harveyc

I bought a mango tree today, sight unseen, and will pick it up in a couple of months. Someone grew the same variety in the same USDA hardiness zone (I think), so I'm going to give it a try.

I will probably pot it and over-winter in the greenhouse next winter. How big of a pot might it need if I were to keep it in the greenhouse each winter for the next several years. The one I bought is already 3 feet tall and flower already.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Harvey

P.S. I will also be trying sapodilla, lychee, and miracle fruit soon.

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bencelest

Harvey:
Please let me know from time to time how are you doing for I want to grow it too but I am afraid I will lose it from the cold.

Benny

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Banana Nut

Richard

Oh boy, now you've done it -- asking about mango growers! Might as well invite all the users of The Cloudforest Cafe to switch to Bananas.org!

The number of degree days (heat units) I have is low for most mango cultivars. I have yet to taste one I like that would be a productive tree in my yard. Leo Manual is growing mangos just a few blocks away but I would like more than a half-dozen fruits per year and also some better tasting fruit. Then there are the folks about 10 miles more inland than me who have trees with loads of reasonabe tasting fruit. Oh well, I haven't given up the search yet. In the meantime, I can cheaply purchase wonderful yellow mangos at Trader Joe's -- for far less cost and effort than growing them myself.

Those of you with more degree days: I'm totally jealous !

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lorax

I grow mangoes. Which cultivar do you have?

In any case it will most probably want to be repotted to something at least 3 gallons if you overwinter it in a greenhouse. They're fairly demanding of the soils. And you may want to figure out if you're allergic or reactive to turpentine fumes; a mango tree, regardless of species, in closed quarters is a highly aromatic beast, and some people have adverse reactions to them.....

I wish you the best of luck, and I wish I could get my hands on a lychee tree down here. They'd be ideal for the summertime heat, and I wouldn't have to spend so much on imported rambutans.

Also, if you're trying sapotilla, maybe look out for mamey sapote. It's a bit easier to grow in your zone, and the fruit is amazing!

momoese

I have the one Hayden that you saw when you were down here. This winter I did nothing to protect it and it did just fine. Last year it lost one of it's two branches to the cold. I suspect I'll get fruit in a couple more years if it keeps growing the way it has..slowly! It's fruiting as we speak but it's still way to small to produce anything edible so once the fruit sets I'll do some pruning.

harveyc

Benny, will do!

Hey, Richard, I'd be willing to give me some of my heat from spring to fall in exchange for some heat in the winter. Can we make a deal? Yeah, I figure if I can protect it well enough for 4-5 months I may be okay. There hasn't been much discussion of mangoes on cloudforest, really, but I wanted to get some feedback from a different group of folks here anyway. I'm getting one for Jeff also. Maybe I'll drop by and visit you when I pick them up since I'll be close to you. I'll let you know when I plan my trip. I'm going to try the Thomson cultivar, a seedling selected by CRFG co-founder Paul Thomson, since someone in cloudforest had success with it making it through winters that are about as cold as mine, though he last his last January.

Lorax, you might not get cold enough for lychee! My friend, owner of Montoso Gardens in Puerto Rico grows and sells lychee but reports he does not get very good flowering because of lack of some winter chilling. He also has rambutan, his favorite fruit, which he has better success with.

Hi Mitchel, now I remember your mango, I had forgot. I'm getting one that is flowering already so maybe I'll get fruit before you. I can hope! How cold did you get in January 2007? I don't remember the differences, but is Hayden of Indian origin? I know there are some differences in hardiness but don't know much.

Cheers,

Harvey

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Richard

Harvey, did you happen to hear Richard Campbell from Fairchild talk at last year's Festival of Fruit? He is undoubtably the world's expert on Mango cultivars. He spoke of a few varieties with lower degree-day requirements that I'd like to taste and perhaps try here. I believe his presentation is online somewhere -- sorry I can't be more helpful with that.

Another giant in mango cultivars is Jim Neitzel of San Diego. He's not much for email or phone conversations but you can pick his brain remotely by contacting his colleagues like Paul Fisher. Jim also has a power-point presentation on Mangos which I'll try to track down when I see him next week.

Finally, I believe that Tom Del Hotal of Southwestern College and Pacific Tree Farms fame has been assimilating mango cultivar information from both of these sources and others. He is overloaded with tasks at the moment but if you come to San Diego you could pick his brain while buying a plant or two from his home nursery. He has some fine seedlings of Grumichama, along with air-layerings of desirable pineapple guavas, etc.

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Rmplmnz

We are growing:

Bailey's Marvel
Beverly
Valencia Pride
Nam Doc Mai
Choc-anon

Cool viewer link:

Pine Island Nursery: Mango Cultivar Viewer

Miracle fruit are great as well (keep it in a pot)...eat a miracle fruit...then eat some Key Limes...or drink some tart lemonade......slightly sweet fruit tastes deeply sweet (wine not so good).

Attached Images

	Beverly1.JPG (534.1 KB, 6 views)
	Nam Duc Mai Mango2.JPG (663.6 KB, 7 views)
	Baileys Marvel July 4th 2007 II.JPG (612.6 KB, 9 views)
	Beverly July 4th 2007 II.JPG (509.8 KB, 6 views)
	Miracle Fruit (1).JPG (605.3 KB, 6 views)
	Mirace Fruit II (1).JPG (1.23 MB, 6 views)

Rmplmnz

Best piece of fruit you will ever eat is a really good "tree ripened" Peach or Mango..awesome flavor and texture...........good peaches do not grow this far south..so......Mango it is:-)

harveyc

We grow good peaches easily, fortunately!

Another thing that is not so good after eating a Miracle Fruit berry is pomegranate juice. Disgustingly sweet!!!

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momoese

Harvey, did you ever find a miracle fruit plant?

harveyc

I found a nursery that will have a nice-sized one for me in May and then I'll be going to get it and my newly purchased mango.

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