Growing mangoes in a pool enclosure

[Origen]

Hello All!

First time poster, long time lurker here. I have a saltwater pool surrounded by a dual-walled polycarbonate enclosure and I reckon I have room for a couple of mango trees in containers. This would be my first time growing mango, and I am hoping the knowledgeable people of this forum could sanity check my plan.

In short, I'd like to grow them in root maker containers approximately 60 gallons in size. The enclosure is heated so freezes are unlikely to be an issue, but I am a little concerned about how the air inside the pool would affect the trees. Does anyone here have any experience with this issue? Is this at least plausible or am I crazy?

Also, my current cultivars of choice are one Pickering and one Cecilove. Any other varieties I should consider?

Thanks,
Ryan

[brian]

I have always dreamed of a poolhouse-greenhouse.  I don't think you are crazy, the risk I wonder about is the same - will the evaporated chlorine harm the plants? I'd love to hear others' real experience on this.  I guess leaf drop could be an issue too if you really had a lot of plants

[Coconut Cream]

I have always kept spare potted plants around the pool and they are fine.

You might also consider Rosigold, Dwarf Hawaiian and Honey Kiss as dwarf trees with reliable production.

[FL Boy]

What about pollinators accessing the inside of the enclosure?

[brian]

Are pollinating insects required for mangos?  My solo mango in my greenhouse sets a lot of fruitlets despite pretty much zero insects during bloom time

[Tropicaltoba]

The only thing with mangos is that hot humid air may be an issue for ancathranose. In my gh the mangos look healthiest in the driest locations. Citrus May be a better option as the humid air should keep the spider mites under control. The chlorine is in solution for saltwater so I don’t think it will be an issue after the chlorine the city adds to the water supply dissipates.

[Origen]

All,

Thank you so much for your input. I've decided to give mangoes a try and will report back once I have something worth mentioning.

RE: fungal issues inside a greenhouse; would copper or sulfur be adequate to control diseases?

[Tropicaltoba]

If you have tile the copper can stain it. I think most of the fungal issues are if it’s warm and wet (ancathranose) or cool and dry powdery mildew, but please correct me if I am oversimplifying it.

[Origen]

If you have tile the copper can stain it. I think most of the fungal issues are if it’s warm and wet (ancathranose) or cool and dry powdery mildew, but please correct me if I am oversimplifying it.

That's good to know, definitely don't want to stain the tile. Sadly, there is no escaping the humidity down here, so sulfur it is.

[Julie]

If this is more like an indoor swimming pool in a clear enclosure then you should have some type of ventilation which probably will make it ok for plants.  You can try it-nothing to lose

[Origen]

If this is more like an indoor swimming pool in a clear enclosure then you should have some type of ventilation which probably will make it ok for plants.  You can try it-nothing to lose

Julie,

You are exactly right, it looks a lot like the image I have attached. I could either slide the enclosure open or crack open some of the vents.

[Julie]

That is pretty, i think ventilation would be a good idea both for the plants and the people using it. I would talk to a few professionals because with the enclosure it’s more like an indoor swimming pool which is supposed to have ventilation. If they told you just to keep the vents open at then it should be ok-if they make it safe for people then it should be ok for the potted plants.there are a lot of permits and regulations relating to building swimming pools. Many people here are in Florida and Ty e enclosure here is a screened enclosure which is completely different. But if you feel there isn’t enough ventilation-like if there’s a smell of chemicals, you can talk to professionals that could probably add fans/ vents  or something that wouldn’t make it cold inside while still ventilating it

[Coconut Cream]

Yeah, I would run a fan in there before I sprayed copper.

[Origen]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have the pool dudes take a look and see what they can do.

Thanks,
Ryan