Update on my tropical fruit trees in Canada!

[samuelforest]

Hi guys! Unfortunately we are at the point where the temperature in Canada is starting to be cold. We already had two frosts. We also get tons of rain. It gives me to the point that all my plants are inside and I wanted to show you a update. I did have some problems...Temperature in the grow room was too high, it got the 37 celsisus or 97 farenheit one day. I had to open my garage door to about 1 inch to cool the room down. I also had some weird disease on my mango. We still don't really know what it is ,but Harry says that it my be due to cold and the variation of temperatures. I just got a call from my gaden center and they say that it is also. Even wth those problems my plants are doing wonderful under my lights!

Here's some pictures

My pickering mango just finished to flower and it is now flushing! I didn't let it hold fruit.



My lychee is also flushing. It really surprise me, because the leaves are really big 5-6 inches long. A lot longer than the previous flush outside.




Even of my carrie mango have cold damage which we think. The mangoes are developping well and it is also flushing were it was pug and at other places.




Mango are not quite ripe yet. They are only 4 inches long. How much will it take from here to ripen?




I also added some warm white cfls. This was a advice of Coplanut. To be more precise I added 12 23w cfls on each sides.


Thanks!

[bobbyjo]

Samuel:
Your plants all look great - congrats.  How many Carrie mangos are there on the tree?  I think I see three.

The high temperature (37C) may be what is causing them to flush so not sure you should be concern that it's too hot.

Where did you get the Lychee from?  When they start flowering, do you have to pollinate with a brush?

Tks. and again congrats on the success of your plants.

Robert

[CoPlantNut]

Looks good Samuel!

The larger leaves are caused by the reduced light levels and gentler conditions indoors.  That's fairly normal growing under lights.  To get the leaves to grow the same size they would outside you would need to get your plants closer to the lights (which can burn the leaves, as you know) or add a lot more lights (then you have bigger heat issues and a bigger electric bill), and to get more "wind" and cooler nights in your grow room.  I don't think any of these things are worth it.

Because your lights are the same brightness all day long (unlike the sun) and you never have "cloudy days" under the lights, the plant is still probably getting enough light to be happy; it just grows larger leaves under the lower light level than the mid-day sun gives.  There's nothing wrong with that; the only issue you may have is taking a little extra time to harden the plant off again when you move it back outside in the spring.  Those larger leaves will need to "toughen up" before they can handle real wind and noon sun.

If you notice the growth getting leggy though-- longer internode distances between the leaves-- that may be a sign the plant wants more light.

Good luck with the mango ripening!

   Kevin

[HMHausman]

Everything looks good, Samuel.  You are the first succesful Quebecois mango grower I've heard of.  Quite a destinction.  All the ones I know are quite content with apples and, of course, sirop d'érable (maple syrup).  You are to be commended and admired.
Keep up the good work, you be eating mangoes very soon!

[samuelforest]

Thanks Robert:) There is only 5 mango left on the mango tree. 37C is too hot...When I came back home, I saw burned leaves. I got the lychee from floraexotica for only 40$. It is a sweetheart variety. I really don't know about pollination. I'll have to look. I think there are male and female flowers.

Kevin, I'll just need to put them in shade for about 2 weeks before in full sun to avoid burn? Thanks for the tips also I'll carefully look if that happens.

Thanks Harry I'm the only growing those things in Quebec that I know also. There might be some other people out there thought.
 I'm not a huge fan of apples, but has for maple syrup that's another thing This is so tasty especially maple syrup butter on toasts I don't know if you get a good supply in US? Not corn syrup I hope! In how many months should my mangoes be ripe?

[CoPlantNut]

Kevin, I'll just need to put them in shade for about 2 weeks before in full sun to avoid burn? Thanks for the tips also I'll carefully look if that happens.

Samuel,

You'll want to slowly give them increasing amounts of sun.  When I first put my plants out I give them 30 minutes of early-morning sun to start, then an hour the next day, 2 hours the next, etc... It helps if the first real sun they get is early morning or late in the afternoon when it isn't directly overhead and isn't as bright.  I don't know what kind of wind you get up there but I also have to keep my plants in a sheltered spot for 2-3 weeks until the leaf stems get stiffer so they can handle a 30 MPH wind again.  It takes about 6 weeks before they can handle 60 MPH winds for me, but unfortunately it's rare for us to go 6 weeks in the spring without winds like that, so I often lose a lot of leaves anyhow; the plants always seem to come back just fine.

   Kevin

[JF]

Great job Sammy!

your trees look very happy. you're probably 2 months away from harvesting your mangos.

[samuelforest]

Thanks for the tips kevin

I hope so JF! I would really like to taste my first home grown mango 

[MangoFang]

Sammy, my man, you are truly to be commended!!!!

Those are excellent looking mangos and mango trees - wow, flushing
and flowering at the same time - now those are happy plants!

I mean, you've done such excellent work...

Pleeeeeeze let us know when you cut them open - I agree with JF - probably
another 2 months - we'll just call them Christmas mangos!!!!!

mangofang

[samuelforest]

Thanks mangofang I mean I think I am really lucky I'll sure post some pictures of them opened and give a review of the taste if they get there. I'd really like to get them in christmas What a great gift! I hope your trees are doing great in CA

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

Salut Samuel,

Your trees are doing great in Canada Keep up the good work, fellow member of the north

The climate should never impede one's wish to grow tropical fruits Give your Canadian winter some Tropical love!!!

So, when are you going to bite into the badboy, above? Hope it turns out great for you!

Thanks for sharing

[samuelforest]

I don't know...The sooner as possible!!!