We're into August, well into the mango late season here in Florida. I thought I would note some of my mango experiences from this year so far. First let me say that the trees still holding fruit are mostly your standard later varieties........Keitt, Beverly, Golden Nugget, Neelam, Valencia Pride, Palmer, Golden Lippens, Mallika, my seedling of Mallika, and Maha Chanok. Maha Chanok is noteworthy because one of my four trees has been maturing fruit for a couple of months already. I also still have Ivory on the tree and a few Julie and Carrie that were later blooms on isolated branches.
Maha, one of my all time favorite mangoes has been quite good this year. It continues to be a very sweet, complex flavored fruit with great growing qualities. However, some of the new mangoes produced by Zills have a more "in your face" strong flavor that has taken up lead honors at various tastings that I have conducted this year. Lemon Zest is a definite perennial front runner for lead honors. I have been very impressed with Sweet Tart both on the flavor profile and the production/disease resistance. Lemon Zest, although I have planted three trees, has not yet bloomed at my house and seems very susceptible to foliar fungus, especially black sooty mold. Lady's choice, an improved East Indian type, was fruitful, but highly susceptible to fruit fungus such that the entire crop was lost. There was no spraying done. Pina Colada flowered profusely but set no fruit. Emerald, a perennial disappointment on the fruit set front, set more fruits than ever, none of which was I ever able to enjoy thanks to poor observation on my part of the onset of maturity. Alphonso also set more fruits this year than in all previous fruiting seasons combined. The fruit eating quality continues to be very disappointing…..mediocre at best……not a superlative mango in my yard. Kensington Pride, the Australian wonder, set more fruits than in any previous year. These were Ok…..nothing to write home about and certainly, at least as grown in my yard, have no business being the rage of a continent.
I was impressed with fruits brought to my various tastings. High on the list and candidates for tree procurement and planting are Dupuis Saigon, Taralay and Kun See. I better post this before I go further and lose the whole thing by accident. To be continued…..
