Series on Avocado in Malaysia, Reed Avocado

Doing a series on Avocado. Starting with Reed, which we had sold out. Not to worry, we are expecting another batch May/June. Would recommend pre-booking 🤪

Reed Avocado is described as Reed Avocado, Hass's Rounder and Creamier Cousin.
First question normally being asked, how's the taste? It's rated as Excellent!
Bill Sidnam of the Los Angeles Times characterizes it as "an incredibly rich, buttery flavor.". The texture is buttery, and the flavor is bold, rich and nutty.
The Reed avocado is one of the larger known varieties of avocado. The round fruit can weigh up to 600 gm!. Its thick, green, slightly pebbled skin is easy to peel, and its flesh is a pale golden-yellow. It has a relatively large seed and seed cavity, but its robust size allows it to still carry a substantial amount of edible flesh. 
Second question, how tall is the tree?
Left to nature, it can grow to about 12 M. For Home growers, Reed can be prune down to 2.5 M and still be a good producer. Reed avocado trees are slender and upright.

What is the disadvantage? Reed ripe in Green so it's a bit difficult to tell when it's ripe 😁. Shelve life is short, about 5 days after plucking, but can be extended much longer by refrigerating. Reed store very well in refrigeration, even when cut. For better storage, leave the pit in.
One way to check ripeness is to lightly flick the piece of stem at the end of the fruit. If it falls out, the fruit is ripe. You can double check by pushing a toothpick into the cavity where the stem flicked out. If it goes in without much resistance, the fruit is ripe. Another way is to squeeze the fruit gently. An unripe fruit is hard, a ripe fruit has a little bit of 'give'.

Place your pre-order Now! Currently @ $180.00 Pre-Booking deposit of $50.00 only. ETA May/June. Kindly whatsApp me https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=60163261829&text=I%27m+interested+in+Avocado&fbclid=IwAR3Ip-0rNXNSyC38Xf2wP98u4IsKb_e79_bQPRkRVNNQTKjWPVg3EdfDXU8
*Note, Pictures are downloaded from the internet for illustration purpose only.
**Commercial planting inquiries are most welcome. Kindly schedule a meet up for discussion.
#Avocado #Hass #GEM #Pinkerton #Reed #Seedless #Russel #Cuban#Booth #CommercialAvocado #ExorticFruits #Soursop #Graviola #Brazil#Persimmon #Lychee #Macadamai #Ginger

AgroSol tested on Figs in Malaysia

Bought home on 21st September 2017

One of the leafs has rust

Fig is a popular plants among planters in Malaysia. I myself started a couple of year ago, but dropped out as I felt that figs planted in Malaysia is not as tasty and we don't have the crunchy seeds.

With AgroSol, I obtained Fig to do a trial. 
 

This leaf was cut off and disposed on the 26th September. Had been spraying AgroSol, but plant is not responding. The only symptom that I see is the new buds and the leaves getting darker. Yet these buds are not growing.

 

I did a mini trials in a nursery at Sungai Buloh Fig Farm, lot 47-B. Figs responded with 14 days. New leaves, bigger leaves, fruits and new shoots.

I guess something is not right on my fig. I obtained 2 more plants to try.

26th October 2017, 1 month after the 1st Fig.

6 days latter, I can see some difference on the 2 new figs.

Am quite sure now there is something wrong with the 1st fig. I took the initiative of digging it out to check on the roots. I find the marcoting woven layer still intact. This is suppose to be bio-degradable, but the roots are confined inside. I cut off the woven layer and untangle the roots. Then repot.

Lets see in 3 weeks' time if this fig perform better. Stay tuned.

Pomegranate, Punica granatum L., Buah Delima, 石榴. Part 2

I tried germinating Pomegranate from seeds from the fruits that we ate last December. Click here for link. I waited for days, weeks & months, non germinated. I dare not weed the raised bed as I've not see baby pomegranate plants before. Afraid that I may pulled off the baby Pomegranate.

Brought in just before Christmas 2013.

Lucky for me I brought back a Israeli Pomegranate plant (propagated via marcotting). This plant had been growing very slowly. Had been toying with it, hoping to propagate more from it. Trying to ID this plant and I think it could be Israeli Ruby.

Initially I tried shoring up the earth and this managed to induce rooting on the smaller lower branches. Managed to get 4 small plants. Unfortunately 1 didn't survived. At least I got 3 new plants.

Shoring up to earth to make the smaller branches root.

I then tried propagating via cuttings. It failed as the stem taken may be too young & small. I shall try cuttings again when I have mature stems of sufficient size.

2 of the new Pomegranate.

Am trying marcotting at the moment. Did a couple on the Mother plant. I think it is rooting. I damaged 1 as I was taking it out for inspection. I potted it anyway, hopefully it shall survive. Another 1 has a tiny little root. Hopefully shall have 2 more plants.

Another marcotting under way on the new Pomegranate plant.

Have 2 more air layering which I think should root early October. 1 from the mother plant & 1 from the new plant.

Another marcotting under way on the mother Pomegranate plant.

We now have 4 plants & am targeting 10 plants before I transfer them to field planting. Pomegranate also falls in line with one of our objective of planting health beneficial fruits, but most importantly, my wife loves it.


Pomegranate

A compound found only in pomegranates called punicalagin is shown to benefit the heart and blood vessels. Punicalagin is the major component responsible for pomegranate's antioxidant and health benefits. It not only lowers cholesterol, but also lowers blood pressure and increases the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.

Health Benefits of the Pomegranate

• Most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits
• Potent anti-cancer and immune supporting effects
• Inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation that could cause heart attacks, strokes and embolic disease
• Lowers cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors
• Lowers blood pressure
• Shown to promote reversal of atherosclerotic plaque in human studies
• May have benefits to relieve or protect against depression and osteoporosis

Many studies show that the pomegranate is one of the most powerful, nutrient dense foods for overall good health. These clinical findings clearly show a correlation between pomegranate compounds and their positive effect on both human and animal cardiovascular, nervous, and skeletal health. This is one fruit that you can't afford to exclude from your diet! So, let's plant more Pomegranate.

Lime.

Starting to re-access Lime in our farm. Had started a couple of lime previously, but did not develop much on it. We have a fruiting Limau Kapas / Nipis, Key lime in our farm. It is being over shadowed by rubber trees now. I had planted 3 Key lime from seeds in our nursery for almost 3 years. It's growing, but still no fruit. Have a local Lemon, grown from cutting, which had started to fruit early this year. All of them were not carefully cared for.

Local Lemon, started fruiting in December 2013.

Planning to re-access Lime as I feel am better equipped (knowledge) to deal with it.

Key Lime graft from a fruiting tree to a non fruiting tree.

Key Lime graft from a fruiting tree to a non fruiting tree. Another graft that 'took'.

Key Lime graft from a fruiting tree to a fruiting local Lemon tree.

Had recently acquired a marcotted Limau Kasturi, Calamondin Lime. Also some cuttings of unknown Lime/Orange from Thailand. Preparing these for propagation in our nursery. Tried some cuttings & grafting on the Kasturi.

Calamondin Lime grafted on to a non fruiting Key Lime rootstock. Already took & starting to flower.

Re-sprouting again. I used to plant a Key Lime from seed at this spot about 2 years back and I though it had died. Maybe it's my calling.

Had started to top- work via grafting, 1 Key Lime tree & the local Lemon tree to Key Lime. With their established roots, I hope that the Key Lime shall grow fast & I can propagate more of them at the nursery. A couple of the graft were successful. I shall get more scion from our farm and do more graft into these 2 trees.

Pruned off most of the tree, leaving those that were grafted and a bit more for more grafting.

The other 2 trees I shall reserve for the Calamondin Lime / Limau Kasturi. This shall takes a while as I only have a small 1 1/2 feet plant. As for the unknown cuttings, if these root, then shall have to wait till they fruit and figure out what are these.

Lime is a power house in terms of Vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. For more health benefits of lime, click here.

There are plenty uses of lime in our country, hence I guess market is readily available, just that we need to be efficient in our production.

Marcotting / Air Layering Breadfruit Tree.

Had been reviewing my procedure for preparing our planting material for the past few months. Looking for method to produce quality planting material in quantity with a limited budget for our own planting in the shortest incubation time.

The Breadfruit tree next to the wooden column.

My first trial on Air layering was about 3 years back, was a tourist farmer at that time with practically zero knowledge. Did quite a numbers of trial on Breadfruit & Avocado trees, all failed. It kind of left an impression with me that it's difficult & don't work.

I didn't took notice that it had rooted until my helper informed me.

Since I am having difficulty in propagating Breadfruit and Pomegranate, it kind of make me access  Marcotting / Air Layering again. Decided to try on Breadfruit first, it being seedless. Since I had finished my task early before I go on leave on July, decided to have some fun and tried on a total of 4 Breadfruit trees.

Breadfruit tree rooted.

Breadfruit No. 1 potted.

Out of the 4, 1 failed.

Failed marcotting. I had it re-do on a lower level.

Since the top still looks good, decided to pot it anyway and hope it'll grow.

I tried some with the coco peat disk. It comes dried so have to soak it in water for a couple of hours for it to get re-hydrated. It is more convenient and light weight.

Using Coco peat disk.

This disk are only in small size, I wish they have a bigger ones. As it is, it's only suitable for small size stems.

Another air layering using the disk.

Harvested successful Air Layered Breadfruit tree.

Lovely roots.

Hope it'll grow into a productive Breadfruit tree.

Made more air layering on Breadfruit trees.

Air layered Breadfruit tree, in the making.

Air layered Breadfruit tree in both trunks, in the making.

Air layered Breadfruit tree, in the making.

Need to wait for re-growth.

There is a Breadfruit tree, after harvesting, liquid is flowing out from the cut. Had it sealed, but there are still stain. Shall be incubating this and wait for re-growth before attempting further air layering.

Did 3 trial on the Pomegranate. I only realized that there are some sort of thorns on the pomegranate while doing this. On the matured stems, removing the bark is difficult. I then tried on a green stem, which is very easy to remove. Made a date stamp on all the marcotting and check back in about 3 weeks.

Other plants that I would like to try this on include Jackfruit (since it's a close relative of Breadfruit) Fig,  Lime, Wax Apple, Mango and even Avocado.