AGRICULTURE
NANCY RINCONES
Ron Rincones is dead serious when dealing with anything that threatens his beloved tropical fruit trees,
utilizing a vigorous program to eliminate the pests.
Even with the warmer temps, some trees are still doomed to die
because they were not suited to Brevard in the first place.
“Check your USDA zone map for cold tolerance,” said Ghosh,
who believes he may well be the northernmost large-score fruit
tree grower on the mainland. “You also need to select trees
based on the amount of sun exposure or lack of it in locations
around the house.”
Cold temps are only one of many issues growers face. When
Tropical Storm Fay hit in 2008, it took out all 4 of Hunt’s
avocado trees, not because of the wind, but because of the rain.
“If the roots get saturated, they die,” Hunt said.
Water can indeed be a nemesis for fruit trees, but there is a
simple way to fight it. Mound away, Hunt suggested.
“You have to mound everything you plant here, because the
problem is too much water,” he explained. “People don’t plant
high enough and don’t take into account that our water table has
changed. If the roots stay in water too long, the tree won’t grow.”
WINTER 2023: 63
RON RINCONES
Fellow club member Ron Rincones knows
how much work it takes to keep tropical
trees thriving. Although he has 5 acres
in Valkaria, Rincones only has 25 mango
trees, three lychees, two longans, two
sugar apples, four varieties of guavas,
three varieties of figs, a soursop, a
bacupari and a pomegranate.
“Taking care of these is almost more
than I can handle, but this is a labor of
love,” Rincones said.
CLIMATE CHALLENGES
Growing tropical fruit trees is a job with
plenty of tragedies.
Brevard is in a subtropical climate,
but in this county of transplants that
seems to be close enough to a tropical
climate. They move from Ohio, New York
or Pennsylvania, and if there is a little
land available, can’t resist the urge to
plant trees that they dream will produce
luscious fruit.
Many of the selections are not really
suited to the vagaries of Space Coast
weather systems, and promptly die.
The good news, however, is that global
warming may be helping trees that not
long ago did not stand a chance.
“Half the stuff that I have in the yard
now couldn’t grow in the weather of the
1970s,” Hunt said.
Sugar apples, with their juicy and buttery textures, have been compared in
taste to a creamy custard. >>