Sunshine: Never understood the passion for mango. I tried
store mangoes. I really tried. Just disappointment. So this is what real
mango is supposed to taste like?
Smokey: Now you know.
There is a moment when a mango is perfectly ripe — soft to the touch,
warm from the sun, fragrant before you even cut it open. The skin gives way,
and suddenly there is color, juice, and a sweetness that feels almost
unreal. Not sugary, but deep and layered, like something that took its time
to
become what it is. In that moment, it feels less like fruit and more like
something truly given, exactly as it should be.
What you find in most supermarkets is something else entirely. Picked early
so it can survive shipping, it never gets the chance to finish ripening
process. It softens, it turns yellow, but the depth never comes. The flavor
stays
thin, and the texture often turns fibrous — strings in the flesh that
get stuck in your teeth instead of melting away. That fiber is not an
accident. It helps the fruit stay firm enough to handle transport without
damage. It
looks like a mango, but it never becomes one.
The only way to close that gap is simple — let the fruit ripe where
it belongs. On the tree. When you grow your own mango, you control that
moment. You pick it when it is actually ready, not when it has to survive a
truck
ride across the country. And that one difference is everything you taste.
Scoring a mango cheek into cubes - the easiest way to prepare clean,
ready-to-eat pieces.
Q: I have 5 avocados. Three of your cold hardy varieties and two
others that have all flowered and set fruit in the past. The last two years
including this year, not a single one of them has put out any flowers. I am
getting lots of new growth like one would expect on a tree too young to flower.
The last two years have been very mild with out any damaging frost where in
previous years they lost all their leaves due to frost yet started putting
out flowers once winter was over. I am confused because they have all flowered
and set fruit previous years. Any ideas would be appreciated.
A: From information you provided, and considering the trees get
lots of full sun and cold was not an issue, the only explanation is - lack of
nutrients. Here is an example.
Very common situation: you get a small 2-3 ft Avocado or Mango tree in 3
gal pot (or even smaller) from a nursery, full of flowers, and sometimes even a
small fruit. You bring it home, plant it in the ground or a bigger pot, it
looks happy and grows like crazy. Then next year - oops, no fruit, sometimes
not even flowers. What happened?
When the tree lived in a nursery, it was provided with all necessary
nutrients through the injector systems (continuous feed); or some nurseries may use
top dress smart release on regular schedule. Regardless of fertilizer type,
professional grower's set up delivers plant food non-stop, on regular basis, with balanced formulas. Plants are not only growing fast but also ready to produce, since nutrients are always available for a full growth cycle.
When you plant a tree in the ground (or larger pot), conditions change.
They may be beneficial for the plant: lots of room for roots to establish, hence
lots of vegetative growth. Even if you planted it using good quality fertile
soil, this soil may contain mostly nutrients responsible for vegetative
growth (branches and leaves). Chances are, your soil may be rich in Nitrogen
(good for green growth), but poor in other elements responsible for flowering and
fruiting (Phosphorous, Potassium, and many important micro-elements such as
Molybdenum, Boron, Iron, etc.). Besides, existing soil gets exhausted
quickly, and within a year a two, if you don't add fertilizer, flowering and fruiting may be reduced or even stopped.
This is why fertilizing program is very important for fruit trees that are expected to bring a crop soon.
Also keep in mind that some fruit trees have a habit of "skipping" a year and may either produce less or not produce at all every other year. In any case, balanced nutrition program can help to fix this "bad habit".
Q: I have 2 Starfruit plants from you. One on the left is B10 has a lot of flowers
but no fruit is developing. On the rite is Kenjeng. This one has no flowers
at all. Both plants are growing very well. Plenty of sun and water. I am
located in Boynton Beach Florida. So what to do?
A: Your trees on the pictures look very healthy, congratulations
with a great care!
Starfruit, as well as other grafted fruit trees (like mango, avocado, etc)
usually flower/fruit easily and readily while in pots in the nursery.
Sometimes, once planted in the ground, they may reduce flowering or even stop
flowering. What happened?
The answer is simple. In pots, we fertilize them on regular basis. In our
nursery, we have fertilizer injector inline with irrigation system that dozes
plant food with EVERY watering. In other nurseries, they may also use
slow-release fertilizers, but it is still a regular routine to provide plant food to
potted plants.
In the ground, especially in Florida poor soils, fruit trees may stop
flowering or delay fruiting due to lack of nutrients, or dis-balance of elements
in the ground. Without fertilizer, a tree may take extra time to develop
bigger root system to reach out for necessary elements, and eventually will start
fruiting anyway.
But we want it to fruit soon! The only way to fix the problem is to provide
fertilizer on regular basis for a young tree. It is especially important
during hot summer months when plant metabolism is fast due to high temperatures,
plus nutrients may get washed away with frequent summer rains (like we have
in Florida) even if you've added some fertilizer at time of planting.
But the most effective way to get a tropical tree to flowering and
fruiting, is frequent applications of liquid fertilizer. We use Sunshine Boosters
with every watering on our plants. They work great even on hard cases and
weak plants, and you see the difference in a matter of weeks, sometimes even
days.
We recommend the following fertilizer that contains all necessary elements
for young fruit trees:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo
Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and
edibles.
Date: 30 May 2019
Triple Sec Mango
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I live in Mesa, Arizona. I am considering purchasing two of
you Triple Sec Mango trees. Can you please give me some information on this
variety and how to grow it successfully here in hot and arid
Arizona, if at all?
A:Triple Sec Mango is a new name for the superior variety Seacrest. The
aroma of this fruit resembles Triple Sec - an orange liqueur. It's a juicy,
mid-season variety that has good disease resistance.
Mango has pretty good heat and drought tolerance. It loves sun, but there
are a lot of factors to consider when growing Mango in your area.
Check your soil. Soil quality is always first and foremost: when you
live in an area of Arizona with
hardpan (extremely compacted desert soil) or caliche (layers of soil
cemented by calcium carbonate) you
will have to learn how to deal with such soil types. Amend the soil as
needed.
The best time to plant is spring or fall to give your Mango a chance to
get established before the really intense Summer heat starts. Alternatively,
protect the tree with a shade cloth. Tender, new growth will not stand a
chance unprotected, especially newly planted and/or young trees.
Mangoes are tropical and sensitive to frost and freeze damage. Young
trees especially will also need winter protection when temperatures go near or
below freezing. Always plant trees in a location where they will be protected
from cold wind. Consider staking your newly planted Mango trees for the
first year. It's never a bad idea to even stake during periods of high winds.
Make sure your planting site has very good drainage. Always use a good
quality mulch around your tree as it helps to trap moisture, keeping the
ground and the roots beneath it cool. Keep mulch a couple of inches from the
trunk of the tree. Avoid a location that gets full day sun. Morning sun,
afternoon shade is ideal. Give regular watering until the tree is established. Once
established, water only when the soil feels dry.
Fertilizer with a Mango-Food. A foliar spray of micronutrient solution is always
recommended during the active growing period. Use plant stimulants and microelements to improve cold hardiness and vigor.
