Growing Mangos in Ventura County California

[JF]

All HD Manila are La Verne Mexican seedling poly-embryonic. Total difference from Philippine Manila.  Don't know why La Verne called them Manila.

they want to give the impression that it's a real Manila veracruzano to the uninformed public

[ricshaw]

Still not sure what is meant by "seedlings". 

I am pretty sure these trees are "grafted" trees.

[JF]

Still not sure what is meant by "seedlings". 

I am pretty sure these trees are "grafted" trees.

Manila veracruzano is the real Manila and Mexico's finest mango....sold for a premium price. It is mostly exported. What La verne is propagation is your typical run of the mill mango that is found in Mexico's West Coast. It is in abundance in the month of July you can find them littering the streets during that windy month; hence the name barrecalle (street sweepers)

[johnb51]

What do you think of this guy (Tim Thompson) and his mango varieties?  www.socalplantbreeders.com

[sapote]

Still not sure what is meant by "seedlings". 

I am pretty sure these trees are "grafted" trees.

Did you see the graft unions on the trees?

Notice that these trees are bushy with many branches near ground level. I think this was due to dying back from winter freeze, like my HD tree.

Sapote

[JF]

What do you think of this guy (Tim Thompson) and his mango varieties?  www.socalplantbreeders.com

Never had any of his varieties but his dubious claims of them being cold hardy are challenge by these rows of mangos found in his backyard.

[sapote]

This red CalRuby mango picture from Tim's website, the shape and red color,  reminds me of those heavy fiber water down no taste mango from Mexico I bought in Jons supper market -- just awful mangoes.

[ricshaw]

Still not sure what is meant by "seedlings". 

I am pretty sure these trees are "grafted" trees.

Did you see the graft unions on the trees?

Notice that these trees are bushy with many branches near ground level. I think this was due to dying back from winter freeze, like my HD tree.

Sapote

I looked for name tags, but only two of the trees had a name tag (see attached).



The next time I get a chance to look at them, I will look for graft unions.

[ricshaw]

This red CalRuby mango picture from Tim's website, the shape and red color,  reminds me of those heavy fiber water down no taste mango from Mexico I bought in Jons supper market -- just awful mangoes.

Have you ever tasted Tim's Cal Ruby mango?  Several TFF members (myself included) have tasted some of Tim's mangos.

[ricshaw]

What do you think of this guy (Tim Thompson) and his mango varieties?  www.socalplantbreeders.com

Never had any of his varieties but his dubious claims of them being cold hardy are challenge by these rows of mangos found in his backyard.

Not defending Tim... but those rows of Mango trees in his backyard ARE the results (in his eyes) of cold hardy and disease resistant Mango trees from "hundreds" of seedlings. 

[johnb51]

Tommy Atkins is also a very pretty mango, but that's as far as it goes.....I'd be concerned about the flavor of Mr. Thompson's mango varieties as he describes nine of out ten as being "mild" in flavor and only one as having an interesting flavor ("PineApple").  ricshaw, how did CalRuby and the others taste?  You neglected to tell us.

[Delvi83]

When do these Mangos ripe in CA ? Are they now ready to be eaten?

[sapote]

When do these Mangos ripe in CA ? Are they now ready to be eaten?

See this link. I don't know when is the peak, but I would think last month in August.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=17539.0

[johnb51]

This red CalRuby mango picture from Tim's website, the shape and red color,  reminds me of those heavy fiber water down no taste mango from Mexico I bought in Jons supper market -- just awful mangoes.

Have you ever tasted Tim's Cal Ruby mango?  Several TFF members (myself included) have tasted some of Tim's mangos.

And???

[ricshaw]

Have you ever tasted Tim's Cal Ruby mango?  Several TFF members (myself included) have tasted some of Tim's mangos.

And???

I and others thought that it tasted good. Somewhere on the TFF Warren posted a report.

[ricshaw]

They are getting the same care the citrus and avocados and other trees get.

I guess not.

I took these pictures today.





Inside

[sapote]

Hi Ricshaw, are they the typical frost cloth from hardware stores or something else? How do this stand in  12mph or more wind? The tent has A frames structure inside?

Sapote

[ricshaw]

Hi Ricshaw, are they the typical frost cloth from hardware stores or something else? How do this stand in  12mph or more wind? The tent has A frames structure inside?
Sapote

I do not know what the cloth cover is. There is steel posts with wire cable anchored to ground. They had severe winds Monday and frost the night before. I will not be back until January 6th. to check on update.

[ricshaw]

UPDATE: May 11, 2016

The Mango trees did not do well over the winter. The temperature got down into the 20s.









It looks like the Santa Paula, California citrus belt is not a good area for Mangos.

[Stan]

Looks good to me. A row of Mango shrubs like that could feed a family. Who in an urban situation needs to feed the block with a huge tree?  Ventura has Hayward like high temps all summer...well,today its warmer here then down there..but I see the same results.
Its why I tell locals some rules of growing..if you want many fruits...plant 4,5, trees.  Make sure you protect from freezing temps the first two winters at all costs. By the third winter they can take one short freeze a year.

Its an interest worth doing because they do taste great. If this is "Are they worth growing commercially in a climate that averages 75f summers?" Of course not.

[sapote]

It is sad to see those mangoes were damaged by the winter cold. I bet if they let the trees grow tall – like the funny video in Arizona – then the high canopy could protect the trees better. The “famers” of this place seemed to love chopping all trees low, including the nearby figs trees.

[JF]

Looks good to me. A row of Mango shrubs like that could feed a family. Who in an urban situation needs to feed the block with a huge tree?  Ventura has Hayward like high temps all summer...well,today its warmer here then down there..but I see the same results.
Its why I tell locals some rules of growing..if you want many fruits...plant 4,5, trees.  Make sure you protect from freezing temps the first two winters at all costs. By the third winter they can take one short freeze a year.

Its an interest worth doing because they do taste great. If this is "Are they worth growing commercially in a climate that averages 75f summers?" Of course not.

stan
you mean hayward has Ventura like temps you are north of point Concepcion 37 parallel let not forget that. 

[Stan]

lol,whichever. They are so similar winter and summer the percentages mean both grow plants with about the same results.   I know on one website we had some high sunny day count. I think that helps. By mid June lows get to about 60f. THAT'S when I see the tropical's really taking off.

That's why those Ventura Mangoes with hefty trunks for height are just like mine-VERY familiar look-lol and I know that the lush look comes over with later flushes. So to me they are good garden/backyard results. I get Plumeria to bloom, I have Plumeria obtusa going good in a pot outdoors all year. So,Im meeting some minimal heat requirements.
Now,San Jose is even warmer..man,I know you could grow them there. There are taller trunking Majesty palms there,and with all the Tipu trees San Jose has a strong soucal vibe. Palms everywhere.

Its so different from when I was a child in the 60's JF. No more frozen ice puddles,lawn frost is rare. The USDA backs that up.Moved us from 9b to 10a.

[barath]

lol,whichever. They are so similar winter and summer the percentages mean both grow plants with about the same results.   I know on one website we had some high sunny day count. I think that helps. By mid June lows get to about 60f. THAT'S when I see the tropical's really taking off.

That's why those Ventura Mangoes with hefty trunks for height are just like mine-VERY familiar look-lol and I know that the lush look comes over with later flushes. So to me they are good garden/backyard results. I get Plumeria to bloom, I have Plumeria obtusa going good in a pot outdoors all year. So,Im meeting some minimal heat requirements.
Now,San Jose is even warmer..man,I know you could grow them there. There are taller trunking Majesty palms there,and with all the Tipu trees San Jose has a strong soucal vibe. Palms everywhere.

Its so different from when I was a child in the 60's JF. No more frozen ice puddles,lawn frost is rare. The USDA backs that up.Moved us from 9b to 10a.

From the perspective of growing subtropicals and tropicals, the bay area benefits from the bay itself and the surrounding mountains, keeping temperatures warmer than would otherwise be the case.  Basically all the land surrounding the bay itself is in USDA zone 10a, and some (parts of SF and the East Bay) are zone 10b.  The zone 10b areas are a bit heat challenged, except for a tiny part of Oakland near Lake Merrit that has the best of both worlds and is probably comparable to the zone 10b parts of Santa Barbara county, and has the benefit of getting enough rain that most fruit trees don't require irrigation once established.  But even the rest of the East Bay from Milpitas to Richmond/El Sobrante are solidly 10a and many of those spots like Hayward and Fremont get decent warmth too.

I sort of see it as a tradeoff -- living further South means more warmth and less rain, and living further North means less warmth and more rain.  From a fruit perspective it's just a question of finding a balance that works for the trees you want to grow.  Poring over the climate data a few years back, I found that the station at Hearst Castle has the magic balance -- frost free, decent warmth, and plentiful rainfall.  If only it weren't so remote and it were possible to live there...

[gpuccio]

I remember many mornings in San Jose with dead unprotected tropicals and ice on windshield. Lived there in different areas of San Jose for 14 years. Overall it's too dry and too cold too often to have unprotected thriving tropicals. I remember hot dry days and warm nights in summer time but the winters and prolonged cold are the real challenge.