Insurance Mangoes ???

[GoldenGateEstatesGrower]

In inland Collier County Valencia Pride is the mango which most consistently produces a large crop of clean and tasty (when fully ripened) fruit for me. Even in years with a freeze it still produces a good crop.

If you are using the Florida definition of insurance, something difficult to get and which may or may not pay off in the end, but which is great when and if it does pay off, Coconut Cream is my nominee.

[bovine421]

Is the forecasts are correct for this Saturday and Sunday this is going to be a long duration freeze for two nights in a row. Going further down than just 32°. Not even sure mature trees with hardwood can it survive this. Because of wind speeds and duration I only have a couple of options. My three favorite trees will get propane heaters hopefully the propane doesn't run out. To have three smaller trees that can be dug up put in 25 gallon pots and brought in the house. I may be able to cover three of them with frost cloth and incandescent lights. In 2022 freeze how to desperation I ordered some electrical Plumbing tape which I have three of them. I may wrap three trees with breathable trunk crap then put Electrical Plumbing tape around. It's a gamble I normally wouldn't take but with the forecast I probably don't have anything to lose. It's not really the monetary aspect but these trees are my passion so this is going to be a big hit if forecast come true. The one thing you can't replace is time. When you're a young fellow you have a little bit but as you get older these trees take time to get to a certain level of maturity. Even replacing them with small trees because the demand will be so high won't be easy. Make a visit by Vietnamese friend and pick up a couple of insurance mangoes to put in the house Super Julie. Don't think she has Juliet maybe LZ. I've really pampered that tree and it was set to have a good season and I don't have the resources to save it. I'm stretched Mighty thin. Anywho best of luck to everyone. Hoping Valencia Pride is big enough dense enough vigorous enough to survive. The ultimate Insurance mango tree Que Sera Sera




It's 3° to 4° colder than weather app. And a 1° difference between 18 in off the ground and 10 ft on my two weather stations


The Sun just can't come up soon enough🙂

[Galatians522]

The ultimate Insurance mango tree Que Sera Sera.

Let me know if you get fruit from that one. Seems like I have been growing it for years. Lol!

[Sevastopol]

I was able to constantly keep this tented mango 10* above the unprotected trees. Fairly tight wrap around the bottom and green shade cloth loosely covering the top; two strings of C9 Xmas lights around the bottom inside.

[DocTropical]

Can anything be done for larger trees that are 10-15’ tall? Or even 8’ trees that are too wide to be reasonably covered?

I am in north Orlando. We already had one night of 28 degrees that damaged many leaves. I’m seeing multiple nighttime predictions of sub 30 degree weather, with Sunday night potentially reaching 21-25 degrees. My season is already ruined, just trying to keep the trees alive at this point.

[Pan Dulce]

Unprotected mango trees won’t survive low to mid twenties like what is forecasted for Orange County Sunday morning. The term insurance mango means nothing, there are no cold hardy mango trees unless you like buying snake oil.

https://youtu.be/EgkZ3cK9r4I

[Pan Dulce]

I keep a whole potted back up collection which comes inside to replace the destruction that CFL is gonna see over the coming weeks. Hopefully southern FL is spared and will have enough inventory to meet the crazy demand coming…

[bovine421]

Unprotected mango trees won’t survive low to mid twenties like what is forecasted for Orange County Sunday morning. The term insurance mango means nothing, there are no cold hardy mango trees unless you like buying snake oil.

https://youtu.be/EgkZ3cK9r4I

Well if there's any tree that could survive my money would be Valencia Pride because of its growth and dense canopy but you are right they are tropical or subtropical. Just securited 7 gallon super Julie from a grower. Trees to be dug up and brought inside Pickering Pere louis and LZ I prefer to set them back and have my life then dead. M4 is getting dug up. I've hit the ground running got pineapple- pleasure covered. Will open it up the vent until Saturday but everything is in place working on fruit cocktail just taking a coffee break got all propane filled located another propane tank and heater. All For the Love of mango

[DocTropical]

Bovine - can anything be done for larger trees? Do you have large in ground trees? Some forecasts say as low as 22 degrees in my area.

[bovine421]

Bovine - can anything be done for larger trees? Do you have large in ground trees? Some forecasts say as low as 22 degrees in my area.

Yes I do. Other than a fire pit or a burn barrel. Wrap the trunk with a rug put some lights under it protect above the graft Union I really don't have any good ideas. I'm scrambling like the rest of you. But since you have me on the subject I'm looking at PPK she's a monster maybe I will wrap a rug around it leaving an air pocket and put incandescent lights. I can hear the yelling now where's my carpet. It's a good time to brainstorm. Seen a fella use hog wire filled with a bale of straw I don't know. Trying to work with what I got as much as possible.

Wait till mother gets home😡
At the fall back on that idea I got to airspace I can add some lights. I think carpet is better than plastic so to talk to the AI seems to have an answer and maybe wrong but she hasn't answered for everything

Hay Rob! How you like my red carpet tree🤣

[Julian R]

Lowest predicted temp in my area I see is on weatherbug.  28/29 for several hours... I was thinking frost cloth would be enough for my favorites but looks like I might have to upgrade a bit.  Thinking of building up some 1/2 inch pvc greenhouses with 6 mil plastic for an added barrier. Won't be able to get everything but I can at least protect the larger in ground garcinia and mango this way. Will be interesting to see how well the in ground jabos take it uncovered

[fliptop]

I dug up ten trees, threw them in pots, and brought them indoors. Will probably dig up a couple more. For the big trees, may wrap frost cloth around the trunks to try and save part of them. So frustrating, as so many seedling trees are flowering now (Gift Horse, Peach Cobbler, Pim Seng Mun, Sweet Tart, Madame Francis). Didn't have the foresight to make back ups of them except for Gift Horse. I expect to lose a lot of stuff and have a yard that looks completely different after this week. Good luck to all!

[bovine421]

I dug up ten trees, threw them in pots, and brought them indoors. Will probably dig up a couple more. For the big trees, may wrap frost cloth around the trunks to try and save part of them. So frustrating, as so many seedling trees are flowering now (Gift Horse, Peach Cobbler, Pim Seng Mun, Sweet Tart, Madame Francis). Didn't have the foresight to make back ups of them except for Gift Horse. I expect to lose a lot of stuff and have a yard that looks completely different after this week. Good luck to all!

Won't mother be pleased🤣

All the trees I'm going to be dug up are in the house. Tomorrow after work set up the heat lamps

[Greater Good]

TFF member has managed to keep their mango trees green in Tallahassee so far.

[kengland]

Under optimal conditions, one might be able to keep a health mango in 9B for 10yrs. All the time and energy spent caring for the tree doesn't seem to be worth it if that's reward. I have a little over 40 trees. 12 are mangoes. About 1/2 are dead. I'll keep the other six but not going to go out of my way. Will replace with more avocados (won't hurt my feelings).

[GoldenGateEstatesGrower]

For larger trees I have always thought that if temperatures were forecast to be 28° or below I would circle the trunks with 3 or 4 foot chicken wire about 2 feet away from the trunk and then fill the chicken wire circle with mulch or sand. I thought maybe even stumping the tree at the 3-4 foot mulch level and then covering the whole circle with frost cloth layers or a heavier weight frost cloth would be even better.
Mango trees are stumped to top work them, so stumping them to protect them seems reasonable. I have a 40 foot mango that was stumped to 18" by Irma and it is doing great now. You would obviously lose one or two years of fruit, but the tree that would come back from the trunk would be much stronger than a new tree that you put in after the old one was frozen.
Freezes often are repeated a few weeks later so I wouldn't remove the mulch until I was sure that we weren't going to have another freeze. Obviously mangoes don't like their trunks or the root zone near the tree covered so as soon as another freeze shouldn't happen I would remove the mulch completely.
Good Luck to everyone!

[roblack]

Bovine - can anything be done for larger trees? Do you have large in ground trees? Some forecasts say as low as 22 degrees in my area.

Yes I do. Other than a fire pit or a burn barrel. Wrap the trunk with a rug put some lights under it protect above the graft Union I really don't have any good ideas. I'm scrambling like the rest of you. But since you have me on the subject I'm looking at PPK she's a monster maybe I will wrap a rug around it leaving an air pocket and put incandescent lights. I can hear the yelling now where's my carpet. It's a good time to brainstorm. Seen a fella use hog wire filled with a bale of straw I don't know. Trying to work with what I got as much as possible.

Wait till mother gets home😡
At the fall back on that idea I got to airspace I can add some lights. I think carpet is better than plastic so to talk to the AI seems to have an answer and maybe wrong but she hasn't answered for everything

Hay Rob! How you like my red carpet tree🤣

I love your Red Carpet tree! Sending best wishes your way Bov, and to all of our members and friends. I went from being excited about the cold and more bloom stimulus, to now being in fear of losing my early crop. Can only imagine how ya'll are feeling up north. Best of luck all!!!!

[roblack]

Wondering, could a tent for fumigating houses be used to protect trees?

[bovine421]

Bovine - can anything be done for larger trees? Do you have large in ground trees? Some forecasts say as low as 22 degrees in my area.

I think a propane patio heater and wrapping the trunk is your best option.

AI likes my idea
Wrapping a mango tree's trunk with material like carpet, burlap, or commercial tree wrap helps protect the critical graft union from freezing temperatures. This insulation prevents cold-induced bark cracking and, even if branches die, helps ensure the tree can regenerate from above the graft union
Insulation: You can add additional insulation, such as blankets or old comforters, around the trunk for better protection.
Heat Source: For severe freezes, placing large bulb Christmas lights inside the cover can provide necessary heat

By Jamaican brother has three of these  he uses with good effect. I believe the top part it turns over



Yes, you can use a VEVOR pipe heating cable wrapped around the trunk of a tree to help prevent freezing, but it requires careful installation to avoid harming the tree. It is most effective when paired with insulating materials (like burlap or foam) to retain heat and prevent the cable from overheating the bark. Key Tips for Using Heating Cable on Trees: Avoid Direct Contact: Do not let the cable touch the bark directly for long periods; wrap the tree in burlap or another breathable material first to prevent scorching.Don't Cross the Cable: Never overlap the cable on itself, as this can cause hot spots.Monitor Thermostat: The built-in thermostat (which turns on at. 43°F (6°C) and turn off at 55°F should be placed on the coldest side of the tree to ensure it turns on properly.

Bought three of these that are 12 ft long after the Christmas Day freeze of 2022. Going to use them on cotton candy Malika and orange sherbert I'll probably wrap them with a blanket then the heat cable.

[bovine421]

I dug up ten trees, threw them in pots, and brought them indoors. Will probably dig up a couple more. For the big trees, may wrap frost cloth around the trunks to try and save part of them. So frustrating, as so many seedling trees are flowering now (Gift Horse, Peach Cobbler, Pim Seng Mun, Sweet Tart, Madame Francis). Didn't have the foresight to make back ups of them except for Gift Horse. I expect to lose a lot of stuff and have a yard that looks completely different after this week. Good luck to all!

Yeah tomorrow I'm going to dig up Venus and pina colada. I'll make sure to take my Flintstone vitamins. Yabba dabba doo!
The last act of the day was to go over to Gunn Road and pick up this insurance mango Super Julie
 
I've hit the bunk I'm exhausted

[Galatians522]

I dug up ten trees, threw them in pots, and brought them indoors. Will probably dig up a couple more. For the big trees, may wrap frost cloth around the trunks to try and save part of them. So frustrating, as so many seedling trees are flowering now (Gift Horse, Peach Cobbler, Pim Seng Mun, Sweet Tart, Madame Francis). Didn't have the foresight to make back ups of them except for Gift Horse. I expect to lose a lot of stuff and have a yard that looks completely different after this week. Good luck to all!

Yeah tomorrow I'm going to dig up Venus and pina colada. I'll make sure to take my Flintstone vitamins. Yabba dabba doo!
The last act of the day was to go over to Gunn Road and pick up this insurance mango Super Julie
 
I've hit the bunk I'm exhausted

Only Bovine would buy a mango tree with lows predicted in the 20s. Although, now that I think of it that was really smart because a few weeks after the freeze they will be hard to find...

[JakeFruit]

I moved what I could closer to the house in a sheltered area, but I'm not covering anything in the yard. I moved to Florida (just south of Tampa) back in the 70's, when every winter started in October and the big news on local morning TV was all the orange growers breaking out the smoke pots when the temps went below freezing. Seemed we'd touch 20's back then every winter and the cold stretches would last for a week or more. If you live in an area with old monster mango trees around, they have seen weather worse than this, and I doubt anybody was bothering to cover them. Not making light of the situation zone pushers and those with small trees are facing, just my perspective on the risks I'm facing.

I have thought more than once about that member "Mark in Texas" when we get weather like this. Seems like he disappeared from the forum after that hard freeze that his Texas and knocked out the grid 2(?) years ago. Wonder if he gave up on his green house...it sure was inspiring to see what he could produce. His advocacy for the use of man-made chemicals wasn't for everyone, but his fruit tree collection was impressive.

[fliptop]

Galatians522, I also just bought another Himsagar at a Home Depot a couple days ago🤣 it's hanging out inside till it warms up again. Where are the big box stores getting all the Himsagars??

JakeFruit, I was thinking the same thing when it comes to the bigger trees. I've seen some good-sized ones between Arcadia and Orlando on US 17, and know they've seen some cold cold temps.

My parents planted a Haden in the summer of 1977 in Ft Lauderdale. Looking at historic lows, it had seen temps at or below freezing six times (the last was 30° in 1989). The tree is still standing today.

That being said, it's sad to possibly lose any trees from this. I have bad memories of the horrible winters of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 when I lived in Pinellas County. And of course the freezes here in 2022. I lost trees in all of those "events".

We supposedly hit 31° this morning. When that was posted by the weather stations, my car thermometer and the mercury thermometer on my lanai said it was 36°. I'm sure parts of my yard did hit 31°, though.

We're potentially going to be in the upper 20s with strong winds this weekend. I have two more trees to dig up today. Am most likely just going to leave the frost cloth on what's covered till tomorrow., then re-cover for the weekend.

Good luck to all!

[bovine421]

After a good hard sleep I had an epiphany after Folgers activated a few foggy brain cells


Black geotextiles are widely used in various applications due to their unique properties soil stabilization erosion control drainage pipe projects Landscaping

black geotextile membranes used  wrapped around wood fur strips to tree trunk create an airspace would this be good for a hard freeze
Using black geotextile fabric around wood furring strips creates an effective, ventilated, and durable protective barrier against hard freezes for young tree trunks. The airspace acts as insulation, the fabric allows the bark to breathe while trapping warmth, and the structure provides physical protection.


black geotextile membranes used in drainage on tree trunks during a freeze during using fur strippings what would be the ideal air pocket in inches
When using black geotextile membranes and furring strips (or similar spacers) to create a protective, insulated, and ventilated barrier around tree trunks during a freeze, the ideal air pocket between the bark and the membrane is 1 to 2 inches

Yes, you can use a VEVOR pipe heating cable wrapped around the trunk of a tree to help prevent freezing, but it requires careful installation to avoid harming the tree. It is most effective when paired with insulating materials (like burlap or foam) to retain heat and prevent the cable from overheating the bark. Key Tips for Using Heating Cable on Trees: Avoid Direct Contact: Do not let the cable touch the bark directly for long periods; wrap the tree in burlap or another breathable material first to prevent scorching.Don't Cross the Cable: Never overlap the cable on itself, as this can cause hot spots.Monitor Thermostat: The built-in thermostat (which turns on at 43°f turns off at 53°f should be placed on the coldest side of the tree to ensure it turns on properly.
Why This Method Works for Hard Freezes:
Airspace Insulation: The wooden strips create a buffer, allowing the air immediately surrounding the tree to stay slightly warmer than the outside air temperature

[baccarat0809]

For larger trees I have always thought that if temperatures were forecast to be 28° or below I would circle the trunks with 3 or 4 foot chicken wire about 2 feet away from the trunk and then fill the chicken wire circle with mulch or sand. I thought maybe even stumping the tree at the 3-4 foot mulch level and then covering the whole circle with frost cloth layers or a heavier weight frost cloth would be even better.
Mango trees are stumped to top work them, so stumping them to protect them seems reasonable. I have a 40 foot mango that was stumped to 18" by Irma and it is doing great now. You would obviously lose one or two years of fruit, but the tree that would come back from the trunk would be much stronger than a new tree that you put in after the old one was frozen.
Freezes often are repeated a few weeks later so I wouldn't remove the mulch until I was sure that we weren't going to have another freeze. Obviously mangoes don't like their trunks or the root zone near the tree covered so as soon as another freeze shouldn't happen I would remove the mulch completely.
Good Luck to everyone!

Is Golden Gate really 9b zone?  I figured you were south enough not to have to really worry about this level of cold???