Then there are subtle variations in climate that are very significant when it comes to fruit tree production. You have dry and breezy near the coast, which keeps antracnose at bay.
I don't consider these differences that subtle....there's an enormous difference between the western communities of the tri-county area and the coast.
My comments on Ice Cream apply to it throughout much of south Fl as well as south west FL. Its a low production, disease prone tree adapted to the West Indies. Like Julie it might perform well in pockets of FL, but performing well in isolated pockets doesn't make it a tree one can generally recommend to people. Most buyers, particularly people buying mangos from garden centers (largely supplied by PIN), will not know anything about the Ice Cream beyond its intriguing name. Many will wind up disappointed due to the lack of fruit production.
I'd rather sell people a mango that is more likely to produce well and not have as much disease problems while still tasting good.
On flavor, you are right that its a subjective thing, but you can still get general ideas of what most people like and dislike when you're in this business. You mentioned Edward.....Edward has probably the highest rate of market acceptance of any of the Florida mangos. Its one of the few mangos that hardly anyone 'dislikes'. In fact I think your wife might be the first person I've ever heard of disliking Edward
Lancetilla is generally held in much lower regard by most people who have tried it in comparison to other cultivars. I think if you were to poll the board among those who have tried it, you'd find a general consensus that it just isn't that good.
So again it comes down to numbers....would you rather be selling people a mango that people are more likely to like the flavor of? The average Lancetilla purchaser probably never tried it, especially not in comparison to the other cultivars available to them.
Gold Nugget is another mango that PIN promotes highly as one of the 3 best late season mangoes, yet I've never seen it on a zill's price list. I don't believe their stock to be as intermixed with PIN's as you think.
Yes, there are a few that PIN carries that Zill does not propagate...Gold Nugget being one. Golden Lippens is another. But their inventory of these cultivars is and has been rather low in comparison to the other major cultivars, going back some years. I never claimed that Zill's inventory was completely dependent on what PIN was ordering, but I maintain it had something to do with it with these several cultivars in this instance.
Another factor to consider though is that it isn't just what PIN is buying, but also their website (which has evolved over the years). PIN's website has been maybe the most "important" source for information on mangos for most casual mango purchasers doing a little research into what mango to buy.
Either that or do it the 'old fashioned way' and use the PC and printer before leaving home, and save more than the $230 in monthly data fees :-)
I still have a "dumb phone". Don't have a data plan. Don't think I'd use it much if I had one. I don't even like to text people, though I'll use it if that's how I'm being contacted.
I wonder if the Mahachanok will be re-named for marketing purposes...
Already has been in Asia I think....has been sold under the name "Rainbow mango", among others.
