Topics in Subtropics

With the proliferation of pests and disease that might appear in mulch used in orchards, it might appear that the practice will become more limited unless the material can be guaranteed to be safe.

A trial planted in Oxnard involved eight different pollinizer varieties at three different distances from 'Hass' tree rows. Yield data collected from 2002 2005 suggest that the presence of pollinizer varieties in close proximity enhance the total number of fruit harvested from Hass'.

Passion fruit is widely grown and valued throughout the tropics and subtropics. Most Passifloras are vines which can climb to 20 or 30 feet. The fruit varies in color from purple to yellow-orange and in shape from an egg to a tennis ball.

The star fruit, or carambola, is a member of the oxalis family. Only one other species is commonly cultivated for its fruit, the less esteemed, more frost sensitive Averrhoa bilimbi.

Imagine a pesticide sprayer smart enough to hit trees and turn off between them.