The Tropical Fruit Forum

That is a concern of my Carrie.  Supposedly it is hard to tell when it gets ripe.  It stays green with just a hint of yellow.  I have looked for a few places that would sell the fruit so I could have a box delivered, but, considering the cost of a shipped box of mangos, I am possibly lucky I haven't found any yet.  I have in my head a combo rootmaker pot that is very shallow and wide.  After hearing about the success you are both having growing in the ground, I think I am just going to make basically a raised bed using the rootmaker to raise the tree about 8-10 inches off the ground.  Probably a 4 foot diameter hole/pot combo.  I really appreciate all the input. 

Sounds like I will have to see what happens.  But at least my roof is open.  I have a roof opening mechanism that allows all the sun and rain to come in and close during colder temps.  Didn't even think about the glazing effect but it makes complete sense.  I have had greenhouses since I was in college but only just now at almost 50 am I getting into the science.  Do you consider the mango an easy tree?  And even though I did not really mean for this topic to turn into an all mango question discussion, would you be willing to say what mango varieties you have and why you chose them?  I chose the Carrie simply because it was a smaller tree (but I don't think it is a true dwarf).  Also the flavor is supposed to be good and seemed like a good greenhouse grower.  It is supposed to get to 10 feet.  My greenhouse is a 16 foot cube so I am hoping it gets to a mature height comfortably.  I only want to trim it at all if I have to.

This is why I love forums.  I am fascinated by the rootmaker pots now.  I will have to spend some time going through the 14 pages of the link started by Mark in Texas.  Brian, Jaboticaba45, Do you have full sun?  One of my biggest concerns at least for fruiting is my sun level.  Our property is wooded but the greenhouse is on the South, West facing side of my house.  I don't get as much sun as I would like, but it gets beaming in there through the day.  I was hoping it would be enough to set fruit. My thought was it might take a bigger tree before getting fruit and it might be a lighter crop.  I have three citrus trees and that is basically what happens.  They set fruit but it is not nearly as much as they would in more light.  I was hoping the best case scenario for my mango might be just like the citrus trees.  My passion fruit is on its second year since starting from seed (no idea what variety it is.  I just started the seeds from a fruit I got at a farmers market).  The vine is healthy and is starting to climb all over the greenhouse, but it hasn't flowered yet.  I am assuming it could be a lack of sufficient sun.

Soil temps here in Atlanta are around 50 degrees or so all year.  I think about a foot down is pretty consistent. 

Jaboticaba45 that is fantastic!  So far you are the only person I have found growing mangos in a greenhouse in the southeast north of Florida..  I really would like to ask you a few questions.  Your soil in Tennessee around that area is darker from shale formations than our red clay I assume?.  I am trying to get a lot of better soil in my greenhouse so it is not this water loving clay.  It is one of my biggest concerns for planting anything here in the ground.  I need to get the water to drain much better.  So the trees survive just fine in the 40-45 degree range in the winter?  That would be great news.  I can heat my greenhouse as much as I need but of course the lower the better.  How old are your trees.  Or rather how long have you had them in the ground?

My name is Scott and I live in Decatur just outside of Atlanta Georgia.  I have just finished building my greenhouse just for growing tropical plants and specifically Mangos.  The greenhouse is 16x16x16 feet.  The roof opens to allow the rain to water the plants and to keep out the cold in the winter.  I have the ability to heat the greenhouse to any outside temperature I want but keep it as cold as possible for financial reasons.  I hope to find some answers to a lot of questions about growing mangos in Atlanta.  My "Carrie" mango just arrived and I hope to get it in the ground as soon as possible.  I will be researching the best ways to do this and hopefully in true forum style, I will avoid asking too many questions that have been answered ad nauseum.  I also plan on growing as many tropical fruits and vegetables I possibly can in the greenhouse.  The only other trees planted in the ground right now is my Key Lime and a banana.  I already have a small citrus tree collection. My first one was my Ponderosa Lemon that I purchased for $1 on the back of a Cheerios box in 1979 and is still fruiting every year!