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joeblfsk

a tale of two mango trees

Since moving to SW Florida from the Upper Keys in Sept 2005, I have lived in two different homes hereabouts. Everything grows like wildfire in the Keys, so will only relate the story of the first two Kent mango trees ( my all time favorite mango ), I grew in this area of SW Florida, on the border of zones 9b and 10a.

I planted the first Kent in March 2006 on the front lawn of my 1st home here. That home was sold 2 years later. I drove by a year after selling it, just to see how the tree was doing. I was shocked and dismayed to discover the tree covered in a black fungus, even the few fruits were black. Felt sorry for the people, obviously not familiar with the proper care of a Kent mango tree, the one variety that is very sensitive to the fungus. Hopeful that the owner would eventually get some help from someone , I moved on.

A few years later I planted another 6 ft tall Kent in the new " plantation " I started in the backyard of my present home, just 10 miles away. This 2nd Kent is now 5 yrs old but has produced no fruit for the last 3 years,..nada, not even one pannicle, despite all the TLC it received ! The others around it, ( especially the Glenn ), however, produce larger harvests every year. Although the Kent I now have is just starting to show a smidgeon of life in the last month, I am generally not excited about it's prospects for the approaching season. ( 1st pic )

Then, a week ago on my way home from the American Legion, I decided to drive down once again to have a look at the old Kent tree, now in the ground nine years.. Afraid of what I'd see but instead a pleasant surprise.

That tree was about 18 feet tall, a bright green with a trunk diameter of 10 inches, and bristling with loads of vibrant looking pannicle clusters shooting upwards. ( 2nd pic ) !! Here we were, barely into January, and this late season Kent is already producing so many new pannicles, I was speechless !

Was so impressed I stopped and took a pic, then had to knock on the door and ask what the owner was doing that had produced such a magnificent specimen. I told them I was " in awe and sooo jealous " ! lol They were very nice and told me neither of them has a clue about mango trees and have done absolutely nothing to nurture the tree.

I returned home and looked at my almost dormant 5 yr old, ten foot tall Kent. How could I be the father of both these trees ? Hmmm, so much for TLC, right ?

Am of the opinion now that perhaps some varieties of mango trees flourish with less care than others. Needless to say, with this tree anyway, there will be no more pruning, or tipping, or fungus sprays, or fertilizing !!! NOTHING !! If those people can do it, so can I !! lol

This post was edited by jofus on Sun, Jan 11, 15 at 8:57

Comments (22)

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The original tree I was feeling so bad about. NOT NOW THO !!! ( SMILE )

  • saldut
    9 years ago

    Glad your mango tree turned out so great--- sometimes benign neglect works best...sally

  • katkin_gw
    9 years ago

    Maybe your second kent just needs more time to mature and adjust to it's new surroundings. Plants just amaze me in what they will do on their own.

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Am coming around to that view as well katkin. That first Kent I saw ten days ago looks like it'll have a 100 fruit harvest this July,..this tree here, although looking healthy with an open center for sunlight, will most likely have no harvest.
    Will leave it alone from now on, - have no new ideas anyway.
    Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em ! ( smile )

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sally,.. just one exception to the above. I will apply two medium-light doses of 0 - 0- 50 fertilizer, one in February and another in April. Can't hurt the fruitless Kent, and according to the experts is the least one can do to get a tree " moving. " We'll see !

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Hi Jofus, is that your mango tree in full bloom? VERY nice Kent mango...hope its a bumper crop for you this year.

    Might have to come visit you this summer if you have more than you can eat,lol...

    BTW, I noticed your post about 0-0-50 fertilizer....I'm planning on adding that to my mango tees...how much are you planning on putting on a 6-7 year old mango tree like the size trees I posted below...a guess will be fine. I don't want to over fertilize,lol...

    I just ordered a 15 lb bag of 0-0-50 for $22 ( free shipping) online. should be here next week :o)

    Here's my Cogshall...

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    My Glenn mango...third year that its had both Blooms and new growths...about half the tree. No idea why this happens?

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Nancy, Yes that's my Kent mango tree,..but it's the one in the 1st pic ! The 2nd pic shows the very vibrant 9 yr old Kent that I planted on the front lawn of the home I sold in 2007. It's not mine anymore !

    The almost dormant Kent I now have is in the ground 5 years, but has produced zero fruits in almost 4 years This coming 2015 season, I am giving it a serious kick in the pants.

    The lady at the seed store was specific, - drop one handful of the 0 - 0- 50 for every inch of trunk diameter measured a foot above the ground ! So I spread 7 handfuls, ( cheated a bit, dia was only 5 inches ), Your hands are most likely smaller, so spread maybe 8 handfuls for a 5 inch diameter. ( smile )..Spread most around the outer dripline. Will apply some shovelfuls of organic compost tomorrow morning, ( before the NFL games ! ). Will then do the 0 - 0- 50 thing again at end of March. Believe me, that Kent mango tree should be ready to finally show it's stuff come April, it has no excuses now ! ( smile )

    Your Cogshall and Glenn look great ! I am hoping to have three ( 3 ) big trees produce a lot of succulent mangos this summer, to say nothing about what my teenagers ( Tebow &, Carrie ), may produce. You are welcome to stop by anytime, expect to be drowning in fruit by July 1st. The Pickering and Maha Chanook are the babies, will still be in their cribs sucking their bottles. lol

    I drove back down to the Fruitscapes Nursery on Pine Island, on the 14th, and bought one healthy looking, six ft tall Maha Chanook ( that I just mentioned.). It's in a 7 gal pot and will , replace the Mallika I planted almost 2 years ago,

    The Mallika was looking skinnier and weaker than it was when I first planted it, plus the mumbo-jumbo about how to harvest the fruit, ( have no idea where to buy camel dung,...joking, joking ). Missed the Maha more and more.

    Fruitscapes must have had 25 Maha's to choose from,...and the sales people are so polite and knowledgeable ! A pleasurable trip every time I go !

    Good luck up there ! ( smile )

    This post was edited by jofus on Sun, Jan 18, 15 at 10:43

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Thanks Jofus, I might just take you up on your very generous offer in June,lol...I'm appx. 1 1/2 from englewood. I'm in Highlands County.

    Also appreciate the detailed amount of 0-0-50 to apply to my mangoes...very helpful, Thanks!

    Your Kent should definitely be blooming now...but its probably waiting an extra year just to prove a point :o)...mango trees can be stubborn sometimes!! It's a beauty!

    Your new Maha sounds great...I wish they had them back when I purchased mine...well you remember you too made that 6 hour drive to Lake Worth,lol...Fruitscapes would be so much closer.

    Here's my 2 year old Maha...I think its just starting to bloom...too small to tell just yet. I decided to plant it inground last August.

  • vegasqueen
    9 years ago

    Hi puglvr1 I need to purchase some 0 0 50 also. Can you share info on where/who to order from. Thanks

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    I ordered the 0-0-50 from Ebay...with free shipping. Just make sure you do not order 0-0-60 that's a totally different fertilizer...

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Right on Nancy, that 0 - 0- 60 stuff will do more harm than good.

    Thanks for the pic of your Maha Chanook, looks like it has lots of potential. The first Maha I bought, ( on that loooong drive to Excalibur ), was an amazing plant. Was in a 15 ga pot, stood 4 1/2 feet tall after planting and grew a foot in the following year. It and the Tebow were my prize " babies " two yrs ago. But I wasn't thinking clearly when I planted it, tried to transplant it and it died.

    This Maha I just got from Fruitscapes looks very different, - tall, lanky and tough,..like Gary cooper ! ( smile )

    Will include 3 pics here, went in the ground last Friday. We still have some chilly nights ahead but feel confident the strings of C7 and C9 Christmas lights will keep the 4 little guys, ( Maha Chanook, Pickering, Tebow and Carrie ), warm and cozy. I plug them in whenever I think the night time temps will dip below 49,...just me, but after all the digging, etc,..why take a chance ? lol

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Top of the new Maha Chanook,..lots of new growth and emerging pannicles. Hope springs eternal !

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Hi Jofus...I'm SO sorry to hear about your original Maha :o(...Been there done that! I feel your pain, but I'm very happy to see you've replaced it...and a pretty, healthy tree at that!!

    I agree with you on "better safe than sorry"...its a good motto to have especially when you've invested SO much time, money and hard work into something...

    Fingers crossed we have NO freeze for the rest of winter :o)

  • jofus, ( Englewood, Fl zone 10a )
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The Maha in the Ground now for 4 days ! It stands a full six foot tall ! I am 6' 2" tall and it comes to the middle of my forehead.
    So different from the first Maha I purchased, which was both reasonably tall and also wide,..a vigorous looking tough guy ! This one, even tho it's taller is much skinnier, but I have a feeling it will fill out rapidly. Hard to see but it already has five ( 5 ) lateral limbs coming off the main trunk , all angling upwards. It was the choice of the litter that Fruitscapes had that day. Again, feel confident it'll be a choice tree,..in time maybe it's fruits will even be the size of my Vallencia Pride's, which had it's first huge harvest late last July. Talk about big fruits ! And tasty ? Words cannot describe the experience,..Hemingway could I'm sure, but not me, lol,
    This is it,..no more trees,..now will just be pampering all seven of them, should enough to keep me busy ! ( smile )

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Its a beauty!!! I'm sure it will do just great in your care. Though I'm not looking forward to summer weather I am really excited about mangoes being in season :o)

    This post was edited by puglvr1 on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 7:32

  • flamingofl42
    9 years ago

    I've got a beautiful mango tree that the birds planted in my yard. I had no idea what it was for the first couple years, thought it was a weed, until last year when I had 15 mangos. Some animal ate them all. This year I have HUNDREDS of mangos. Questions: (1) How can you tell the variety of mango tree? (2) How do you keep the wildlife from eating? I have raccoons and bears that could possibly be the perps.

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Hi Jofus, I went to your page and didn't see a way to send you an email...maybe when you get a chance in the near future you can drop me an email and we can plan a visit in the summer...would love to see your mango trees. My email address is on My Page...Thanks!

    Flamingo, if the birds planted your mango tree it is almost impossible to "guess" what the variety is...its probably a seedling. Most (not all) mangoes are grafted since most mangoes do not grow true from seed (though there are a few exceptions)...can you post a picture of the mangoes from last year and the tree?

    Does the fruit have any fiber...what shape and color are the fruits?

  • flamingofl42
    9 years ago

    This is a picture of the fruit on the tree. They are small - from about the size of a marble to a little bigger. I don't know if it has any fiber because a critter ate them all the first year. I know I didn't plant it so I assumed it was a bird. Maybe it's not even a mango?

  • dangermouse01 (coastal central FL 9B)
    9 years ago

    Flamingofl142, those are loquat (aka Japanese Plum) not mango.
    The loquat in my yard was a volunteer from a seed dropped by something. The birds and squirrels around here eat them once they start turning yellow (happening right now in coastal central Florida).

    DM

  • flamingofl42
    9 years ago

    OHHHHH - Thank you! I was "googling" mango recipes! Now I have to "google" loquat recipes!!

  • puglvr1
    9 years ago

    Lol...I'm glad DM cleared it up for you...I was just looking at your picture and thought its definitely Loquat not mango!!

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