Gardening with Tropical Fruit

January 2006

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

This month and February should produce weather cold enough to damage tender tropical fruits. Because many are still recovering from hurricane damage in the fall, trees may be still putting out vegetative growth which is more subject to being damaged by low temperatures.

Make sure that potted plants that are cold sensitive are moved to more protected locations if cold temperatures threaten and small plants in the ground can be covered with sheets, bedspreads, or other materials to help reduce the effect of cold temperatures.

This time of year many people are just sitting back and waiting for spring weather to arrive in late February, but if you wish to do propagation and have areas to protect the newly grafted plants, grafting or budding can still be done this time of year.

Container plants that need to be put out into the garden probably are best kept protected through the rest of the winter and then put out at the end of February when they will have ideal conditions to start the spring growing season.

Some tropical fruits that were badly damaged by the fall hurricanes may not produce flower buds in the spring as they usually would since they will be channeling their energy into replacing foliage and branches rather than producing fruit.

Expect a lighter crop than last year on most fruit varieties, but still continue regular fertilizing starting in late February to keep plants growing as well as they can.