Gardening with Tropical Fruit

November 2006

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

This month we are well entrenched in our dry season so it’s important to check tropical fruit plants in the landscape and water at least once a week or more if rainfall doesn’t occur. This time of year some people are still doing grafting and other forms of propagation and with our above normal temperatures that should be quite successful. Usually we don’t get really low temperatures until the end of December.

If you have plants that haven’t been pruned back following the summer and early fall growing season, you can still do pruning this time of year, but complete those practices as soon as possible.

Also if you have container grown tropical fruit that need to be set out in the landscape, that can be safely done this time of year as well.

You should have fertilized all tropical fruits last month for the upcoming winter season. If you forgot or were delayed fertilize as soon as possible with a good quality fruit tree type fertilizer.

Also weeds are always a constant competitor with tropical fruits in the landscape. Use mulches wherever possible 3 to 4 inches deep to keep weeds from becoming too aggressive.