Gary Mango

[jc]

Gary Mango, I'm interested.  I've talked to a couple of people about it, but I'm curious if there are any other opinions/experiences with this fruit and tree. I've heard that the fruit taste like pina colada and that the fruit are fairly small.

How about precocity, fruit and flower disease resistance/susceptibility, growth habit, worth planting, etc. 

[mangomandan]

Another question about the Gary.   I heard that through the years Gary Zill ended up naming two different cultivars "Gary."

Is there an old Gary and a new Gary?             I planted one about 22 years ago, then had to sell that property, so I never tasted my old (?) Gary.

[bsbullie]

I don't know of there being two Gary mangoes over the years.

Gary is an excellent mango, very similar in taste to a Pina Colada when the Pina Colada is picked ripe with yellow skin however Gary does not require the "narrow" window of harvest.  Its texture is also a bit better than Pina Colada.  I personally prefer Gary as it does not seem to exhibit the chalkyness.

The tree is somewhat compact and of what I would call medium size.  While I know Harry has had problems with production, Excalibur's mature Gary produces year in and out.

The fruits are relatively small but then again so is PPK/Lemon Meringue and that does not hamper its popularity.  The skin color is a dull green, making it a good decoy mango as poachers who don't know what variety it is won't know when to pick it.

I would personally recommend the Gary

[HMHausman]

At my house.....nice tasting.....poor production, very susceptible to fungus/mildew.  My tree seems to be quite vigorous also.  Definitely not a moderate grower here. 

[bsbullie]

At my house.....nice tasting.....poor production, very susceptible to fungus/mildew.  My tree seems to be quite vigorous also.  Definitely not a moderate grower here.

my guess would be the difference in the soil type and moisture level more so than the climate...location, location , location.

[jc]

Went to Excalibur yesterday.  BSBullie Rob spent the better part of an hour showing me lots of mature trees so I could compare the productivity of their mango cultivars in this "Abysmal Mango Season." 

Gary seemed to be holding a fair amount of fruit, especially at the top of the canopy.  Gary was heavily loaded with more swollen buds also.  Some of the other trees were also holding a fair amount of fruit, but most had set little or no fruit from their earlier blooms.  The Gary tree was medium sized compared to most of the other planted trees.   

I think the Duncan was holding the most fruit by far.  Others that were holding fruit well were: VP, Brahm Kai Mea, Florigon, Phillipine, Maha Chanok, Stat (sp?), and some other unknown trees.

I was definitely indecisive up until the very end.  In fact I almost left without buying any mango tree. But I wandered off into the mass of orb spiders and pushed deep into the 3 and 7 gal mangos.  I found a bunch of 3 gal Garys that looked really healthy and picked a 6+ footer that probably should have been stepped up a year ago.    It’s also got some swollen buds!

Thanks Rob, for being so patient with me and running me all over the nursery to look at trees, I learned a lot.     

[bsbullie]

Any time, my pleasure.  Sorry I had to let you go abruptly but we were short staffed and had customers waiting.  Oh, you forgot to mention the mosquitoes...next time remember to ask me for the spray BEFORE we go out

To clarify, the "Stat" was a Step.

[morris4000]

tried it a few years ago and it was average tasting at best! so many other better varieties out there to choose from.

[jc]

tried it a few years ago and it was average tasting at best! so many other better varieties out there to choose from.

Ok, thanks for the feedback.  Did you get the pina colada flavor? 

Hopefully the one you had was from an off tree or season or something, since I just planted one yesterday.

[Central Floridave]

I've got a gary.  My tree is huge as it grew fast.  I actually need to cut it back as it outgrow its location quickly.  The fruit is pretty good and definitely has that coconut pina colada taste to it.   It holds the fruit on the tree a long time and like mentioned doesn't look ripe.  Fruit is small and fits in the palm of my hand.   I planted it to try.  Would I plant another one?  eh...probably not.  Fruit production is pretty good but it isn't the prettiest fruit.   Its about the same size as a florigon but has pock marks in the skin whereas the florigon is perfect smooth. 

[jc]

Cool, thanks for the details. Big tree and ugly fruit I can handle, as long as the fruit is tasty and the tree produces well.  Maybe the poaching neighbors and critters will leave that tree alone.

I've got a gary.  My tree is huge as it grew fast.  I actually need to cut it back as it outgrow its location quickly.  The fruit is pretty good and definitely has that coconut pina colada taste to it.   It holds the fruit on the tree a long time and like mentioned doesn't look ripe.  Fruit is small and fits in the palm of my hand.   I planted it to try.  Would I plant another one?  eh...probably not.  Fruit production is pretty good but it isn't the prettiest fruit.   Its about the same size as a florigon but has pock marks in the skin whereas the florigon is perfect smooth.

[Central Floridave]

Well, the fruit is tasty!  It just seems the novelty of it wears off after a couple years and the tree is large and wide.  I'm going to hedge back this year as it is a large tree.

[natsgarden123]

Any time, my pleasure.  Sorry I had to let you go abruptly but we were short staffed and had customers waiting.  Oh, you forgot to mention the mosquitoes...next time remember to ask me for the spray BEFORE we go out

To clarify, the "Stat" was a Step.

what, no rain?


jc- nice tree- always a plus to get a super-large tree in a small container

[jc]

Sprinklers everyday. Definitely some standing water. Mosquito factory.

[HMHausman]

Obviously, as I indicated above, I have my reservations about the Gary mango......at least as it grows/produces out west in Broward in the mucky soil I have.  One should consider that Gary Zill named it after himself as far as I know.  Gary Zill would not put his name on just any mango.  If you have met Gary, you would know this to be true.  So, under the right conditions, I assume that this could be a top tier mango. Finding those perfect conditions is the goal and also the hard part.

[jc]

I am hopeful that my coastal breezes, light sandy soil, slightly higher elevation, and ambitious fert program will amount to those "right/perfect conditions."

My neighbors trees do very well and I've never seen him spray. Even this year, so far as I can tell, every tree that has flowered is holding fruit.  It may not be the best crop, but considering some of the reports we're seeing, it looks like his trees are above the average.

Obviously, as I indicated above, I have my reservations about the Gary mango......at least as it grows/produces out west in Broward in the mucky soil I have.  One should consider that Gary Zill named it after himself as far as I know.  Gary Zill would not put his name on just any mango.  If you have met Gary, you would know this to be true.  So, under the right conditions, I assume that this could be a top tier mango. Finding those perfect conditions is the goal and also the hard part.

[BestDay]

I wanted to pull up this old topic and ask a question instead of starting a new topic.  For optimal taste when should a Gary be picked?  I have several that look to be getting close.

Bill

[bsbullie]

Depending in location, they can get a yellowish tinge of color to the dull green.  To clarify, it is still a green color, just like a mix of dull lighter green and a hint of dull yellow.

[BestDay]

Thanks.  Should I just go by color?  How about if the fruit "gives" to pressure?  Or if the stem breaks easily when fruit is put at a 90 degree angle?

Bill

[bsbullie]

Thanks.  Should I just go by color?  How about if the fruit "gives" to pressure?  Or if the stem breaks easily when fruit is put at a 90 degree angle?

Bill

I tend not to wait till a mango is soft to pick.  Sometimes shit happens but I like to look for the right signs and then once picked, should be ripe in 1 - 3 days or so.

As far as picking, I have harvested many Gary and unless fully ripe on the tree, they seem to need a tug to pick.  Look for the lightening of the color,  browning and narrowing of the stem.  Maybe post pictures and even try picking one to see how it ripens...

[BestDay]

These two are way bigger then any of the other mangoes.  The one on the right looks pretty close to ready to me.








Bill

[bsbullie]

Bill, I hate to say this but that does not look like a Gary.  Shape and color are off.  Did you buy the tree from somewhere or get budwood and graft it? 

[BestDay]

Top Tropical stikes again!  I swear someone needs to burn that place down.  I'm not very happy to hear that diagnosis.  I was thinking the fruit was too larger and almost Edward shaped.  The red blush doesn't help either.  The real bummer is, this tree is very disease resistant and a good grower here in my cool SoCal location.  I'll have to wait and taste the fruit.  If I like it I guess I'll have to properly ID it.

Thanks for the advice. 

Can someone please call Top Tropical and tell them they shipped another mislabeled tree.  That place sucks.

Bill

[BestDay]

Here is another bummer regarding Top Tropical.  I have a Dot from them.  It is growing so well and disease free that I think it is mislabeled!  Since I got it, to replace my Dot that died from disease, I have thought that I have either really figured out how to keep it growing well or it is mislabeled.  The sad truth is, it is also probably mislabeled.

Bill