Something to ponder about young mangoes...a Clean read, Mr.

[bsbullie]

Some are making decisions on new mango varieties based on very young, 2 - 3 year old, trees.  Here is a little bit of information to ponder.

Many people are going crazy over Fruit Punch this year, and for good reason.  What about last year, or the year before?  Is this the first year it has fruited?   Ok, I am not really asking these questions but trying to prove a point.  I ate my share of them last year, and had them back when they were M-23.  I know Alex talked of their quality in the past but for the mainstream, there was not much hootin and hollering about it.  And why, you ask?  I would attribute it to young age of tree.  The fruut were good in the past but very inconsistent and production was not great.  If you asked me what I thought based on last year, I would say could be good to very good but nothing to go crazy over.  A year later, production is high and quality is exceptional,  amongst the best.

So what is the moral of this story...PATIENCE,, GRASSHOPPER.   HAVE PATIENCE AND YOU SHALL BE GREATLY REWARDED.

[mangomandan]

Excellent point, Rob.

When I have purchased and eaten some of the newer mango cultivars, over the last few years, I've had no way of knowing the size/age/maturity of the tree that spawned the fruit.    So I assumed that if the mangos were available in sufficient quantity to sell, the trees were mature.

That said, in my yard at least, I think weather could have made a difference. This year my trees had little or no rain for a good part of the time the mangos were growing.   Drier conditions could mean richer flavor, right?

[Tropicdude]

In reports made by extension offices, in everyone I have seen I noticed that things like Brix, fruit size and seed ratio  go up, as the tree is more mature.  so it makes sense to let your tree "grow up" a bit, before making a judgment on the fruit.