Author Topic: Planting a small grove ..... Keitt , Lemon zest and a few other questions plz  (Read 3223 times)

j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
Mango guru's I need your advice please ....... I am planting a small grove ( hobby farmish but would like to sell the fruit someday from a stand ).

I made the rounds last week and picked out about 50 trees to be delivered in a couple weeks after the fear of a late freeze is gone

Some of my choices were made on the spot based on availability or lack there of and some by the people at the nurseries that were helping me and answering my questions.

I got about 20 varieties FYI but my first two questions are .......

I read in another post today that Lemon zest is very disease prone ....... I did tag 4 of these as the person helping me said that the fruit sells very well.  Should I rethink buying the 4 trees and maybe only buy 1 or 2?

My second question is about keitt ...... everything I see and read makes this tree sound like a very good meat and potatoes producer ......... I read they are disease prone when young but that they are bullet proof and supply well in late season.  I had planned on getting 5 of them but both nurseries said that they would not recommend them at all and kinda talked me out of them?

When I'm done setting up the farm I will have about 100 trees maybe more if I plant the whole property ....... should Keitt be included for what I'm trying to do? 

Thanks for your help and get ready ....... I will have more questions I am sure .......

Cookie Monster

  • Broward, FL Zone 10b
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4745
  • Eye like mangoes
    • Tamarac, FL, 33321, 10B
    • View Profile
I have 3 lemon zest trees (and one lemon meringue), and I've never thought of replacing a single one. LZ trees in my area haven't been problematic. I would suggest sticking with your original plan. You can always topwork if BBS happens to be an issue in your grove.

Keitt is a very good mango, perhaps my favorite late season mango. I think you should try at least a couple of them. We have several in my neighborhood which produce gobs of healthy fruit year after year. One of my two trees has had issues with BBS for several years, but the other (which is only 25 feet away) produces clean fruit.

Another good, bullet-proof meat and potatoes producer is Duncan. Zero disease issues, reasonably consistent and strong production, and the fruit are quite good. The only issue I've seen with this tree is that the early crop can sometimes be bland.

If any of the trees don't work out, you can always top-work.
Jeff  :-)

Squam256

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2337
  • Mangos, trees and budwood for sale
    • USA, West Palm Beach, FL, 33405, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • https://www.facebook.com/TropicalAcresFarms
As your competition, I hope you plant lots of Keitt and Lemon Zest   8)


j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
Well played sir ...... but I won't even be a tiny blip on the radar up here in Merritt island.  I will have fun though and should be good for a few laughs along the way


j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
I forgot to add ......... thanks for the tip on Duncan I have 2 of them tagged but I may get more based on your recommendation

Thanks again

mangokothiyan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
    • Coral Springs, Florida
    • View Profile
I forgot to add ......... thanks for the tip on Duncan I have 2 of them tagged but I may get more based on your recommendation

Thanks again

The tree is very productive, but early season Duncans can be quite bland...a bit like Glenn during the rainy season. have you given Honey Kiss a thought?  It is productive and the taste is really good.  Compact tree too.

j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
Thanks ...... I had Honey Kiss on my list but I have not found any decent size trees to buy yet.  I have been to zills, nelsons and fruitscapes and called pine island so far

Cookie Monster

  • Broward, FL Zone 10b
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4745
  • Eye like mangoes
    • Tamarac, FL, 33321, 10B
    • View Profile
Speaking of glenn, that's another bullet proof, disease-resistant producer. Most of us tend to pan the glenn for its blandish flavor, but most of the mango newbies really enjoy it. We have 1/2 of a tree (roughly 1/2 is topworked to other cultivars), but my wife sells the heck out of the hundred or so fruits we get each year.

You should also look into Maha Chanok. My tree bears well every year and has no really issue with disease.

Ultimately, no tree is perfect. You have Production, Disease Resistance, and Flavor, but you can only pick 2. You also may have to do some experimentation based on your local set of circumstances.
Jeff  :-)

skhan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2274
    • United States, Florida, Coral Springs, 10b
    • View Profile
    • Videos of Garden
I think Edgar may have some potential for selling as the firmness may lend to a longer shelf life.

One thing to consider with the extended season varieties is how long do you want to man the fruit stand.

For the majority of the varieties, you can probably get
2-3 months with a lot of potential sales

If you add the few extra extended varieties you'll have to be open with only a few fruits to sell. (unless you have these for your own consumption  8) )

roblack

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3008
    • Miami, FL 11A
    • View Profile
Not sure how it will do that far north, but Glenn is good for a lot of reasons. Pretty mango, smells sweet and peachy, low fiber, disease resistant, and under the right conditions is very tasty. Not a huge tree, so may not be the best if you want a large heavy producer.

j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
Agreed on Glenn ....... I have had one at the house for 8 years and love it.  I am planting 5 of them and 4 mah ha chinok

I will try and find Edgar thanks for that suggestion

I'm going to get these 50 in the ground and then go and try and find more trees ...... hopefully there will be some stock to choose from

mangomongo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 296
    • MERRITT ISLAND
    • View Profile
Well played sir ...... but I won't even be a tiny blip on the radar up here in Merritt island.  I will have fun though and should be good for a few laughs along the way

Carrie seems to do very well in merritt island, consistent heavy producer with clean fruit thus far anyway.People  Love it or hate it but the oldest farm South of pineda seems to have a loyal following for there carries. Also, since you said you can buy from ZHPP they have a bunch of good looking carries as of yesterday. 

j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
thanks for that info MangoMongo ...... what else did you see that looked good down therein 15 or 25 gal?

i do have 6 carries coming ..... 2 from them and 4 from fruitscapes

thanks again

mangomongo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 296
    • MERRITT ISLAND
    • View Profile
Most everything that looked big for it's pot had already been marked with tagging tape but more important than big for the pot is that everything looked really healthy. I have figured out the obvious to be true when planting trees. The root system and health of the tree is most important. Trees that look too big for the pot are, the roots need pruned when planted and the trunks have been girdled most of the time all slowing down the establishment of the trees. As for verities I de say stay with the clean disease resistant ones as disease pressures seem to be really high in our area.

j-grow

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 104
  • Merritt Island
    • View Profile
those may have been my marked trees or at least some of them were im sure ..... there were only a couple trees there that were flagged when i went through picking mine out.  i did pick bigguns so i will look to make sure i dont need to cut the roots back.  that is really common on the bigger citrus and i agree they struggle. 

mangomongo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 296
    • MERRITT ISLAND
    • View Profile
PM sent.