Author Topic: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it  (Read 2504 times)

mangokothiyan

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Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« on: February 21, 2021, 02:20:49 PM »

For the sixth or seventh year straight, my Carrie tree was totally covered with blooms, Made for pretty viewing, but because of the predominantly male flowers (as usual) I will be lucky to get 20-30 fruits this year. Right next to it is Mahachanok, producing like a champion. I wish it was the other way around, because I prefer the taste of the Carrie to that of Maha.

Many of my friends have experienced the same thing..not many fruits even though the tree flowers easily. Anyone else seeing something similar?

I plan to prune the tree heavily this year and top-work most of it to something that is more productive. Any good early season variety among the newer ones? 

shot

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2021, 04:33:33 PM »
Mango flowers developing during cold weather are prone to all male bloom.Just two weeks behind and big difference!I see that with carrie,nam doc,Ice cream ect.
 Lychees are opposite to warm all males!Super cold and pollen won't flow in the tubes.

bsbullie

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2021, 05:00:28 PM »
Not sure I would buy into the cold weather being the cause.  This has been a more than common issue with Carrie over that last few plus years, at least in SE Florida, and in prior years we have not had the cold like this winter. 
- Rob

FruitGrower

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2021, 06:03:35 PM »

For the sixth or seventh year straight, my Carrie tree was totally covered with blooms, Made for pretty viewing, but because of the predominantly male flowers (as usual) I will be lucky to get 20-30 fruits this year. Right next to it is Mahachanok, producing like a champion. I wish it was the other way around, because I prefer the taste of the Carrie to that of Maha.

Many of my friends have experienced the same thing..not many fruits even though the tree flowers easily. Anyone else seeing something similar?

I plan to prune the tree heavily this year and top-work most of it to something that is more productive. Any good early season variety among the newer ones?

I’ve had similar experiences and thoughts about top working my Carrie tree as well. I haven’t counted yet, but the fruit set from that early bloom was very disappointing. There is a second bloom on the tree now so I’ll be able to informally test that warm weather theory.
As for potential replacements, Sugarloaf is at the top of my list. I know Alex said it’s in the early group but not sure if it’s as early as Carrie.

bsbullie

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2021, 07:21:21 PM »

For the sixth or seventh year straight, my Carrie tree was totally covered with blooms, Made for pretty viewing, but because of the predominantly male flowers (as usual) I will be lucky to get 20-30 fruits this year. Right next to it is Mahachanok, producing like a champion. I wish it was the other way around, because I prefer the taste of the Carrie to that of Maha.

Many of my friends have experienced the same thing..not many fruits even though the tree flowers easily. Anyone else seeing something similar?

I plan to prune the tree heavily this year and top-work most of it to something that is more productive. Any good early season variety among the newer ones?

I’ve had similar experiences and thoughts about top working my Carrie tree as well. I haven’t counted yet, but the fruit set from that early bloom was very disappointing. There is a second bloom on the tree now so I’ll be able to informally test that warm weather theory.
As for potential replacements, Sugarloaf is at the top of my list. I know Alex said it’s in the early group but not sure if it’s as early as Carrie.

E4 is not as early as Carrie.  For early varieties,  you might want to consider Dupius Saigon (vigorous grower), Guava, PPK or Fruit Punch (prone to bacterial spot).
« Last Edit: February 21, 2021, 08:44:06 PM by bsbullie »
- Rob

Honest Abe

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2021, 08:30:20 PM »
Mangokothyan, I will also point out that both Rob(bsbullie) and Alex (squam256) have made me aware that E4 also sometimes has an issue with predominantly male flowers.

Julie

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2021, 10:13:10 PM »
My Carrie produces a good amount of fruit and is not unproductive but I did notice that only 1 fruit set from the first bloom this year. In my area this is not an unproductive variety. The key is to have multiple trees and keep one that is reliable/productive. I have a Glenn mango, not the most amazing flavor but it’s good and a kid favorite and is very productive and healthy tree. It depends on how much space you have and how many people are eating the fruit but for me I’m ok with having less productive trees if the flavor is very good (I kept a lychee tree in my yard 8 years and it’s now blooming for the first time ever! So excited hopefully I will actually get fruit).  I’m also only feeding 2 people and have space for about 15-18 tropical fruit trees so everyone’s situation is different.

Squam256

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2021, 10:37:04 PM »
Carries do this all the time, particularly young Carries. The first bloom is almost always worse than the second with regard to the male/female flower ratio.

Generally they’ll outgrow it but there’s always some where the problem persists. I can’t blame someone for getting fed up with it after a long time of it repeatedly happening.

This is why we try to steer people away from Carrie if they are asking about planting it in their yards.
Angie is the closest that is actually precocious and produced consistently from year 2.

There may be a little more hope for Carrie’s grafted to Gary Zill’s rootstock H though. These seem more precocious than Carries on regular turpentine (and grow much slower)

mangokothiyan

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2021, 08:36:40 AM »

My Carrie is 11 years old, and I have seen this happen for the last 6 years at least. The Angie on the other hand is a much better producer in my yard.

I have PPK, Guava and Fruit Punch (topworked and flowering for the first time this year). Does Sugarloaf also have the same problem with predominantly male flowers?

I hope Zill will come up with an early season sibling of Honey Kiss. Small tree, very productive and really good flavor.


Arun

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2021, 09:57:10 AM »
My Carrie tree planted 2008. Bought at Lowes near Turtle Creek Drive in Coral Springs.


Looks to be doing very well this year.
The sub-subtext here
Is Carrie has created amazement and desire
In those who can acquire

Who have come from India, Pak and Bangladesh.
You might think they do not mesh.
But they do.
They have told me so.
Carrie is their secret code,
When they say
Americans finally did something right!
Callooh Callay.

Carrie- Medicinal tasting! some BsB here say.
They are wrong to those in the throngs
Who wash onto our shores every day.
Strong tasting is what they want, despite your dull musings.
They know well what they are choosing.
I gotta jack up my prices of 50 cents per........
Because they will be purring
When eating their Carries
They will never tarry

From Bangladesh
To Bangalore
To Lahore
To Kuala Lumpur
They are doing this dance
Their feet don't touch the floor
Nothing left to chance
As they wolf down their mangoes
And do this happy tango

And the mango tango 
Emperor Ahsoka wished he invented
In days long gone and innocented.
In India and Pakistan of yore they still know the score.
How to send their mangos hard green
To the urban scenes
Of Bangalore and more
To be ripe in ten days
From farm to urban vendor
And it doesn't end there
Buyers take out loans
To get their mangoes home
To delight all
Big and small
Gotta bring home that haul

This farm to city scheme ever poops out?
Expect civil unrest
In the lands of Ganesh
It will be urban hell
A real "Casa de Papel"

Even Jihadi baddies
In Islamabad
They are not mad
They are munching down swiftly
On these mangoes so giftly
Sent
From Allah up above
Jihadis saw doves
Then put down their arms
They will do no more harm
As they eat these Divine fruits
Yes this is the route!
To worldwide peace>>>>
Mangoes eat eat eat

As Jihadis do the mango tango


« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 11:48:52 AM by zands »

weiss613

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2021, 01:03:15 PM »
Here is a theory of mine on how to get more flowers pollinated. I have huge LED lights on the corners of my house. The trees that are covered by this light have large amounts of babies. Could be a coincidence or could be because the light in the dark attracts the heck out of all kinds of flying bugs. We learned last year from TREC that to everyone’s surprise bees are mot the primary pollinators of mango flowers. So my theory is that if you see there is a problem with a tree showing a nice amount of babies and you still have pannicles unopened try putting light on the tree overnight and see if that helps. Of course the problem could be caused by numerous pathologies but if it’s not you might build up your yield. It’s only a theory. I’d loved to see a controlled study done.

roblack

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2021, 01:14:20 PM »
Flies are one of the major pollinators of mango in FL, probably elsewhere. Leaving some rotting fruit or other fly attractants around should help, if Mother Nature is not doing it for you as is. Lights can certainly attract insects and perhaps pollinators, but probably unnecessary and waste of electricity. Also, dark cycles for plants and animals are beneficial.

« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 12:47:46 AM by roblack »

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2021, 01:50:33 PM »
Ro whatever sour you
mere  meter is your defeater

irun5k

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2021, 10:11:47 PM »
Many of my friends have experienced the same thing..not many fruits even though the tree flowers easily. Anyone else seeing something similar?

I have a large Carrie, 10 or 11 yrs old now (St. Petersburg.)  I've had one year with a yield that was more than what we could eat ourselves.  A handful of years where there was just enough for us to eat and be happy with but really nothing more.  The rest of the years, 0 to 10 fruit which some a-hole usually steals.   It blooms like crazy every year and is a beautiful front yard tree but eh- never figured out the yield issues.  We are moving this year and I won't plant a Carrie at our new place.  We love the fruit but plan to try Pickering and Cogshall at the new place.

johnb51

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2021, 10:24:32 PM »
...awful poem zands. Time for a new hobby
Au contraire, he's one hell of a rapper!  (And he was kind enough to give me some Carrie mangos last summer even though he could have sold them to South Asians for big bucks.  Carrie is a great mango.)
« Last Edit: February 23, 2021, 10:33:57 PM by johnb51 »
John

Honest Abe

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2021, 10:35:29 PM »
Yo Zands
You a straight GANGSTA.
Sick rhymes in these bloomin mango times.

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2021, 08:28:19 AM »
Yo Zands
You a straight GANGSTA.
Sick rhymes in these bloomin mango times.

You have me laughing Abe at the way you put it! Thanks johnb51 and Abe!

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2021, 08:39:21 AM »
We learned last year from TREC that to everyone’s surprise bees are mot the primary pollinators of mango flowers.
A few springs ago I had loads of bees were buzzing around my mango panicles and pollinating. My guess is mango panicles and flowers are not that delicious smelling to bees. But if their usual targets are not around during an unusual spring then they will hit the mango flowers.
I don't know if you can still find this on the internet about a dead pig in a Taiwan mango orchard. Attracting flies that pollinated mango trees and resulted in a huge mango yield.
______________________



http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=4041.msg55896#msg55896  ----posted in 2013

Supposedly bees don't pollinate mangoes. But I see them around my mango tree. My understanding is bees don't favor mango blossoms. But my further understanding is they like other blossoms better and they will go to them first. Mango flowers are 3rd, 4th, 6th, 10th on their list but when other flowers are not available they head for the mango trees. Maybe avocados are the same. Within avocados they seem to like your Mexican derived avocados over the others.
Bees nectar gathering behavior--- Is like you or me being at a seafood buffet. At a fixed price of $30 you will head for the lobster and king crab and eat them before you eat any potato salad

Supposed flies that feed on rotten meat are very good mango pollinators. In a Taiwan mango orchard a pig died and rotted during bloom time and trees nearby had record fruit set.

Why not buy some beehives for a 20 acre orchard. Buy them, set them up and find a beekeeper you can make an arrangement with. He will manage the beehives, he will extract the honey and you split the honey production 50/50
« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 08:50:23 AM by zands »

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2021, 09:01:20 AM »
When he was investigating Yuching in 1985, Lin took a stroll through the countryside. There he witnessed the residents performing a Daoist religious ceremony. When the ceremony was over, the pork from the sacrificed pig was equally divided among the residents and the leftover pig's head was just tossed away at the foot of a mango tree. The smelly pigs head attracted a large swarm of blowflies. These large-headed flies buzzed around the pig's head in a disgusting way but Lin discovered to his surprise that several mango trees next to the one with the abandoned pig's head were heavily laden with fruit. Could it be that this blowfly with its shiny, metallic-green body, popularly called the "golden fly," was the savior that could solve the mango pollination problem?
https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/Articles/Details?Guid=9c1904a9-702f-4c12-8d0d-a86db6474ca7&langId=3&CatId=9

####### The above article from Taiwan has lots more info on their resident mango genius
"Mango Missionary" Lin Tzong-shyan and the "Golden Miracle"of Taiwanese Agriculture
Kuo Li-chuan / photos courtesy of courtesy of Lin Tzong-shyan / tr. by Anthony W. Sariti
July 2008

pineislander

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2021, 09:09:01 AM »
Next door to me the farmer has planted 100 acres of squash and Eggplant then brought in 300 hives. The bees are definitely working my mangos and the neighbors. Lychee is next we have another apiarist bringing in 100 hives.
Those with Carrie, take note of fruit set is greater on the east side I think the early morning sun has something to do with fruit set, that side having much better. Possibly it dries out better on those foggy mornings?

zands

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #20 on: February 24, 2021, 11:44:19 AM »
Next door to me the farmer has planted 100 acres of squash and Eggplant then brought in 300 hives. The bees are definitely working my mangos and the neighbors. Lychee is next we have another apiarist bringing in 100 hives.
Those with Carrie, take note of fruit set is greater on the east side I think the early morning sun has something to do with fruit set, that side having much better. Possibly it dries out better on those foggy mornings?

Your neighbors have flooded your zone with honeybees. They are not enough of their preferred flowers for nectar and pollen to go around. So they are hitting your mango trees. --- My opinion.  Lucky you!

bulldawg305

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #21 on: February 26, 2021, 09:42:07 PM »
This has been the worst fruit set for my Carrie as well. There's almost no mangos on it. The tree is a 25 yrs old and has been a consistent workhorse year after year.

Barbara Brehm

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #22 on: March 12, 2024, 01:36:21 PM »
It is March 12, 2024 and we had a chilly winter, no frost, but sustained crisp and windy weather for the winter until now in Cape Coral, which is southwest Florida, Zone 10a.  Carrie bloomed magnificently.  Not one fruit set.  It would have been Carrie's first season here and at 5' tall with a trunk two inches in diameter. No bloom last year.  Comparatively Cogshall and Pickering bloomed a couple of weeks later and have set fruit.  Nam Doc 4 has not begun the bloom - just quarter inch panicles showing.  Carrie must just not like a chilly winter.  We might have had several consecutive nights in the middle to high 40 degrees range.

gnappi

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Re: Carrie - a million blooms and nothing to show for it
« Reply #23 on: March 13, 2024, 01:40:05 PM »
My Carrie has set a lot of fruit, they're still small maybe less than a small pea but I've had a lot of fruit from it in the last several years.

Over a decade ago I grafted it onto a turpentine tree that was well established and the Carrie took over and killed its host :-)

Regards,

   Gary