatures. Most often we do not have enough long, cold periods to produce good peaches, apricots and cherries, which are all examples of stone fruits. Research is ongoing with a variety of apricot species from Thailand that have shown to possess some potential to grow and reproduce here in Florida, however the research is still in the early stages. We currently have a few peach varieties that will grow in our area such as Flordadawn or Flordaking. For more information check out the University of Florida’s publication titled: “Deciduous Fruit for North Florida”.
Q: Can I grow apricots here in North Florida?
A: Apricots, like peaches, require a certain number of “chill” hours before they will produce fruit. At this point the University of Florida is still working on a subtropical, low-chill variety from Thailand and I am not sure they are available for retail sale. After checking with several local nurseries throughout this area I was unable to find any nurseries selling apricots trees, although a few Georgia nurseries have them available. Apricot trees can be found occasionally in local garden centers but these are better grown in zones 4 - 7. Remember, we are zones 8b (Westside of Nassau County) and 9a (Eastside of Nassau County). That means this plant would possibly be under some undue stress in our region. Placing a plant outside its normal growing zone increases its chance for insect and disease infestation. What may happen with this plant is the first couple of years it may do well but produce very little fruit then in subsequent years it may decline as borers or disease attack it. Now that I have told you the “bad” news, you might consider trying one or two trees because there are always exceptions and micro-climates where trees and plants surprise us by thriving very well. Good luck and keep me posted on your progress.
Bananas
Q: What kind of bananas can I grow in North Florida? Can you give me a little history on how they got here?
A : Bananas are vigorously growing, monocotyledonous herbaceous plants. There are two species of banana, Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana, and most banana cultivars are hybrids of these species. The banana and plantain are native to Southeast Asia, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. Recent evidence suggests bananas were introduced into the New World ( Ecuador) by Southeast Asians around 200 B.C., and more recently by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. Bananas have been grown in scattered locations throughout Florida since their introduction during the 16th century. Bananas flourish under uniformly warm to hot conditions. Fruit growth is best at 84 o F to 86 o F (29-30 o C). Plant growth slows below 60 o F (16 o C) and stops at 50 o F (10 o C). Symptoms of chilling injury (temperatures below 60 o F/16 o C but above 32 o F/0 o C) include failure of the flowering stalk or fruit bunch to emerge, development of a dull yellow or greenish-gray color to ripening fruit, distorted fruit shape, and an increase in fruit rotting. As you can see, we are already in the temperature “danger zone”. Bananas do best on flat, well drained, deep soils high in organic matter with a pH of 5.5-7.0. The most important factor is soil drainage. None of the cultivars listed in the UF publication are recommended for this area, but if you have a protected area and you are very diligent you may have some success with this plant. Check out http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG040 for more information.
Q: This last bout of cold weather has caused my banana leaves to turn brown. Will my plant die?
A: Banana is best grown in cold hardiness zones 9b – 11 but it can produce fruit in USDA hardiness zones 8b and 9 when winter temperatures stay above freezing. We had a few days this winter that were well below the freezing mark, which is why you are seeing damage on the leaves. Don’t be too eager to cut back all the foliage yet, wait until we little have chance of more freezing temperatures. Plants killed to the ground which sprout from the soil in the spring will not produce fruit until the following year. Banana trees grow best on fertile, moist soil, so you may have to add some organic matter to our sandy soils. They respond well to regular fertilization. If the trees are in the landscape area around lawngrass then they probably receive sufficient irrigation. Bananas will thrive in full sun or partial shade but in our area they should be protected from both wind and cold. Too many suckers should not be allowed to develop since this will decrease the ability of any one plant to produce a good bunch of fruit. By allowing suckers to develop only at periodic intervals, a succession of fruiting can be obtained. Banana bunches should be harvested when the fruit is still green and allowed to ripen in a cool, dark place. The easily-grown Banana tree is ideal for planters near the pool, located around garden ponds, or clustered together for an exotic effect. The flowers are reddish-purple, which is always a surprise when compared to the soft yellow color of the mature fruit.
Blueberry
Q: My blueberry bush is not doing well. I have enclosed photos, what could be wrong?
A: Your blueberry bush probably has Blueberry stem blight, which is caused by Botryospheria dothidi. This disease has caused significant plant mortality of some southern highbush cultivars in Florida. The causal fungi are usually present in orchards and blueberry fields and cause a number of different diseases on various host plants. Rabbiteyes are usually not seriously affected by this disease but some southern highbush cultivars are extremely susceptible. 'Misty' appears to be more susceptible to infection and death by blueberry stem blight than most other southern highbush cultivars. 'Misty' tends to produce very heavy crops, even as young plants. Over-fruiting predisposes blueberry plants to stem blight. There is no chemical control for blueberry stem blight. Pruning out infected wood and removing flower buds and fruit from young plants, pruning mature bushes to thin crop loads, and minimizing drought and other plant stresses appear to be the best methods of control. If the plant does not survive you might consider replacing it with a hardier rabbit-eye variety better suited for this area. Attached is a publication from the University of Florida/IFAS called “Blueberry Gardener’s Guide.” http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG359
Q: I want to grow some blueberries but I am not sure what type is best.
A: Two types of blueberries are grown in Florida
; southern highbush and rabbiteye. 
Rabbiteye
blueberries grow best in regions north of Ocala . Cross pollination
between, or among, varieties is needed for maximum production for
both types of blueberries. Therefore, multiple varieties of rabbiteyes
are needed to pollinate other rabbiteyes. On suitable blueberry soils
in north and north central Florida , rabbiteye blueberries are more
vigorous, longer lived, and easier to care for than most southern
highbush varieties. Rabbiteyes are more drought tolerant and can
grow satisfactorily in soils lower in organic matter. The soil pH
should be around 4.5, which is very acidic. I am currently
growing mine in pine bark and having great success. Southern
highbush has a tendency to succumb to root rot and blight, I lost
two trees to blight the first year I planted them. Severe crop
losses to spring freezes are not uncommon in north Florida , especially
for early-season rabbiteyes which bloom before mid- to late-season
rabbiteyes. For home gardeners and u-pick growers, late flowering
varieties such as Powderblue and Brightwell usually produce abundant
crops without freeze protection at most locations in northern Florida
. Rabbiteye fruit is generally firmer than southern highbush however,
berries of highbush and rabbiteye are enough alike that most consumers
do not distinguish between the two. Early-season rabbiteye varieties
are Austin , Beckyblue, Bonita, Climax, and Premier. Mid-late
season varieties are Brightwell, Chaucer, Powderblue and Tifblue. If
you plan to grow blueberries it would be advisable to have your soil
tested by the University of Florida . Stop by one of our offices
and pick up a soil test kit. It cost only $7 and well worth the investment. Callahan
Extension office is 543350 U.S. Highway #1 , 904 378-1019 (on the
fairgrounds) or the Yulee satellite office 91635 Nassau Place , 904
548-1116, (904) 548-1182,(across from Flora Parke). Check out the University of Florida
publications on blueberries for more information on selection and
care http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS215 or http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG359
Q: I am losing my blueberry bushes, several have died already. I purchased the shrubs locally at a franchise store. They were labeled “Southern High Bush.” What is wrong?
A: Southern high bush blueberries common develop a disease
called 
Blueberry Stem Blight, caused by Botryospheria dothidia. This
disease can cause the death of some southern highbush cultivars in
Florida. Rabbiteye varieties are usually not seriously affected by
this disease but some southern highbush cultivars, such as ‘Misty” are
extremely susceptible. 'Misty' tends to produce very heavy
crops, which predisposes blueberry plants to stem blight. There is
no chemical control for blueberry stem blight. The best control
method is to prune out infected wood and remove flower buds and fruit
from young plants. Mature bushes should be thinned by pruning
out limbs with heavy crop loads. Irrigate plants on a regular
basis to minimize drought stress but remember blueberries are susceptible
to root rot if over-watered
Cherry
Q: Can you identify this plant and is it poisonous
to my horses? 
A: The specimen you brought to the office was probably a wild or black cherry tree, which is common in Northeast Florida. According to Cornell University, whose site I visited, any of the cherry trees would be a problem for your horses as well as cattle, moose, sheep, swine, and goats. The primary poisons are amygdalin and prunasin, which are found in the leaves and the seed of the cherry tree. We discussed removing lower limbs but the best solution would be to remove the tree as it produces numerous fruit which would fall to the ground and still be potentially ingested by the horses. This is an example of better safe than sorry. For a complete list of plants horses should avoid please visit the Cornel website: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/horselist.html
Figs
Q: When do I prune and fertilize figs?
A: Figs are deciduous trees which can reach heights
up to 30 feet but figs seldom attain tree size in Florida. When
frozen to the ground, they sucker from the base and form a bush.
Lateral spread of roots is quite extensive and, in certain soils,
roots are quite deep. 
Shoot growth is vigorous, producing soft
wood that is susceptible to cold damage. Prune only to maintain desired
bush size, heading back to promote branching. Keep 3 - 5 leaders,
removing any suckers. Prune freeze-damaged wood after regrowth commences.
Prune all dead wood and remove branches that interfere with the leaders’ growth.
Do not leave bare, unproductive stubs when you prune. These stubs
are entry points for wood decay organisms. Make all pruning cuts
back to a bud or branch. Little is known about specific fertilizer
needs, but figs respond well to small amounts of mixed fertilizer
applied once a month during growing season.
Common types are recommended for Florida because they do not require pollinators to produce fruit. Desirable characteristics include a closed eye to prevent insect and water entry, a long fruit stem allowing fruit droop which prevents moisture entering through eye, green skin color results in less bird damage and nematode-resistant rootstocks.Some potential choices are: 'Celeste', ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘Green Ischia’. “Celeste’ is also called Celestial, Blue Celeste, Little Brown, or Sugar. This variety is widely grown in the South. Celeste produces small, purplish-bronze to light brown fruit with closed eye, which ripening from mid-July to mid-August. ‘Brown Turkey' is often sold as Everbearing, Harrison, Ramsey, Lee's Perpetual, Eastern Brown Turkey, or Brunswick. ‘Brown Turkey’ rivals 'Celeste' in popularity. It produces moderate size fruit of bronze color with medium eye opening, which ripens in late July until late fall and will fruit following severe freeze damage. 'Green Ischia' is sold as Ischia Green, White Ischia, Ischia Verte. ‘Green Ischia’ is not widely grown but green color and closed eye make it desirable. Fruit ripens late July to early August but it does not fruit following a severe freeze.
Kumquat
Q: What is on my kumquat fruit?
A: Normally, we would not suggest you bring citrus to the Extension office because of the possibility of transferring citrus canker. However, since you placed the citrus in a sealed freezer bag I felt confident it did not pose much of a threat. Your kumquat has Soft Brown Scale - Coccus hesperidum L.citrus. The scale body is flat and oval, light brown to yellowish in color with brown stippling, and 2.5 to 4 mm long. It was so small that I thought at first this problem was scab. I was glad I took a second look to discover soft brown scale. This scale gives birth to pale yellow crawlers, but you can imagine how small they must be when compared to the adult female. Males are uncommon. Soft brown scales secrete large amounts of honeydew and the adjoining foliage becomes heavily coated with sooty mold, which was the case in your tree. On occasion, young citrus trees can be killed by high populations of soft brown scale from feeding and honeydew production but you should be able to manage your infestation. Scale feeding on older trees can result in reduced tree vigor, twig dieback, reduced yields, and lower fruit grades due to heavy sooty mold. Soft brown scale can be found infesting a wide range of ornamental plants in addition to citrus. The scale is heavily parasitized by several different species of parasitic wasps.However, if pesticides are used heavily, the predators are often killed off while the pest seems to flourish. Populations of this scale often build up after several years of mild winters, which we have had until this year. It is best to apply “softer” chemicals such as Insecticidal soap on the young nymphs (tan in color) during the months of April-May. Again, it is best to avoid using strong insecticides on these trees as that presents a problem farther down the road when control will be important.
Muscadine
Q: When do I prune my muscadine grapes?
A: Muscadines should be pruned between January and March in the Northeast Florida area. According to a publication by the University of Florida you should prune any branches that are less than 3/16 inch in diameter, leaving 2 to 3 buds per spur. Remove most of the spurs located at the top of the trunk to prevent crowding and bushiness, which will interfere with harvest. Prune any arms that are not vigorous. Application of fertilizer should occur in late March, May and just after harvest. Apply no more than 4 to 6 pounds of 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 per vine per year. Split applications are more efficient than a single application. Muscadines mature in August and early September and should be stored at cool temperatures until eaten or used for jellies or wine.
Q: I have muscadine grape vines and I would like to know when I should prune them.
A: This information comes directly from a University of Florida publication on muscadine grapes. “The shoots of muscadine grapes arise from buds in the leaf axils of past season's growth. The fruit of muscadine grapes is comprised of 6 to 12 berries per clusters on current year’s growth. Flowers appear after several weeks of shoot growth usually in late April. Muscadine grapes seldom sustain frost injury in the spring due to their late bloom date. Certain cultivars are susceptible to winter injury if a drastic decline in temperature occurs before the vine is acclimated to cold winter temperatures. Pruning in November or December can exacerbate the degree of winter injury. For this reason the best time to prune is mid-February to mid-March. Normally most vines, when acclimated can tolerate temperatures down to about 15°F without injury. After a grapevine has been trained to a desired configuration it must be pruned to keep it manageable and to ensure maximum vine performance. As indicated above, major pruning is normally done during the dormant season, although touch up pruning can be done during the growing season. You may notice that pruning cuts bleed when soil temperatures are high, but there is no evidence that this is injurious to the vine.”
Pears
Q: Can you tell me something about Pineapple pears? I have spots on the leaves, is that a problem?
A: Pears are great trees for the horticulturally-challenged.
They
tolerate many different soil conditions, don't require much care
or fertilizing once established, rarely need pruning, and can produce
bumper crops of fruit for decades, with little care. They can get
a bacterial disease called "fire blight" in our area, where
the tips of the branches whither and turn black.The pear's success
also has a lot to do with its easy picking and easy storage. "Because
pears are one of the few fruits that actually ripen more successfully
off the tree," says Hazen, "they are picked when green
and hard." It's true. Last year, I was almost buried by my pears,
and had to keep them in bushels in my house until my friends came
back from vacation. A week or so in my kitchen made the pears wonderful
eating. The old-timers in Galveston County often pick the pears when
they're "softball" hard, wrap each pear in newspaper, put
them in a box, and store them in a cool dark place. Some varieties
can keep for several months this way, but some can't. I found those
left on the tree to ripen just became rotten.
Q: When should I prune my mature pear tree?
A: Mature apple and pear trees should not be pruned severely. Moderate annual pruning is preferred to heavy pruning every 3 or 4 years. Heavy pruning causes less flowering and excessive vegetative growth which can promote fire blight. Pruning should be done during dormant season which is usually late winter or early spring. For those of us in eastern part of North Florida that would mean February or March. For those with young pear trees we should encourage a modified central leader. A leader is one main limb we select to be the central leader. It is usually the most straight and middle upright branch. We want to develop and encourage scaffolding branches or those branches that grow laterally off the main branch. These scaffolding branches should never be taller than the main central leader. Fruit trees are generally not pruned the same way as our structural trees (live oaks) nor do they have the same life expectancy. We prune fruit trees for the purpose of producing more fruit. Certain pear varieties are self-fruitful; that is, they can pollinate themselves. Thus, if you want only one pear tree, a self-pollinating variety should be selected. Orient or Baldwin pear varieties are at least partially self-fruitful. Other pear varieties require cross-pollination. If you plant varieties that require cross-pollination, be sure to plant varieties that bloom at the same time. For instance you could plant Hood, Flordahome or Baldwin varieties together. For clear information on pruning fruit trees check out Clemson University’s publication: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1351.htm
Pecan
Q: When do I fertilize my adult pecan trees and how
much?
A: For bearing trees, 2 to 4 pounds of fertilizer should be applied per inch of trunk diameter in February and again in June. If possible, use a fertilizer especially made for pecans – look for zinc on the label or use 10-10-10. Zinc deficiencies often cause leaves to bronze and crinkle. Some growers prefer to bury fertilizer at 10 or more sites below the tree canopy to reduce runoff and increase fertilizer use efficiency compared to a broadcast application. Large trees (30 inches or more in diameter) may require 60 to 120 pounds of fertilizer in February and again in June.
Q: What are the best pecan varieties for our area?
A: According to the University of Florida publication titled ,Pecan Cultivars for North Florida: “…Based upon yield, nut size, percentage kernel, resistance to leaf and nut diseases and precocity, the highly recommended cultivars for North Florida are 'Cape Fear,' 'Elliot' and 'Moreland;' recommended cultivars include 'Curtis' and 'Sumner.' 'Desirable,' 'Gloria Grande,' 'Kiowa' and 'Stuart' are conditionally recommended.” Therefore you might choose the first three as your top varieties. For more information check out http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS106
Q: What are the best pecan varieties to plant here in Northeast Florida?
A: UF published an article titled “Pecan Cultivars for North Florida” by Dr. Peter C. Andersen. As a result of the research project, UF gave a high recommendation to ‘Cape Fear’, ‘Elliot’ and ‘Moreland’ based on yield, nut size, percentage kernel, resistance to leaf and nut diseases and precocity. For more information on how to plant and care for pecans please check out another University of Florida publication called, ‘The Pecan Tree’. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS229/p>
Persimmons
Q: When do I fertilize my persimmons?
A: Fertilizer requirements for persimmon trees are
largely unknown for
Florida
conditions, but in general the persimmon needs less than citrus or
peaches and in fact is thought to drop fruit if grown too vigorously.
A balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 or similar mixture is suggested
at rates of ½ - 1 pound per year of age up to a maximum of
8 to 10 pounds on old trees. In the first year that the tree is planted,
fertilizer should not be applied until April or May. Then approximately ½ -
1 pound of the 10-10-10 should be applied. Every year thereafter ½ of
the fertilizer application should be made in January and the other
half at the beginning of the rainy season in June. The fertilizer
should be broadcast evenly beneath the tree, so avoid using the spiked
type of fertilizers.
Q: What are some varieties of persimmon that can be grown here and what does non-stringent persimmon mean?
A: Oriental persimmons Diospyros kaki L., have been grown in Florida for many years. Some non-astringent varieties are Izu, Fuyu, Jiro. Common astringent varieties are Wase, Tanenashi, Eureka and Ormond. Astringent fruit often causes us to have a “mouth-puckering” response – usually very unpleasant for all mammals. Astringent persimmon fruit must be soft or artificially treated before astringency is removed and they are suitable for eating. Fruit of the non-astringent types lose astringency while still hard and can be eaten hard or soft. Choosing the proper harvest season for non-astringent persimmons is less complicated than for the astringent types, because they can be eaten firm. Non-astringent fruit are good for fresh eating and are excellent with pears, dates, apples, citrus, raisins, and/or coconut in salads. They have distinct advantages in marketing and handling because they can be picked earlier and have a longer shelf life. Consumer acceptance is greater because they do not have to be eaten in the "gooey-drippy" state which is objectionable to many people. Most of the persimmons have some form of Asian name in them and the meaning of the oriental words used have the following meanings: Kaki or Gaki - persimmon, Wase - early, Hana - flower of, Tanenashi - without seed, Fuyu - winter, Saijo - best, Gosho - imperial palace, Ichi - number one, and Ki - life. For more information check out the University of Florida publication, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG242
Pineapple Guava
Q: I believe we have two pineapple guavas
by our front door and one is losing its leaves dramatically. There
is a “beige colored” hard cocoon about 1.5“on
a branch. Also, this bush was bothered by the large multicolored
grasshoppers this summer and I suspect they did some damage. Any
help you can offer would be appreciated. We are transplants
to
A: Welcome to
Be
sure to write on your calendar January 23 and 24th a class
called “Crash Course for Florida Gardeners”, which we
are developing especially for newcomers to this area. We will
charge $10 per class to cover the cost of materials. The class
will start at 9am and end at noon. The topics will include
cold hardiness zones, lawn grass, trees, perennials, transplanting,
common insects and diseases among other topics. The leaves
dropping may be an indication of root problems. Tell me about
your irrigation and fertilization of these plants and how close are
they to the foundation of the house. The cocoon is probably
a chrysalis which is the stage between the caterpillar and the butterfly
(moths form cocoons which are generally soft, silken sacks). But
the cocoon of the guava fruit moth is brownish, beige so I am not
sure what insect you have on your shrub. You can use Bacillus
thuringiensis