Southern California - Big Box Store Mango Stocking

[John B]

Anyone know when the big box stores start to stock their manila mangos (Laverne nursery or equivalent)? Looking at grafting  them but want to get my timing down.

Thanks in advance

[RodneyS]

Around July

[spaugh]

June or July to graft.  But walter andersens poway had some not long ago.

[Malhar]

I actually bought two Manilla mango trees from East Irvine home depot last week. You may want to check your local home depot!

[599gh888]

they had some at home depot and Lowes around my area

[John B]

Thanks guys. I haven't seen any around central San Diego but it makes sense they are starting to show up in other places. I'll keep my eyes peeled now.

Grafting will be done later but wanted to have some time to acclimate the plants in a few places around the yard to where I think they'll do well.

[599gh888]

Make a drive to Los Angeles I was at Lowe’s this evening and they have 6 in a 5gal pot

[Kuhyay]

I saw some at the Home Depot in Mira Mesa.

[spaugh]

You might want to check with atkins also.  Their rootstock trees seem a lot stronger than the Laverne trees.

[Malhar]

You might want to check with atkins also.  Their rootstock trees seem a lot stronger than the Laverne trees.

I thought these Manilla mangoes are all seedlings. How Atkin seedlings will be different than Laverne, or are they grafted trees?

[John B]

You might want to check with atkins also.  Their rootstock trees seem a lot stronger than the Laverne trees.

Thanks, Brad. I've been wanting to go up there and check them out. Always willing to support the smaller nurseries. Do you know if they use Manila or Atulfo seeds? I was going to go to Clausen in Vista but they'll only carry the 15 gallon in summer.

I saw some at the Home Depot in Mira Mesa.

Thanks, I'll call them.

Make a drive to Los Angeles I was at Lowe’s this evening and they have 6 in a 5gal pot

The only way this would be feasible is to take the wife's prius and I can't take the risk getting the catalytic converter stolen there. 

[SHV]

The Home Depot Manillas seem to be getting smaller every year. I swear they are dropping 1 year old seedlings in 5 gallon pots. A few years back you would get a decent sized tree that would fruiti in a couple years with a nice thick trunk.
Of course, a few years before that you could get a soda for a nickel. The good ol’ days.

[Johnny Eat Fruit]

My experience for buying manila seedling trees and growing my own from Ataulfo seed is the following.

30% will grow rapidly and make excellent rootstock for grafting. (It is best to let them grow in the ground 2 years prior to grafting)

50% will grow OK but at a reduced rate relative to the 1st group. These are the majority and will be adequate for grafting in the future.

20% suck and have poor vigor. Some will die or grow slowly.  These make poor samples for grafting.

It takes 1-2 years to find out what you have. It is hit and miss. Personally, I grow Ataulfo seedings in the spring and separate the top 30% for grafting after about one year of growth. The others I discard.

Any mango seedling tree has the potential to be a great rootstock but it takes time to find out what you have. This is a hit and miss. If you buy Laverne Manila Rootstock at home depot it the luck of the draw. I have several mango trees that are doing great and several more doing poorly. One died recently in it's pot. Remember these are seedlings and they are all slightly different and will respond based on the soil type and environmental conditions of your microclimate.     

You need to buy 5 mango seeding trees and keep the top two. It's a numbers game. Also, buy seedling trees from different sources to increase diversity and increase your chances of finding a winner. Look at the lower rootstock when you buy. The larger the girth the better in general.

Good luck to all.

Johnny

[spaugh]

You might want to check with atkins also.  Their rootstock trees seem a lot stronger than the Laverne trees.

I thought these Manilla mangoes are all seedlings. How Atkin seedlings will be different than Laverne, or are they grafted trees?

Their trees are just stronger more stout trees.  The seeds are from different mother trees and the way they raise them is different.  I dont know if its genetic or environmental or both but the Atkins rootstocks were way better trees in my experience. 

[Malhar]

Thanks Brad for clarifying.  Now, I may have to drive to San Diego to get them!

[spaugh]

You need to call and make sure they have them.  I grafted a few trees onto this rootstock and they are looking stellar.  Super good stock whatever they are using. 

[John B]

My experience for buying manila seedling trees and growing my own from Ataulfo seed is the following.

30% will grow rapidly and make excellent rootstock for grafting. (It is best to let them grow in the ground 2 years prior to grafting)

50% will grow OK but at a reduced rate relative to the 1st group. These are the majority and will be adequate for grafting in the future.

20% suck and have poor vigor. Some will die or grow slowly.  These make poor samples for grafting.

It takes 1-2 years to find out what you have. It is hit and miss. Personally, I grow Ataulfo seedings in the spring and separate the top 30% for grafting after about one year of growth. The others I discard.

Any mango seedling tree has the potential to be a great rootstock but it takes time to find out what you have. This is a hit and miss. If you buy Laverne Manila Rootstock at home depot it the luck of the draw. I have several mango trees that are doing great and several more doing poorly. One died recently in it's pot. Remember these are seedlings and they are all slightly different and will respond based on the soil type and environmental conditions of your microclimate.     

You need to buy 5 mango seeding trees and keep the top two. It's a numbers game. Also, buy seedling trees from different sources to increase diversity and increase your chances of finding a winner. Look at the lower rootstock when you buy. The larger the girth the better in general.

Good luck to all.

Johnny

Thanks for your prospective, Johnny. It seems that there is no perfect rootstock for us except growing from seed. But even that can go bad. I have 2 atulfos in ground that are doing great but growing a little too fast.

I figured try a few manila's that will grow well but slow and topwork them. I don't mind the investment on the smaller ones and see what happens. I'll be picking 2 or 3 up this week.

[vall]

I planted two from Atkins last year that are doing well. They use "manila type" mangoes (their words) and triple 16 fertilizer but good soil. The HD mangoes I've seen are potted in wood fines.

[John B]

Atkins and all the other smaller nurseries did not have any 5 gallons in stock. They mentioned they'd be back in stock around June. I bought 2 tiny one year old twigs from HD that were in a fine wood mix that are from Laverne's. I'm keeping them as a backup in case I can't locate a decent manila mango tree in a five gallon pot. Otherwise I will return them. So it goes...

[RB]

Whenever I call or go to Atkins they always say that they have don't have 5 gallon mango in stock.  I was there a few weeks ago and was wandering around the greenhouse in front of the office and found a few nice seedlings in tall 18 inch containers.   Not sure what rootstock it is but grows really well for me in the Bay Area.

[marklee]

I saw some of the LaVerne mangoes at HD today, they are now a whopping $35 and the size of a pencil and 3 feet tall. I think they they would need another 2 years to be decent to graft.

[spaugh]

I saw some of the LaVerne mangoes at HD today, they are now a whopping $35 and the size of a pencil and 3 feet tall. I think they they would need another 2 years to be decent to graft.

they were probably tied to a stick too I bet. 

you get a tree at atkins and its thick and not staked and you carry to the car by the trunk.  thats the difference.

[marklee]

I saw some of the LaVerne mangoes at HD today, they are now a whopping $35 and the size of a pencil and 3 feet tall. I think they they would need another 2 years to be decent to graft.

they were probably tied to a stick too I bet. 

you get a tree at atkins and its thick and not staked and you carry to the car by the trunk.  thats the difference.
[/quote/]

Yeah, for sure Atkins is the place to go. I think my 9 month old mango seedlings are better than LaVerne's, Yeah and HD's were staked. They were just $22 a couple of years ago, and graft ready.