last winter you got the opposite end of our Arctic oscillation, meaning your winter was relatively warm,

heres an image from NOAA showing the winter 2009 - 2010 arctic oscillation high and low pressure systems
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hey mango_kush...the winter wasn't anything major BUT I wouldn't say it was warm.

we did have a REALLY late spring and summer about 2 months later than usual...still cold in June when normally we start getting warm in april....tomatoes didn't ripen until the end of august when normally they ripen early july!

so def. not a "regular" year...but the previous winter was pretty cold and my plants survived that outside.

this year we are actually going to try to build a structure to protect them if needed...they are planted in a spot with full sun against a fence and on a tiered hill with good drainage.

Congratulations, Tammy! Two babies and ripe mangoes in Northern California.....very impressive.

Harry

That's AWESOME Tammy...Congrats!! I bet you're little one really enjoyed it. It looks delicious! I bet you get more next year. Enjoy and thanks for the update.

thanks guys...i was REALLY ecited because i think i may be the first to grow mangoes outdoors north of the golden gate bridge.

everyone told me it was impossible.

i was really surprised by how good it tasted. it had a complex flavor that was sweet and tangy and a deep orange flesh. very smooth, no fiber. we get very little rain in the summer so maybe the flavors were concentrated...after we got a few days of rain it started to split so i picked it and let it sit on the counter for a day.

it had a tiny seed.

my baby ate half of it...and i saved the other half for my parents to try. my dad ate it before my mom got her share so she is a little miffed at him ;) they are really excited for more so hopefully if i can get the tree to survivie the winter we will have some more.

when i bought the tree i was told that glenn mango would do well in northern california and i guess he was right.

harry, do you know why mangoes get the black veiny things near skin? i have seen on some store mangoes as well.

now that we know how good home grown mangoes taste and that it is doable, it has motivated my husband to build some protection for it...

Tammy, I LOVE my Glenn mango too...one of the best tasting mango flavor I've had!

Check out the link below from the Florida forum...might give your husband some ideas and pointers on building a "frame" for cold protection for your mango tree.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cold Protection

Congratulations Tammy, I'm so glad that you were able to fruit your mango and it tasted good. I also have a Glenn and it was growing straight up without any limbs so I topped it and it is starting to swell with buds below the cut. I'm so happy that you liked the flavor of Glenn since I should be getting some fruit within the next couple years. Hopefully you'll be able to taste your other mangoes soon. Please keep us posted.

It can be done! That might be the first Mango thats not one of the small asian fruited types to do well in the bay area.
My Bailey is growing like a champ..and only grow-lol. My poor bad luck Manila that fruited years ago-its trunk was snapped off by something..vandal? dogs? I dont know ,but late summer was a bad time to lose that much growth.

thanks pug...i am def. sending him that link...got to protect our babies ;)

simon: the glenn was REALLY good...it tasted like the mango i had from whole foods that had a bright green skin but the flesh was fiberless and a deep orange. very tasty.

the other mango i have in an alphonso so hopefully that will be good..my carrie, lancetilla and icecream died (at least i think they are dead...not doing much) so i really want an edward or maha chinook

stanofh: my inspiration...so glad you saw the post. i got the glenn from laverne and the guy said it did the best of all their mango trees so i took his word....

Congratulations! I was really sad to see your older post about those other trees that you lost. But, this is indeed a great success! The fact that you kept your trees outside without protection is inspirational. And yes, stanofh is another inspiration to me too.

Tammy:

Your question about the black veins near the skin in some mangoes is a very good one. I have experienced this condition as well and it isn't a normal characteristic of mangoes at all. So if it is an abnormal phenomenon, what is the cause? I have been wondering about this and trying to research the question for some time. I tend to believe that it has to do with a developmental defect that occurs when fruits do not have optimum maturing and ripening conditions...but i have nothing to point you to that would prove this or even suggest it. The next time I have the opportunity to see or speak with Dr. Richard Campbell or Dr. Jonathan Crane, I intend to ask if they have any ideas about this.

Harry

I echo the high praises to you, Tammy. I am so pleasantly surprised that so far north in our state, that it's worked out for you, and now that you see it can be deliciously done, you have decided to buy some insurance on your beloved tree and build a protective structure for it - VERY SMART - you want to keep a good thing going, and you may just find that you will be grateful you have it, perhaps sooner than later!

And i'm also glad to hear that the Glenn is wonderful tasting....I just planted one....

mangodog

Wow, tammy you hit the lotto!I'm so glad to hear of your success in Northern California . I'm also glad to hear of laverne's progress in grafting mangos. They have had mixed reviews with other tropical fruits but now they have quite a large selection of Florida and California mangos - they just don't advertise it. I bought a Thompson mango from laverne in January and it's doing ok I hope it picks it up next year like your Glen.

Hi Ashley, i think the trees died because the place I ordered them from had not healthy trees....the ice cream and carrie never grew after I got them. the lancetilla did grow alot but when i planted it in ground i think we were too rough with the roots because it died within days of being put in the ground even though the weather was nice.

mangodog, you should have no prob growing mangoes in Palm Springs...just might have to protect it if the nights get too cold.

Tammy, I've never tasted Alphonso but I have tasted Kesar and Alphonso's are supposed to be much better than Kesar. The Kesar mango I tasted was ordered online and was the best tastig mangos I have ever eaten. I saw your Blog and it looks like you had several Glenn's that got pretty large. Keep up the good work and hopefully your tree will get larger every year and be able to withstand the cold better with each year of growth.

Tammy
I saw tangerines growing in Oroville. Then mangoes can be grown in Marin with biggest problem being to protect the tree during a freeze. Of course as tree grows older it is more freeze resistant and if some branches get lost to the cold then the large mango tree can bounce back easier, send out new growth.

One way to counteract a freeze would be to fire up a gas grill near or under the tree and haul out a strong electric fan to direct the hot air. If you have to babysit a mango tree overnight once a year that is a small sacrifice for delicious backyard mangoes. The real kick is you can grow pears and apricots where you are and have the best of both worlds. Northern fruits and tropical fruits.

Jfernanzez: I was really bummed by the grafting on my Laverne tree because it is so high but I looked at the positive in that the rootstock is a manilla so maybe i will get 2 types of mangoes from the tree.

Stan: It is planted in ground. I have tried to get a pic of the whole tree but it is getting so dark, so early that by the time my husband is home to relieve me of baby-duty it is pitchblack out.

Simon: great to hear about the taste. where did you order your mangoes online? have always wanted to do that but worried about quality.

Zands: i do grow plums, pluots, persimmons, peaches, as well...tried growing kiwi but I think it gets too hot in the summer.

Tammy-you didnt get those online? Where did you get all those varietys? My source-Reagans nursery in Fremont didnt have anything thing this year until the last I was there in June. I was hoping to try another Manila-but Glenn seems the way to go.
Baileys though, is a tough,fast grower. When it will cough up fruit is anybodys guess.
One last-are Glenn what they sell in local supermarkets? They seem to come in two sizes- green-red skin that are larger than Manila's by double or more and then the big boys that are red or yellow skinned and from Sinaloa. They just have numbers on them-no names.

@stan - The glenn i got from laverne. I did a big group order on cloudforest (about 40 trees, i think) with merbert, jason, etc. i dont know if it is the ones in the store. i think they are alot like the keitt but maybe harry can weight in on that as i may not know if the mango i got from wholefoods was keitt.

it is not a super fast grower (lancetilla and alphonso are faster) and really was just one tall stalk without branches until recently.

when i spoke to one of the guys at laverne (gorgot his name but can get it if you want) i asked him what mango tree he thought was best and he said so. cal had most success with glenn...he called it the "perfect" mango variety for california in its vigorous growth, less susceptible to issues and fruit set....i don't know if he was just selling me a bunch of junk BUT i did get a ripe mango (and a few sour green ones that i picked off to give energy to the last mango).

my next variety will probably be an edward as i hear they do really well in california.

my husband is going to set up our "cold frame" today to protect our little babies.

ps. i am really gonna try to take pics of trees now.

ps,-you got the green thumb, girl. I really liked the Plumeria obtusa's on your blog-and you got heavy bloom out out of those beautys in a bay area summer. I have a bro inlaw in Florida,he and his wife will be visiting in Feb. He already said he would bring some young Royal palms-seedlings he's going to dig up around his yard. I'm going to have to ask him and my sister in law for a P.obtusa!

Hi Stan, I don't have any plumeria :( at least that I know of.

Here are some pics of the trees:

glenn mango tree:
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alphonso mango tree:
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and the new set up my husband just put up yesterday:
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my dragonfruit:
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Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Tropical Fruit in Northern California

hmm,somewhere on your blog I saw those Plumeria. I was surfing your links and cant find them again.Oh well.
The Alphonso looks like a peach tree-very nice. The Baileys I have just measured at over 6' not including the pot..never a hint of flowering so far. One more that size and I could hang a Hammok..but no fruit dang it.

i just wanted to update that he have had some cold nights...as low as 31 and my plants are fine. i have some blooms and large pea sized fruit on the alphonso mango and the glenn has new tender growth that is untouched by the cold.

i know the cover we made really helped. it created a really balmy, warm enviroment during the day and probably 5 degrees or so warmer at night but the most important thing is that it does not allow any frost on the trees.

tammy - yeah.....we've had some mid 30's here in Palm Springs which is quite rare for November in the desert - this must be some artic blast we are getting!

But the mangos I just planted last month are small enough that I stuck wire tomato cages over them and then plastic -mini hothouses - similar to your plastic house - didn't your hubby put that up?

Don't be mad at my projecting into the future, but what will you do when your mango family outgrows the crib....or will you trim their arms and heads so they still fit
the bed????

:)

mangobeagle

Congrats to you for a job VERY well done!!!

@mangodog: "Don't be mad at my projecting into the future, but what will you do when your mango family outgrows the crib....or will you trim their arms and heads so they still fit the bed???? "

wouldn't that be a problem I would love to have? I want to keep the treat around 7-8 feet so I will just prune it and most likely mother nature will do most of the pruning.

I could have sworn I purchased my Alphonso Mangoes from Mangoz.com but their website is not working right now. I just did a google search and discountswarehouse.com has them when they are in season. Best to do a more thourough search and compare prices when they are in season.

simon, i got my alphonso from plantogram.com

tammysf, would like to know your blog link.