Life in Paradise ain't what it's cracked up to be

[Pattywack]

So good to see this post! I can not imagine how awful this has been for you and so many many others.

Happy to see your paradise is mending! I have and I’m sure others as well, have thought of you and your wife and kitties often. Congratulations, now you can continue to grow your gorgeous orchids.

[Ray]

I'm glad to hear all is well from a personal standpoint and that the house and all fared well.

You are, unfortunately, not the first person I've heard speak of the ineptitude (or downright deceit) of local government there. One friend gave up and moved back to Minnesota! What happened to government being FOR the people?

[voyager]

@ Ray
Living in Hawaii is almost like having left the U.S.
The problems we've faced during this event have brought that to the forefront.
Hawaii is still pretty much a plantation culture.
Each island has a small number of large land owners, the remnants of the plantations now that they're no longer financially viable.

The county mayor grew up as a child in a field hand level family on a plantation here on Big Island.
He is an ambitious person who has climbed to being the head of the island running it's government.
His benign grandfatherly air masks a ruthless power wielder.
In effect, he now sees himself as an overseer with all the privileges and prerogatives that go with the position.

He and his underlings [political appointments] have taken very high handed actions trying to impose their will on the people affected by this eruptive event, even when it has been at their expense.
They have been ignorant, incompetent, dispensed wrong and misleading information as well as outright lies in order to push their agendas onto those affected.
It is too complex to try explaining fully here.

It has been almost like living in a Banana Republic run by a dictator.
Those affected were held hostage to being able to wring out as much FEMA funds as they possibly could.

I could turn this into a multi page rant.
But, this is not the place to do so.

[Leafmite]

So glad that your home and possessions are all okay. Have fun adding orchids to your collection!

[voyager]

Probably should put these in another forum.
Bu, these should close this thread out.
So, I'll put them here.

My yard orchids have been blooming since the eruption has stopped.
The SOx gasses have had varying effects on them, actually killing a few.
I lost all my Miltonias and Miltoniopsis'.
Not a one left.

The Dendrochilums seem to like what has been going on.
Dendrochilum magnum has bloomed very nicely, but has now faded with no pics taken.
Den. wenzellii is getting close to forming its flowers.
I have high hopes that it'll give a nice blooming also.

Den. glumacium is now blooming, probably the best bloom it has ever had.
But, it has staggered putting out its inflorescences.
Some are past their prime and many are only partially open, pic attached.

Epi. porpax is doing well after looking poorly for a while, pic attached.

Then, a NoID Oncid, a mule ear type I think, has also opened up weakly, but typical for it, pic attached.

The Oncid. Sweet Sugar hybrid has bloomed nicely, but is gone now, no pics.

My Psychopsis papilio is and has been in bloom for quite awhile.
It is so high up in its tree that the flowers are backlit by the sky and do not photograph well, so no pics.

Most of my Catts formed sheaths, but no inflorescences developed in them, maybe next year.
One Catt NoID hybid is about to push its floers out of the sheath. They formed after the gasses stopped evolving in our area.

Catt. maxima is now in bloom, but the flowers are not in a position where they're easily visible, and there are not many, no pics.
Same for a bright red NoID Catt hybrid.

I went to the Macu'u market last Sunday looking for more orchids but saw nothing that caught my attention, a lot of Dendrobium phalaenopsis hybrids. I've never had much interest in them, so passed on 'em. I was hoping to find some Miltoniopsis' to begin replacement.







EDIT:
My main project right now is to get our Longan tree to flower this coming spring, so M'Lady can have some longan fruit next summer.
Found that potassium chlorate when applied correctly can induce longans to flower.
I ordered some.
It arrived yesterday.
We'll have some longans to munch on next summer.

[Paul]

Are longans similar in flavor to lychee?

[voyager]

@Paul

As you probably know, Lychee, rambutan and longan are all very closely related.

I want to to get a rambutan started in our yard.
I've tried 2 times.
Both failed.
I really like the looks of the spiked red skin.
I have a lychee that has been struggling for a few years now.
I'm about to remove it because it will probably die on its own in the next couple of years.
The longan is flourishing even after being mostly defoliated by the gasses.
They are noted for taking a long time to begin fruiting.
They are also supposed to be better adapted to cooler temps than the other two.

Under the different skins on each of the species, they look pretty much the same, a translucent pulpy meat covering a single large seed.

OK, now to your question:
Many people think the longan tastes better than both lychee and rambutan, M'Lady included.
If I buy lychee or rambutan at the markets instead of longan, she complains, but eats them anyway.

Ours is a Biew Kiew cultivar, a larger fruit with a thicker layer of meat over the seed, and a longer shelf life than most of the other cultivars.
It is a commercial Thai cultivar.

All three taste very similar to me.
I personally think the lychee is over rated, probably due to generations of Chinese propaganda extolling its virtues.
And, I think the rambutan with its red spiked skin looks much cooler than either of the other two.
The longan has a drab brown/tan suede looking skin.

Our longan is about 12' to 15' tall at its growing tip.

[orchidsarefun]

Only reason why I prefer litchi over the other 2 is juiciness. I've never had a juicy/succulent/lip-smacking longan or rambutan. All 3 are available here in Chicagoland.

[voyager]

Not sure why your experience with the Sapindaceae fruits is as such.
But, I might offer an unverified non-expert opinion.

Your longans are probably Kohala cultivars grown in Southern Florida.
Are they sold as individual fruit, or are they sold still attached to the panicle?
My assumption is that after being processed as "industrial food" in order to distribute them throughout the mainland economically, they are sold as individual fruit, something like strawberries in a container.
They are normally sold around here in farmer's markets still attached to the panicle, a small branch of the fruit, as removed from the tree.
I've noted that when sold around here as separated individual fruit, they usually are drier and do not taste as good.
I only buy panicles anymore.

Despite all that mumbo-jumbo, keep in mind that favoring either fruit seems to be an individual preference that is not easily explained logically.

[orchidsarefun]

Longans are generally sold here still attached to the panicle...well at least the ones I've tried.
Do you grow dates ? We get fresh yellow ones ( still attached ) but I haven't acquired the taste.
I like star fruits and passion fruit, except the latter are hellish expensive. $3.99 each from Whole Foods. I end up getting a box from California every year.