Author Topic: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?  (Read 2063 times)

BonsaiBeast

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What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« on: June 12, 2018, 07:26:29 PM »
The tree is pretty, it seems healthy, it has been flowering constantly.

There is just one problem:

POWDERY MILDEW!!!!

This tree keeps putting out new flowers, and those flowers keep getting utterly destroyed by powdery mildew. I have sprayed with copper fungicide before and during flowering, but it doesn't seem to care. The powdery mildew shows up all the same.

So, as many have warned me, it seems that Alphonso is kind of a waste of time in Southern California. I plan on replacing it with Sweet Tart, or some other tried-and-true variety in this region.

The tree is decently mature (6 feet tall with a 1 inch trunk). So my question is: since the tree is pretty mature (and I paid a lot for it), should I just prune hard to wood (leaving no leaves) and graft on the superior variety?

Thanks everyone!

wslau

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2018, 08:04:36 PM »
I have had similar problems with Lemon Zest.
In your case, try wettable sulfur fungicide instead.
I haven't given up on LZ, since it tastes so great.  Just waiting for the upcoming Orange Sherbet release...hoping it is more resistant to PM.
In the case of Alphonso, I also haven't found anyone in SoCal that has been able to get it to produce consistently.  The one fruit I did get was excellent, but it seems to have been an anomaly.

If you decide to top work Alphonso completely, behead it at 2.5-3 feet and do bark grafts or behead it and graft on the sprouts that will come out this summer.  However, you will still have to deal with the issues associated with turpentine rootstock (I assumed your Alphonso is grafted on turpentine).
From my observations, Sweet Tart produces the most consistently in SoCal.  But it took a little while for me to get acclimated to the indochinese flavor .
« Last Edit: June 12, 2018, 10:31:59 PM by wslau »
Warren

BonsaiBeast

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2018, 02:10:42 PM »
I have had similar problems with Lemon Zest.
In your case, try wettable sulfur fungicide instead.
I haven't given up on LZ, since it tastes so great.  Just waiting for the upcoming Orange Sherbet release...hoping it is more resistant to PM.
In the case of Alphonso, I also haven't found anyone in SoCal that has been able to get it to produce consistently.  The one fruit I did get was excellent, but it seems to have been an anomaly.

If you decide to top work Alphonso completely, behead it at 2.5-3 feet and do bark grafts or behead it and graft on the sprouts that will come out this summer.  However, you will still have to deal with the issues associated with turpentine rootstock (I assumed your Alphonso is grafted on turpentine).
From my observations, Sweet Tart produces the most consistently in SoCal.  But it took a little while for me to get acclimated to the indochinese flavor .

Is there any issue with grafting onto this alphonso tree (which is already grafted onto what I suspect to be turpentine)? Will the powdery mildew susceptibility still be there if my new variety is growing out of alphonso?

FRUITBOXHERO

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2018, 02:52:37 PM »
Cut it down? lol
Joe

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2018, 03:12:37 PM »
Alphonso even in India cant produce good quality fruit unless its grown at its birth place, there are really good varieties out there from Florida, just top work this variety.

BonsaiBeast

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2018, 06:40:45 PM »
Alphonso even in India cant produce good quality fruit unless its grown at its birth place, there are really good varieties out there from Florida, just top work this variety.

Does topworking have any disadvantages?

What I mean: Does Alphonso's susceptibility to powdery mildew carry over onto the new budwood I choose for grafting? After all, I would be keeping the trunk as alphonso, and grafting onto that trunk.

wslau

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2018, 07:56:48 PM »
Alphonso even in India cant produce good quality fruit unless its grown at its birth place, there are really good varieties out there from Florida, just top work this variety.

Does topworking have any disadvantages?

What I mean: Does Alphonso's susceptibility to powdery mildew carry over onto the new budwood I choose for grafting? After all, I would be keeping the trunk as alphonso, and grafting onto that trunk.

No disadvantages that I know of, unless you do it at the wrong time of the year or at the wrong height.

From what I understand, Powdery mildew susceptibility will be a function of the new grafted variety.
Not sure if the new graft branches will be "leggy" since turp is still the rootstock.  So not sure what the Alphonso interstock will do.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2018, 07:58:37 PM by wslau »
Warren

Jose Spain

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Re: What should I do about my Alphonso Mango Tree?
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2018, 03:00:08 AM »
Alphonso even in India cant produce good quality fruit unless its grown at its birth place, there are really good varieties out there from Florida, just top work this variety.

Does topworking have any disadvantages?

What I mean: Does Alphonso's susceptibility to powdery mildew carry over onto the new budwood I choose for grafting? After all, I would be keeping the trunk as alphonso, and grafting onto that trunk.

As far as I know after reading about it in this forum actually Alphonso could be a very good variety to be grafted, it would have both a taking percentage higher than average and a very good compatibility with most of cvs. Also it seems that grafts would grow faster on Alphonso. I read it in this thread http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=20674.msg254577#msg254577. I'd like to know if latter experiences confirmed these observations. I grafted a bunch of scions of Alphonso (all of them took, veneer, tongue, cleft, chip budding... first time I get that 100% took since I start grafting mangoes last autumn) and I'm planning to use them mostly as interstock for rare varieties/scarce material this summer.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2018, 06:17:32 AM by Jose Spain »