The Tropical Fruit Forum

I will have 8 Hawaiian White Pirie mango trees for sale (local buy only) in spring 2021....after the covid pandemic subsides a little.
They are in 2, 3, or 5 gallon pots. 
They were cleft or veneer grafted onto Kent rootstocks.
They vary in size from 2-3 feet tall at this time.
They have been grown in a 50/50 peat moss and perlite mixture.
The price will likely be between $50-$80.

I am putting a feeler out there, as there is limited stock.
Please let me know if you are interested in reserving one.
Thanks.

There are also small trees of alphonso (5gal pot), juicy peach (2gal pot), and PPK (5gal pot).

Just saw a Sulcata Grove YouTube video on Brander Mango.
Anyone have this mango variety or info on it?  Although it didn't score high marks from Sulcata, I am still interested and curious, as this is the only mango I know with an apple/applesauce flavor profile.   I'm not sure of the accuracy of the information on the Internet, but it may originate from Southeast Asia.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5IE8NuGphR4

Had a brutal heatwave in SoCal yesterday.  Reached at least 111F yesterday.  Some folks reached 117F.
Was extremely lucky... didn't appear to have any immediate serious tree damage because I soaked trees the night before and sprayed intermittently on leaves throughout the day.  Younger leaves shriveled up like prunes and small fruit fell off. Pushed mango grafts made in May and early June seem to have miraculously survived (although some were in a shaded greenhouse).  Last week's mango grafts may be a different story.  Hopefully the vented shade paper bags over the recent grafts helped. Will know more in a week or less.  Crossing my fingers.

Just wondering when Harvest Moon should be picked.
The fruit was a little soft to the squeeze, but did not give when I did the 90 degree twist.
The color is not quite the same as the picture on TT's website, despite having decent sun exposure.

Thanks!

I did advanced searches on the USPTO website and it seems that Coconut Cream (C-20) is the only one of Zills new creations to have a patent (current and in effect).   
Can anyone else here confirm this? 
I saw one FL nursery website that says Zill's Sweet Tart was patented, but could not independently verify this either.

Edit:  The reason I ask is that I am trying to determine what we can legally propagate (i.e. create backup trees, scion trade) and CC is the only one that legally shows up as a no-go.

I also checked to see if Tim Thompson's new mango varieties were officially patented and came up with zero...I guess in process?

Thanks.

Anybody have more information on the Linda macadamia nut (heritage, taste, size, hard-shelled?) or have one of these trees?
I saw these trees at my local Home Depot ($24), but I know they can also be directly purchased from Clausen's Nursery in Vista, CA (I think they are the propagator...so maybe a Vista creation?).  I could not find any literature on the Linda variety, unlike the established Cates and Beaumonts that have been sold in Southern California for decades. 

I believe Linda's are a hard-shelled variety based on its spiny leaves.  I also think these Linda's sold are seedlings or air layered, as I could not see a graft line on the trees. 

Thank you Daniel Nelson (Director of Nursery Operations) for the tour of LaVerne Nursery!


TFF group assembles in front of the office



Growhouse #1 where avocado grafting (cleft) is done...rootstock used is Zutano


Growhouse #2 avocado and mangos


Baby Manila mangos in growhouse #2


Medium Manila mangos in growhouse #2 (these were planted 01/05/14...amazing how fast they grow in a controlled ~80 degrees F)


Source of grafted mango scions in growhouse #2


2nd source of grafted mango scions in outdoor shade "house"



Growhouse #3 grafted mangos (veneer grafts)


more Growhouse #3 grafted mangos and apples


Outdoor shade house


Another picture of outdoor shade house


Cherries (i.e. Lapins) in outdoor shade house


Bananas in greenhouse within outdoor shade house


Berries in outdoor shade house


Dragonfruit in outdoor shade house


Cherimoyas in outdoor shade house


Cherimoyas galore in the outdoor shade house


Irrigation system in outdoor shade house


Loquats in outdoor shade house


Source of dragonfruit cuttings ...outdoors



Source of avocado scions ...outdoors


Agricultural inspectors from Ventura County


Pineapple guava (Feijoa) in outdoor growing area


Outdoor growing area


Another outdoor growing area picture


Citrus in outdoor growing area


Outdoor staging area where vendors (i.e. Home Depot and Lowes) load up...was a slow day as there were no semi trucks.


Watch for new items from LaVerne in the coming years:  grafted Alphonso mangos and grafted Jan Boyce avocados.

That was a fun day!  It got a little windy near the end.
We also got a chance to hear the monthly testing of the emergency early warning system from Piru Dam.  Wow that was loud!

I wanted to know if any of the SoCal mango enthusiasts are interested in a tour of LaVerne Nursery in Piru, CA. 
I met the Director of Operations at last week's Cherimoya tasting event and he informed me today that LaVerne can accomodate a small group tour of their 80-acre facility.

Who is interested? PLEASE RSVP to me.

UPDATED 2/28/14:
Unfortunately, the nursery cannot accomodate weekends because of their busy spring schedule.
However, the schedule is looking okay for Fridays.

The date is confirmed:
FRI March 7, 2014
11am (please be there 15 minutes earlier if possible)
Tour is 1.5 to 2 hours in duration (Mangos, other subtropicals, avocados, cherries, citrus....what else would you like to see?)

Bring good walking shoes...Nursey has a mud and gravel surface.

Pictures and video of plants and the nursery can be taken.  However, NO PICTURES OF LAVERNE PERSONNEL OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS ALLOWED.

Plant/tree purchases will be made available to us.  Cash payment only on 3/7/14.  I am submitting the pre-order list to LaVerne on SAT 03/01/14 .

LaVerne Nursery's address is:
355 N Main, Piru, CA 93040
(805)521-0115

More updates to follow. 

At the Irvine cherimoya tasting event today, I got a chance to chat with the Director of Nursery Operations of LaVerne Nursery (Piru, CA).

Here is the latest information on La Verne SoCal mangos:
1. La Verne will soon begin to sell grafted Alphonso mangos.   
2. La Verne is experimenting with Turpentine rootstock.
Manila seedling is currently used for rootstock.  I was told that LaVerne uses the largest/healthiest sprout as rootstock. 
3. I discussed their practice of high mango graft lines and expressed a desire (on behalf of home growers/enthusiasts) for a lower graft line.   LaVerne practices veneer grafts, and the high graft lines appears to give them the most opportunities for success if the initial graft fails.
4. I was informed that a new mango orchard(s) in Ojai, CA is in the works.  Watch out Coachella Valley!
5. I submitted a list of commonly bought/desired mango trees (by the SoCal Tropical Fruit Forum members) in hopes of encouraging LaVerne to begin experimenting with other varieties for SoCal propagation. They currently only propagate Glenn, Gold Nugget, Haden, Keitt, Kent, Manila, Nam Doc Mai#4, Thompson, Timotayo, Tommy Atkins,  Valencia Pride, and Villasenor. In general, LaVerne will always be less expensive than PIN, TT, and POG because of shipping costs to CA.  However, I was told that LaVerne’s mango propagation program is currently limited by the availability of a reliable source of budwood and the ability of that mango variety to thrive in the SoCal climate.

Does anyone have an updated list of current mango varieties produced/sold by PIN?
There appears to be at least one or more mango varieties that are or will be available for sale that are not in the published PIN mango viewer list.
1) PIN's mango viewer shows 39 mango varieties in pictures, but their list on the right of the mango viewer identifies only 38.  Pim Saen Meun was left accidentally off the right side listing.
2) I recall that Bendersgrove said Galaxy (Keitt cross) is a new mango variety that will be for sale in the Spring 2014.
3) Yesterday, I was made aware by Champa Nursery (El Monte, CA) that Coconut Cream (Edwards crossed with Gary) is available for purchase from PIN, but I did not see this on their website.
Just wondering if there are any more unlisted PIN varieties that we can ask SoCal nurseries to purchase in the Spring.

Thanks.

Warren

Hello All.  Happy Thanksgiving!

I have enclosed a picture of what I believe is the result of overwatering for a potted mango tree.  I have read posts elsewhere that the symptoms of overwatering and underwatering are similar ....resulting in browing tips of mango leaves.  Is this true?


I have shown the front and back sides of the 2 leaves from a 15 gallon potted Mallika mango tree in Southern California (SoCal).


The moisture meter [Hampton Bay three way (moisture, light, pH) conductivity 9 inch probe] is 6/10 after yesterday's watering, which means that it is very moist, but not wet.
My friend and I debated whether these meters are accurate.
On another post, CTMIAMI stated
"The only real accurate moisture indicator is a Tensionmeter. That is what I use, after spending hundreds of dollars is others over the years."
I'm thinking about this $100+ investment.

Mimosa Los Angeles (LA), where the Mallika mango tree was purchased, told me that their [Southern California] potted mango watering guidelines are:
Summer:  Water every 5 days (3 if extemely hot).  Fill it to the rim (2-3 inches of water) once.  Let it drain fully.  Fill it to the rim a 2nd time.
Winter:  Water every 15 days.  Fill it to the rim (2-3 inches of water ) only once.

I didn't ask for any advice for Fall or Spring watering...
so I interpreted Fall and Spring as water every 5-7 days, filling it to the rim (2-3 inches of water) only once....perhaps less after looking at my pics?
Sometimes it is harder to estimate this if the potting soil is filled high to the rim like mine is.
But I probably should switch to the winter watering schedule now that nighttime temperatures in SoCal will drop below 50degF really soon.

Any opinions?

Warren

Hi everyone.  This is my first start new topic post.
I wanted to share my lineup of fairly new mango trees and give my observations.

Lineup of potted mango trees:


From left to right:
1. Mallika (PIN grown, purchased from Mimosa LA today in a 7 gallon pot and transferred to a 15 gallon pot).  I heard so many good things about this variety in So Cal.  This will be fun to figure out when to pick it...from what I have read.
2. Multi-grafted Glenn, Alfonso, Valencia Pride (VP), and Haden? (purchased from Mimosa LA in Nov 2012 in a 20 gallon pot).  See comments below (close-up of multi-grafted tree).
3. Timotayo (La Verne Nursery grown, purchased from Lowes in Oct 2013)...MangoProfessor's creation that he supposedly lost patent control over by ownership change and mistake at La Verne Nursery.  Let's see how cold hardy this variety is...although it doesn't really get too cold where I live in North Orange County CA (zone 10b).
4. Carrie (PIN grown, purchased in summer 2013 from Mimosa LA in a 15 gallon pot).  Had 1 fruit that was flavorful but not sickening sweet as PIN and others have described.  In fact, I felt it was a little tart.  But the flesh was very fragrant near the skin.  This must be the piney taste that I have heard people describe.  According to Gilbert at Mimosa LA, I picked it just a little too early.  It had a yellow patch on the sunny facing side and it came off the tree fairly easily in a 90 degree twist.  Next year, I will wait a little longer...maybe yellow at the bottom beak....which would mean picking in mid-October.
5. Keitt (La Verne nursery grown, purchased from Lowes in May 2013 in a 5 gallon pot and transferred to a 7 gallon pot).  Probably will get fruit in 2 years.
6. Manila mango puchased from Home Depot in winter 2012-3 and used for grafting experiments.  Still in its 5 gallon pot.  Haven't been successful at grafting yet.


Close-up of the multi-grafted tree:


Glenn at middle right...can you believe this tiny little graft delivered 3 good sized fruit this year.  Sweet and flavorful. Yellow-orange color inside.
VP on far left...delivered 1 nice fruit.  Very sweet and flavorful...with a little tartness.
Alfonso in middle of picture ....didn't fruit.  Anxiously waiting for next year.
Haden at top (cut off in picture) ...I don't think it is a Haden based on shape and taste.  Gilbert and Tom at Mimosa LA claim the tree was originally a Haden from La Verne before they grafted onto it.  However, the 3 fruit from it this year was extremely elongated shaped (like Maha Chanok) and sweet, but lacked any tropical mango flavor that is characteristic of Haden.  There was also a lot of fiber at the seed.  Maybe I will top work this someday with another variety.  I'll give it 1 more chance this year.


In-ground tree:


Bought this tree 10 years ago (in 2003) from Mimosa Anaheim.  It was already an adult size (5-6 ft tall) in a 2 ft wide box and was labelled "Indian".
I thought it was a Baileys Marvel tree until I compared it against a "real" Glenn fruit this year from my multi-grafted tree.  I compared outward appearance, color inside, texture, flavor, size of seed).  I do note that the fruit should not be allowed to ripen too long on the tree as it becomes acidity/sour if you let it stay too long.  If it falls on the ground, it is generally overripe.
Its kind of weird...I use the smell test to determine when to pick it.  If I can smell the tropical mango scent at the skin, then its ready to pick.  Color alone doesn't determine ripeness, especially the ones that are inside the canopy and green.
My tree is now 10 feet tall in the ground and a favorite amongst my family.  It has been pruned every year, but never at the top.  It is pruned because I planted it too close to the wall and I wanted to prevent the tree from tipping over.  The growth is relatively slow and matches the characteristic of the Glenn.  Now I am curious if anyone here in So Cal has a Bailey's Marvel.

Whew...sorry for the long post.
Thanks.
Warren