Welcome to the Manatee County Rare Fruit Council Website.

With fruit trees, it's always feast or famine.  After last winter's freezes, it's more famine and less feast.  But most of our trees are recovering nicely, and if we don't have a repeat of last winter, or a hurricane, we should be back to normal production.  And often, normal is more than we can eat or give to friends.

The following email was received from Shelby King, who might be interested in your surplus fruits to sell at the farm market she has in East Bradenton.  Make a note of her number and call her if you have surplus fruit.

my husband Ben and I own a farm and a farm market off of the Caruso road in east Bradenton.  We sell our own produce as well as other locally grown produce.  The only fruit we grow are peaches, plums, blueberries and we have a few pear trees.  I would love to round out our fruit selection.  I am wondering if I can get my info to you all so if there is any one who may have a little too much of something and would like to sell or trade for veggies they can get a hold of me. 
My # is 941-773-1624. Thank you so much and have a great day.  -  Shelby King 

A grafter feels indescribable elation when, after several weeks, the scion or budwood is green and healthy, and seems to have bonded with the rootstock.  This is not the time, however, to drop your guard.  The bond at this stage is tenuous, and could die if allowed to become too dry.  Examine any leaves left on the scion.  You might want to eliminate some of them, or cut leaves in half, so that transpiration doesn't let them lose water that can't be restored from the weak bond to the rootstock.,  You might want to enclose the scion with a plastic bag for a few weeks until you can see new growth.

After good new growth is underway, the battle still is not won.  The rootstock wants to reject this "organ transplant" and make new rootstock growth.  If this is allowed to happen, the rootstock will quickly overwhelm the scion.  The plant must be watched closely, and any attempted new growth from the rootstock must be pinched off.  An old mulberry tree of an inferior variety was cut back and grafted to a superior variety.  The graft took and is growing vigorously, but new growth is still coming, after six months, from the multiple trunks that were cut off at the ground before grafting.  If these are not destroyed every week or so, they will become the tree, and the grafted portiion will be shaded out.

I am still discovering new ways to lose grafts that seemed successful.  As I am fond of saying, if you miss your lost humility, try grafting!

Pete Ray

Our July 2010 Newsletter is available (in pdf format) online. members receive printed versions as well. Find out what went on at the last MRFC meeting, and what events we have in store this year.
 

Annual Tree Sale — May 16th 2010

Manatee Civic Center
Haben Blvd. and US 41/301 Palmetto
click here for more details

MRFC is getting a new website design, including fresh content, and features. Keeping our club connected and sharing current information is paramount. Please send your website comments and suggestions to us by Clicking Here.

* Please note: During this transition time some features may be unavailable.

Manatee County IFAS now has a website. Click here to view. This website is a rich resource for news, and articles pertaining to our tropical fruit tree hobby.

New Membership Form: We have updated our membership form, please note the dues changes. Click here.

Past years newsletters are now available for online reading. Please take a moment to browse this wealth of information. Click here.

Notice: Fruitilizer for Sale!
Contact Al Semago at (941) 725-3273 to arrange to pick it up.