The Tropical Fruit Forum

looks awesome Alex! I've tried Pantin, Pace and magana for sure. Not sure if I've had others, I often buy them and the varieties are mixed. Waiting for the tree at home to flower/set, hopefully sooner than later. How does viejo compare to pantin? Hope to try Vidal Redondo one day too.

Thanks! So far, the viejo has been kinda average in flavor. Not much sweetness at all. I've read that quality can vary with Viejo. If most fruits are like that, I might end-up getting it top worked to another variety if possible. It's a shame, cause the color and texture is really nice. The fruits I've had from Pantin/Key-West were richer, more creamy, and much sweeter. The only downside to the Pantin is that the the larger fruits can ripen unevenly. One part would be perfectly ripe and the other part of the same fruit would be moldy and over-ripe.

Bought this cool specimen at Lara Farms last weekend and planted it. Looking forward to tasting it in 3 to 5 years. 








My list of mamey cultivars have been growing lately. Currently have Pantin, Viejo, Pace, Cepeda Especial, and the newly planted Vidal Redondo. Might add a "Papa" mamey later on or Whitman Green Sapote. For now, been enjoying some Viejo fruits. Last year my tree did the same thing. Ripened a crop in September into October, then a second wave in December-January, and a few fruit in February.










The Pace:






Cepeda Especial (small one on the left) next to a Viejo seedling (just an experimental seedling that is likely a viejo x pantin cross):






Pantin that was recently trimmed:

Has anyone had a pantin mamey tree ripen fruit in May, instead of late June into August? There is another cultivar called "Florida" that is supposed to be similar to Pantin, but ripens in May/June, so I am wondering if I have a Florida cultivar instead. I have some pictures of the tree and fruit. The fruit is rich, sweet, pasty (not watery) and the pulp is a pink-orange/salmon color (does not get red/pink).

That is part of the seed. The reddish pointed end should be where the tap root would grow from. The seed will then open up into two halves and a shoot that would produce leaves would pop out once the root has grown out. I would plant that seed with the pointed end facing downward at around a 20 to 45 degree angle with the top part of the seed (non-pointed blunt end) just barely below or at soil level. I've seen them planted vertically into the soil with the seed buried 3/4ths of the way. Looks like the seed is primed for growth. 

Looks great!

Do you do anything beyond fertilizer for your mamey trees?  I planted a Lorrito and Pace last year and am hoping that I can meet their nutritional needs growing out west in SWR.

Thanks! I have been using southern Ag 10-10-10 granular fertilizer 3 times a year (spring, middle to late summer, and late fall) and southern ag Essential Minor Elements granular fertilizer during the winter months (once or twice during the winter).

Your tree turned out nice. Did you get any fruits on your tree?

Thanks! Hopefully about to enjoy my first fruits this June-August. lol

5 years later...

Just a cool finding I discovered in my Tikal sapodilla tree. That small branch always produced variegated leaves for the past few years, but did not grow as much as the other regular branches, probably due to it's location in the middle of the canopy. I am planning on air layering it during my vacation as an experiment.

Looks like the leaves are drying up. Likely transplant shock from breaking the root. Just keep it well watered and maybe give it a bit of shade with some shade cloth or maybe a large potted plant that can cast a shadow over it until it pulls through.

My Viejo mamey fruits are ripening on schedule based on UF's mamey cultivar chart (December). It is not a very sweet mamey, but it does have medium sweetness plus great flavor and velvety texture. I really enjoy them. Now, if only my 9 year old grafted pantin can hold fruit to maturity, that would be great. lol I have now been fertilizing it regularly for the past year and it now has a record amount of flowers and pea sized fruitlets. Lets see if I can enjoy them in August of 2023. One thing about the Viejo is that the fruit does not seem take as long from flower to mature fruit. The mamey fruits I am harvesting and eating now were from the fall/winter bloom of 2020, so it took more or less 13 months. 

Guess you missed the fact that you shouldn't remove more than 1/3 of the growth at any one trimming?   

Sorry, can't answer your question about growing and paint.  Maybe dont paint where you want the growth to occur.   Also keep in mind, paint should only really be applied where direct sun exposure would be an issue

Gosh darn it. Whoops.    Thanks for your input. I'm just going to be painting the part of the exposed branch that faces the sun as you've recommended.

Those look like mamey sapote leaves.

Both of my Carrie trees and Pickering are beginning to bloom. Nothing from the NDM #4, Coconut Cream, Lemon Zest, and Valencia Pride yet.