Vegetable seeds may take from 2 to 21 days to germinate. It all depends on the veggie variety and the temperature where these seeds will be germinating. The warmer, the fastest will seeds germinate, the coldest the slowest.
Lettuce-Lechuga del pais
We get very happy when we start seen these sprouts growing bigger and bigger. However, when I first started gardening and bought my first seeds, I always remember been in the lookout on the days to maturity written on the back of the envelope. More than one time I said to myself: wow! lettuce in 30 days! Hey….worth the wait vs. going to the supermarket every week! Yeah right.
When I got really serious about gardening I realized the day to maturity in the back of the envelope, was an approx time AFTER thining and even transplanting in the ground! What a discouragement!! So, soon I saw my lettuce growing on the ground and eating my first batch of lettuce in almost 3 months!
Now, I learned of successive sowing. When I transplant my lettuce, right then I start a new pack of seeds. Today, I am an Organic Gardener having fresh lettuce at least 3 times a week for dinner. But, I also learned another lesson. Puerto Rico (where I live) has Tropical weather year round….so…when is the best time to grow lettuce? If I bought other than local lettuce seeds (from USA or UK) the package says: Full sun. Transplant after last frost. Keep soil moist.
Ok…after last frost? ha haha…there’s no snow in PR! so I learned when I grow seeds from other countries to adjust to my local weather. If it say after last frost I transplant in November, this way I don’t have spend extra money in sheltering from the sun, usually at 102 degrees in the summer time.
There’s a lot to learn about gardening. Everyday I spoil seeds and/or new sprouts. But everyday I learn something new. It is worth the wait to eat fresh organic vegetables!
Buy Puerto Rican vegetable seeds here. Internationals, please send me email BEFORE placing any order in my website. Shipping & Handling will not be calculated for Internationals, but manually instead.
Please remember I’ll be traveling next week and during those days (5) I will have no access to Internet while in Dominican Republic. All purchases for Dominican Products and Tropicalized Dominican Hair Products will ship within 48 on my return.
I must insist: during this quenepas season close out I will not be accepting paper checks, e-checks or money orders. Credit cards only please. This is the end of season and fruits will get Out of Stock while I’m waiting for your check (any form) to clear.
Please keep checking this blog for harvest & shipping status of your order. Thank you & happy Sunday.
New products coming up; Avocados and Pasteles en hoja
Hurricane season for all of us
Website troubleshoots and updates.
Traveling to Dominican Republic
1) Announcing the end of 2008 quenepas season
Harvest for Sept 28 & 29 th: Canceled. Reasons explained in the following 1.5 mins video. Sorry, but fruits from large trees can not be harvested while the tree is wet or raining, so it is explained in my Quenepas/Spanish lime Ads. Thank you for your understanding,
Is this the end of season? Not yet I hope, but soon approaching. Quenepas fruits are starting to be enjoyed by our loveable friends -The birds. This is my sign that this season is almost over.
In previous years this is how I worked all quenepas sales tours the end of season:
Money order/Check payments were no longer accepted as payment. Sorry, but your check could arrive when the season is closed.
All orders (with no exception) were shipped on a first come, first paid basis.
No longer shipped by distance first
e-Checks payments (using debit cards to pay via Paypal) were subject to a full refund after payment cleared if quenepas were no longer available. It normally takes 3-5 working days for e-Checks to clear funds.
This year 2008, same procedures will be enforced.
I have no way to control Mother Nature, I’m sure you can’t either. There is no way I can guarantee I’ll have fruits to ship out within the next weeks. If you paid for your order and in the meantime fruits became out of season, these were my procedures last years:
You were given the option not to ask for a refund, but get a free upgrade to get more quenepas for the same price you last paid and the same shipping and handling you paid for next year’s season of quenepas. Thanks for your trust, many of you chose this option.
You were given the option to exchange what you already paid by some other items plus get free shipping or other free options. Thanks you to those who chose this option.
Ask for a full refund. Thanks for your continuous business. I am very proud to say that I finally managed to grow a group of friends (clientele) who learned to trust me. I am working very hard honest worker and now I can see the results
This year 2008,I will not be able to offer none of the above for one simple reason: I am no longer able to keep personalizing so many orders because of the constant increase in clientele. Here is how I will work 2008 quenepas fruits until the last one is harvested:
Again, I will ship in a first ordered, first paid basis. No exceptions. Shipments by distance first will no longer be enforced.
All orders need to be submited (and paid for) by every Saturday before midnight. By Sunday morning (harvest day) we need to know exactly how many fruits to harvest.
Small orders of Free Samples and 3 Lbs pack will no longer be available after Monday, Sept 15th.
Money orders or cashier’s check will not be accepted as method of payment.
Full refund will be given within 14 days after we ship the last good batch of fruits to those orders I couldn’t fill for reasons stated above.
2) Communications problems between you and I
Oh, you don’t know the hassle it is for me to “create” a Newsletter. Due to the increase in clientele, I have no other way to send out massive emails to everyone registered in my website.
Well… in the last 5 days I was emailed THE MOST COMPLAINTS I EVER RECEIVEDin almost 7 years I’ve been in business. None of these Friends received my last newsletter explaining about how my local weather affected last week shipment of Quenepas. I have found an approx 12% or friends (customers) who probably registered in my website with the intention of placing just one order (Thank You) but never to receive a newsletter, managed to misspell their email address did not receive my lettter. This is no good.
Please people! In an event of an emergency like I had last week due to Tropical Storm Hanna, there is no way I can send individual emails! If you don’t sign up for my Newsletter, how can I contact everyone in less than 2 minutes? Don’t be afraid to sign up. Please be sure to use your real email address as this will also be the address where you’ll get your Free Delivery Confirmation number when your package ships out. We need to keep communication open and if your receive my newsletter and don’t want to hear about just delete from your Inbox.
3) New products coming up Avocados and Pasteles en hoja
Everyone associate Pasteles with Chritmas dinner…I wonder why is that? lol— This year, I’ll start pasteles pre-sale this month, same as avocados. This sale will stop by the end of November. There will be no pasteles for the month of December. Those who are now patiently waiting for me to customized orders will be emailed individually this coming week.
4) Hurricane season for all of us
I want to give a Big Thanks and a Big Hug to everyone who took 5 mins of their time to call me at home. Knowing how this Island of Puerto Rico is in the direct path of ALL Hurricanes originated in the coast of Africa, many where concerned about my safety. Thank you again for calling. The tail of Tropical Storm Hanna was the cause of many floodings specially in agriculture areas in the South West of Puerto Rico. It left several cities with no electricity, mine included. The last day I had good electricity was Sept 1, then again Sept 10th. In the meantime, the power kept coming on & off and the voltage was so low I couldn’t even turn my computers on. This is the reason why Quenepas shipment was canceled last week, and also the reason why I haven’t been contacting you as I always did. I sent a newsletter on Sept 5th but those who did not sign up or opted out my Newsletter never knew the reason why your orders were not shipped, nor why I was not able to communicate with you. This is no good. We need to keep communication open.
Yesterday, Sept 12th I spent all day following the steps of Hurricane Ike. I understand many of you have been evacuated, so now I am facing another problem. Should I ship orders to these cities that have been hit or evacuated due to Hurricane Ike? Please let me know if you’d like me to hold your package or ship to another address. Hope you are all in good health and in a safe place. I am also hoping you have access to a computer with internet
5) Website troubleshoots/Website updates.
Several issues have risen because of the payment method using Paypal. This issue will be addressed next month in October. The method of payment will be changing to direct credit/debit card payment. This means you will no longer need to use Paypal and remember “another” password. I’ll keep you posted with this update.
6) Traveling to Dominican Republic (La Hispaniola)
Sometime next month I’ll be traveling to Dominican Republic to get some Dominican Products, many listed in my store category: From Dominican Republic and Tropical Hair Products. Please send me email if you’d like me to get other items not listed in my store. Cafe Santo Domingo is back! Expected delivery to you is November 2008.
This is it folks, I think I have covered most frequent questions and concerns received via email during the time I had no electricity to run my computers equipment. I’ll be taking the rest of the day off because I need to go to a trade show. But, will be online tomorrow Sunday (harvest day) after 2:00 PM EST. Puerto Rico time.
Enjoy your weekend. Please don’t hesitate to reply this post. Thanks!
Electric power is back after the 4th day! finally! — ok people— In about 3 hours or so, I will proceed to start reading emails received from Monday 1, 2008 then up to today. Please stand by for your reply and Thank YOU very much for calling me during this weather emergency. It is people LIKE YOU, that make the difference in difficult times like this. THANK YOU
I am still waiting for a more accurate weather forecast, to see if I am still to cancel this weekend shipment of quenepas. Will keep you updated on this.
Weather is good so far. Will keep you updated …..if I have power (electricty) to turn my computers on.
Tomorrow you will receive an email-shipping notification saying I shipped your package. No such thing. The post office does not work on Sunday. I will be printing your shipping labels and that email sends automatically to you.
For tracking information: Please use the Free confirmation number in that email you received and go to www.usps.com to learn about the whereabouts of your package.
Be sure to add my email bongosmania@gmail.com to your safe list! I had lots of requests about some products, yet I am getting many bounces on my Newsletter. If you don’t add me to your safe list (optional) I have no other way to send you discount coupons like the ones I sent two days ago. My friends list (a.k.a. customers…arrgg I hate using that word customer) is growing way to fast. Everyday I find myself calling my friends who have standing orders and so forth. Too much typing, too little time to promote, pack, reply, talk, call everyone in my friends list. Thank you for your understanding.
You bought my Quenepas (Thank You!) and now you are germinating their seeds.
Just remember that Quenepa trees take anywhere from 7 to 10 years to produce
fruits (if female) and it is then when you’ll know what their sex is.
I have spoken to several Quenepas growers and they all said the same; There
is no way of knowing if the tree is female or male until they start (or not)
producing fruits.
The only way you are guaranteed to have a female tree is with a Grafted one.
Both female & male are grafted together to self pollinize their flowers. A
grafted tree will start producing fruits in 2-3 years.
Many people have ask me; Can this tree grow in containers? I regret to
inform you “I have no idea”. Some tropical fruit trees can be contained,
such Higo, Jobo de la India, Acerola, Carambola, Guayaba, Oranges, Lemon
etc. Large trees like Quenepas, coconuts, panapen (breadfruit), pana de
pepita, ackee, guanabanas etc I simply don’t know.
If you happen to know of anybody who knows how to identify the sex of
Quenepa trees while they are small please let me know!
Thanks!
Grafted quenepa tree
***Please check availability before purchasing any of thy tropical fruit
trees.
I just finished writting the newsletter you just received. Can you believe it took me all day to write & design that letter?
My little fingers hurt… yes, panapen and aguacates are coming soon. I’m still to write those Ads but will as soon as I get some rest. Quenepas season = lots of work.
I’ll come back tomorrow and write some more. It is 9:44 PM in Puerto Rico = time to stop working.
Here I’ll leave you a Gaspacho recipe Video I recorded yesterday. Hope you like it
Peak of Quenepas 2008 Season! Announcing $10.00 additional discount. Full details given in August Newsletter. Be sure to have my store email address in you safe list. You should be receiving your discount coupon code within the next 3 days. Stay tuned!
Because Frozen foods can not be shipped Priority Mail! PLEASE, DO NOT order Frozen foods along with your Quenepas. Frozens ship Express Mail (with no exceptions) and weight is not calculated on those listing. PLEASE follow my advice; If you like to order these delicious frozens, PLEASE send me email with your wish list. I know that ordering these goods is getting far more complicated than what you’d like it to be, and I promise this will get fixed. I know have 3 sizes of shipping coolers so you can place small orders as well. This upgrade to my website will be done next month or soon after the Quenepas season is over. Purchasing frozen goods at bongosmania.com will be as easy as it is to buy Seeds, Quenepas or anything else. Stay tuned for these updates
