The Tropical Fruit Forum

This morning here, April 10, 2022, our temp has dropped to 43 degrees.  We are in a cold microclimate in Lakeland and it has been low 40's for several hours.  In that our season has been a bust from the previous bad weather here causing the loss of panicles on most of our trees, does anyone think this might be enough to force a late bloom for the Mango trees or is one night not enough to make a difference?  Now down to 42.

I recognize that dehydration will alter the texture of mango fruit but has anyone here dehydrated specific varieties of mangos and do they hold consistent the actual taste/flavor of the variety itself?

While I am asking this from an informational standpoint if the mango varieties do hold their specific flavors, I believe a great business venture could be launched.  A grower of someone with access to significant quantities of the particular varieties could dehydrate, package with labels in small quantities the varieties and sell them as such.  That way, out of season, someone interested in growing mangos for their own personal consumption, could purchase 5, 10, 15 packets of the specific varieties they might be interested in growing to help in their decision process.  Not to mention those who just get cravings out of season for specific varieties.

Have the packets each hold a specific amount from a weight standpoint.  Offer quantity discounts and allow the customers to select the number of packages of each specific variety they want to sample.  Dehydrated mangos would be easy to ship and potentially available year round.  The business could also offer wholesale pricing to nurseries so they could give or sell samples to customers that are interested in tasting the specific varieties.  My view is that it could generate additional tree sales as potential customers could end up liking several varieties and purchasing multiple trees instead of one.

If I were not so old, I would try to do this myself.  All I ask is that if someone likes this idea and follows through with it, they let me know so I can purchase some samples, lol.

I keep reading varying opinions about advantages of liquid fertilizer over time release.  Things like being able to get more consistent fertilizer to the trees as opposed to heavy rains washing out granular and time release fertilizers but I don't see near the selection of liquid ones available.  It almost appears that commercial growers use more of the liquid and in my view, I would expect they are the ones that would more likely use product that works better.

I would really like to hear about opinions on these including possibly using liquid with drip irrigation to maximize the growth and fruit production for Mango and other trees.  Advantages and/or disadvantages of one or the other.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

The summer flooding rains caused my Florida Prince and Tropic Snow peach trees to loose their leaves.  While peach tree farms in the area are full of leaves mine have none.  The ground has pretty much dried out for over a month now.  I have tried to scrape a couple of branches on each and they are still green, so hopefully alive.  I did also put a nominal amount of fertilizer around the perimeter of the border and am lightly watering here in Central Florida every few days.

Any suggestions about bringing them back around?

Thanks

Late last year we purchased a home with some property and I purchased 9 Mango trees and 2 Peach trees.  I planted all of them with the dry roots remaining above ground as I have in the past.  I also put a plastic border around each and placed some mulch to help retain moisture.  Subsequently a neighbor and I were talking and he was speaking about how wet our properties would get with the Summer rains.  FWIW, we live in Lakeland, FL.  We have in recent months been getting some heavy rains to the point that the property often times can not even be mowed and the plastic borders around the Mango trees are holding water for days at a time.  Occasionally as much as 2 inches of water above the ground that just sits there.

I am very concerned about the consequences of this and, in hindsight am wondering if I should have planted them for the most part above the ground and then just mounded the dirt at a slope to keep standing water away.

My question is, would I be doing wrong if I were to try to take a pitchfork and raise the level of the trees so the dry roots would remain that way - probably have to raise them each by about 6 to 8 inches?  Concerned about disturbing the root system and adequately filling underneath so there would be no air pockets.  All of the trees are about 5 to 6 feet tall.  Also, the wet soil has already caused the Peach trees to lose all of their leaves when I see other Peach trees in nearby farms full of leaves.

Or, am I overthinking this and should just leave them as they are?  Also, I am hopeful of having some fruit from these trees in the Spring.  This last Summer we were lucky enough to get one or two mangoes from a couple of the trees.  Not sure how many years I have left to enjoy the trees so I am also apprehensive about adjusting the depth as it may keep them from producing fruit for the coming spring.

I appreciate any and all suggestions.