วันจันทร์, ธันวาคม 8, 2008

How to eat a rambutan?


How to eat a rambutan?

There are a couple theories on this but I take the quickest route which doesn’t require a knife. Takign the rambutan in front of me in both hands I grip it like I’m wringing washed wet socks dry and twist the skin of the fruit in opposite directions with each hand. Invariably the skin tears and an incredible bulbous clear fleshy rambutan is waiting for me to suck it out with suction or bite and pull it from the other half of the skin.

When chewing a rambutan you’ll eventually come up with a good system to let you avoid biting directly into the seed in the middle that is about the same size, shape and color as a big almond nut. I usually put the whole rambutan in the side of my mouth and chew almost halfway through it longways and maneuver it around using my tongue until I’ve pulled off 95% of the flesh. Then I either spit out the seed or pull the seed out with my fingers and polish off the remaining fruit.

There is an exo-seed type peel that is loose and surrounds the hard seed - it’s fine to eat, but may take some getting used to. I didn’t like it at all for the first few months I ate the fruit, but gradually it made no difference to me to eat it along with the rest of the flesh.

Be careful if you eat a lot of rambutan at one time not to handle the fleshy part with your fingers before you eat it as pesticides are usually used on the outside of the fruit to keep it safe from pests eating it. It’s delicious to them too.

Rambutans here in Thailand are at the usual rate of 15-25 baht per kilogram (2.2lbs). 25 baht is roughly equivalent to 80cents USD.

Rambutan taste is something you’ll quickly become accustomed to and addicted to. I am completely addicted and when each season comes I eat kilogram after kilogram of the fruit!


There are two kinds of rambutans in Thailand: Rong Rien (grade school) like those seen here, and one with pink hairs instead of green & yellow called the “Si Chompoo” (pink).

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เขียนโดย everlastinglovesong เมื่อ 7:33 ก่อนเที่ยง 0 ความคิดเห็น ลิงก์ไปยังบทความนี้

How To Choose and Plant Banana Trees


How To Choose and Plant Banana Trees

By Deborah AndersonEMAIL ARTICLE

PRINT ARTICLEBanana trees can add a tropical flare to any area. These plants are very popular and thrive best in warm, humid areas - generally zones 8-9, where the temperature is over 85 degrees and the humidity is 50% or more. However, these hardy, tropical plants can be successfully grown north of those zones with a little more work and care, especially as container plants.

When choosing a banana tree follow these few steps to ensure you get the perfect one:

First, determine your available space for growing the banana trees. Choose a type of banana tree that will fit best in your space. Should you purchase short, stocky banana trees or tall, lanky ones?

Then, decide if you want your banana tree to bear edible fruit, or should the banana tree just be ornamental. If you have decided on a banana tree with edible fruit, then you must decide what type of fruit you would like, dessert fruit or cooking bananas.

Tall ornamental banana trees include Bordelon banana, Itinerans Var Gigantea banana, Maurelli banana, Monkey Fingers banana, Japanese Fiber banana and Sekkimensis banana.


Short ornamental bananas include Blood banana and Chinese Yellow banana.

Cavendish Dwarf banana is a short banana tree that produes edible bananas.

Tall, edible banana trees are Double banana, Goldfinger banana, Ice Cream banana, Iholene Red banana, Apple banana, Mysore banana, Orinoco banana, Rajapuri banana, Rose banana, Saba banana, Thousand Fingers banana, Valery banana and Williams Hybrid banana.

Cooking bananas include African Rhino Horn banana, Ele Ele banana and Hua Moa banana.


If possible, plan a trip to a well-established nursery, preferably one that specializes in fruit trees, to purchase the perfect banana tree.

Choose a banana tree that is between 12 and 14 inches high and free from any diseases or insects.

After choosing the banana tree that is perfect for you, and the threat of frost has passed, it is time to plant it following these simple steps:

Decide on the perfect location, if you haven't already. This place should have good drainage, should be protected from the wind and cold weather and should have no more than 30% shade.

Dig a planting hole for the carefully chosen banana tree measuring three feet wide by four feet deep.

Measure the height of the pot currently holding the banana tree.

Using the measurement above, replace the soil in the planting hole with organic matter such as peat moss, potting soil, compost, manure, kitchen scraps and/or pine bark mulch mixed 50/50 with the soil that has been previously removed.

Carefully remove the banana tree from its pot and loosen the root ball.

Gently place the banana tree with its loosened root ball into the prepared planting hole.

The soil should be replaced at the same level over the banana tree as it was in the pot, or maybe a little higher than that.

Fill the remaining space around the banana tree in the planting hole with the remaining organic matter and soil mixture.

Next, gently pack down the organic matter and soil mixture around the banana tree.

Water the newly planted banana tree to settle the roots and eliminate any air pockets that may have formed in the disturbed soil.

After watering, fertilize the banana tree with half a cup of slow-release, balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 with micronutrients.

If you follow these steps for choosing and planting the perfect banana tree, you should have a beautiful addition to your landscape in no time.


Required Tools:

Shovel
tape measure
tamping tool


Quick Tips:

Keep a 10" to 12" layer of mulch on banana tree.
Clusters of 3 to 5 banana trees look better than just one.


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เขียนโดย everlastinglovesong เมื่อ 7:22 ก่อนเที่ยง 0 ความคิดเห็น ลิงก์ไปยังบทความนี้

How to grow banana tree ??



Do you want to know to grow banana tree?


Start by learning more about the available species and variants. A key factor to success when it comes to banana growing is to choose the right species. Do you plant to grow your banana tree indoors? Choose a banana tree that will not get to big for your home. Do you want to grow your banana tree outdoors? Choose a banana tree capable of handling the climate in your garden, e.g. severe colds. Is the aim of your banana efforts to produce edible bananas? Make sure that you get a banana variant that produces delicious banana fruits of a suitable size.

Some banana variants still produce viable seeds, but most gardeners prefer to start with a so called “pup”, the sprouting root chunk of a banana tree. (Truth be told, bananas are not really trees, they are herbaceous plants and the stem is only a pseudostem.) To plant the “pup”, dig a whole into the ground in a sunny spot of your garden. Many banana varieties stop growing if the soil temperature falls under 68 degrees F so a sunny spot is really important. Stick the pup in the whole and refill. Sandy loamy soil is recommended for most banana varieties, but it is always a good idea to research your particular variety.

How to grow banana tree is not only about finding the right spot for your tree – spacing is also important. Banana plants need some room, at least of you want them to grow big and produce a lot of fruit, and cramming them together is therefore not recommended. For most varieties a distance of at least 6 feet between each plant is recommended, unless you are okay with them staying somewhat smaller and yielding fewer/smaller bananas. If one of your banana plants fails to thrive, it can be because surrounding, stronger plants are depriving it of water and nutrients. One way of combating this problem is to dig a trench between the strong plants and the weak plant. The aim of the trench is to form a barrier between the roots of the different plants. Once you have cut all the roots, you can refill the trench with the old soil.



How to grow banana tree and prevent disease

It might be tempting to accept banana plants from fellow gardeners, but such plants can carry unwanted micro organisms such as fungi. It is therefore safer to purchase sterile banana pups from commercial nurseries. Even if your bananas are strong enough to resist the fungi, it might harm other plants in your garden that are not equally resilient. If you still want to use non-sterile pups, dip the roots (and any soil) in a weak Chlorox solution before you plant them. Also remove as much soil as possible, since the soil can be filled with fungi.

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เขียนโดย everlastinglovesong เมื่อ 7:14 ก่อนเที่ยง 0 ความคิดเห็น ลิงก์ไปยังบทความนี้

Planning the Site for Growing Bananas

Planning the Site for Growing Bananas

When looking for a site to plant bananas, it is important to find good well-drained soil. The soil should be mixed with 20% perlite for optimal growth. If you are serious in growing bananas and would like to make a plantation, it takes more than just that. After a plantation has been around for seven to ten years, the plants should be dug up. You should then leave the soil as it is for two years before planting legumes. When the legumes have matured and you had harvested them successfully, you can start planting bananas again.

Preparing the Site for Growing Bananas

Ensure that the soil in the site is rich, loamy, and slightly acidic. Build an irrigation system of ditches for the plants. Mark spots where you will plant your bananas with sticks on the ground. The plants should be amply spaced. The hole dug to plant the banana rhizomes should be a foot in diameter with a depth of ten to twelve inches. It is important to fertilize your plants every time you water them. Constant warmth in temperature is needed to be able to grow bananas successfully.

Required Materials for Growing Bananas

The basic materials needed for growing bananas include the banana rhizomes themselves, organic fertilizers, perlite, and standard gardening and pruning tools.

Watering Requirements of Bananas

After the first watering, do not water until the depth of irrigation has been reduced by half an inch.

Nutrients Required By Bananas

Banana plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and various other micronutrients to ensure that they are healthy.

Seasons Apt For Growing Bananas

Warm seasons with high humidity are perfect for growing banana plants.

Expectations/Results

If all the requirements for growing banana plants are met, they grow quite rapidly. You would know that a bunch of bananas is ready for harvesting when they are plump and exhibit no ribs. The banana plant dies after harvesting its fruits.

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เขียนโดย everlastinglovesong เมื่อ 7:12 ก่อนเที่ยง 0 ความคิดเห็น ลิงก์ไปยังบทความนี้

Growing Rambutan in Non-Tropical Regions

Growing Rambutan in Non-Tropical Regions

Introduction

Rambutan trees fruit twice a year, yielding crops beginning late June and August and in December and January. Growing seasons vary, however, in each of the tropical countries where it flourishes. Truly tropical, Rambutan trees love warm humid climates. The also make great potted plants for indoors for those who live in non-tropical areas.

Demands from Asian immigrant fans have increased the import of this rather rare fruit into Europe, the Middle East and North America. Traditional suppliers include Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia but today Honduras and Australia are entering the raging Rambutan market. An anticipated worldwide demand is the result of improved handling of postharvest fruits, increased production and faster long-distance transporting of this delicate fruit. Thailand exports the most canned Rambutan while Malaysia is the largest exporter of fresh Rambutan.

One of the most exotic looking fruits and closely related to the lychee, very tropical Rambutan, pronounced ram-BYU-tn, varies in type and quality. This striking fruit may be greenish yellow, orange or crimson. Oval or globe-shaped, they are usually one to two inches long with a section of the stem attached. Easy to remove, the soft flexible hairy bristles are about one-half inch long. Long hairs on its leathery exterior make it seem bigger than the litchi but the inner part of the fruit is actually smaller. Prized for its exceptional juicy-sweet texture, Rambutan flavor is really quite subtle. Having a slight resemblance to a sweet chestnut, this unusual fruit gets its name, no surprise, from the Malaysian word for hair, "rambut". Seriously aromatic, the flavor is more acidic than the litchi. The large seed has an almond-like taste.

A source of vitamin C and calcium, Rambutan provides niacin, iron, protein and fiber. An average fruit contains 59 calories. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.

Rambutan is excellent added to a mouthwatering tropical fruit salad. Combine with papaya, mango, pineapple, kumquats, and banana, to name a few. Blend with a brandy-orange juice-lemon juice dressing; chill. Spoon the luscious fruit salad into festive coconut shells or scooped-out pineapples for an impressive decorative eye-catching dessert. Top with whipped cream and a stemmed-cherry. Perfect for canning, rambutan retains its natural good looks and sturdy character. To prepare, cut or tear base of fruit; press out the translucent pulpy flesh. To store, fragile rambutan keeps only a day or two at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap in a perforated plastic bag; refrigerate.

Rambutan is also known as litchi chevelu in France and is called "gente" in Malaysia. Thailand fondly calls this fruit "ngob" (paa) and the Chinese refer to it as "bong mao dan".

Native to the western lowlands of Malaysia, rambutan is now cultivated in Zanzibar where early Arab traders introduced it, in Sri Lanka and in many areas of Southeast Asia. Rambutan is most commonly grown in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The fruit is grown for export in Australia, Sri Lanka, Central America and Vietnam. Other tropical countries grow it for their own domestic consumption. In 1993, only thirty farmers on a combined sixty acres grew the rambutan fruit in Hawaii. Cultivation of rambutan is considered too fragile for the United States. Two types of rambutan include the standard variety and a specially developed green-haired rongrian ancestry that produces a thinner skin and an even more delicate flavor.


Potting

There are many different types of pots available and each has its benefits and drawbacks. There is plastic with can heat up or freeze quickly, Metal, same as plastic, Clay and wood dry quicker, ceramic that can be heavy and many others that you can buy at local garden centers. For the most part all can be used quite successfully with tropical plants. Choose one based on your own preferences.

These pots should have holes in the bottom for adequate drainage. When you buy your pot, and before you put in soil, cover these holes with a mesh of some sort to help retain the soil, it is also good to put down an inch or two of gravel to insure good drainage. With tropical plants drainage is essential to healthy plants.

Potting soil from the local garden center will suffice if mixed with 1 part sand; however a much better solution would be 1 part Perlite or Vermiculite, 1 part course sand, and 1 part Peat. This gives good drainage as well as sufficient nutrients. Make sure your soil is not packed down heavy to allow good drainage but not excessive drainage.

Remove your plant from its original container; look carefully at the root system. It they are heavily packed in and there is more root then dirt, we want to prune these roots before we plant. Take some of these roots and loosen them up and then carefully clip the ends to stimulate the plant to root more in its new container. If pruning is not needed, then just loosen the root ball before planting.

Place the plant in the new container making sure you have filled it half way with the new planting material. You want to make sure that when you fill the rest of the container with soil, the soil line is the same as the original plant when you pulled it out. The soil like should be about 1-4 inches below the rim of the pot when you are all finished.

Important key: Make sure your fully grown plant will be proportional to your pot. Don’t put an 8 foot tall tree in a 10 inch pot. Allow the roots to be able to grow, the larger the pot the more fruit it will bear.


Light

Rambutan usually require lots of sunlight, anywhere you can place them to receive full sunlight is beneficial to them.

When you receive them they are most likely used to full sunlight, when you are going to bring them indoors, or for winter times, when bringing them indoors, you must acclimate them to your indoor area. Make sure to put them near a good light source and if possible add additional light


Water

Rambutan are used to lots of water, however they are also used to well drained soil, so their water requirements are different for potted plants. These dependencies are based on size of the pot, size of the plant, type of plant, temperature where you keep the plant, the humidity and the type of soil you have. You are usually safe to water, when the upper surface of the soil is dry before you water your plant. Slowly fill the container watching for runoff at the bottom holes. Remember that wood or clay pots dry faster, making watering more frequent and cooler weather slows down the growth of the plant, thus reducing the need to water as much.


Temperature

This is probably the key ingredient to successful tropical plant keeping. NO FREEZING WEATHER. Rambutan cannot take cold temperatures below 50 F., so you will need to find a way to bring these indoors. Cold temperatures will lead to root damage, and leave damage. If you bring them indoors make sure you keep them away from drafts from doors or windows to freeze, and out of the heating vent areas so not to dry out too fast.


Fertilizer

Too much fertilizer is very bad for Rambutan. A good Mango fertilizer will do fine. Read the directions completely. After spending good money on a beautiful tropical plant, you would hate to kill it by over fertilizing it. Usually with a tropical plant the mature foliage will show deep green indicating that you are fertilizing on the correct scale. Make sure your fertilizer has a complete balanced diet of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Lesser amounts of Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, again Read the label.


Pruning

With most container Rambutan plants little or no pruning is needed. However if the plant becomes “leggy” due to poor light conditions then cut it back greatly to force it to bush out. If the top becomes too large for the root structure, again a large pruning spree is needed. Also when you start to get leaf shed and twigs die back this is an indication that the root structure is not large enough for the top foliage and pruning is needed.

Fruitfulness

Will I get fruit? This is the question we all ask. Is it worth the time and effort? Ask anyone that has a fruit tree planted in a pot, as they pick tropical fruit on a blizzard day of 10 below zero, and they will always tell you “Yes!” For the most part container tropic plants are dependant on the light source and size of the pot to how much fruit they will have. Most fruit trees will fruit in pots as long as we keep all of the requirements alive in our head. The larger the tree the larger the pot that is needed. Fruit will bear proportional to the size of the pot and plant. Please keep in mind that some fruit will need a presence of another cultivator to be able to fruit. Again check the specifics of your plant before you decide to buy it.

Copyright Dr. Peter T. Dixon D.B.S.

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เขียนโดย everlastinglovesong เมื่อ 7:08 ก่อนเที่ยง 0 ความคิดเห็น ลิงก์ไปยังบทความนี้