It's hard for me to imagine a need for protecting anything in such a mild climate, but Florida does get the odd frost or dip in temperature now and again. Lights and frost blankets must give a very Christmas-y feel to certain neighborhoods during the winter months! Yes, I feel as though there's a very basic knowledge of plants and how they grow, and how growing in containers differs so greatly from growing directly in the garden, that we don't often learn as the base to our "gardening knowledge", so to speak... and if we learn these basics first, applying that knowledge to individual types of plants and growing conditions is made that much easier, and gives us that much more success. I think we have to look at the gardening/plant industry as just that, an industry. It exists to make a profit, and not necessarily to convey the truth in information or sell products that will lead to our success. But the basics of science and physics doesn't change. What plants require to grow healthy roots remains the same. And once we separate the worlds of container growing and garden growing, and we see how we are in control of what that plant in the confines of the pot needs and gets... as opposed to gardens and the organic nature... it becomes so easy to have that success. I found that base of knowledge in Al's article entitled "Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention", and its updates. It allowed me to think logically and clearly about organic growing versus inorganic growing, dispelled a lot of fallacies, and gave me the facts about what roots need to stay healthy within a confined space. It was a great starting point to my learning. Along the way, I learned that each grower has a different and unique set of circumstances to overcome within their own environment or micro-environment, and that one-size-fits-all growing does not exist. There will be certain adjustments required, and what works for one grower may not work for everyone. However, I feel as though that base of knowledge is very important... a very important starting point for anyone wanting real success in container growing. Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention XVI

Yes Puglvr, I understand anyone who shy's away from a Kent mango tree,..I expect mine to top out around 40 + feet when it is fully grown,..maybe 20 yrs from now. But speaking of huge mango trees, the Valencia Pride will be even TALLER than the Kent. A very fast grower, one of the reasons it does so well in places with fairly cold winters ( like here ). Grows so fast it adds a layer of outer bark faster than most trees, helping it survive those few 33 - 36 deg nights, just needs the initial 3 or so winters to be moderate. Don't even want to talk about the very rare 30 deg ones !!! lol But thats why I have my C 9 Christmas tree lights strung thru all the trees till March 1st. An ounce of prevention....

That particular tree I didn't use the 'gritty mix'...I cheated because I found the tree sooner than expected and I didn't have all the ingredients to make it in time...that summer we had an 'above normal' rainfall if memory serves I think we received over 20" of rain in less than 30 days and the pot stayed wet and never dried out...with a potting mix that apparently didn't drain well...it was inevitable. IMHO...I would choose Pickering especially for containers...I love Pickering! I also like Glenn a lot but Pickering is a very good choice for container and is a great and heavy producer...I think you will be happy with a Pickering. Good luck!!

I would plant two mangoes....This is called a backup plan. Make contact with your local mango nursery. Best to get it from them rather than via mail Ask what the selection is via email. Most nurseries cannot give an accurate account so best to visit in person or get the right guy/gal on the phone and take notes. There are small breed condo mangoes but any mango tree can be pruned to the size you desire. With one or two trees. that is hardly a burden. Most condo trees are slow growers which accounts for their dwarf tendencies. I might be semi-wrong on this I would get one polyembryonic mango and one monoembryonic. Most Thai/Viet/Indonesian are poly while the breeds of Indian origin (most you have heard of) are mono. Nam Doc Mam is the easy Thai poly choice and is fairly common and available. You can also get one 7 gallon mango to get fruit sooner and one 3 gallon. On the 7 beware of root bound and bark bound trees. Bark bound means imprisoned in its shape due to being potted for too long. Too woody and old and not enough green fresh growth. Fairchild says plant only three gallon. They like fresh young and green The feet of the mango is very important. The best is nice wide and thick at the bottom by the graft. Juices/water/fluids have an eight lane highway to cruise up and down your tree to be. But nice green and fresh overall can conquer this given time. Tall and stringy not good but can be conquered by topping off some inches which also promotes branching off, a good thing. Do not be jealous of those Florida people with their mango nurseries every half mile with so many diff breeds available. Your dry weather means less fungus. Spring rains in Fl promote fungus and mango fruiting failures. You will have to irrigate more but the upside is less or no diseases. I don't know if ever freezes where you are. Mature mango trees are more resistant to such threats. Perhaps your local mango nursery can give good advice.