Author Topic: Mahogany Seed Fruit Wedges (Read 7450 times)

Mooseherder · « **on:** March 14, 2007, 06:36:35 pm »

Found sumpthin odd today. These Wedges on the right were underneath a Mahogany Tree. They are perfectly shaped just like Orange Wedges. Seems
there is enough wedges for 2 seeds. They weren't there Saturday, but appear to be dried out, one more than the other. Don't know if this is normal or maybe an animal or bird done it.
I took the seed on the left off the tree to show and tell, then try to grow.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #1 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:23:17 pm »

That would be a good experiment anyway. I wonder if they are fertile. I have no idea about sex in mahoganey.

How big is the parent tree? Are the seeds the white looking pieces? The fruit looks almost like a mango.

Hope you are successful.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #2 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:50:12 pm »

I'll get a picture of the parent trees tomorrow. One is damaged from Hurricanes, the other is okay. They are around 16-20 feet tall.
Could be the white thinner wedges are the actual seed, but I don't know.
It does look alot like a mango, only smaller.
Here is a top pic of the fruit.

Here is a Dove Plum grown from Seed. I got 6 seeds from the West Coast of Fla. after Hurricane Charlie ripped through there. I was on a recovery crew staying at a hotel that had these Dove Plum seeds all over. This one took hold.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:58:50 pm »

Keep experimenting. Soon you'll have a Florida Teak plantation.

It's fun experimenting with plants and trying new ones no one has, hopefully/preferably non invasive.

I wonder how long it's gonna take the local nurseries to figure out that magnolia species don't grow in NB.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #4 on:** March 15, 2007, 08:20:34 pm »

Here is a pic of the Mahoganey Trees.
The one on the right has some sucker branches shooting out where the upper part of the Center Crown was.

jon12345 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2007, 08:31:33 pm »

Maybe the hurricane damage triggered a seeding response in them

Mooseherder · « **Reply #6 on:** March 15, 2007, 08:37:36 pm »

jon, I was thinking the same thing while taking the pics.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2007, 08:43:38 pm »

You know something? Oops dangerous question.

But, I think one of the neighbors, well 3 miles down the road, has one of them Paulownia trees. It gets a lot of frost damage though. In the summer it sure looks like the same leaves and it grows fast. But it won't get any size because the winter kills it back.

Your trees seemed to have recovered well mooseherder. I don't know the scale I'm looking at because the palm and the power pole are a bit deeper in the photo. Were the trees nursery stock?

Ditto to the fruiting response of the damaged trees, but not always the case. Ideal growing conditions will trigger the same response.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2007, 08:55:44 pm »

Yes, the trees were nursery stock. Bought em' to shade my daughters bedrooms on the west side of the house but have since determined they were a bad choice. Live Oak woulda givin a tad more shade. I gotta leaning Live Oak from the Storm in front of the house. Thinking about propping it back quilter.

Any good way to do this?
The tree is healthy otherwise.

Maybe soaked the ground real good and pull strap it straight with the truck?
Or should I get the ground loose in front of the pull?

Tom · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2007, 09:22:51 pm »

Are bumblebees dangerous to Paulownia?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2007, 09:36:29 pm »

I have a feeling it's a loaded question.

But, I wouldn't think they would be too harmful aside from eating some pollen and possible nectar.

So, what's the proper answer?

Mooseherder · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2007, 09:49:02 pm »

Tom's question peeked my curiosity into a google of Paulownia.
Wow, Roof Height and Purty in a Years time.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #12 on:** March 23, 2007, 09:55:51 pm »

Seems the wedges are a natural occurance. Must be time to plant.
This was a green seed I plucked off the tree 9 days ago.(Actually wacked it down with a long length piece of plywood I had ripped) They appear to have a short shelf life.

jim king · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2007, 10:08:24 pm »

These might help.

http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/plants_and_algae/Swietenia_macrophylla/GES015435.html?size=large

http://www.ffp.csiro.au/tigr/atscmain/whatwedo/projects/sprig/mahogany.htm

Mooseherder · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2007, 11:20:21 pm »

Thanks Jim. I printed the article and will attempt a planting after collecting more seed.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2007, 11:48:53 am »

While checking the seed today saw one open. Looks like a cone about to drop it's seeds. It explains the wedges found earlier. Looks like something is eatin' the leaves also.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2007, 12:01:49 pm »

Very interesting fruit. The stem below the fruit must be a good size larger than that sprout off the tip of the limb eh? How does tulip tree or cucumber tree fruit compare? I guess they are magnolia.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #17 on:** April 01, 2007, 12:28:11 pm »

Went Back out to gander at the stem diameter and it is similiar to the thickness of the Marker in picture. Shook the tree, wedges fell off and the Single winged seed helicoptered about 30 feet away.

Picked them up for a picture. Will work on the experiment next. Any recommendations?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2007, 12:53:01 pm »

There might be something on Google. Might help a bit more if you knew the species. If you germinate them in a bed outside, you might want to have partial shade on them and make sure you have some leaves or grass clippings to hold moisture, but not too deep, maybe 2-4 inches. Leaves would be best. Nice loam soil with lots of organics would be better than sand probably.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2007, 03:41:30 pm »

Talk about how things come around. Typed in Google:" planting Mahoganey seed."
Guess what the #1 link was?
Right Back to this thread on the Forestry Forum.

Tom · « **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2007, 04:17:48 pm »

If part of the experiment is to plant the seed, you better be careful. It might behoove you to keep the pot in a jail cell. I saw a movie one time where those seed pods were making fake people. It seems that Aliens from outer space can plant themselves in our forests and make out like they are people. In the movie they almost took over the world and, if I remember right, one of the pods wasn't accounted for when the others were destroyed.

$:-\$

You might look under your house too. I think they might hide seed pods under there.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #21 on:** April 01, 2007, 04:44:16 pm »

'Run for the hills folks, or you'll be up to your armpits in Martians.'

Bugs Bunney.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #22 on:** April 01, 2007, 07:14:56 pm »

Are you trying to say Mahogany ain't native?

Tom · « **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2007, 07:35:16 pm »

Nah! Mahogany is native to Florida, but like Red Bay, you don't find many sawlogs anymore. The Developers don't give it a chance. They bulldoze a lot and have a house on it before grass can grow.

If someone with foresight wanted to do it, they could invest in a Mahogany planting for their retirement and I'd say it would be a smart investment.

I'm just having fun.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #24 on:** April 28, 2007, 12:57:54 pm »

Update:
Checked the tray today and found a nice surprise on the experiment.

Wonderin' if I should transplant now? Will they go into shock?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #25 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:08:33 pm »

Looks like he's in shock now.

I'd keep him potted until he hardened off and plant next year.

That's great that you have germination.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #26 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:10:58 pm »

Problem wit dat is there is probably a couple hundred seeds in dat tray.

Had to pluck one to see if it was tree or weed.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #27 on:** April 28, 2007, 02:21:52 pm »

What ya gonna do, start a mahogany orchard?

I wonder how long you'll be weaving around the trees with the mower before a few get sacrificed to save your sanity.

I just dug a few butternut off the lawn and some oak from the garden to give to the neighbors.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #28 on:** May 06, 2007, 06:19:07 pm »

Update:
Here is da Mahogany Plantation.

Dey are in der own biosphere.

Transplanted about 50 into their own containers and continue with experiment.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #29 on:** May 07, 2007, 05:31:13 pm »

Job well done thus far.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #30 on:** May 31, 2007, 07:37:50 pm »

Mahogany Update

They are doing pretty good. I transplanted most of them into temporary cups which should make it easier for next transplant. Then got them sheltered in big pots with screen on top to keep them from baking in the sun. Watering every other day.
Here is the average size now.

Here they are in the bigger pots. I got four of them full and have a couple more to fill from some that need transplanting.

Next seeds are going into cup 1 seed per. There has to have been at least 95% germination rate.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #31 on:** May 31, 2007, 07:49:47 pm »

Florida's future mahogany forest is well under way.

hoot hoot!

Kinda my circumstance with all the new Norway and sugar maple seedlings on my front lawn. There must have been a bumper crop last fall.

Too bad I gotta mow them off though. I'm almost tempted to let the place reforest back to the wild.

Now if some of those hundreds of basswood seed germinate I'll be going nuts. Pop_corn

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #32 on:** June 01, 2007, 12:58:34 pm »

I tried to plant some mahogany seeds last year (I intended to train one to be a house plant...No Swietenia, not on the carpet!!!

) but sadly, nary a one of them sprouted.

Looks like you're having more success than I did!

WDH · « **Reply #33 on:** June 01, 2007, 01:12:28 pm »

Maybe you could house train a Swietenia

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #34 on:** June 01, 2007, 01:34:55 pm »

Given the looks of the tree, it would probably be a pretty homely resident, but I'm sure I would impress all of my friends with the mahogany accents in my home

crtreedude · « **Reply #35 on:** June 01, 2007, 04:11:39 pm »

Interesting that you would have Mahogany that far north - do you know which Mahogany it is? It is true Mahogany (honduras is one name for that) Swietenia macrophylla.

We have currently about 3,000 in the nursery. I will say to my eye, it doesn't look the same, but who knows, it might be shivering due to the cold weather...

Tom · « **Reply #36 on:** June 01, 2007, 04:22:46 pm »

http://www.floridata.com/ref/S/swie_mah.cfm

crtreedude · « **Reply #37 on:** June 01, 2007, 06:34:19 pm »

That explains it - it is different. This is known as Cuban Mahogany down here. I do believe it makes a very fine wood. I tried to get some seeds of it this year, but it wasn't available.

jim king · « **Reply #38 on:** June 01, 2007, 10:05:43 pm »

Please dont take me to serious as I have about 25 years in tropical forestry and have yet to see a mahogany plantation succeed. BUT you may have discovered in Florida an isoleted group that can be propogated. If you have and make it past the sixth year you will go down in history. You have done what the experts have failed to do worldwide for the last fifty years if it works. Hoping for your success.

WDH · « **Reply #39 on:** June 01, 2007, 11:56:31 pm »

Mahogany and chinaberry in the same family is hard to believe, but it is true

.

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #40 on:** June 04, 2007, 12:59:21 pm »

We have some Chinaberry plantations on our property that we'd be happy to get rid of.

Tom · « **Reply #41 on:** June 04, 2007, 01:25:52 pm »

Cut it into blocks, Seal it and find a market on the Webb. You might have a fortune there in "turner" sales.

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #42 on:** June 04, 2007, 01:45:16 pm »

I am a turner, and I definitely think Chinaberry is a beautiful wood, but most of our trees are either too small to be of use or rotten in the middle.

On the plus side, I do get a lot of pleasure from chunking billet after billet of Chinaberry into a roaring fireplace.

crtreedude · « **Reply #43 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:04:39 pm »

Quote from: jim king on June 01, 2007, 10:05:43 pm

Please dont take me to serious as I have about 25 years in tropical forestry and have yet to see a mahogany plantation succeed. BUT you may have discovered in Florida an isoleted group that can be propogated. If you have and make it past the sixth year you will go down in history. You have done what the experts have failed to do worldwide for the last fifty years if it works. Hoping for your success.

Pure stands of mahogany almost never will succeed here in Costa Rica due to a butterfly that lays eggs on the tip. But, if you keep your density down and mix with other trees - you can succeed. Another method is to plant inside brush where the brush is about 20 feet tall. Seems that the bufferflies are lazy and won't fly above 20 feet...

Spanish Cedar is worse by the way.

WDH · « **Reply #44 on:** June 04, 2007, 07:08:32 pm »

Mother nature has her own rules, not always consistent with the whims of mankind........

Mooseherder · « **Reply #45 on:** June 20, 2007, 07:39:25 pm »

Here is an Update on the Mahogany Seedlings. Made a screened in Pen to shelter from Heavy Rain, Wind and insects. They are doing well so far. I only have 6 in big pots and 136 in large cups. Only 2 have not made it from the transplant. Also have a Pods worth of seeds left to plant in cups when I get a chance.

Here is one of the tallest. For comparision I placed the Wasp Spray can next to it.

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #46 on:** June 21, 2007, 05:01:09 pm »

Looking good, MH! I never knew that mahoganies started out with simple leaves. This is turning into an interesting little experiment.

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #47 on:** August 10, 2007, 01:10:30 pm »

My dad got back from a business trip to Honduras recently. He was working with an agricultural college, and one of the sites that he toured was the experimental forestry plantations that the college is managing.

Here is a picture of a 3-year-old African mahogany (Khaya) plantation.

And here is a Honduran mahogany plantation of the same age.

Apparently, they have lots of trouble with insects in pure plantations. Mixed plantations work out a lot better for them. I sure hope your experiment works out for you. Maybe the insects that cause these problems don't exist in south FL

Mooseherder · « **Reply #48 on:** August 10, 2007, 04:30:57 pm »

I still have them in a make shift screen shelter that is exposed to all the elements except for one of the trees. Very few critters have been able to get in.

I did transplant the tallest into a much larger pot and moved it to the front yard without cover to continue experimenting. It was great to transplant from the styro cup into the pot.

It appears to be doing well so far.
I'll take pictures when it cools down later. The heat fogged the camera up when attempting pics a few moments ago.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #49 on:** August 10, 2007, 08:09:41 pm »

Here is the tallest one and a pic of the top.
The healthiest looking bunch (6 with more branches and leaves) are the ones that were in larger pots from the very first transplant. Having trouble with that pic right now. Found another 4 sprouted from the second wave of seed and a new coconut sprout in the mix.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #50 on:** August 10, 2007, 08:17:45 pm »

Well, your obviously doing something right.

They look good. Now all ya need is a blight or something.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #51 on:** August 10, 2007, 08:49:31 pm »

Having trouble with my camera tonight. The best looking tree ain't loading.
It has 3 times the branches and leaves.

One theory(belief) I have learned from this to make a frame outta wood or PVC and screen the frame in until tree has hardened off. Basically the framed screen could be pounded down into the ground around the tree then re-use frame and screen on other trees when these are more mature. All though this theory hasn't been proven yet. I think if I were to transplant these into the ground right now and protect them from harsh elements for a while they would grow to be healthy trees.
Gonna try that up north too with some northern type seedlings also.

Might work on the Deer brouse also.
Another observation is the trees planted in the bigger pots from original transfer from mass tray are much better looking. I really gotta get the rest of them in bigger pots soon.

WDH · « **Reply #52 on:** August 10, 2007, 10:48:13 pm »

Very nice, Mooseherder. It seems the ones in the bigger pots had more nutrients and more room for root development. I guess they adapt to their environment, be it large or small.

They do look good!.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #53 on:** August 10, 2007, 11:57:33 pm »

Thanks. Here is the nicest one .

The second pic is with the newest Coconut sprout.

WDH · « **Reply #54 on:** August 11, 2007, 12:18:42 am »

They look happy together. A monocot and a dicot. Kind of like Romeo and Juliett

.

jon12345 · « **Reply #55 on:** August 11, 2007, 08:51:24 am »

I've been wondering, are all these little containers in the public view? Gotten any visits from the police

I plan on doing a seeding expirament myself when I can collect some seeds of different northern hardwoods, probably sugar maple and cherry, possibly even some of the cedar and juniper shrubberies that grow around our house.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #56 on:** August 11, 2007, 10:18:36 am »

Quote from: jon12345 on August 11, 2007, 08:51:24 am

I've been wondering, are all these little containers in the public view? Gotten any visits from the police

There was a time back in 1979.............

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #57 on:** August 11, 2007, 03:22:07 pm »

He never exhaled though.

Dodgy Loner · « **Reply #58 on:** August 11, 2007, 11:01:07 pm »

Quote from: SwampDonkey on August 11, 2007, 03:22:07 pm

He never exhaled though.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #59 on:** August 25, 2007, 10:56:14 am »

These 4 Mahogany are the same age and conditions except for the largest pot which has been out of shelter for 2 weeks.
The one in the biggest Pot was transplanted from the White Cup 2 weeks ago and the crown has really started to spread.

The 3 on the right were all transplanted from the community bin into the cups and Pot at the same time. Wish I had about 150 more of them pots. You can see a big difference in their progress. There are some in cups smaller than these but the majority are looking like center white cup. Pencil thrown in for scale.

Furby · « **Reply #60 on:** August 26, 2007, 10:49:49 pm »

I might be able to get ya them pots, but shipping would be a killer!
Get ahold of a local landscaper.
NOT your landscape supply place (but you can try them as well

) and ask if they can save ya some pots.
The ones I deal with throw them out by the tons!

Mooseherder · « **Reply #61 on:** August 27, 2007, 04:00:06 am »

Thanks Furby, I'll try that.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #62 on:** October 19, 2007, 11:48:11 pm »

We got the bigger Pots from a Landscape supply and transplanted a few about a month ago. Still have about a hundred to go, but they are all looking good still. Either too busy, too hot and sometimes just lazy.

Here is a Picture from last week on the Mahogany in bigger pots.

One of the Mature trees has a 2nd crop of seed on it for this year. Pretty odd Eh?
I picked some up off the grass. Looks like they're falling off pre-maturely allthough the ones on the tree look healthy.

Got to go get some dirt.

Furby · « **Reply #63 on:** October 19, 2007, 11:58:03 pm »

Did they charge ya for the pots?

Mooseherder · « **Reply #64 on:** October 20, 2007, 12:04:21 am »

Yep, 40 cents each.
They're the ones that are a little bigger, like the one to the right of the white buckets.
The landscapers I talked to didn't want to part with any of theirs.

Furby · « **Reply #65 on:** October 20, 2007, 12:17:14 am »

Figures! $:-\$
Can't blame them for trying to make a $ though.
I've seen a customer's customer pay $1 each for some 1 gallon ones....... used at that.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #66 on:** March 15, 2008, 12:56:26 pm »

Found this little feller out on the back deck this morning.

Went to take alook at the tree and 3 of the Pods had shed their outter wedges and luckily hadn't taken off in the wind which I can't understand cause it is really windy.
I got to save the 3 pods worth of seeds if anyone wants to experiment.

Here is another about to shed the outter covering.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #67 on:** March 15, 2008, 01:04:11 pm »

Here is an update on the progess of the Trees. This is the same tree that was designated the tallest earlier on in this thread, closing in on 6 foot.

There are still over 50 that never got planted in larger pots but are still alive although not looking great in their orginal large coffee cups.(cause I was lazy) The rest are anywhere from 2-4 feet and looking good.

Just have to decide if I should plant them all out back or give them away so there will be less weed wacking.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #68 on:** March 15, 2008, 04:45:54 pm »

Wow, you have quite a little nursery. They're looking good. That's a lot of tree planting though. Got the back for it?

Think they'll grow in northern Maine?

Mooseherder · « **Reply #69 on:** March 15, 2008, 05:23:35 pm »

Quote from: SwampDonkey on March 15, 2008, 04:45:54 pm

Think they'll grow in northern Maine?

No, I don't think they would make it in the next zone north of here.
I got the back for planting but not weed wacking.

WDH · « **Reply #70 on:** March 15, 2008, 10:07:04 pm »

Good job, Mooseherder!

Mooseherder · « **Reply #71 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:38:52 am »

Time for an Update:

These pictures are from November. I shoulda posted them earlier.

I have more seed saved and the trees are still producing.

The first shows how big they have got. The tallest is still by the house at around eight feet.
I'm holding a cup with original seedlings still alive. Amazing the trees are all the same age. I never did finish transplanting. I have offered them to a young man who purchased some land west of me looking for some trees. I will give him a few large ones also.
There are some Coconuts in the mix up front and back.

The two pots bottom right of photo are Queen Palms grown from seed off a tree.

Here is the Backside.

And the trees still in cups.

WDH · « **Reply #72 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:05:56 am »

Mooseherder, you have a green thumb

.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #73 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:34:03 am »

I got lucky.

Even some Pine Trees fell into the mix and said "here I am"

WDH · « **Reply #74 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:43:25 am »

Looks like that you are growing some oxalis in there as well

.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #75 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:48:05 am »

Quote from: WDH on January 18, 2009, 12:43:25 am

Looks like that you are growing some oxalis in there as well .

If dat is weeds.....yep

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #76 on:** January 18, 2009, 06:24:00 am »

Your gonna give Costa Rica a run for their money I see.

It don't look cold down there for some reason.

WDH · « **Reply #77 on:** January 18, 2009, 10:45:25 am »

Oxalis is less a weed than a low groundcover.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OXALI

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #78 on:** January 18, 2009, 12:35:47 pm »

I know bumble bees love it in spring time. Our local variety is Oxalis montana, wood sorrel.

Also varieties are cultivated for salads and soups. But be careful, may come with a price if consumed in excess because of oxalic acid.

Here's an article from Florida, interesting read.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/www.EatTheWeeds.Com/EatTheWeeds.com/Entries/2013/7/18_Oxalis:_How_To_Drown_Your_Sorrels.html

Another article here.

http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbOxalisRec.htm

Oxalic acid is also in rhubarb

http://helios.hampshire.edu/~nlNS/mompdfs/oxalicacid.pdf

Mooseherder · « **Reply #79 on:** April 12, 2009, 12:10:26 am »

Well, two years have passed and these Trees are itching to be put in the ground. The roots are growing through the bottom of the pot. Here they are for their last picture all together. I have decided to plant throughout the yard and give the rest away to friends and co-workers. They had just been cleaned from weeds and I had a helper (my assistant

) put the rest of the Cupped and neglected seedlings put in bigger pots. It is amazing they survived in a big coffee cup for 2 years.
Here are the ones that were still in coffee cups until yesterday.

The last picture of the bigger trees all together.

The roots growing into the ground. I had to cut the plastic off. Hopefully this will not harm the root system.

And the First one Planted! Yee Haw! and my little buddy too.

Only a few more to go.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #80 on:** April 12, 2009, 05:43:55 am »

Well the wife knows where you'll be for a few days.

When ya got the "green thumb" it seems you can't get it wrong. It is a miracle they survived those coffee cups alright.

News:

Author Topic: Mahogany Seed Fruit Wedges (Read 7450 times)