The Tropical Fruit Forum

Quote from: Orkine on July 08, 2025, 12:44:16 AM

In order to address the lack of tap root, I grew a seedling and approach grafted it on the airlayered mango.  In one case the tree has both root systems but in a couple of cases I decided to keep the seeding and the air layer is doing well without a tap root.  Not as vigorous but doing just fine by itself.

So air-layering mangoes are good for door-yard dwarf trees other wise too vigorous for the small space dwellers.
SoCal growers would not want these.

In my experience, the tree will eventually reach normal size but in at least two cases, I decided to keep the seedling because it grew more vigorously than the airlayered tree I had intended to approach graft it to. I instead grafted scion from the airlayer to the seedling and now I have two trees next to each other.

Here are two pictures taken recently.

In this first picture, the airlayer is the thicker tree that is leaning, and the grafted seedling is the one growing straight up and much thinner.



In this second picture, however, the airlayer is the tree that branched almost at the ground, and the seedling, which was grown much later, grew straight up to find light and developed a thick stalk and very healthy canopy.

You were right about Cherilata—it’s thriving beautifully on Pond Apple rootstock. I’ve also had solid success grafting Soursop onto Pond Apple. The Soursop has survived several years and even fruited, which I’m pretty thrilled about. Other annonas have taken, but unfortunately tend to fail after a year or so, especially during the second dry season/winter.

Years ago, I ran an experiment using Cherimoya on Pond Apple as an interstock to support other annonas. It had some success, but it was a real exercise in patience. I’ve since moved on from that approach, though I still have Dr. Whites and Cumbe varieties growing on one of the test trees. The others were removed, and the space has been repurposed.

Interest how what I loved most about the event is what others wish they could change.  I saw and met many mango enthusiasts and was able to talk to total strangers about mangoes and growing them.
I did not do the tasting,  I  host mine with friends and in an environment where it is casual and untrusted. 

I liked the crowds, loved the opportunity to chat to folks just starting their mango journey,  and especially hopefully getting some people hooked on grafting.

I worked the tasting room, too, cutting up fruit.  I managed NOT to cut my finger.  (Someone in the other room did cut himself.)  The quality of the fruit that I handled was not so great overall.  There were some exceptions.  I practiced great restraint and didn't taste anything until the very last mango, which fortunately was Lemon Zest, the GOAT.  The Mango Mania at Xain's World (6/21/25) was a much better event for tasting mangos.

My estimation is that there were at least three times as many people at PBCCC this year as there were at Mounts Garden last year.

John, I'd like a head count, I  think more like 10 times, okay maybe 8 or 9 times but lots more than 3 times.

Likely Kesar.

I have a Kesar in the yard and will do a comparison.  It is possible, but I am not so sure I would have wanted a second Kesar tree.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Any suggestions?  Would pictures of the ripened fruit or cut fruit help?

I have a mango fruit for the first time in my yard from a branch with the label long lost.  The fruit has a prominent “ beak” which I hope will help identify the variety.  Any suggestions?  I might be able to pair the name with varieties I grafted at the time.

Thanks.

Want a few scions of real OS to graft on your mystery tree? In a few years you will have your OS plus an extra variety.

Mine stay green after they are mature, but would eventually color on the tree if left alone, but I often would not.  They get these little glittering, clear secretions (I have heard them described as resin sparkles) when mature.  They are like water droplets, but they are solid, and a sign that the fruits are ready to pick and will ripen on the counter.

Take your pollen the night before, and save it dry.  Hand pollinate early the next morning on flowers that are just opening or about to open.

A search on storing pollen on the forum will give you ideas.  Here is one older link https://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=24016.msg284349#msg284349

One more thing, I believe pollen from other sugar apple plants or atemoyas may be okay for cross-pollinating your flowers.

You may also toss a few old fruits under your tree to attract pollinators and let them do the work for you.

I had drafted a response to your initial post, then saw your later post where the seller told you it was an air-layered plant.  I will share my thoughts on both.

First, based on the pictures, it could be air-layered or from cutting.  The thick section below ground with several roots growing laterally from an inch or two above the bottom looks like an air-layered or started from a cutting to me.  The deadwood below the root will break down, leaving just the root ball.

You mentioned you found a seed husk, which strongly suggests seed-grown but does not confirm it.  I have several pots with failed seeds in them, in which I have planted other things. 

Were it not for the follow-up statement from the vendor, I would have noted that you are not asking the correct question.  One can graft to a plant propagated from seed, cutting, or air-layer.  It can start in any of those ways and still be a grafted tree.   The key will be finding the graft union, which is not in the pictures you shared and which I understand you did not find when you looked.  It is super easy to find some graft unions (approach, cleft, veneer etc.), but may be hard to tell from a bud graft.  There is a slight turn just about an inch above the soil level (where the perlite ends) that looks worthy of investigation. I may be looking too hard, but it looks like the bark above that point appears different from the bark below it.  That initial thought may be moot, though, if the seller says it was not a grafted tree. 

What did the seller advertise?  Any chance you can get a replacement?  That is a lot to pay for a tree that may not be what you thought you were paying for.

This is what you need, but I don't know if they make them long enough for the height of your tree.
It cuts and holds the bunch.  Saw and used it at a local Lychee orchard. Very neat.

I don't have one of these (don't have enough Lychees to need one), just the mango type with the small wire cage.

I have had very difficult time trying to germinate these seeds, bought from different sellers over the past few years.  Any tips you can share?  How sweet is the fruit?  Thanks!

As soon as you clean the seeds (wash and clean them), place them in a Ziplock bag with vermiculite with a small amount of moisture and place in a warm (not hot) spot away from direct sunlight.  They will germinate.

I found out with this batch.  I no longer have any seeds this time, but the folks who requested seeds will get some that are germinating already.