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Hey Simon
I've also been experimenting and observing rootstocks for a decade here in socal and I think yr conclusion is way off. You are comparing Leo's seedlings to Florida's turpentine grafted trees. If you were really listening to Leo he would be the first to tell you turpentine rootstock is the best for our climate and if you take the time to study, the largest commercial mango orchard in the USA, in the Coachella Valley, you would learn that their Keitt mangos are thriving on turpentine rootstock.....if you don't believe me they are on turpentine ask Har he was working for Zill in the late 80's when they fill the order for Mr. Marguleas of Sun World. I agree that perhaps folks, from socal, in the forum kill their Florida turpies for being inexperience and not having the proper microclimate for mangos to thrive. There is also other factor like transportation and transplant shock to consider. The fact is Simon, grafted trees on manila type rootstock droop as much as turpentine. The only advantage we have with the manila type rootstock is that they are more vigorous but in the long run they have the same issues with gummosis and phopmosis(root rot). I would suggest you reach out to gary matsuoka owner of laguna hills nursery he's been growing mangos in coastal orange county for years and hes an expert on California rootstook. As my mentor Eunice Messner use to tell me" Frank, mangos are doable in Socal but it's not easy" and she grew mangos in Anaheim Hills for over 40 years until her death.
I'm technically cheating because this is a vegetable rather than a tree, but 100% longevity spinach. Unlike every other vegetable or fruit tree, it grows year round in South Florida, it grows quickly, it spreads fast, and you can propagate just by throwing cuttings on the ground (as I've mistakenly learned thinking I was composting and instead was creating a new patch of the stuff). It's extremely healthy (probably more so than kale). We use it in salads, smoothies, and sauteed. In a world-ending apocalypse, this is the only crop I could consistently eat/subsist on year-round. I can't recommend enough that veggie growers in South Florida grow this - it's crazy that when you search for veggies for our climate, it rarely comes up.
Now if we're just talking about a hypothetical normal world and enough space to grow only one tree, no doubt it would be some variety of mango.
I can get a box too.