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wetfeet101b

Mango trees in SoCal?

wetfeet101b
18 years ago

Has anyone successfuly grown any type of mango tree outdoors in Southern California? (Specifically the Riverside area).

My concern is that the winters here do get very dry and can dip below 40F.

Comments (100)

  • shaanp
    10 years ago

    Alfonso mango flowers.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    10 years ago

    We purchased a mango and put it in ground about a month ago. We are in the hills overlooking the town of Hemet.

    I was worried about our tree until I read this thread. It has lost a few leaves, and the rest look ratty, but it's still a little cold here. As soon as it warms up, I'm thinking it will be fine.

    We planted a guava the same day, and it's showing lots of growth. Must be a little tougher than Manila Mango.

    Suzi

  • catfat112
    9 years ago

    Ventura Mango Trees if anyone in the ventura area has producing mango tree please contact me i have some questions in would like to ask
    jonathanburton805@gmail.com

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    9 years ago

    And fertilize your Mango when they need it most- when flushing new foliage in "summer"..in California,summer is when spring temps get warm and stay warm. And that varies from location to location. Now,mine is flowering right now in the bay area and has some minor flushing- but 65-70f seems too cool for fertilizing. Its only February. By April,every flush will get a dose of fertilizer....usually the ones sold for Citrus seem to work well. Others are good "Tropical plant food" "Palm and Cycad"..better then nothing.

    I might be wrong on not fertilizing this early..but better safe then sorry.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    9 years ago

    Valle Vista. Hmmmm. I'd love to know the name of your nursery. Maybe pop in one of these days. We usually go to that Italian owned one on Devonshire. Joe C. Can't spell that one! We are in a microclimate here. You can actually watch the temp change as you go up and down the hill. It did snow here and actually stuck for that one day, but everything survived just fine. The plants think it's summer now.

    Our little mango has settled in. It is showing lots of growth. We aren't so sure about the guava. Appears we don't like the fruit too much. Macadamia, Moringas, Pakistan Mulberries got hit by the frost, and although they never went dormant, their old leaves show frost burn, but they are full of new happy growth and berries. Citrus all are fine. Avocado is fine. We have many varieties of fig trees, and many never went dormant, but their leaves got frost bit.

    I think this year the mango will put on some big growth. It's located against a West wall, which might protect it a little. There is no place to put it next to the house. Concrete and view decks everywhere. It's in the front side yard.

    Thanks for all the good advice!


  • Ted Cole
    9 years ago

    Hey Suzi, We just re-located off Florida and 7th st. right next to Ramona Expressway (a hop skip and a jump away from you). We are not done moving in yet, still have to run irrigation and finish moving over all our plants. We are doing appointments only at this point but will be open full time the beginning of April :).
    If you want to check out what we have in stock let me know. We have lots of fruit trees, California Natives, Succulents and Tropicals.

    Thats super awesome your Mango made it through the winter along with your other trees! Im super impressed that you have a Macadamia nut tree! Those are a bit more tropical, I also have a Mulberry in my yard but I have a Persian Mulberry and I also have a couple varieties of figs as well though im still waiting on getting my favorite fig (the Moreton Bay Fig) its a bit more tropical and I need to make sure im ready for such a tree. Maybe at some point we can trade Scions to expand our varieties!

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    9 years ago

    Well, this is a mango forum, so I'll try not to hijack the thread any more. Jim and I will visit you in April. I had to google the Moreton Bay Fig. HUGE! Ours are all Ficus Carica, and I have many delicious varieties. Don't have any cuttings now because they have all budded out. Our mulberry is Pakistan with 3-4 inch berries. I started it from fresh cuttings taken from a friend of mine. We have two trees. Out of 14 cuttings, 2 took. I did what he said. Stick em in the ground, water them and wait. They are one year old now and full of green buds and berries. Not sure what the Persian Mulberry is like. We will be fertilizing the Mango today because it is flushing, and I think it will follow the rule of most trees. First year they sleep. Second year they creep. Third year they LEAP! One more year for it to show us it's real stuff! Looking forward to visiting you. Jim will look for you today. He's going to Valle Vista Hardware for rose food, so he'll try to locate your place.


  • Ted Cole
    9 years ago

    Awesome! we have a sign out front (monarch plant nursery)
    Thats great that you had 2 take by just placing them in the ground. If you use a root hormone like clone-x your success rate will go up. I usually put my cuttings in humidity domes and clone-x them. I usually have a pretty good success rate doing it that way.

    Well ill take your lead and not hijack the thread. Looking forward to meeting you and Jim in the near future :)

  • Taylor Miles
    8 years ago

    Where is the best place to buy manila mango tree in larger sizes 20 or 24 Gallon in Orange County, CA?

  • Jesse Machuca-Vega (SoCal 9B)
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Awesome, I'm in San Jacinto, near cottonwood and palm, I have Ice cream mango, Nam doc mai, and gold nugget mango. Im not brave enough to put them in the ground although I have a great microclimate that did not touch my foxtail palms or plumeria. I'd love to check out your nursery.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago

    If Plumeria do well,Mangoes are good to go. They also do get more cold resistant the longer they are in the ground. We had a couple of frosts and mine in the bay area did fine.Never covered it. If it gets to below freezing? -cover. If its a long freeze over days- cover and heat with a lightbulb or something.


  • parker25mv
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    In Southern California here, not too far from the coast. The temperatures here tend to be very mild, and it gets very warm in the summer. I have no doubt that mangoes and many other tropical fruits could grow here. Most people do not grow tropical fruit simply because it is so plentiful and cheap in the stores. Last time I went to the health food market, I could get a coconut for $2.50 and a mangos were on sale for $1 each, pineapples are much cheaper than they used to be too (though it can be hard to find a truly fresh and ripe one). The coconuts and pineapples are imported, but I think some of the mangos are grown in California. The only issue with tropical fruit trees in this climate is they need consistent watering. Further inland it would be more challenging, because the variation in temperatures are more extreme, less of that coastal influence moderating things. It still tends to be fairly dry here, and it is often hot and sunny, so those leaves can get a little scorched in the summer if the plant is not consistently watered. But it is really dry further inland, I'm talking about desiccating winds.

    Ironically, the fruit trees I want to plant are all temperate ones (cherries for example), ones that have difficulty growing because they do not get chill here. I know many people from other parts of the country look longingly towards Southern California and Florida wishing they could grow tropical fruits. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, I suppose. There are a small number of older Southeast Asian and Latin American immigrants growing guava, persimmons, and mangoes in their backyards.

    Off-topic but pomegranates are extremely well suited to our coastal Mediterranean climate. The region would probably be the main exporter to the rest of the country if it was not for the fact the land is so expensive.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Here in z10a bay area mostly the sub tropical fruits do fine. High elevation fruits like Cherimoya,Avocados and White Sapote. Its a wonder though that Mangoes can get to be small tree's here in the bay area. I saw a photo of one that was like a nice small street tree. Most lowland tropical fruit tree's are too heat needy. Guava's are another I was told will grow and taste fine in the B.A.

    There are low chill Apples. And I love Santa Rosa plums. Apricots too. I wish I had the room.

  • lmiranda173
    8 years ago

    I live in Colton CA .and I have a mango tree That is over 20 ft tall it gives fruit every year it was grown from a seed it was small for about three years until the roots broke the sprinkler line which I did not know and the tree really grew lol

  • sylvia_salcedo
    8 years ago

    I live in El Monte and I have two different types of mango trees. They have done very well. I'm drying some seeds rigjt now to plant so we'll see if they do well.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    What types of Mango and fruit size?

  • sylvia_salcedo
    8 years ago

    Ataulfo aka manila and I belive it's a Kent both of these trees came from Mexico and they are healthy trees. Manila tree fruit are about 6" tall the Kent mangos are a bit larger. This year wasn't a good year due to the lack of water.

  • denisesha
    8 years ago

    I live in Palm Springs, CA. Has anyone grown mangos here in the desert climate?


  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago

    Search "Mangodog" denise- he has posted many times on growing in PS. He seems to have left for another forum. He might see this and help you.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    8 years ago

    Someone does. I know because my baby tree was looking bad, and I posted needing help. He posted a photo of his and said he was from Palm Springs area. I remember because we used to live in La Quinta. HOA there allowed no trees except for what they had approved for the glory of the neighborhood, which is why we now live on county property inbetween Temecula and Hemet with NO HOA!

    My Manila Mango is now 2 years old and doing fine. This year we knew temps would be dropping so we sprayed it and our other sub tropicals with Cloud Cover. It is very green, has all it's leaves and is doing fine even though temps have dropped below 30 here.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago

    As far as "why grow them when you can buy a carton of them for $9?" Why grow apples? Lemons? Because fresh is better,picked ripe is better then picking green and using gas to to turn color.

    Besides my answer to "you only get a few mangos off of the California shrubby plants" is..well,plant 5 or 10. Then you have every reason to grow them- delicious and more then enough to eat. Maybe give some away...

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago

    A s far as Mangoes in Southern Cal.. Type that into the search of Grows On You.com Plenty of large one in photos. Or Google "Grows On You Mango's Southern California" "Delonix" has posted quite a few.

  • Axel
    8 years ago

    People should try the new mango varieties that were bred for commercial production in Southern California. Antonio was bred to be hardy to 25F and is being tried as far North as Fresno. There are several others including one called pineapple. The advantage of those varieties is that they can be grown outside of the thermal belts in Southern California, and they flower and fruit much better in wet Spring conditions. If you're in any of the thermal belts, you can grow any mango that has anthracnose resistance and isn't prone to splitting. Grafted Keitt, glenn and Ataulfo are the safest. Don't try nam doc, it splits as a result of Southern California Winter temperature and moisture swings. The more heat you have, the more success you will have with mangoes, being close to the coast isn't really an advantage.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    8 years ago

    Baileys Marvel is another. Mine has fruited the last two years,three years after putting it in ground. Its about 5'+ This is a fast grower- a narrow upright growth. . On GW,tropical fruit forum Kyna here in the bay area has several nice types going.

    Things are sure different these days, a man in Hayward told me he has a Sapodilla blooming.

    You can also go to youtube and see a mango thriving in Fremont. Still had ripe fruit in January.

  • Eva Holdbrooks
    8 years ago

    As for mangos I have grown a mango tree here in the valley I live in tulare county. I live my mango tree and yes it's been outside winter and summer...

  • Baby G (USDA:10a, Sunset:21&23 SoCal-NE. Mt Washington, Lo-Chill: 200-400 Hrs, So
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I just picked up a variety called "winters." I was told it was a "new variety" (not so) and did very well --prolific-- in So Cal (read later it's inconsistent). I'm so suprised I bought something without researching the heck out of if first. Has anyone heard of this variety?

  • appraisal_center
    7 years ago

    The very best is a variety of Thai Mango that I planted many years ago. I use drip watering. My tree grows many very large and very sweet Mangos every year. Probably had 150 plus good sized fruits this year. I thin it out early in the season. Fruits are up to about 3 pounds. Taste better than any other variety I have had here or in Asia. Live in Whittier foothills. Tree is 10-12 feet tall and wide. Picture is at very end of season.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    7 years ago

    That's a great looking dense Mango,AC. Nice color to the fruit skin,different. How old is it?

    As mine grows- I learn more. This year- not even an especially warm summer in the bay area-mine grew almost 3'. over the season. It's still starting its last flush. So,- again,in ground tree's over 2 years old in ground just do not grow like the dainty things they were in the little nursery 3 gallon pot. It is very near exponential..so far.

  • appraisal_center
    7 years ago

    15 years old tree. The variety is Nam Dok Mai.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    7 years ago

    Nam Dok- does have a great reputation. Fine looking specimen. Whittier foothills sounds like a good frost draining climate. How did it do in 2007? or any other frost?

  • appraisal_center
    7 years ago

    Very little frost in my area over the years. One year the frost dropped a lot of small fruits that were setting and the surviving fruits were good. Yield went way up over the last 5-8 years and when I went to drip.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    6 years ago

    Re reading this...yep.I think never let them go dry once they set those little pea sized fruit. Drip,or water by hand..that's when you want the soil to stay watered.

  • samput47
    6 years ago

    A lot of people especially those originally from the Philippines think that MANILA mango is the same cultivar they had back home. This is very far from the truth. Manila mango is Ataulfo, a Mexican cultivar. Philippine Mango (carabao) could be purchased via mail order from Florida. I live in Montclair, CA and have a fruiting maha chinook mango.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    6 years ago

    Post a photo,because I read that here and there..but no photo of what WIKI says is called in the Philippines as "Manilita".

  • Gerry Flores
    6 years ago

    Hi appeaisal_center. I live near u. Is there any way i could exchange some cuttings from your nam doc mai for sone other trees i have? I would love the nam doc mai. Please let me know. Thanks,gerry-mobilefax@yahoo.com

  • B J Singh
    2 years ago

    I am in cerritos and grow lychee and mango in my back yard. The mango is of the valencia variety. They require a treatment of sulphur diring flowering till fruit sets to deal with white mildew.


  • Melton Daley
    2 years ago

    Looking to plant a few mango trees in South San Gabriel; the East Indian, St. Julian AKA Julie and Bombay kind. Anyone know where I can purchase some trees locally? Mangoes seems to do well in my area as a home not too far from mine bears an abundance of mangoes plus the local nursery had a tree, and the mangoes are just great; tree not for sale though and neither are the tree the type I'm looking for.

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    I just planted a Valencia Pride here in Pomona, and curious if anyone here has a similar climate with success or advice? Thanks!


  • appraisal_center
    2 years ago

    I have a great experience with my mango tree in Whittier. It produced about 250 mostly large and very sweet fruits this year. I planted this Nam Dok Mai 25 years ago

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    What a massive tree you have there! I used to live in East LA and had great luck with my Manilla, but am wondering how the cooler winter climate where I am now will affect growth and fruit set.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    2 years ago

    I would guess you don't have much to worry about in Pomona other than- keep a freeze off it. Pomona's long hot ( even hot today) summers are just going to be better for them.

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    Yep, summers are indeed long here. Mainly worried about the colder nights that can happen here vs closer to the coast during the winter. I used to see tons of mango trees in my old neighborhood, but haven't seen them here. There was a Plumeria in the ground here which is a good sign. Tons of citrus and avocado trees here too

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    2 years ago

    I would keep cover for it just in case you get a 32f coming around. What usually happens for newly planted and young trees is they survive that- but a good chance the graft dies. So,you then have Manila mango rootstalk. My Baileys became a Manila that way.

    I think you need to use that cover for just the first three years or so in ground. After that it would take a deep hard freeze to kill all the foliage. Hope we never get a 1990 again.

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    It looks like it rarely goes below 32f here, but will be prepared in case. More so than a freeze is my concern for nights under 40f, as those seem potentially more frequent than I'm used to. For anyone else that comes across this, it looks like Im in Zone 10A, with 9B close by. I'm not sure what the root stock is on this tree, but it looks like it produced flowers last season, and the trunk is quite thick. From doing a little internet research, it looks like Valencia Pride are a little bit more cold hardy then a Glenn or some other similar varieties. Will keep this thread posted on the progress of this tree.

  • appraisal_center
    2 years ago

    If frost is likely you can cover the tree. Once it is well established you should be fine.

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    Any recommendations for what to use to cover a tree without suffocating it?

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    2 years ago

    Frost cloth or sheet plastic on sticks. As long as the plastic isnt touching the foliage.

    But I see that Mango farms in the Coachella Valley are pretty much the same climate you have.

    One other point..its really best not to let the tree fruit until it becomes a small tree. At least remove the first three years the fruits. If you don't,then the tree stops growing,has a few fruit and then goes into winter weak from little to none new foliage.

    I admit it takes huge effort not to let fruit ripen..but it's for the best.

  • Paul
    2 years ago

    Thanks! The tree I have was overgrowing a 15 gallon pot, and seems to be a vigorous grower compared to other varieties. I'm actually worried about it growing too quick. The Coachella valley gets considerably hotter and colder than here. I think we average highs in the low 90's in the summer, and low temps in the low 40's in the winter. However, the climate is definitely less influenced by the ocean than where I was before, so it tends to be drier and fluctuate more. Anyway, I did learn about having too much small fruit on my Manilla, so will let this one get stronger before letting it set fruit.