Planting Tropical Fruit on the East Side of Our Homestead

[@Braddy_Daddy]

Yasss! Great video as always, Tom! I love hearing about your transition from the corporate world to the farming life.

[@SleepyLizard]

Thanks Braddy, I'm gonna talk more about that stuff this year.

[@MichaelRei99]

Pretty cool! Your garden is impressive!

[@SleepyLizard]

thanks, it's been a week and it's all sprouting so nice now!

[@heerasingh7844]

Awesome sharing bro I can see how happy you're with your gardening superb job buddy 👌👌👌✌️✌️👍👍✌️✌️👍👍

[@SleepyLizard]

thanks Heera

[@duniakicau6745]

Nice bro

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@Tasty4339]

What a great tour! Thanks for the longer vid Tom...everything looks fantastic!!

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah I normally try to stay to about 12 minutes but this time I thought I'd try something a little longer

[@OrlandoBackyardGardening]

Enjoyed the tour of your personal trees

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@keithkeller698]

You're in better shape than way back in your flash back. Good job, brother💪💪.

[@SleepyLizard]

back then I was doing Ironman triathlons and racing bicycles so I had a bit of an emaciated look 🤣. These days I can afford to carry a lot of extra muscle.

[@ChristineOlah]

I think your videos are great. You are very informative. You don’t beat around the bush. Please continue to inform us. Thank you very very much. I’m going to try the avocado thank you.

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@Z06ChevyVette]

My wife and daughters said you have an amazing farm. I second that!!🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@SleepyLizard]

I appreciate it, thank you

[@DaynelisS]

You are a joy to watch. Keep making fun videos. 👏 and also very informative

[@SleepyLizard]

Thank you Daynelis, I appreciate your supportive comment

[@nancytharp8213]

Really enjoyed this video. I was so excited to see your garden. Thanks for sharing 🙏 😎 🏝 🏖

[@SleepyLizard]

Thank you Nancy

[@themangovista]

That Pickering mango has a nice thick trunk. That’s definitely a good start. Most 3 gal grafted trees I see have a pencil trunks. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@SleepyLizard]

good eye and yeah I need to get that in the ground or into a bigger pot

[@TheLurcha]

Great video, you have an amazing collection!

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@melchurmoreau5677]

This guy right there is an agricultural genius, has just about everything on his farm, the only thing I've not seen is some animals like chickens goats and so on,i just love this gentleman, his a very flamboyant man. Keep on riding my boy!

[@SleepyLizard]

I'm getting chickens soon.

[@SeraphimCherubim]

​@SleepyLizard... pigs and goats, too.

[@АлександърДенев2]

Another banger from Tom, as always! A long one this time.

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah I coulda broke it into two vids but I thought to just go with the one big tour of our new section.

[@АлександърДенев2]

So, today is my birthday. I'm 16! I'm old enough to get a drivers license in some countries, but not in Bulgaria. My oldest avocado is about 30 months old, but it feels like I put it in glass of water and planted it yesterday. The avocado is still trying to bud, but I can tell that it's struggling. The top half inch of the stem has turned black and moldy. However, there is one thick bud and it's somewhat promising. It was one of my worst Bdays ever, but I still had a great time. I got 2 Fs, unfortunately. I've got 3 mango seeds. They were looking amazing. I decided to water 2 of the more established ones once. I was being so careful, but somehow they GOT ROOT ROT. I'm shocked, but I guess it's the stupid soil.

[@SleepyLizard]

Happy birthday

[@KaiSamerson-e5l]

Me do think you do agood way of vidoes! Joom the hectic explorations|!

[@SleepyLizard]

😎

[@АлександърДенев2]

I have a lot of new avocado seeds sprouting. However, I'm noticing something bizarre with one of them. The seed looks very greeen, but the leaves look white. The tiny stem is just starting to come out. But I'm 99% sure that it's a rare type of avocado that has white leaves. Currently, it looks like a tiny white flower is coming out of the seed with a thick stem. I heard these types of trees are called albino avocados. Fascinating, just like your videos!

[@SleepyLizard]

Oh yeah you get white flowers every now and then

[@dmatcardoug2986]

Hey Tom: Great video as usual! Thanks for the honorable mention! When I was there a couple weeks back, I pointed out that your Julie was starting to blossom. Well the panicles have grown quite a bit since then and I think you will enjoy some of your own Julie this year. Of course, the way that Nohe loves the Julie, I will have to supplement your tree with some of mine!😢 Remember to allow a branch of that tree that you are top working for my wife. She loves that mango. The Maha Chanook is one of my favorites also. That section of your personal garden is really going to be just gorgeous! Can’t wait to get back down there! PS: I heard you guys are having another “Fruitful Five + 1”, very soon!! That’s gonna be awesome!

[@SleepyLizard]

yep, now fruitful 6 coming soon and I willl leave a branch for Joy.

[@dmatcardoug2986]

@@SleepyLizard Great, she will be very pleased to hear that! Can’t wait to hear from the “Fruitful Six”!

[@jardinexperimental]

Nice collection

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@chocolatethunder986]

I was curious if you sold cuttings and you just answered my question! Love your content man! Looking forward to purchasing the cuttings soon!

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah check back in July or august: www.guacfarm.com

[@chocolatethunder986]

@@SleepyLizard I’ll be there!

[@gardening_today]

Okay now...when all those mango trees go to fruit, I would love to sample each one...lol Love it! Question, what's the best rootstock for mango cuttings and avocado cuttings? Tfs -T

[@SleepyLizard]

I can't wait to eat them all. For mango people in florida like to use turpentine variety. For avocado not so much but people do like Lula and Waldin seeds.

[@gardening_today]

@SleepyLizard Okay, thank you.

[@alex-wang]

This is a incredible vid. Keep it up :D

[@SleepyLizard]

wow, thank you I appreciate it.

[@AAHomeGardening]

amazing farm

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@AAHomeGardening]

@@SleepyLizard you're welcome

[@Danny_Does_Drawings]

You make me so jealous getting to grow tropical fruits outside! A question I’ve always had though, how do you deal with hurricanes? Id imagine a good cat 3 or a 4-5 could easily destroy an orchard, so is there anything you do to protect your trees or is it just left up to god? I’d be so worried every hurricane season!

[@SleepyLizard]

There's a few vids from 2017 that show the damage from Hurricane Irma which was 200 miles away but still knocked down 200 trees on our farm and tens of thousands in the area. Even a tropical storm can be strong enough to shake all our fruit off the tree and we miss a year's crop. There are some things we can do to mitigate damage such as pick all the fruit if it's ready and send it to market then prune the trees really low. Another way is to focus on early season fruit so your crop is picked by hurricane season. Another technique is when a hurricane is coming you cut halfway through the main trunk of each tree so it snaps in half instead of pulling out at the roots...if the hurricane misses the cut will heal. A direct hit from a cat 3 or above would be devastating. Billions in lost revenue for the area. There's not much you can do about that except start over.

[@Danny_Does_Drawings]

@@SleepyLizard wow. That’s alarming! I’d imagine with climate change causing ocean temps to rise it will be more and more of a concern going forward. It’s such a shame too. Florida has some of the most unique environments on earth. Plus where else are you going to be able to grow tropical fruit! Not here in MA haha. That’s so interesting to hear about the cutting technique! I’d never thought of that in a million years but it’s so ingenious! Here’s hoping for a quiet hurricane season!

[@SleepyLizard]

@@Danny_Does_Drawings we are on a giant ball of iron that's been evolving for 4.5 billion years and will continue to evolve for another 7.5 billion before it is engulfed by the sun. I'm gonna enjoy my unfathomably small chance to experience life and roll with the punches. (tree farmers think on longer timelines 🤣)

[@Danny_Does_Drawings]

@@SleepyLizard I suppose that’s the best possible attitude to have!

[@ishantrai7504]

You can also try some Indian fruits like Guava, Jamun (java plum), amla, bel(Indian bael), jackfruit,and many more

[@SleepyLizard]

we had a guava tree killed in that same hurricane I mentioned in the vid

[@ishantrai7504]

You can definitely try other plants I mentioned

[@backyardmangoes4333]

Did you plant the double graft Maha and the Dwarf Hawaiian tree I brought?

[@SleepyLizard]

Not yet

[@DannyRahim-kk4lr]

❤it

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you

[@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me]

Graft which failed. I noticed it was grafted very high, by purpose?

[@SleepyLizard]

that was a topworked tree. They failed because the cuttings were already to far gone but we tried anyway

[@dirtywhiteboy7922]

We just sold our office machine/ technology business and I'm almost done with my transition term. I am so looking forward to following my passion and love of tropical fruits and farming and see where it takes me. IMO Gary is an under rated mango and one of my favorites. As always we enjoy your videos, Tom, I Love me some Bass fishing as well.

[@SleepyLizard]

wow! best of luck with the next chapter in your life!

[@davidmathibe9220]

I haven't seen you air layering on your avocado or mango trees, or do you prefer grafting over air layering?

[@SleepyLizard]

correct, we don't air layer mango and avocado. You can but you don't get a taproot.

[@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me]

Is 16 feet apart enough to get equipment between trees?

[@SleepyLizard]

yep.

[@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me]

@@SleepyLizard so why is there 20 feet apart concept for planting mangoes? I thought it's for equipment.

[@SleepyLizard]

@@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me I don't know. Mine are 16' apart and I have no problem accessing my entire grove with equipment.

[@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me]

How do you work on your farm and not getting mosquitoes bites? I am relatively new to Florida and I don't have much shade in my yard but when it's not so hot in the evenings I am getting some bites, I don't know if it's mosquitoes or something else. I really want to do something in my yard when it's not so hot. Any advice? My husband sprays our yard to kill insects but he said it won't work on mosquitoes long term

[@SleepyLizard]

mosquitos don't like me. Dont' get me wrong if I'm in the everglades after dark I'll get bit but for the most part I'm one of them lucky people who they leave alone. Also we don't get a lot of mosquitos on the farm

[@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me]

@@SleepyLizard how about your wife? she is always in long pants/leggings in your videos.

[@SleepyLizard]

@@Find-Your-Wellness-With-Me she gets bit up if we're out in the everglades after sunset but here on the farm there aint a lot of mosquitos. she dresses the way she dresses to protect her skin from sunlight

[@-zamora2147]

How many acres is your farm if you don’t mind me asking?

[@SleepyLizard]

I own 5 acres and this year I'm leasing 21

[@WalidRachedi-jz3ev]

I would like to know if you have a grafted avocado Monroe available to purchase. I would like to try to grow it in San Antonio Texas.

[@SleepyLizard]

I don't sell the trees online. sorry about that.

[@WalidRachedi-jz3ev]

No problem I'm planning to visit the farm soon maybe I can buy a Monroe. I'm excited to learn more about the avocado process.

[@randye8704]

First off Great video as always. Second you mentioned an Everglades grape tomato is this different than what you mentioned in your previous videos or is it the same as just the Everglades tomato?

[@SleepyLizard]

same tomato

[@randye8704]

@@SleepyLizard Good I thought I needed to get more seeds! Thank you sea you on the next video.

[@edisonm8654]

I tasted the ppk is delicious, do you know whats more productive? Ppk or mahachanook? Thanks

[@SleepyLizard]

I don't know which is more productive. I guess I'll find out over the next 10 years

[@maglardyful]

I live on the daytona beach and i want to buy oro negro... my land is a combination of sand and soild... what do you recommend

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah reach out to larafarmsmiami.com

[@jeromesalmingo1461]

Try CARABAO MANGO variety from philippines

[@SleepyLizard]

I've heard great things about it

[@whatroads4x4]

I live in palm coast. Ive always wanted to grown an avocado tree. Just started with a seed today. But i also want to buy one...any one where i can buy one?

[@SleepyLizard]

Lara Farms sells trees online

[@carmau81]

Why do mango flowers turn black?

[@SleepyLizard]

good be sooty mold or could be they've gone past their life expectancy

[@carmau81]

@SleepyLizard can the cold weather do that, too?

[@SleepyLizard]

@@carmau81 yes. did you have some cold nights after flowering?

[@carmau81]

@SleepyLizard yes we had cold weather .. it's starting to get warmer here in southern California

[@SeraphimCherubim]

Maurice Kong brought ppk and a few others over here. He lives not too far away from you.

[@SleepyLizard]

so cool

[@A55-s9d]

Are those tight t-shirts a teaser for the Only Fans Lizard Channel?

[@SleepyLizard]

😱

[@iamGrowing]

Hey. Nice video. Been following you for a few weeks now and watch all the videos. Quick question, should I be ripping off flowers from avocados that are small in 3 gallons?

[@SleepyLizard]

not the flowers but if they set fruit then you can cut them off. 3 gallon is still too small to hold fruit so they'll drop anyhow.

[@iamGrowing]

@@SleepyLizard thank you! Love the channel. Keep it coming.

[@greatergood3706]

The Jaboticaba has a very thick trunk. Our tree is 18 years old and much smaller than yours. Your Jaboticaba is probably at least 25 years old.

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah, they grow really really slow,. this guy had a little spurt this year since I cleared all the overhanging trees around it

[@greatergood3706]

Ford mango 🥭 won't be ready for Father's Day Mango Festival taste table

[@greatergood3706]

Tom needs to drag Julian to Father's Day Mango Extravaganza 🥭 this year

[@SleepyLizard]

Nope

[@ericinla65]

YOU GAINED 50+ pounds since the 2017 video.

[@SleepyLizard]

💪. I used to race bicycles so you had to be super skinny. I was 137, now I hit the gym and clock in at 180 🤣. very observant of you

[@ericinla65]

@@SleepyLizard Yes, you look like you put on some muscle

[@chinatownboy7482]

Over 23 minutes of content. Where's the cannabis?

[@SleepyLizard]

I don't grow cannabis

[@SleepyLizard]

I don't grow cannabis

[@SalokinX]

I don't grow cannabis

[@SalokinX]

I don't grow cannabis

[@SleepyLizard]

@@SalokinX there's an echo in here

[@BoneFrossil]

You should have planted… haha jk.

[@SleepyLizard]

🤣