The kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC., Rutaceae), also known as kieffer lime and limau purut is a type of lime native to Indonesia and Malaysia, commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and widely grown worldwide as a backyard shrub.
The kaffir lime is a rough, bumpy green fruit that grows on very thorny bush with aromatic and distinctively shaped “double” leaves. It is well suited to container growing. The green lime fruit is distinguished by its bumpy exterior and its small size (approx. 4 cm wide).
Its hourglass-shaped leaves (comprising the leaf blade plus a flattened, leaf-like leaf-stalk or petiole) are widely used in Thai cuisine (for dishes such as tom yum), Lao cuisine, and Cambodian cuisine, for the base paste known as “Krueng“. The leaves are also popular in Indonesian cuisine (especially Balinese and Javanese), for foods such as sayur asam - literally sour vegetables, and are also used along with Indonesian bay leaf for chicken and fish. They are also found in Malay and Burmese cuisines.
The leaves can be used fresh or dried, and can be stored frozen.
The juice and rinds of the kaffir lime are used in traditional Indonesian medicine; for this reason the fruit is sometimes referred to in Indonesia as jeruk obat - literally “medicine citrus”. The oil from the rind also has strong insecticidal properties.
The zest of the fruit is widely used in creole cuisine and to impart flavor to “arranged” rums in the Réunion island and Madagascar.
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Salak (Salacca zalacca, . edulis, Calamus zalacca) is a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae native to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a very short-stemmed palm, with leaves up to 6m long; each leaf has a 2m long petiole with spines up to 15cm long, and numerous leaflets.
The fruit grow in clusters at the base of the palm, and are also known as snake fruit due to the reddish-brown scaly skin. They are about the size and shape of a ripe fig, with a distinct tip. The pulp is edible. The fruit can be peeled by pinching the tip which should cause the skin to slough off so it can be pulled away. The fruit inside consists of three lobes, each containing a large inedible seed. The lobes resemble, and have the consistency of, large peeled garlic cloves. The taste is usually sweet and acidic, but its apple-like texture can vary from very dry and crumbly (salak pondoh from Yogyakarta) to moist and crunchy (salak Bali). Salak fruit has been cultivated throughout Indonesia and there are at least 30 cultivars, but most of which have an astringent taste and are not sweet. Two popular cultivars are salak pondoh from Yogyakarta province (found in 1980s) and salak Bali from Bali island
The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree grown for its fruit which was originally named the “forbidden fruit ” of Barbados.
These evergreen trees are usually found at around 5-6 m tall, although they can reach 13-15 m. The leaves are dark green, long (up to 150 mm) and thin. It produces 5 cm white four-petalled flowers. The fruit is yellow-orange skinned, largely oblate and ranges in diameter from 10-15 cm . The flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in color depending on the cultivars, which include white, pink and red pulps of varying sweetness. The 1929 US Ruby Red (of the Redblush variety) has the first grapefruit patent.
The fruit has only become popular from the late 19th century; before that it was only grown as an ornamental plant. The US quickly became a major producer of the fruit, with orchards in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. In Spanish, the fruit is known as toronja or pomelo.
History
The fruit was first documented in 1750 by the Rev. Griffith Hughes describing specimens from Barbados. Currently, the grapefruit is said to be one of the “Seven Wonders of Barbados.” It had developed as a hybrid of the pomelo (Citrus maxima) with the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), though it is closer to the former. It was brought to Florida by Odette Philippe in 1823. Further crosses have produced the tangelo (1905), the minneola (1931), and the sweetie (1984). The sweetie has very small genetic and other differences from pomelo.
The grapefruit was known as the shaddock or shattuck until the 1800s, taking the name from Captain Shaddock, who introduced the pomelo to the Caribbean from Polynesia in the 17th century. Its current name alludes to clusters of the fruit on the tree, which often appear similar to grapes. Botanically, it was not distinguished from the pomelo until the 1830s, when it was given the name Citrus paradisi. Its true origins were not determined until the 1940s. This led to the official name being altered to Citrus × paradisi.
The 1929 Ruby Red patent was associated with real commercial success, which came after the discovery of a red grapefruit growing on a pink variety. Only with Ruby Red the grapefruit transformed into a real agricultural fruit. The Red grapefruit, starting from the Ruby Red, has even become a symbol fruit of Texas, where white “inferior” grapefruit were eliminated and only red grapefruit were grown for decades. Using radiation to trigger mutations, new varieties were developed to retain the red tones which typically faded to pink, with Rio Red is the current (2007) Texas grapefruit with registered trademarks Rio Star and Ruby-Sweet, also sometimes promoted as “Reddest” and “Texas Choice”.Colors and flavors
Grapefruit mercaptan
Grapefruit comes in many varieties, determinable by color, which is caused by the pigmentation of the fruit in respect of both its state of ripeness and genetic bent. The most popular varieties cultivated today are red, white, and pink hues, referring to the inside, pulp color of the fruit. The family of flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat bitter to sweet and tart. Grapefruit mercaptan, a sulfur-containing terpene, is one of the substances which has a strong influence on the taste and odor of grapefruit, compared with other citrus fruits.
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The Mandarin orange or mandarin (or mandarine) is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling the orange. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads. Specifically reddish orange mandarin cultivars can be marketed as tangerines, but this is not a botanical classification.
The tree is more drought tolerant than the fruit. The mandarin is tender, and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.
Varieties and characteristics
The mandarin has many names, some of which actually refer to crosses between the mandarin and another citrus fruit. Most canned mandarins are of the satsuma variety, of which there are over 200 cultivars. Satsumas are known as mikan in Japan. One of the more well-known satsuma cultivars is the “Owari”, which ripens during the late fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. Clementines, however, have displaced satsumas in many markets, and are becoming the most important commercial mandarin variety.
The mandarin is easily peeled with the fingers, starting at the thick rind covering the depression at the top of the fruit, and can be easily split into even segments without squirting juice. This makes it convenient to eat, as one doesn’t require utensils to peel or cut the fruit.
The tangor, which is also called the temple orange, is a cross between the mandarin and the common orange. Its thick rind is easy to peel; and its bright orange pulp is sweet, full-flavored, and tart.
Biological characteristics
Citrus fruit varieties are usually self-fertile (needing a bee only to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless) (such as satsumas).
Blossoms from the Dancy cultivar are one exception. They are self sterile, therefore must have a pollenizer variety to supply pollen, and a high bee population to make a good crop.
Furthermore, some varieties, notably clementines, are usually seed free, but will develop seeds if cross-pollinated with a seeded citrus. Thus, great efforts are taken to isolate clementine orchards from any seeded citrus varieties.
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Brugmansia is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae, native to subtropical regions of South America, along the Andes from Colombia to northern Chile, and also in southeastern Brazil. They are known as Angel’s Trumpets, incorrectly sharing that name in the past with the closely related genus Datura commonly known as “Thorn Apple”. The genus differs from Datura in being perennial and woody (Datura species are herbaceous), and in having pendulous (not erect) flowers.Species
- Brugmansia arborea. Andes (Ecuador to northern Chile).
- Brugmansia aurea. Andes (Colombia to Ecuador).
- Brugmansia sanguinea. Andes (Colombia to Peru and Bolivia).
- Brugmansia suaveolens. Southeast Brazil west to Bolivia and Peru.
- Brugmansia versicolor. Ecuador.
- Brugmansia vulcanicola. Colombia.
Brugmansia are large shrubs or small trees, reaching heights of 3–11 m, with tan, slightly rough bark.
The leaves are alternate, generally large, 10–30 cm long and 4–18 cm broad, with an entire or coarsely toothed margin, and are covered with fine hairs.
The name Angel’s Trumpet refers to the large, very dramatic, pendulous trumpet-shaped flowers, 14–50 cm to 20 inches long and 10–35 cm across at the wide end. They are white, yellow, pink, orange or red, and have a delicate, attractive scent with light, lemony overtones, most noticeable in early evening.
Cultivation
Brugmansia are easily grown in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil, in full sun to part shade, in frost-free climates. They begin to flower in mid to late spring in warm climates and continue into the fall, often continuing as late as early winter in warm conditions. In cool winters, outdoor plants need protection, but the roots are hardy and will resprout in April or May. The species from the higher elevations, B. sanguinea and B. vulcanicola, prefer moderate temperatures and cool nights, and may not flower if temperatures are very hot. Most Brugmansias may be propagated easily by rooting 10–20 cm cuttings taken from the end of a branch during the summer.
Several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed for use as ornamental plants. B. × candida is a hybrid between B. aurea and B. versicolor, while B. × insignis is a hybrid between B. suaveolens and B. versicolor. Some cultivars of B. × candida produce white, yellow, pale orange or pink flowers; B. × insignis produces white or peach flowers; B. versicolor flowers start off white and turn salmon pink. There are cultivars producing double flowers, and some with variegated leaves.
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Banana is the common name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa which produce this commonly eaten fruit. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia. Bananas are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.
Banana plants are of the family Musaceae. They are cultivated primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent for the production of fibre and as ornamental plants. As the bananas are mainly tall, upright, and fairly sturdy, they are often mistaken for trees, when the truth is the main or upright stem is called a pseudostem, literally meaning “fake stem”, which for some species can obtain a height of up to 2–8 m, with leaves of up to 3.5 m in length. Each pseudostem can produce a bunch of yellow, green, or even red bananas before dying and being replaced by another pseudostem.
The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3-20 tiers to a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as a bunch, or commercially as a “banana stem”, and can weigh from 30–50 kg. The fruit averages 125 g, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter content. Each individual fruit (known as a banana or ‘finger’) has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy edible inner portion. Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked. Western cultures generally eat the inside raw and throw away the skin while some Asian cultures generally eat both the skin and inside cooked. Typically, the fruit has numerous strings (called ‘phloem bundles’) which run between the skin and inner part. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin B, vitamin C, and potassium.
Bananas are grown in at least 107 countries. In popular culture and commerce, “banana” usually refers to soft, sweet “dessert” bananas. The bananas from a group of cultivars with firmer, starchier fruit are called plantains. Bananas may also be cut and dried and eaten as a type of chip. Dried bananas are also ground into banana flour.
Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have seedless fruits. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas. Almost all export bananas are of the dessert types; however, only about 10-15% of all production is for export, with the United States and European Union being the dominant buyers.
This is the definition and some of the information found on the Wikipedia Site for your information.
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Banana Plant growing instructions and care Of Your Banana Plants
How do you grow bananas Plants and Trees.??
The first priority to consider when growing your banana plant is to use the correct soil. It is very important to use a well draining soil MIXTURE and 20% PERLITE should be added to it to assure that you have good draining soil. They are THIRSTY PLANTS BUT DO NOT LIKE CONSTANTLY WET ‘FEET’. Do not use heavy soils when growing banana such as PEAT OR GARDEN SOIL , ESPECIALLY CLAY. Plant the banana rhizome upright and be sure the roots are well covered and the rhizome has about 1/2″ of the base covered with soil AS ANY ‘PUPS’ BABY BANANAS WILL GROW FROM THE BASE OF THE PARENT PLANT.
We advise that you water and fertilize banana at the same time using any type of balanced fertilizer to help grow a healthy banana plant A good soluble fertiliser will be fine. Bananas are heavy feeders so we suggest that you fertilize very lightly each time that you water with the exception being that you do not fertilize if you are not seeing active growth.( Balanced fertilizer means - a fertilizer that has three numbers on the label ). After your initial watering we would not water again until your soil is dry to a 1/2″ depth. ( Use your finger to test it ). Please do not expect this to be a plant that you “water once a week” you need to keep a regular check on the plants. If you water once a week it is unlikely that you will have success growing this rhizome as they originate from a Tropical Humid environment and moisture is a must JUST NOT TOO MUCH!.
Grow banana in BRIGHT LIGHT. 12 hours of bright light are ideal for most varieties AND YOU WILL GET GREAT RESULTS.
Grow bananas in Constant WARMTH is very important - the ideal night temperature would be 67 F. The day temperatures would be in the 80s. Ideally you would have fresh circulating air.
Grow banana with HIGH HUMIDITY of 50% and higher is desirable. Hot, dry air will destroy the leaves so heat in winter is essential for a high level of growth all year round.
Grow bananas in THE CONTAINER that is not too large. It should be a standard 6″ or 8″ pot with a drain hole and plant on as required we have large specimens in 10 15 and 20 litre pots and some even larger. Never plant it in a container without a drain hole. Transplant to a larger container when your plant is quite crowded .
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Heliconia Plant and Seed growing instructions and care
A guide on how to grow Heliconia’s in your Tropical and Exotic garden.
HELICONIA GROWING INSTRUCTIONS
DESCRIPTION
Before you learn how to grow heliconia it’s important to understand that it’s not that complicated as first thaught but you have to get all of the steps involved correct. If you look at pictures of the different Species of Heliconia that are on offer you see plants that are very Tropical and Exotic to look at and are becoming increasingly popular. Heliconia’s are actually a relative to the banana plant and many of them exhibit banana-like leaves with some being narrow, long and others being wide The flowering bracts for some heliconia are pendulous – ( hanging ) while others are upright in their growth habit. There is also a lot of colours available in the flowering bracts with some types of Heliconia, some being quite colorful while others may be more subdued: some have the shape of a lobsters claw, or a birds beak, or the shape of a pleated fan. But all are equally stunning plants in their own right.
The plants are available as a Rhizome or seeds are also available but not always easily germinated, see our guide to sowing seeds!
A rhizome is a root section. If ordered and depending on the time of year the root section or rhizome sent to you may be well rooted or roots just begining with a hint of roots. However the section will grow and it will develop many roots and eventually the heliconia plant
THE SOIL / PLANTING
Plant your Heliconia as soon as you recieve it use a well draining soil mixture sor horticultural grit is a must.. Do not use a peat based potting compost, unless it has a considerable amount of aggregate added to it, such as coarse sand. Also do not use soil from your back garden – heavy, dense soils, especially Glay will hold too much water and cause rotting of the Rhizome the rhizome. It is very important that your soil is well draining. If you are purchasing soil always look for the word MIXTURE. If the soil that you purchase is a SOIL MIXTURE that is a good first step but to use it with heliconia we would also add 30% Coarse Sand or Horticultural grit (wash the sand before adding it ) . When you are ready to plant you can often look at the rhizome and see where the soil line had been while it was growing. If you are not sure you may grow it upright with the lower base in the soil for 2”. This will not affect the growing of your Heliconia in any way.
WATERING / LIGHT / WARMTH/ HUMIDITY FOR PROPER HELICONIA GROWTH
After your first time watering we would not water in the future until we find that the surface soil is dry to the touch overwatering is a cause of rot so it is very important that you do not keep the soil wet. Heliconia happen to like warm humid temperatures and bright light to grow strong. An ideal temperature would be 74 F with humidity over 40 % THINK JUNGLE!!!!. The amount of light to provide is: Full sun all the way to 40% shade.
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Banana Plants - Musa
Banana plants are a great addition to the Tropical Garden. Providing it with great huge leaves of varying colours ans sizes. They Grow suprisingly quickly and although Germination can be slow and hard work as the seeds are so hard are well worth a go. Alternatively you can purchase some very good quality plants, you are best to choose plants that have been grown in the UK as these will be more tolerent of the Uk Climate. As well as the foliage they bear flowers and also small fruits depending on the variety. Musa Basjoo is probably the hardiest of the Bananas and we leave ours outside all winter here at the nursery on Anglesey, however the leaves do suffer in the strong winds causing them to ’shred’. A lovely ornamental banana is the Musa Maurelli a stunning red leaved Banana plant as the name suggests, this is a must for its exotic foliage. Keep an eye on our website for our forthcoming range of Tropical plug plants all of which will be huge plugs in ONE LITRE POTS!!!! We dont think you will find a larger plug for sale. We also have large speciments for sale at very competative priceswhy not take a look at our website?
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The Fig _ The Fruit From Edrn
Figs are an ancient fruit dating back to the New Stine Age, and befor the time of Olives!!Figs have been found in discovered villages dating back to 11,200-11,400 years ago. It is believed that the Romans may have been the first to grow figs in the UK and the earliest recored which can be found of Figs growing in the UK dates back to 1525 which was a ‘White Marseilles’ grown at Lambeth Palace. Today there are more than 800 cultivars and are a popular addition to the UK garden and are very tolerent in most cases of the UK climate.
Most cultivars will survive temperatues of -12 to -15 and even small specimens will tolerate a certain amount of frost. Figw will fruit successfully outdoors againts a South Facing wall or similar is best. The best Crops are from single stemmed trees trained in a goblet shape. For good results choose the best Micro Climate possible for you chsen variety of Fig to ensure best possible results from your purchase. Avoid an area which is waterlogged, a free draining area is best add a little grit to ensure better drainage if required. Figs only need feeding during the early years and chicken manure is ideal this has all the required nutrients for you fig.
Figs fruit on the previous years growth and in more Southern areas of the UK you may be lucky enough to have two crops a year!.
Figs are well worth growing for the foliage alone, we stock three varieties at the moment but our range will be expanding. We have in stock at the moment ‘White Marseilles’ ‘Brown Turkey’ and our own ‘Newborough Fig’ from Anglesey.
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Written by Kathryn Selfe