2020 Mango Season (Florida)

[Orkine]

Frog Valley, please continue to share your experience and for folks who can have trees with weeds under them, they will imitate (the best form of flattery)

For those who must have manicured grass (for HOA reasons) or those who need a weedless perhaps mulched orchard floor for other reasons, they will use other best practices consistent with their needs.

My choc anon did the same as your LZ this year.  Large fruits on, plus small fruits and new sets from third flower flush.  My Sweet tart only had two flushes and set fruit on both.  Interestingly a couple of my other trees planted under the same conditions did not do so well.  Was the performance you saw on the LZ replicated across all the trees in your orchard?

I am just south of you, in Jupiter.

By the way, while I barely irrigate my mature trees, I have had to during this current dry spell.

[roblack]

Growing mangoes, and about anything else for that matter, without irrigation in FL is interesting.

Finding that sweet spot with watering trees, with all the dryness we've had in the South Miami area, is not easy. Don't want to water down flavor, but don't want to lose fruit either.

[Frog Valley Farm]

Agree there is no one size fits all in agriculture.  Each of our trees is in its distinct constantly changing space. I have found using quality finished compost in large amounts through out the orchard floor can greatly exceed growth, fruiting and health of our Mango trees here.  Our trees are all over the place some have large crops  from first flower with no other flowering’s others had two with fruit and others had three bloom with fruit. Most have only been in the ground 1 year some have fruit most flowered.  This is first flowering and fruit on That LZ.

[nothingincommon]

Galaxy - nothing
Nam Doc Mai - nothing
Glenn - just flowering
Dwarf Hawaiian - just flowering
Choc-anon - nothing
Valencia Pride - nothing
Ice cream - nothing
Diamond - nothing
Pina Colada - nothing
Coconut Cream - nothing
Haden - every year like clockwork
Valcarrie - nothing
Lancetilla - nothing
Honey Kiss - nothing
Cogshall - nothing
Parvin - nothing
Sweet tart - nothing
Baileys Marvel - nothing
Cotton candy- nothing
Peach cobbler - nothing
Gold nugget - nothing
Fairchild - nothing
Mallika - nothing
Lemon Zest - nothing
PPK - nothing
Seacrest - nothing

All my mango trees are under 4 years old.

[Squam256]

Galaxy - nothing
Nam Doc Mai - nothing
Glenn - just flowering
Dwarf Hawaiian - just flowering
Choc-anon - nothing
Valencia Pride - nothing
Ice cream - nothing
Diamond - nothing
Pina Colada - nothing
Coconut Cream - nothing
Haden - every year like clockwork
Valcarrie - nothing
Lancetilla - nothing
Honey Kiss - nothing
Cogshall - nothing
Parvin - nothing
Sweet tart - nothing
Baileys Marvel - nothing
Cotton candy- nothing
Peach cobbler - nothing
Gold nugget - nothing
Fairchild - nothing
Mallika - nothing
Lemon Zest - nothing
PPK - nothing
Seacrest - nothing

All my mango trees are under 4 years old.

Your Orange Sherbet isn’t an Orange Sherbet. Could be an Orange Essence though.

[nothingincommon]

Galaxy - nothing
Nam Doc Mai - nothing
Glenn - just flowering
Dwarf Hawaiian - just flowering
Choc-anon - nothing
Valencia Pride - nothing
Ice cream - nothing
Diamond - nothing
Pina Colada - nothing
Coconut Cream - nothing
Haden - every year like clockwork
Valcarrie - nothing
Lancetilla - nothing
Honey Kiss - nothing
Cogshall - nothing
Parvin - nothing
Sweet tart - nothing
Baileys Marvel - nothing
Cotton candy- nothing
Peach cobbler - nothing
Gold nugget - nothing
Fairchild - nothing
Mallika - nothing
Lemon Zest - nothing
PPK - nothing
Seacrest - nothing

All my mango trees are under 4 years old.

Your Orange Sherbet isn’t an Orange Sherbet. Could be an Orange Essence though.

probably not - which is why i got a second one from zill..

but this one was sold as "orange sherbet" and its extremely citris'y - super delicious! havent tried the genuine yet.

it will be funny if the fake one ends up tasting better lol

[Frog Valley Farm]

I just noticed two nice fruit on Lil Gem.  In ground 1 yr. 3 mos., never watered.  All of our trees were either planted as 3gal.  Most from Zills who I love.  Almost all showed active Anthracnose and MBBS at purchase, all survived 150 plus or minus, trees.  Trees planted most recently were introduced and converted to biologiques in pot at purchase for 2-4 weeks. 

This tree has a unique site and I had to cut the carbon back from the cover 2c the fruit.

[shot]

Is that cogong grass growing around that gem mango?
Imperata cylindrica (commonly known as cogongrass

I would take that mango off,to young of a mango tree it will slow down the tree.

[roblack]

I'd eat that mango when it's ready!

[shot]

That poor mango is struggling under allelopathic competitiveness of cogongrass.

[demingcr]

That poor mango is struggling under allelopathic competitiveness of cogongrass.

no, no... it's the only properly grown mango in the entire universe full of good feelings and moon phases.

In all seriousness, it looks undernourished and undersized for something in ground that long as a 3g planted out over a year ago.  This is why the lengthy posts lecturing everyone else aren't being taken well, because the evidence via picture you're presenting about growing mechanics isn't going to convert anyone. a 3g 1+ year in ground should easily be 2 to 4 times as large in trunk girth, canopy size.

[MangoCountry]

Is that a tree or just a dozen mango leaves floating in space?

[Frog Valley Farm]

Agreed it is pathetic looking (lol) and I didn’t realize it was there until the rain beat the dead plants down, but it’s healthy and will pull out now that it’s raining, no problemo.  I have observed here my not watered grafted Mangos it takes them on average 3 years to bulk up and produce well.  Newly planted never watered grafted mangos started with chemicals may not grow at all for up to 1.5 years after planting in the biological system.  Seed grown trees pass up grafted 3 gal the first year.   With some help from my friends, just sayin.  Good health to all. 

We have been growing mangos on another property in white beach sand this way but without compost zero input. No water.  For the past 9 years.  With a mowed mono top lawn system.  The trees are large and robust but have yet to flower.  Planted as grafted chemical grown Zills Mangos put in ground as 3gal.
I am sure that seed grown with biologiques then grafted will be able to outperform the chemical raised seedlings grafted tree.  We will see.  Thankfully we have plenty of Zills variety Mango seeds grown with biologique this year to expand our Mango tree numbers..

Here is a 2 yo Sweet Tart that had 10” finished compost then seeded added onto the entire orchard floor 10’ away from any tree.  She bloomed 1x and is loaded.






Orchard floor gets pepper tree chop and drop and fresh raw manure thrown onto the cover.

[zands]

Froggy whatever you are applying is counteracting the grass that strangle young mango trees. All others should clear a three ft diameter of all grass 'round a newly planted tree of any kind. I love grass so dislike ripping it out. So I transplant this grass elsewhere in my lawn that can use it.

Gotta rip out that 3ft diameter though mulch is optional. I have seen those who leave this diameter bare. They have their reasons. Though  when explained I did not understand their explanations.

Summary - Grass will reduce growth in young mango trees by at least 50%.... Was My experience until I had a visitor who insisted I remove all grass in 3ft diameter

[roblack]

That Sweet Tart looks nice.

I like and respect what you are doing.

As for 2020 Mango Season, lots of Glenns almost ready, with a second crop following. Over half a dozen coco creams (2nd year fruiting, one fruit last year), maybe 2 dozen kesars, a few sweet tarts, and one lone ndm4. Think this tree just doesn't get enough sun. Need to trim or chop some larger trees blocking the sun.

Hoping for another bloom, doubtful

[Frog Valley Farm]

Removing the grass in a zero watering system has killed the young tree for us in the past.  That Lil gem just needs compost added to the cover the more compost added the better it will do in that location.

[zands]

Removing the grass in a zero watering system has killed the tree for us in the past.

3 inches wood chips will trap water-moisture in the soil for the roots of your young mango tree. You like Masanobu Fukuoka

[shot]

Not trying to be critical to frog.Trying to help,as I do not remove grass either.Sometimes rootstocks are just poor or could be dwarfing.I take a known genetically strong strain of mango and plant the seed next to the tree and approach graft to give it boost.After couple years the seedling grafted to the original is 4 times the mass!
 The other reason for getting that tree growing is the longer it stays small out in exposed field is freeze!The risk of turning all that work into a field field of stumps .That's not the warmest area for growing.Even Homestead can get very bad freezes.I have seen this and (not) a good time.If you lived in Florida from 1977 to 1989 you understand.Big growers went out of business.Below is a book that is harsh reality check and life lesson.
  (What does not kill you makes you stronger)




A History of Florida Citrus Freezes by Attaway, John A

[Frog Valley Farm]

Not trying to be critical to frog.Trying to help,as I do not remove grass either.Sometimes rootstocks are just poor or could be dwarfing.I take a known genetically strong strain of mango and plant the seed next to the tree and approach graft to give it boost.After couple years the seedling grafted to the original is 4 times the mass!
 The other reason for getting that tree growing is the longer it stays small out in exposed field is freeze!The risk of turning all that work into a field field of stumps .That's not the warmest area for growing.Even Homestead can get very bad freezes.I have seen this and (not) a good time.If you lived in Florida from 1977 to 1989 you understand.Big growers went out of business.Below is a book that is harsh reality check and life lesson.
  (What does not kill you makes you stronger)



A History of Florida Citrus Freezes by Attaway, John A

Yes thanks I agree, thankfully most all of our trees are much larger than that.  When I found “it” I just was amazed that such a haggard forgotten tree could hold two large healthy fruit without ever growing and not being watered then get 2” of rain then 5 days later 3” and still hold the fruit.  Didn’t realize it would cause such a firestorm of confusion.  I am purposefully trying to stunt things do to the fact that I do this by myself by hand.  My intent was well meaning.

We are very diverse and do not only grow one type of fruit and do not rely on it for $ and it is not our only food source. Things grow back.

[zands]

Not trying to be critical to frog.Trying to help,as I do not remove grass either.Sometimes rootstocks are just poor or could be dwarfing.I take a known genetically strong strain of mango and plant the seed next to the tree and approach graft to give it boost.After couple years the seedling grafted to the original is 4 times the mass!
 The other reason for getting that tree growing is the longer it stays small out in exposed field is freeze!The risk of turning all that work into a field field of stumps .That's not the warmest area for growing.Even Homestead can get very bad freezes.I have seen this and (not) a good time.If you lived in Florida from 1977 to 1989 you understand.Big growers went out of business.Below is a book that is harsh reality check and life lesson.
  (What does not kill you makes you stronger)
A History of Florida Citrus Freezes by Attaway, John A

Great first hand report on approach grafting. What seeds do you like?

In 1988 or 1989 my parents grafted mango tree froze. But came back to produce small root stock derived mangoes. They were very edible but small and yellow. Parents froze some each year and even bought a small freezer for them. My step-mother loved them. They also ate huge mangoes from a legit grafted mango tree. This same neighbor was the one who planted their tree that froze down to the root stock

[shot]

The rootstock tree I found is some kind of apple or hybrid tree maybe 100 years old in fort myers.What caught my eye back in the 1980s was it had strong buttress roots.I thought it might make a good rootstock so I grafted a dozen mangos on it.Planted them out in 1995, well in 2004 we got hit with hurricane charley winds 150 mph+ and not one of those went over.I did have 2 shear badly but none tiped,can't say that for regular turpentine mango rootstock for most went over or tip badly.I was so impressed with that tree I grafted one for the farm,I wanted first generation seeds like the original and easy access.Nicknamed that tree my hurricane rootstock!

[zands]

The rootstock tree I found is some kind of apple or hybrid tree maybe 100 years old in fort myers.What caught my eye back in the 1980s was it had strong buttress roots.I thought it might make a good rootstock so I grafted a dozen mangos on it.Planted them out in 1995, well in 2004 we got hit with hurricane charley winds 150 mph+ and not one of those went over.I did have 2 shear badly but none tiped,can't say that for regular turpentine mango rootstock for most went over or tip badly.I was so impressed with that tree I grafted one for the farm,I wanted first generation seeds like the original and easy access.Nicknamed that tree my hurricane rootstock!

Great report. Proof is in the pudding as they say. I have never seen a mango tree with buttress roots. It has to get really old I guess.

[HomesteadCody]

Galaxy - nothing
Nam Doc Mai - nothing
Glenn - just flowering
Dwarf Hawaiian - just flowering
Choc-anon - nothing
Valencia Pride - nothing
Ice cream - nothing
Diamond - nothing
Pina Colada - nothing
Coconut Cream - nothing
Haden - every year like clockwork
Valcarrie - nothing
Lancetilla - nothing
Honey Kiss - nothing
Cogshall - nothing
Parvin - nothing
Sweet tart - nothing
Baileys Marvel - nothing
Cotton candy- nothing
Peach cobbler - nothing
Gold nugget - nothing
Fairchild - nothing
Mallika - nothing
Lemon Zest - nothing
PPK - nothing
Seacrest - nothing

All my mango trees are under 4 years old.

How often are you you pruning? I'm hoping to keep my mango trees small and manageable (partly because I planted them too close together).

[Fish Have Feelings]

This quarantine has me staring at my Mangos much more than usual. In my yard it the first Mango will come from either a CARRIE a GLENN or a SWEET TART. My other trees are a few weeks out.

Which of your mangos will be first this year?

[shot]

Now I'm staring at your mangos and I have my basket!