The Tropical Fruit Forum

it's pretty sad, I agree Eddie.  Just to warn you, it started on one tree as a single spot and spread to all the other mangoes (except Sweet Tart, which seems to be immune).  If there's no answer here, maybe you could prune off the affected parts of your Kent so that it doesn't spread to your other mangoes.  No amount of spraying will eradicate it from mine at this point

Thank you very much.  What company do you use for soil testing?  Should I send them soil from my yard or soil from under the tree that has been made by mulch?

I'm not exactly sure of the timing on the dead branches.  I think they are showing up during March+ like you said.

Thanks I will also plant some of the native plants you mentioned.

Good afternoon everyone,
I may do the consulting that Alex offers in the future, but for now just wanted to see if anyone has any advice.  My mango trees all start out OK but then start getting many dead branches, get infected with two types of fungus (the big black spots and the tiny dots in the pictures) that only impacts mangoes, and then languish and stop producing fruit.  Does anyone know what is causing these problems?  I only use mulch and don't do anything else--I could start fertilizing, watering or pruning them, but don't really have an idea what is wrong or what I need to do to fix the situation.

The tree ripened fruit was a little creamier than the one i picked hard, but not a big difference-this is definitely a fruit you can pick hard after the first one ripens

Largest san pablo softened a little near the bottom on the tree so I harvested it. There’s one tiny lizard bite on it which i can remove. I’ll compare the tree ripened one to the one i harvested hard from the canopy. The hard one ripened pretty well, seems like custard apples are pretty easy to ripen-this is good for commercial growers as well since they have to pick hard fruit

I am not sure where I said organic fertilizer does not work. I use plenty of organic fertilizer. Synthetics can be used safely and effectively. They can also be better controlled and targeted and therefore less toxic in situations.  Personal protection equipment should be used with organic fertilizers.

Quote from: Julie on April 14, 2025, 01:57:15 PM

There are many organic options for fertilizer.  You don't have to decide between not fertilizing and applying synthetic fertilizers.  I only mulch my trees and they are doing good (except for mangos).  The mulch fertilizes the trees and prevents weed whacker damage and suppresses weeds.  You can even get organic granular fertilizer at home depot.  I don't agree with cbss_davie -- mulch, leaves, compost, etc. definitely work.  You don't need to get to the point of wearing full PPE just to fertilize your trees.

I 100% agree that PPE should always be worn no matter what you're applying - synthetic or organic.  For example, when you're applying azomite you don't want to inhale the dust.  I was going to adjust my post to reflect that.

Julian said in a Fruitful Trees video that the San Pablo variety comes from Brazil and Fernandez was a seedling he got from his neighbor and started grafting.  He could still be wrong though, maybe it is from Belize

I get a lot of rain where I live so I'm not doing any watering except in a newly planted tree, where I give it water that I filter in the house or let the chlorine evaporate in the house in mason jars (a lot of work).  Sure it's dry now but the trees are fine.  My mangoes have a lot of dead branches but I don't know if that's due to dry weather?  I am planning on getting a whole house water filtration system but still need to do more research on which one to get.

One looks ripe on the bunch.  Can't he taste it and tell you?  Ripe plantains are not as sweet as ripe bananas

Here is a pic of one that I harvested. I lost one fruit that ripened and dropped in the canopy so I harvested the other from the canopy. Im still waiting for a tree ripened one.

This fruit is very sweet. Cloyingly sweet. Sweeter than sapodilla. So sweet i cant eat a whole one in one sitting. The only gritis in the unripe portion near the top. It has a flavor of very sweet raspberry cheesecake. Ross sapote has more of a cheesecake texture than san pablo red custard apple. No annona seed borer damage in my yard but commercial groves are affected. Decent amount of seeds, not too bad but quite a few. I will post once i have the huge tree ripened one im waiting for

Coconut Cream-it's my experience that all avos flower at the same time regardless of when the fruit matures.  There may be a difference of like 1-2 weeks but not much.  Like clockwork every year. I love avocados.  Mangos are good but I haven't gotten fruit for a long time, not since the first winter/summer of COVID.