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Old 20-09-2008, 06:38 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:00:33 +0100, Tim Perry
wrote:

Freezer or fridge ? I don't know, but the freezer hits -20, would that
be too cold ?


I might try some in fridge, some in freezer! I know they grow in cold
mountain areas. They probably dry from dehydration rather than sun!!!

Pam in Bristol
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Old 20-09-2008, 06:43 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:00:33 +0100, Tim Perry
wrote:

Freezer or fridge ? I don't know, but the freezer hits -20, would that
be too cold ?



For those interested, this is a Wikipedia entry about the Hunza
valley.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunza_Valley

See the entry about climate.

Pam in Bristol
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Old 20-09-2008, 10:10 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

The message
from Tim Perry contains these words:
Rusty Hinge 2;816474 Wrote:


'Course, it would help if you said just where you were innit.

Hunzas are always sold dry, AFAIK. They are left to dessicate on the
bush/shrub and picked dry, or so I've been told.


You are right of course Rusty, I'm in the Dereham area, so Norwich
market is the best choice. I don't go there very often, but my son
does.


There's a health food stall in Wymondham market which usually has them
too (I found on Friday) but before you rush out to get some, they're out
of stock ATM.

Given the climate they come from, I'm hoping they will prove winter
hardy, but as far as fruiting goes I guess it will be a gamble.


No gamble. They'll survive winters far harder than this climate can
throw at them.

Do you think my plan to break dormancy has a chance ?


Well, if the ones I've planted take as long as you suggest they might, I
may be tempted to try it myself.

I know I could just bung them in and wait, but I'm no spring chicken,
so I try to speed things up as much as possible, would be nice to see
something grow before I peg out.


Well, I'm no spring chicken either, and on an eighteen month waiting
time, I'll be seventy when they sprout...

--
Rusty
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Old 20-09-2008, 10:20 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

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from "Cat(h)" contains these words:

That is very true, and I have shown my ignorance re. hunza dried
apricot coming with stones in.
Regarding your last point, this here eternal optimist has 2 fig trees
in pots, on the southish facing gable end of the house, which she
cajoles, massages and serenades daily... I have currently 7 figs
between them, about the size of the last knuckle in my thumb, and hard
as stones. Of course, they'll never ripen, but I'm chuffed to bits -
I only had 3 of those little ones last year!


My fig tree was kept in a pot for a year and then planted three years
ago in a sunken bath, with a trail of rubble in the bottom for drainage,
a bit of man-made fibre carpet on top of that, and loads of lovely soil
over the top.

Until it grows higher than the 'Ablutions Block' it gets sun from
morning to mid-afternoon, and has produced figs for those three years.
Given a big enough pot, you should have figs next year. Just protect the
little ones from frost and they will survive the winter - I've had two
crops this year - one from the overwintered little ones, and another,
just coming on to ripening (had about five so far) which will produce
about thirty figs.

So, I hear you :-)
Good luck with the hunzas.


I'll nick a bit of that good luck, if you don't mind. I've just planted
fifty stones...

--
Rusty
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Old 20-09-2008, 10:31 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

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from Pam Moore contains these words:

They grow up in the Himalayas, and survive very cold winters. The
idea of 2 winters is a good one. Freezer or fridge? I have already
soaked and eaten some and am now pondering on how to give them the
best chance.


I slice them round and peel them off the stones and eat them dry(ish) as
The Good Lord intended...

The stones from the last bag have been soaked and put into cellular
trays under potting compost. Worked last time.

I've grown French Mirabelles from the stones of fresh fruits, so these
should have a chance, although dried. I assume the Hunza apricots
have not been heat-treated?


No, they are as Nature prepared them.

I'll post some more up-to-date pics soon - the holly tree which shaded
the fig, hunza and vines has been cut down to size (a tad less than
knee-height!) and the Lonicera nitida grubbed-up, so an Indian summer
might ripen a few grapes. Figs will be fine, and the hunza is still
reaching for the sky.

It's in a big planter and underplanted with cranberries. Next year, mayhap?

--
Rusty
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Old 20-09-2008, 10:40 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

The message
from Tim Perry contains these words:

I like to call myself optimistic, most of my pals say I'm just nuts.
This year I grew Pawpaws, Goji, Bananas, Avocado, and Loquats. I doubt
if any will survive the winter, let alone ever bear fruit, but at least
I did manage to germinate them.


Avocado may survive. Auntie Beeb (GQT) reported an avocado tree in a
garden in London, and that bears fruit. Whether it ripens they didn't
say. (Or if they did, I've forgotten.)

I've grown passionfruit this year and have four nice little vines. When
I get the plastic to cover the 'greenhouse' I shall set them loose in
it. Well, maybe two of them.

I spread last year's compost heap a few weeks ago and there are dozens
of small tomato plants. I'll see what can be done to retard these (in
pots) until the spring, when I can put them out to bask in the Tropic of
Norfolk.

I have fig trees growing in my lawn, each about 10ft tall, the fruit
gets about tangerine size. The flesh between skin and seed is sweet
enough, but they taste nothing like 'real' figs.


What do you mean by 'real' figs? You won't get the pips in this country
unless global warming entices over the little wasp which fertilises
them.

Mine taste like figs to me - juicy, pink, chin-dribblingly luscious...

My excuse is that I'm still learning, that's why I ask so many
questions, one day I'll get there.


No you won't. None of us does...

At the moment I still make lots of
stupid mistakes - like posting a question, and forget to say where I
am.


Just don't think you're alone in that. People have posted from places
like Antarctica and Arizona - I exaggerate a bit, but not a lot.

Lucky for me there are lots of more experienced and knowledgable
gardeners out there who are prepared to pass on advice.


But beware! None of us is infallible!

--
Rusty
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Old 20-09-2008, 10:43 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

The message
from Pam Moore contains these words:

Tim, how did you grow the goji berries? Did they fruit?
I bought some plants but no fruit yet. I don't know what to expect
but understand they are hardy. I have twigs with leaves so far!


I didn't bother to try, as I didn't rate them.

If anyone has any more positive assessment, I might change my mind innit.

--
Rusty
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Old 21-09-2008, 06:59 AM
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I have to agree about the goji berries. The other half bought some from a health food shop in Dereham, cost something stupid and tasted like washed out rasins. They grow easy enough though, I just squeezed some seeds out onto compost and they sprouted within the week. I only tried em 'cos they're so pricey, can't understand why no-one grows them here commercially. My plants are about 18 inches tall now, but watch out for greenfly.
I'm dead envious about those figs, mine don't so much have seeds in, more like brown and white gritty bits. I don't know what variety it is 'cos they were grown from a cutting I nicked from mums garden, she's 95 now and don't do too much outside, but she got hers from a scrounged cutting, so who knows what it is supposed to be.
I don't feel so ancient now I know I'm 10 years younger than Rusty, cheers for that.
Today the greengrocer gave me a Lychee to taste, very sweet and a bit like a grape, of course I had to plant the pip - just can't resist doing that. Well, it's got 2 choices.

Tim.
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Old 21-09-2008, 07:50 AM
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[quote=Rusty Hinge 2;816699]

I've grown passionfruit this year and have four nice little vines. When I get the plastic to cover the 'greenhouse' I shall set them loose in it. Well, maybe two of them.

Mine taste like figs to me - juicy, pink, chin-dribblingly luscious...
[color=blue][i]


Fifty hunza stones, hmm, I'll know who to talk nice to if mine fail then.

I grew 3 'Banana Passion', Passiflora mollissima, from seed, got no flowers yet, but the biggest is up about 4ft. I suppose they
should come inside for winter but I have no space left so they will have to take their chances outside.

Still envious about those figs, maybe I should graft a modern cultivar onto one, just to see if that improves the situation.
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Old 21-09-2008, 07:44 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

The message
from Tim Perry contains these words:

Still envious about those figs, maybe I should graft a modern cultivar
onto one, just to see if that improves the situation.


Any Brown Turkey will do.

There are clones of mine all round the village now.

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Old 22-09-2008, 12:33 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots


In article ,
Tim Perry writes:
|
| I like to call myself optimistic, most of my pals say I'm just nuts.

I can't see why. If you don't try something new, you will never be
innovative.

| This year I grew Pawpaws, Goji, Bananas, Avocado, and Loquats. I doubt
| if any will survive the winter, let alone ever bear fruit, but at least
| I did manage to germinate them.

Merkin pawpaws or real ones? Loquat is borderline hardy and makes
a good foliage plant. The problem with avocados is that they are
big trees - even in Kew, they don't really get to fruiting size,
and they are a bit tender for the UK. The bananas we eat are
seedless, so yours will be a foliage plant.

| I have fig trees growing in my lawn, each about 10ft tall, the fruit
| gets about tangerine size. The flesh between skin and seed is sweet
| enough, but they taste nothing like 'real' figs.

No damn sun - that's the only reason - if we get a decent summer, figs
grown here taste fine :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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Old 22-09-2008, 03:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Hinge 2 View Post

Any Brown Turkey will do.

There are clones of mine all round the village now.

Rusty
"clones of mine" - I take it you mean fig trees, or is there something else you are telling us.?

I'll try one with Brown Turkey, the other with Brunswick,
'cos it's supposed to be a little earlier than Turkey, and see how it goes.

Back to the Passion flowers, I tried to grow P, alata, but not one seed grew. Both that and P. mollissima produce edible fruit, but the flowers give a better show than P. edulis, and P. caerulea although pretty does not give edible fruit. P. vitifolia and P. actinia both need a large greenhouse.

Anywho, I'll have a bash at growing Hunzas, and if they don't do well, I'll just blame Rusty.

If my boy has the patience to show me how, I'll post some photos later.

Tim.
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Old 22-09-2008, 11:41 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default Hunza Apricots

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
Tim Perry writes:
|
| I like to call myself optimistic, most of my pals say I'm just nuts.


I can't see why. If you don't try something new, you will never be
innovative.


Hmmmm. There's a trueism there, if I'm not much mistaken...

| This year I grew Pawpaws, Goji, Bananas, Avocado, and Loquats. I doubt
| if any will survive the winter, let alone ever bear fruit, but at least
| I did manage to germinate them.


Second year goji should be OK as long as you protect them from the worst
of the frost.

Merkin pawpaws or real ones? Loquat is borderline hardy and makes
a good foliage plant. The problem with avocados is that they are
big trees - even in Kew, they don't really get to fruiting size,
and they are a bit tender for the UK. The bananas we eat are
seedless, so yours will be a foliage plant.


There is one which produces edible fruit, but reportedly, it's like a
mouthful of banana-flavoured pebbles.

| I have fig trees growing in my lawn, each about 10ft tall, the fruit
| gets about tangerine size. The flesh between skin and seed is sweet
| enough, but they taste nothing like 'real' figs.


No damn sun - that's the only reason - if we get a decent summer, figs
grown here taste fine :-(


Mine are tasting fine ATM - I shall have the next batch in several days.

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Old 23-09-2008, 12:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick Maclaren View Post

Merkin pawpaws or real ones? Loquat is borderline hardy and makes
a good foliage plant. The problem with avocados is that they are
big trees - even in Kew, they don't really get to fruiting size,
and they are a bit tender for the UK. The bananas we eat are
seedless, so yours will be a foliage plant.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
See, I got it wrong again, I should have been more specific with my plant names, bear with me, I will get it right.

Pawpaws are Asimina Triloba, I thought they would have a better chance here than Carica Papaya.

Loquats used to grow in my gran's garden in London, and in my uncles garden at Epsom, Surrey. Although I'm further north, Norfolk, I thought that a little global warming might swing it.

The bananas I have growing are Musa paradisiaca, aka
M. sapientum, and M. acuminata. Both do bear edible fruit ( seeded ), if you can get them to survive. I just grew them for fun, having no expectation of fruit.

I cannot resist trying to grow something new, my other half dreads taking me shopping because I'm always on the lookout for new exotic fruit to try. Of course, the seed must be planted, just for fun.
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Old 23-09-2008, 08:34 PM
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O.K., I've got my Hunza apricots, so the trial begins.

Also picked up some South African plums, black, very sweet, and the size of peaches. They make Victorias look very mean and weedy. Remind me of the old fashioned Bells, but twice the size, so I shall also give those stones the same treatment as the Hunzas. Although I accept that the plums are unlikely to grow
'true to type'.

If they do grow I will graft scions of each onto existing mature trees to save time - can't wait for the seedlings to mature to full sized trees - healthwise I'm living on borrowed time as it is.

So, fingers crossed, please.

Tim.
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