re: Louisiana Tropical Fruit Gardening - Experiences and Updates

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quote: Try Four Winds. Much better quality trees. Thanks, looks like you get a bigger/older tree as well.

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I recently got a Cara Cara from four winds. Nice tree about 30” tall shipped very well and protected. I acclimated to our sun for a week or so and put in the ground, it’s taking off and has flowers now…will be picking them off if any set!

Alphonso
Carrie
Tebow
Irwin
85$ 7 gal

Local place has those …thoughts ? Seeing if they will get a pickering anytime soon

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Alphonso
Carrie
Tebow
Irwin

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Alphonso is arguably the most famous mango in the world. Considered the King of Indian mangoes. They struggle here in the States; they grow ugly and aren’t as productive as other types. The microclimates and soil types just don’t line up. I’d avoid it.

Carrie is another one that hits the classic Indian profile. Some people love it. I do not. Indian type mangoes are characterized by having spicy, resinous profiles. Carrie is very productive; but, definitely not a dwarf.

Tebow is actually a renamed mango of yesteryear called the “Young” mango. It originated in SoFL and was quite popular as a commercial mango. A cross between a Kent and an Edward. Classic flavor; pretty disease resistant. A medium to large sized tree.

Irwin is another classic flavored mango and like the Tebow is a classic from SoFL. In Japan it’s grown in Miyazaki Prefecture and known as the “Egg of the Sun”. It’s the mango equivalent of A5 Wagyu beef. There’s a process involved. Some of them sell for hundreds of dollars each. They are grown exclusively in pots there; but, full disclosure most Americans don’t care for it. It’s hugely popular in Asia. Specifically; Japan and Taiwan.

Of what you listed; I’d probably do the Irwin if no other choice is provided. Simply because it has a documented track record with growing well in pots. My backup would be the Tebow.

I’d really encourage you to hold out for a Pickering, Dwarf Hawaiian, Sweet Tart or Angie.

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I’d really encourage you to hold out for a Pickering, Dwarf Hawaiian, Sweet Tart or Angie

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the only Pickering I could find was tiny! But so was the nom dac Mai #4. Hard to find anything of size that you can order shipped

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the only Pickering I could find was tiny! But so was the nom dac Mai #4. Hard to find anything of size that you can order shipped

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Mango, Avocado and Lychee growing is all about delayed gratification. I have 15 or more mango trees at my place. Most of which are in the ground for over a year now and some started as little one gallon trees and others as 25 gallon trees. Trust me; with proper maintenance they will grow in no time. Sort of an avalanche effect. Some take their time to get rolling; but, once they do they may double in size from one year to the next. I’ve seen 4-5 year old trees that are 15-18 feet tall.

None of them has shown the vigor or precocious growth of the Pickering which was a 7 gallon tree when I got it. One year later it’s probably as large as some of the 25 gallon trees when I got them.

I would not allow your new one to hold fruit. I know that’s hard. We all want to be eating them ASAP. You will get more and better mangoes later by thinning them off now. Pluck them off once they get to pea size and prune the branch just below the panicle once all are gone.

Your goal now is to promote vegetative growth. More branches and shoots equals more panicles and more fruit. Bushy mango trees are much easier to manage than tall, lanky ones. Pruning and tipping is your friend.

So a haircut now and I’d then tip it out again in the Fall. I usually do my final prune in early September to give the trees time for one final flush before they go dormant for Winter.

As a rule; I like to make sure the trees are at least 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide before allowing them to hold fruit. With a Pickering that’s probably a two year old tree that’s in a 15 gallon pot. My Pickering probably had 70 or more mangos set this year. I thinned off some of the smaller ones two weeks ago. Now it’s in that phase where it’s self selecting and dropping the smaller fruit. I still have 30 or more mangoes on it and expect I’ll harvest a handful this summer.

Of the other trees they all set fruit minus Lemon Zest which is known for being quirky. Even the little one gallon trees tried. On 10 of the trees I did exactly what I described above and just about all of them are flushing new leaves and shoots now.

Today’s newest addition. This is a Hak Ip lychee that was air layered from a tree in West Palm Beach. I got it to help co-pollinate my Sweetheart lychee I planted last year.

It’s known for having very dark leaves at maturity and for producing a sweet intensely flavored fruit with a small chicken tongue seed or often terminating with no seed at all. It’s been in a 3 gallon pot for the past few months waiting for the temps to finally settle in and risk of cold to be behind us.

Lychee trees are typically propagated by grafting limbs from mature trees instead of being grown from seed. Odds are I’m looking at 3 years before this one is large enough to provide fruit. Around year 5 I should be able to start grafting limbs off to create new trees.

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That's what I was able to order. The thing is maybe 18" tall. Planted it a month ago and still no new growth.

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Planted where?

Got my 15gal Makok sapodilla up potted to 25gal today:

Apparently if it's a single tree and you catch it early you can drive them away with the sulfur. We're going to find out. I quarantined my healthy 7gal hoping it does not start showing signs.

That’s a good price for some larger trees.