If im not mistaken Parson is Frank's seedling from Juliette not Julie.
Your absolutely correct Gonz my mango from a Juliette seedling and it’s not being propagated for now
Thanks for the info Frank, I can’t wait to taste that one.
Which rootstock performs better would depend on each specific location, soil, scion, etc...
Many people have the false assumption that all Manilla rootstocks are similar but they can be very different. The specific Manilla that I have been recommending for years is the LaVern Manilla that is available at many SoCal Nurseries.
I have found numerous rootstocks that perform as well or better than the LaVern Manilla but I still recommend this rootstock because of convenience and it’s long track record for performance here in SoCal. This rootstock is easy to find and even the smaller size trees are usually large enough to put on one or two grafts. You can easily put on a top cleft graft and a side gender lower down.
If you are not in immediate need of rootstocks for grafting, I highly recommend you plant out as many different mango seeds as possible. Plant seeds from both Monoembryonic and Polyembryonic varieties. By increasing the genetic diversity, you are giving yourself better odds of finding a particular rootstock that adapts better to your specific growing conditions.
Monoembryonic seedlings like Kent generally have a faster start and are better for stone grafting or faster grafting in general because typically only a single seedling will sprout and all the energy stored in the seed will go into that seedling. The girth of the new seedling is usually large enough for grafting as soon as the first set of leaves have fully expanded. For Monoembryonic rootstocks, Kent, VP, Haden and Tommy Atkins works really well.
Polyembryonic seedlings usually have several sprouts coming up from the seed and the girth of each seedling is smaller in diameter so the seedlings will need to be grown out for a longer period of time before they are large enough to graft.
Even though Monoembryonic seedlings reach a larger girth faster, I like polyembryonic seedlings because if you are able to select the clone, there is no need to graft. NDM, Sweet Tart, Orange Sherbet are all great polyembryonic rootstocks that grow fast once established.
With the experiments that Brad and I have been performing, we have found it better to graft the seedlings when they are about 2-3 feet tall and a high graft is better than a low graft unless you plan on keeping the tree in a pot or as a Bonsai.
The high graft seems to promote more vertical growth. When planting the seeds, it’s best to start them in tall pots.
Simon
