The Tropical Fruit Forum

I've really enjoyed all the greenhouse discussion. Mostly Brian's two earlier threads when he was building his greenhouse. Very interesting and informative.

My greenhouse is in Alpine Texas at 4500 ft elevation in a sunny dry climate. I'm about 300 miles SW of Mark, drier, cooler, and more sunny. It's 54x32x16ft tall. Built myself in 2005. Used for hobby at first, then 7 years growing and selling fig trees, now back to hobby growing. Cooling is wet wall and three 36 inch exhaust fans. I can maintain low 90s all summer with no shade cloth needed.

I'm growing nectarines, peach, apricot, pluots, sweet cherry, mulberry, figs, citrus, mango, banana, and grapes.

What's different about my production system is a chill cycle of 45 days in winter to get chilling for stone fruits. I can achieve 700+ Utah chill hours by heating to 42 at night and holding daytime at 65 or below. Citrus take's the chill cycle in stride, the mango and banana aren't too happy but survive. Next winter I'll install a 20x10ft greenhouse over some of the mango to hold about 15F warmer during chill cycle.

Yesterday I harvested my first nectarines. Like Millet I really appreciate a warm sunny place to grow things even when it's cold and windy outside. The GH is the best money I ever spent. It paid for itself many times over in profits and enjoyment.

Congratulations Brian on your GH. And I greatly appreciate all you've contributed here. Very informative..!!

Fliptop,

Did you get this figured out? How are your Pickering trees doing nowadays, since a significant amount of time has elapsed from when you posted? Are they healthy and productive or did they get stunted from early fruit set?

I have a smallish little gem in a pot that is clearly very precocious and wants to hold onto way more fruit than it should. I’ve been (painfully) removing more and more fruit, which are almost golfball sized. Thinking of letting the little tree try to hold 2-3 mangos to maturity. Interestingly, the leaves have begun to droop significantly just like what you experienced with the Pickering, while panicles remain perky. The tree is properly watered. The drooping leaves appear to be a response to flowering and fruiting.

I have also noticed this phenomenon on my in ground maha chanok, which is about 15 feet tall/4” trunk and fairly loaded with small fruit. The maha branches that have substantial fruit set show mildly drooping leaves as well as leaves that are lighter green (perhaps indicating nitrogen flow from the leaves to the fruit?). The couple maha branches that did not flower/fruit do not have this issue, with darker green non-drooping leaves.

Do any of the experienced growers know if this is normal for smaller mango trees without massive trunks/canopies?

I have been growing a Ruby Supreme tree for last few years. I have tried it fruit in different stages and even when completely ripe, flavor is mild at best. I am thinking of getting rid of it.

It’s a long interesting story that goes back to 2021-2022, will write after my shift ends in the evening.

ok, thank you, that is good news. I purchased many bags of Meiwa fruit to get the seeds from the fruits. Now I have a lot to germinate.