Author Topic: Updated Mamey Info please  (Read 2178 times)

Chicken Vindaloo

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Updated Mamey Info please
« on: May 09, 2020, 10:34:22 AM »


Hi Gang,
A few years ago, I had researched mamey cultivars on this forum and decided on the Pantin posted above. It had reached about 5' in ground when an FPL truck snapped it off about 5" above the graft during a power line pole replacement. They said that they'll pay for a replacement. I decided to leave the now pugged Pantin in place, since it's recovering, and just get a second mamey. Most of the descriptions I've found on this forum are from 2012 and 2017. I'd appreciate some updated input. I'm mainly considering Lorito, Pace (concerned about water requirements), Lara, Viejo, Mamey Colorado, and Excalibur. I know, I didn't narrow it down too well. Anyway, I would prefer ripening before May/June or after July, since I'll be gorging on mangoes during that period LOL. I'm in Merritt Island, FL (east-central), but in a microclimate where cold shouldn't be an issue. I know taste is subjective, but my priorities are flavor quality, precocity, and smaller tree size, in that order. All  opinions appreciated!

Das Bhut

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2020, 12:56:13 AM »
I gave up growing mamey even though they're my favorite fruit because they're pretty high maintenance but still look bad in my area. Even with spraying and good fertilization/irrigation the trees don't look that great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr4ddVSC4Dk&t=3m39s they always look kind of chlorotic. In my yard a lot of insects ate the leaves too so it was never doing well.

The only way to know if it'll do well in your area is to try it.

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2020, 10:12:03 AM »
My Pantin was doing great with no special care before the trauma. I'm really just trying to decide on the best variety for a second tree. I'm surprised no one has any suggestions, as there seemed to be a fair amount of discussion a few years ago. Is there a standout among the cultivars I had listed, or should I just decide based on the other factors in my original post?
Thanks!

Das Bhut

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2020, 11:04:47 PM »
My Pantin was doing great with no special care before the trauma. I'm really just trying to decide on the best variety for a second tree. I'm surprised no one has any suggestions, as there seemed to be a fair amount of discussion a few years ago. Is there a standout among the cultivars I had listed, or should I just decide based on the other factors in my original post?
Thanks!

You should just pick one and try it out, if you don't like it you can replace it. What tastes good in one area can taste terrible in another. Viejo is supposed to fruit in the winter, but a lot of things affect when they flower so it might not in your area.

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2020, 04:43:34 PM »
Since no one seems to want to offer any guidance, I guess I will. What I want to avoid is buying a tree, wait a couple of years for it to fruit, wait a couple of more years for the fruit to ripen, and then decide I don't like it. But it also sounds like I won't go too far wrong with any of the varieties I asked about. I'm just puzzled that there was a robust discussion about this a few years ago with nothing since, and seemingly no interest now. I love mangoes, and understand that they command most of the discussion, but to me, mamey comes in a close second.

SWRancher

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2020, 06:15:36 PM »
Personally I prefer the taste and smaller size of Green Sapote to Mamey and I have had better luck growing them in west Broward county. In Broward my Pace Mameys leaves seemed to be the favorite food of the local beetles so I was constantly fighting them off and then dealing with a sick looking tree. The Green Sapote grew much better and seemed to thrive in my yard. Unfortunately I moved before it fruited.       

Das Bhut

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2020, 06:28:52 PM »
Since no one seems to want to offer any guidance, I guess I will. What I want to avoid is buying a tree, wait a couple of years for it to fruit, wait a couple of more years for the fruit to ripen, and then decide I don't like it. But it also sounds like I won't go too far wrong with any of the varieties I asked about. I'm just puzzled that there was a robust discussion about this a few years ago with nothing since, and seemingly no interest now. I love mangoes, and understand that they command most of the discussion, but to me, mamey comes in a close second.

Inland Broward and California are different from Merritt Island. Pantin or Pace grown somewhere else are not going to taste the same or fruit at the same time as the ones you would grow. Any advice people would give would not apply to your area.

KarenRei

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2020, 07:19:25 PM »
Out of curiosity, what do you all do with mamey?  I've only had it once.  Don't know the cultivar.  It was a sort of carrot / sweet potato taste.  Main thing I could think to do with it was make a sort of banana bread / carrot cake sort of dish.
Já, ég er að rækta suðrænar plöntur á Íslandi. Nei, ég er ekki klikkuð. Jæja, kannski...

pineislander

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2020, 09:54:00 PM »
A very traditional thing is Batido, a sort of milkshake/smoothie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL9K2PpW79I

FruitGrower

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2020, 10:53:01 PM »
I don’t have much experience but I’ll give my input. I am growing Pace, Lorito, and Viejo out of the options you listed but I’ve only tried Pace and Magaña as named cultivars. For me, Pace would be the easy choice. It’s a delicious fruit and known to be one of the more precocious cultivars, but more importantly, it ripens earlier than Pantin and meets your requirement for an extended Mamey season. When I was at Lara farms, Julian spoke very highly of Lorito but it is similar season to Pantin so that’s why I didn’t recommend it (but his face when he spoke of how good it was is all I needed to get a tree - and he is high on Pace as well so I feel we have similar pallets.

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2020, 09:35:06 AM »
Inland Broward and California are different from Merritt Island. Pantin or Pace grown somewhere else are not going to taste the same or fruit at the same time as the ones you would grow. Any advice people would give would not apply to your area.
[/quote]

California for sure is different. I'm on a narrow strip of land between the intracoastal and Banana river, so my microclimate varies by a few degrees from Broward, but really not that drastically most of the time. I have zone 10B-11 palms that are perfectly happy all winter.

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2020, 09:39:09 AM »
Out of curiosity, what do you all do with mamey?  I've only had it once.  Don't know the cultivar.  It was a sort of carrot / sweet potato taste.  Main thing I could think to do with it was make a sort of banana bread / carrot cake sort of dish.

Most commonly, at least in south Florida, it's used to make milkshakes "batido de mamey". Personally, I just eat it sliced like a mango. It's really delicious!

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2020, 09:45:37 AM »
I don’t have much experience but I’ll give my input. I am growing Pace, Lorito, and Viejo out of the options you listed but I’ve only tried Pace and Magaña as named cultivars. For me, Pace would be the easy choice. It’s a delicious fruit and known to be one of the more precocious cultivars, but more importantly, it ripens earlier than Pantin and meets your requirement for an extended Mamey season. When I was at Lara farms, Julian spoke very highly of Lorito but it is similar season to Pantin so that’s why I didn’t recommend it (but his face when he spoke of how good it was is all I needed to get a tree - and he is high on Pace as well so I feel we have similar pallets.

That's very helpful. I was really very interested in Pace. My main hesitation was it's reputation of being killed by too much or too little water. Have you had any problem with that?

FruitGrower

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2020, 11:49:33 AM »
None

Chicken Vindaloo

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Re: Updated Mamey Info please
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2020, 10:28:30 AM »
Personally I prefer the taste and smaller size of Green Sapote to Mamey and I have had better luck growing them in west Broward county. In Broward my Pace Mameys leaves seemed to be the favorite food of the local beetles so I was constantly fighting them off and then dealing with a sick looking tree. The Green Sapote grew much better and seemed to thrive in my yard. Unfortunately I moved before it fruited.     

Actually, I had green sapote on my list of fruit trees that sounded interesting, but I don't recall tasting it. Is the timing any better as far as interval from planting to obtaining fruit?