Honey kiss or Keitt?

[Upurock]

Hello all!
My 2-year old Cogshall finally gave us fruit this year and boy oh boy! We got mango craze - I be never been a big fan of mangos (store bought that is) but eating mango off your own tree is something else 😋
So now we want to extend our mango season and because of space limitations I decided on Pickering for July mangos and can’t decide whether to get Honey Kiss or Keitt for late season.
Both great producers, Keitt is later than Honey Kids, but I’ve read Honey Kids taste is superior.
Honey Kiss footprint is smaller, but Keitt with right pruning can be kept rather small too.
Not afraid of pruning - already have 8 mulberries lol
So what do you think?
We are not huge mango snobs, but having mangos in September is very appealing, hence Keitt is in the mix.
Thank you all!
P.s. I kind of want to plant now, prudent thing would be to wait until august and taste both Keitt and Honey Kiss from Truly Tropical in Delray but… itching to plant haha

[johnb51]

Pickering is not a mid-season mango.  They ripen early, about the same as Cogshall.  I'd choose something else for mid-season.  Mahachanok is good unless you're looking for a different flavor profile, but you'd have to keep it pruned.  Between Keitt and Honey Kiss, the flavor of both is good, about equal (but not identical) from my experience.  Honey Kiss produces clean, disease-free fruit, not subject to MBBS like Keitt.  But you're right, Keitt ripens later than HK.

[Upurock]

Pickering is not a mid-season mango.  They ripen early, about the same as Cogshall.  I'd choose something else for mid-season.  Mahachanok is good unless you're looking for a different flavor profile, but you'd have to keep it pruned.  Between Keitt and Honey Kiss, the flavor of both is good, about equal (but not identical) from my experience.  Honey Kiss produces clean, disease-free fruit, not subject to MBBS like Keitt.  But you're right, Keitt ripens later than HK.

Thank you

[bovine421]

You might want consider cotton candy M4 and Neelam

[johnb51]

Maybe Little Gem for mid to late?

[Upurock]

Maybe Little Gem for mid to late?

That’s a great idea!

[Upurock]

You might want consider cotton candy M4 and Neelam

Haven’t tasted either one of those 🤔

[johnb51]

Neelam can have off flavors, like carrot and strong resin, but I've heard they can be great, too.  I've just never tasted a great one so far, but I believe there is such a thing!

[Galatians522]

 ::)Keit is better then Neelam in my opinion. I have not tasted the others to be able to comment.

[zands]

Many of the backyard trees are Keitt that were planted 20 -30 years ago. There was a Keitt craze before anyone knew anything about Zill

Anyways you are posting a theoretical question. What mango trees are available to buy at your local nursery and how healthy do they look?

[Julie]

If you can try the fruit that would be best.  I spent several years going to all different places to try the fruit.  I've planted a few trees without trying the fruit, but most of them I was able to taste the fruit.  I learned so much by tasting the fruit since you can't rely on others opinions since taste is so subjective.  FWIW I planted a Keitt.  I used to have a large tree that produced many fruits but it was uprooted by Irma and didn't recover and I recently planted another one.  The fruit is very good and has the latest season available (August-September but maybe sooner w/climate change).  My old tree used to produce 50-100+ huge mangoes.

[Julie]

Also I don't think my property has MBBS (thankfully, though I'm not sure since some mangoes do get anthracnose) but that's something to consider as well.

[bovine421]

Over the duration of time that I've been a member of this forum. I have noticed that Keitt seems to be the reigning champion of very late. Not sure if that is because of the numbers that were planted in the past and Neelam is not as known or popular. Neelam is like Malika has a strong and sometimes can have a off flavor. Mine is very disease resistant precocious and a heavy producer and we like those strong Alphonso West Indian types. Honey kiss I planted early in my development of my backyard grove. I chose it because of its growth habit and it is very sweet I like it. Cotton candy I didn't feel the need to plant it since I had honey kiss until I tried one. Then I immediately went out and purchased a tree. A friend of mine has a Keitt and they are large. I'm going to go out on a limb and give you my opinion I'm sure grumble stillskin down in Wilmington will disagree. I kind of miss tussling with him and being cursed out but that's a whole another subject. My recommendation is plant a cotton candy and graft honey kiss onto it. Cotton candy is more vigorous

[johnb51]

Another thing Neelam has going for it is its dwarfish growth habit.  Keitt is gangly.  Julie is right about tasting the fruit first, if at all possible.  I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't enjoy Keitt's classic Florida flavor.

[Upurock]

. My recommendation is plant a cotton candy and graft honey kiss onto it. Cotton candy is more vigorous

Wow, a whole new direction 🤔

[johnb51]

. My recommendation is plant a cotton candy and graft honey kiss onto it. Cotton candy is more vigorous

Wow, a whole new direction 🤔

Yes, that sounds pretty cool.

[skhan]

If you want fruit in September Keitt, Neelam and maybe Beverly are the only ways to go. (I haven't heard reports back on Delores yet)

I have Cotton Candy, M4, Honey Kiss and Venus as well and these are more July-August mangos.

[achetadomestica]

I know where a couple old Keitt trees are and they have fruit every year.
This year allot of trees around me didn't produce but the Keitts are loaded.
If it came down to those two only I would pick the Keitt. The taste is similar
but the Keitt has much larger fruit.

[Upurock]

I know where a couple old Keitt trees are and they have fruit every year.
This year allot of trees around me didn't produce but the Keitts are loaded.
If it came down to those two only I would pick the Keitt. The taste is similar
but the Keitt has much larger fruit.

Very interesting, Truly Tropical stated this was an odd year for Keitt
Honey Kiss small footprint is very attractive, it’s hard to find it though, I’m sure Keitt is in abundance as it is popular commercial grower.
Or maybe I’m looking at the wrong time of the year lol

[bovine421]

It sounds like you want someone to talk you into getting a Honey kiss. So here's my sells pitch. Get a honey kiss and graft Neelam onto it. Tropical Acres Farms should start selling Budwood again in August. The vigor of Honey kiss and Neelam should match nicely. On June 30th friend of mine gave me a Dolores it was very sweet and fruity.

[johnb51]

Or graft Honey Kiss onto Neelam.  You know that Alex will make any tree for you (but not cocktail trees) if you can't find it in any other nursery.  You can order through his website at Tropical Acres Farms, WPB.

[achetadomestica]

why not get a Keitt and graft a Neelam and honey kiss to it?

[Tropicdude]

My recommendation is plant a cotton candy and graft honey kiss onto it. Cotton candy is more vigorous

This is actually what I have planned,  I have not been all too happy with Cotton Candy,  two years in a row, I have had major Jelly Seed issues,  of the very few that I was able to eat, the fruit is delicious, and the tree is productive, and precocious ( over 40 fruit, second year fruiting ).

I have picked most the fruit off my tree, think I have 1 or 2 still hanging, I liked the fruiting period of this tree,  my trees produced in perfect synchronization,  in this order  Edgar > Pickering > Cotton Candy,    Cotton Candy also seems to ripen all at once, great commercial variety contender, thick skinned, clean fruit,  and big.

So I plan on putting Honey Kiss, and ST Maui on it.  I'll keep one branch with Cotton Candy.

[JulianoGS]

I vote for Keitt, why???
Big, yuge juicy mango, very late season, reliable producer, and the tree is very manageable to keep it short.

I heard of stories of people eating Keitt mango in Thanksgiving!!!   
 

Hello all!
My 2-year old Cogshall finally gave us fruit this year and boy oh boy! We got mango craze - I be never been a big fan of mangos (store bought that is) but eating mango off your own tree is something else 😋
So now we want to extend our mango season and because of space limitations I decided on Pickering for July mangos and can’t decide whether to get Honey Kiss or Keitt for late season.
Both great producers, Keitt is later than Honey Kids, but I’ve read Honey Kids taste is superior.
Honey Kiss footprint is smaller, but Keitt with right pruning can be kept rather small too.
Not afraid of pruning - already have 8 mulberries lol
So what do you think?
We are not huge mango snobs, but having mangos in September is very appealing, hence Keitt is in the mix.
Thank you all!
P.s. I kind of want to plant now, prudent thing would be to wait until august and taste both Keitt and Honey Kiss from Truly Tropical in Delray but… itching to plant haha

[ben mango]

Depends what you’re looking for. Honey kiss taste way better. By a mile