The *best* mango differs according to individual tastes. I have to pick small trees (Condo Mango varieties) because I grow them in containers and want variety. I'm happy with trees under 10' tall. Many mango trees get HUGE, much bigger and messier than I want. But to other people, big trees are fine!

Here are two great websites to read and decide which variety sounds best for you. I would probably keep it potted this fall/winter and shelter it from cold. Then plant it next spring so it has time to get established before next winter.

http://www.ftg.org/horticulture/mangocurators.html

http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/mango-viewer/index.htm

Pine Island Nursery is an excellent mail-order nursery, if you cannot find the varieties you want locally.

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa. When I say *best* I was referring to the fruit. To me, creamy is critical. Besides that, a good sweet taste would be important. Large fruit would be nice. A large tree is fine, as I have room for it.

David

Its all about what your looking for in a mango. I like mangos that can eaten green and also ripe.

Listen to Lisa, I would plant it out next spring. Its always best to plant any tropical trees in spring, it gives it the time it needs to handle the winters.

The Hayden mango is my absolute favorite! It can be eaten slighly green/tart or very ripe and sweet. It is a large fruit, the tree is also large, but well worth the space! My grandmother's tree bore tons of fruit and her dog, Trixie, who lived underneath the spreading branches, always gained 3-5 pounds every mango season. She would eat a hole through the skin and lick around the seed until it was empty.

We used to have a mango farm. They all respond to a good prune.
If you have a young tree in a pot, its best to cut the middle out when they are around 1m high. With any variety you will get good fruiting on reachable branches.Even on an older tree you can give them a good prune, but if they are already fruiting, you will loose the fruit for one year. Best done after fruit in this situaion. Cheers L

Keitt is a good variety. It's huge and like the kent. Those would be my #1 &2 for fruit growing.
Once your tree gets some size, just in case of a bad winter, you can get the large size of xmas tree lights for ourdoors and string them up and through the tree. I kept an avocado alive one bad winter as I had my tipi covering the tree along with the lights.(back in the mid '80's)
In bad winters, a frost will zap the leaves first. subsequent frosts will get the trunk and branches. A real bad hard freeze can kill it all in the first night. I'd think positive here tho.
kevin

Would be nice to add some different cultivars in order to extend the fruiting season. I get mangoes from late june till november in here.

Hi
We are going to visit orlando, I want to know, is there any botanical garden and nurseries, close to disney world.
Please suggest me where can I get these tropical plants like mango, oranges, hinna etc.
Thanks

Hayden is a pretty good mango, the most common type in Hawaii, and quite hardy, can handle bumping, dropping, jiggling, and shipping, and still taste fine. However, once some folks taste white pirie, they may become so spoiled and never want another hayden. White pirie is extremely juicy, drippy/messy, and creamy, unlike the more stringy hayden, and super sweet like candy. The big disadvantage to white pirie, however, is that it must be picked just right to be that good, and must be totally unbruised. Once bruised, the flavor is ruined, awful, and mushy. You will never find this in the market, because it will not stand up to bumping bruising.

I'm wanting to grow one in a pot. What would you all recommend as the most disease resistant for a pot? Also, a dwarf variety would be better I think unless it's more prone to disease. How well to they do in bearing fruit in a pot? How old do they have to be to bear fruit? Special fertilizer?

Moved to Sebring from Homestead where we had 13 acres of Haden, Tommy Atkins, and Kent. So far lost four small trees to extended cold weather here in Sebring, Fl. Have seen some surrounded by water that appear to survive. Looks like the Christmas tree lights in the tree or a small heater under the tree is a great idea. Will give it a try....craving a good mango! Will try to start this time with a larger tree! (and hope for a few mild winters!)