Haven't ever done it intentionally, but I can say that I have observed this working after mangoes trees have been accidently wounded with a weed whacker low down on the trunk. Not sure what would happen if it was done higher up. I don't think it would hurt the tree to try.

Harry

Interesting procedure. But personally, I believe pruning is still your best option. I'm betting the tree is whip thin at that height. You'll be encouraging more branches lower down which that the thin trunk will also have trouble supporting. If you prune the tree back, it not only will it encourage your branching, they will all be much stronger and the trunk will start to thicken up as well. I still and will always refer people to Pug's posts on pruning. It takes a "big pair" and an adventurous spirit, but her results are spectacular. No one here can intelligently argue against that. I think you will end up wanting to prune it back in the long run after your experiment. Just my two cents. It's your tree. Good luck and keep us informed on what you do. J

Little mango growth going on right now unless you have them under grow lights. When it gets warmer you lop off the top 6-12" and it will bifurcate from tlhere. It will branch out in 2-4 directions. Some people cal this "pugging" I think

Yes it is traumatic to lose those 6-12" but the coming growing season will take care of that

As far as growing mangoes up north I think it would be interesting to tape aluminum foil to hard sheets of plastic or plywood. Lay them near the tree to reflect sunlight back into the tree. So you get more intensive sun-hours for your mango tree. Mangoes want sun sun and more sun

what varieties did you purchase? some will branch lower than others

you can practice notching the branches just be aware you may girdle and lose the branch.

Mangos respond very good to pruning. If you want squat trees I would top them every Spring, this will encourage branching which harden off into scaffolds. generally each branch tier should have three to four scaffolds. You can even train these branches when they are young to grow more horizontally and prune the ones that are growing vertical to encourage a wider, shorter tree

The variety of the mango does certainly matter in this pruning/scafolding issue. For example, my Bombay mango tree had been pruned back and had achieved excellent lateral growth. Unfortuantely, the onset of a very heavy fruit crop broke down each and every lateral branch leaving only the main stump to sprout new vegetative growth. So, be mindful that lateral branches do not hold the heavy weight of fruit as well as vertical ones. That is, of course, if you are fortunate enough to get the very heavy fruit set I encountered. That may not be a concern for most of you container growers. As a post script, the Bombay tree sprouted back to full size in a very short time and is now, once again, in the same size category as my larger trees.

Harry

The best way I think to get branches higher in the grafting union is to bark graft scions. :) Girdling is used to stress mango trees for flowering purposes and it may not work for producing new laterals for new branches.

I know how it feels to whack your mango tree back a foot. I reluctantly did this to my Maha Chinook, and I agree with Jay and most people that it was the best solution to get the tree to fill out. Cutting back a mango that I paid over $100 for was scarey but the results were really worth it. In about 4 months I ended up with 7 branches and a bud that is growing now to make the 8th branch. I know that it wont be an inflo(at least I am pretty sure it wont be!) because that bud formed with the others last summer. I still do amiteddly worry that it could not be the Maha Chinook. That would really be a bummer!
Andrew

Zands...6-12" doesn't come close to the meaning of "pugging". 6-12" up from the top of the graft site is more along the lines of "pugging". Drastic, shocking, and more. Search for her posts. I'm going to submit a request to the agricultural folks in charge of plant terminology to officially declare "pugging" a specific form of pruning!

Harry, I'm very interested in your comment regarding branch angle and the ability to bear fruit without breaking branches. For nontropical trees like peaches and apples there is a lot of literature on commercial growing techniques that mostly agree that the ideal branch angle is around 45-60 degrees. Anything less forms a weak crotch with the trunk that is susceptible to breaking in high winds and anything more forms a weak joint that will break under fruit load. I've have not been able to find the same sort of data specific to mango trees. Do you think this information from other fruit tree types holds true for mangos? Would you consider a branch angle of 45-60 degrees to be a good one for maximizing both fruit production and tree health? I am weighting branches on a peach tree I'm training to achieve these angles on the scaffold branches. And I have been starting to do the same with my young mango trees. But I've been wondering what the best branch angle to aim for is for mangos?

ohiojay
Thanks for telling me what pugging is. In that case I have a tree I had to pug. It was given to me. The owner kept it in a too small pot for years so it became bark bound. It could not break out of that shell. So I cut it off at 24" above the soil and it is growing back w nice foliage

Dear folks, thank you so much for all the input!

Harry - when you accidentally hit your tree with the weed-whacker, did your new growth come from the root-stock?

OhioJay - Only my Julie is thin but its a good height right now. I was happy at how the other two trees were about 3/4" thick (got them from top-tropicals). I had a large (relatively speaking) Edward, Alphonso and Julie that I pruned down half their size but they all died. I did the pruning in an attempt to save the trees from transplant stress but I only ended up contributing to their demise. I later found out that pruning a tree after transplant is a myth.

Mango_Kush - I currently have two Julies, two Tebows, Manila, Lancetilla, Valencia Pride, and a Glenn. They are all potted and currently growing indoors for the winter. Vigorous growth is not an issue here in the Bay Area, as the cool nights and dry air essentially stunt their growth. Surprisingly, once I moved my mangoes indoors they are showing growth and my 1 foot tall Julie actually flowered. No doubt due to the 75/70 degree day/night temperatures.

Andrew78 - Yes the cost does make me a bit hesitant. Once the trees become comfortable in their new pot, I'll first try notching then go to "pugging." I'm happy to hear your Chinook branched so profusely.

I'm so glad there are so many other mango enthusiasts here!

Invar69: I think my experiences have probably been with the sprouts coming from the rootstocks. However, this may be because of the location where the wound was made rather than any other reason. In some cases, the graft site is very difficult to see or differentiate so this may not be the case in every situation. This not a very scientific anlysis....just a casual observation.

Harry

Sun Worshiper:

Afraid I really can't give you any guidance on angles of lateral braching that is good versus not. I just never looked that closely into it. I did want to just mention my experience with my Bombay mango for the consideration of those with strong desires for lateral growing trees. Lateral is good.....like anything else, to a point.

Harry

Hi,

Where are you located in northern California?

Stanofh is in Hayward and has gotten his mango tree to fruit and I am in marin and got my first mango.

What type do you have? Where did you get your trees?

Welscome to the world of mangoes. It becomes an obsession.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marin mango tree

Hi Tammysf, I'm in Mountain View. I've seen your blog. Congrats on your Glenn mango fruiting.

Yes, mangoes have become an obsession indeed.

When I was a child the family home (in Trinidad) had a beautiful Julie mango in our backyard, it produced the most freaking delicious fruit. Since my family immigrated, I haven't eaten a mango like that in 30 plus years.

I one day went to Lowes, and found a Manila mango plant in their nursery. I thought, "hey, maybe mangoes can grow here?"
So I bought the mango tree and put it in the ground in my backyard. It didn't do much. This year was unusually cool and practically all the crops were stunted or delayed. Any rate...

Then one day, I (quite by accident) discovered Nipahut-garden website and they had a Julie mango! Crazy thoughts went through my mind and I ordered one Julie. When it arrived I was so excited but it was a one foot tall plant that looked like it was going to die. I was so naive (probably still am) and a noob with fruit trees that I subjected that poor Julie to a lot of abuse but amazingly it survived! And still is today, even though it looks like a bonsai plant.

Then I decided I was going to try and grow mangos using hydroponics.
I built a few grow pots out of garbage containers and rigged them up with their own reservoir and pumps. Fortunately I live down the road from a hydroponic store. Later, I ordered a Glenn and a Carrie from nipa-hut but they arrived bare-root and soon died afterwards. The dry air here is a real shock to them compared to the humidity that these guys were used to in Florida.

So rather than give up, I ordered a Tebow from plantogram and another Julie and an Edward from Top-tropicals. I planted them all into my hydroponic pots (the grow medium was hydroton). I kept them by a bright window and provided a humidifier to help ease them into life in California but I was hit with a double whammy of anthracnose and my stupidity. I mixed up a solution of fertilizer that was too acidic and essentially fried the roots. My backyard was turning into a death camp for mango trees. Only my first Julie survived this.

I found myself looking thru marijuana forums (turns out there was a variety of pot called mango - which when googling mistakenly took me there), where I then discovered Smart Pots. A fabric container that air-prunes roots and has been used by nurseries to grow trees. So I bought these five gallon "Gro Pots" made by a company called C.A.P. (like Smart Pots but with handles).
I also got a soilless medium called Roots Organics. It's mostly coir and perlite with a whole bunch of "fancy" stuff in it. I mixed some hydroton and diatomaceous rock into it.

I contacted Mickey at Plantogram and ordered two Tebows (one foot tall plants).
So far Julie, the Tebow brothers (my friend calls them that) and Manila (which I dug up and planted into a Gro Pot) are all doing well. Manila has pushed out two growth flushes, Julie flushed out and flowered (on such a tiny plant but anthracnose hit the new leaves) and the Tebows are just now pushing out some growth. I discovered Exel fungicide and absolutely love it over the neem oil I had been trying use against anthracnose.

So armed with a little bit more success, I got a Lancetilla, Valencia Pride, Glenn and another Julie (all from Top-tropicals). I have them all in my "grow closet" to help them adapt before I move them to a sunlit place. I've placed a lot of emphasis on foliar feeding these guys with KLN rooting hormone, Dyna-gro fertilizer and SM-90 (wetting agent & fungicide) until the roots regrow.

Then last night, I got a email from Top-tropicals that they're having a 15% off sale, so I ordered four more trees. A Carrie, Graham, Pickering and Southern Blush.
I told myself, this is it. No more.
In 2012, my greenhouse will be built and I'm gonna put all these guys into it.

One of my friends thinks I'm nuts but I tell him it's better than being addicted to crack and I'm learning new things. Any rate, I've probably been going on for way too long.

Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I saw some of your mango photos at your blog http://robokoo.blogspot.com/

IMHO you are buying many skinny sprigs that will take years to yield if ever. I see skinny stalks heroically making big leaves on some. In your shoes I would at least get some real live mangoes in 7 gallon pots. Mimosa nursery (Los Angeles) has them for Nam Doc Mai which are also more anthracnose resistant. Maybe he has other mangoes too

Talk to the owner ..... If you are so mango addicted then a drive to LA is not so bad

I always look for a thick stalk on a young mango tree. You want a thick base to build on. A stout base with lots of green proliferation on top.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mimosa nursery Los Angeles

hey rob,

that is quite an impressive selection and set up you have there!

well i hope you have better luck with your top t trees than i did. ALL my top T trees died. some came with some funk on the leaves and never really did anything which was odd because all my other tropicals/subtropicals that i got elsewhere around the same time and in the same growing conditions survivied and florished.

also, it is really important to be very careful with the roots. i always read that the roots are somewhat sensitive.

i have an alphonso from mickey at plantogram and it is thriving. had like 6 inflorescence and has about 8 small pea size fruit on it.

the glenn i got from southern california and it was the one that i got mature fruit.

i can't wait to see your greenhouse set up. we only really need about 10 days of protection from the cold...the rest of the year the mangoes will do fine. i think mine actually like the not so moist summers as i did not get any diseases on my trees.

Nice pic. Your trees look like excellent candidates for pugging! In fact...they are crying out to be pugged.

I noticed that you have some LED lights in there. What is your opinion of them? Everything I've read so far state that they are very expensive, must be very close to the plants, and the jury is still out whether they have any benefits at all. So if you would share how long you've had them and your experience with them, I'd appreciate it. J

Hi,

zands -> Yes I would prefer thick stalks on my trees as well but mail-order is a crap-shoot; I'm pretty much at the mercy of the guy choosing the plant for packaging. The Manila is thin but all the mango trees at Lowes were like that. Since they all come from Laverne Nursery I assume their grafted mango trees are like that too.
I occasionally do business in Burbank and have thought about going to one the nurseries down their to pick up a large Edwards but the thought of somehow trying to bring it on my Southwest flight was daunting. Driving twelve hours both ways to get a tree is a bit too much for me. I found out that some (not all) nurseries down south of me, actually get their trees from Florida and they allow time for adjusting to climate change before selling.
I pretty much now think of my trees as "learning trees". Had I bought a 7 gallon tree (I was tempted) I most definitely would have killed it. I have 7 dead trees in my backyard and each had taught me something new. If any of the 12 remaining trees live by the time my greenhouse is built, I will splurge for a big tree.

tammysf -> Yes, my Valencia Pride from TT was covered in red residue of some sort. I used a plastic scouring pad and scrubbed every leaf clean before spray-soaking the entire tree in Exel fungicide. Just to be safe I did the same thing for all the new trees. Because TT root-ball their plants I just assume their roots won't be working. So after reading on Wikipedia and marijuana forums about foliar feeding, I decided this was going to be the only way my new batch of plants will get any water or nutrients. I'm using KLN rooting hormone to kick start their roots; this stuff has done wonders for my orchids in the past. I also offer diluted sugar to the roots after transplant to provide extra carbohydrates.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foliar_feeding
This is a great article about roots: http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/rootgrow.htm
Sugar feeding: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4107/is_200411/ai_n9464315/
I spoke with a lady in Florida who told me she once had a Glenn in a 15 gallon container; this tree had an 8 inch diameter trunk. When she planted it into the ground I ask about the root ball and she said it wasn't big. I guess that with Florida's 75-90% humidity that tree was probably getting most of its water requirements from the air. Unfortunately her tree died in the 2009 cold snap and she regretted planting it in the ground.
I fairly recently got an Alphonso and another Julie as a gift (from a former boss that I did some work for). They came from plantogram and unfortunately they were held up/delayed in one of their FedEx Memphis hub. They were in very bad shape when they did arrive; even the free plants that Mickey included were all horribly dead. I can only assume that they were kept in both a freezing cold and dry facility. Most of the leaves were wilted and crunchy (not a good sign). I had no recourse with FedEx, they say they are not responsible for delays due to weather. I pruned them down but reflecting back I should've humidified the crap out of them first and waited to see clearly which parts were dead. My beef is really with FedEx. Mickey was kind enough to get me Tebows (thought tiny) even though he doesn't normally sell them through his website. I am glad to have them.
In my mind, the greenhouse is really for Julie and possibly Tebow. Julie loves the arid climate but both her and Tebow dislike the cool N California nights. I read in an article about mangoes grown in Hawaii, that in ideal conditions, mangoes go thru growth flushes in 6 weeks. Under cool nights and dry air this would take 20 weeks.
This would explain why even vigorous mangoes are dwarfed here.
I really hate anthracnose. I wish it was outlawed.

ohiojay -> I'm gonna pug them in April. First I'm gonna try notching just to see if it works. My neighbor grows apples and pears espalier and notching seems to work for them. Since Harry casually observed this phenomena on his mangoes I hope it might work.
Regarding LEDs. I am a total convert to them. I am really impressed with the results. Started back in 2007, I read a NASA article about using LEDs in space to grow vegetables. Since back then there were no real LED lights to buy, I purchased several kits from a fringe plant grower online. I spent weeks soldering each and every LED bulb onto a circuit board and wiring them up to a home-built orchid stand. Even added an acrylic back with a AC fan and a 1amp fuse just to be safe that my house didn't burn down.
http://roborchids.blogspot.com/2007/11/led-grow-lights-plant-stand.html
These lights aren't powerful but they really did work.
I grew Phalaenopsis, Cattleyas and Tolumias under these lights for 3 years in my closet (the pics are when I temporarily had them in my bedroom) and they grew. Only my Cattleyas refuse to flower under the LEDs but they grew vegetatively. I had a fluorescent fixture but they were only turned on for occasionally viewing the plants. Under purple lights the plants look funky.
I had many problems with my orchids but mostly from trying to convert them to passive hydroponic with inert grow mediums but the lights worked. From what I've read, the best LED lights out now are Kessil (developed by Berkley scientists), they seem phenomenal (they're designed for incredible light penetration; down to the lower foliage). But at $300 per light; and I would need about 8 of them for my theoretical grow room, it would cost a fortune. Hydrofarm is the distributer and I am hoping that as more marijuana growers buy them the costs will eventually go down. The problem with 1000watt grow lights is that your house can burn down (I see it on the news all the time). My LEDs ran cool and can be almost touching my orchids without burning.
I recently converted my orchid stand to a recovery chamber for my mangoes. I don't expect the trees to thrive and grow profusely under this set-up (its not permanent) but I do want to give it enough light and controlled humidity so that it would have a fighting chance at a new climate. So far after 6 days the top leaves are still leathery and green. In the past those parts were the first to show signs of dying.

Gosh, I do ramble.

Invar
I doubt Mimosa nursery in LA is reselling East Coast mango trees. The owner is Vietnamese and you can ask him.... But he just has to be raising his own Nam Doc Mai which is his specialty. Maybe raises other types Thai-Vietnamese mango trees too. I would email him and phone to get at the truth.

I suggested it because I figure you must get down to LA sometime for other reasons.

If I go to Home Depot in Florida they might not have the mango variety I want but 50% or more of trees are good specimens. Meaning thick trunk, nice graft, good fresh green leaf growth. Branching out but not too high up is nice but some mangoes branch out later.

Now some of the Home Depot trees here in Fl will be spindly and tall. Or small and thin. I won't buy them.

Of course I know you are at the mercy of what you can find at Loews or what gets shipped to you sometimes without dirt. All I am saying is, do not accept this as normal. What is normal and comparable to what we have in South Florida is what you can find at Mimosa in LA. Nice healthy locally raised Mango saplings in pots and he does carry 7 gallon at least right now.

Just my thinking

Here is a link that might be useful: Interesting life story--Vietnamese owner of Mimosa nursery in LA

zands -> Thank you so much, I really appreciate your encouragement to not simply accept whimpy plant specimens. Starting on this adventure, my expectations were really low (I simply had no point of reference), but looking through this forum, I can see some of the healthy trees Floridians are accustom to being available.
Actually if I were to get a really big tree, it would be a good sized Julie. This is the only variety that I have any real desire to have. The other varieties were curiosities because I've read (mostly from this forum) that they're really great. Some of the forum contributors' description of the flavor of their favorite mangoes are truly very enticing!
There is a chance I might be going down to San Diego with some friends in March. I'll contact Mimosa to see what they got and try to visit them. That is if I can convince my friends to make a detour. Thanks.

Invar - welcome to the 12 step forum for tropical fruit addicts living beyond their zones!

What a fascinating experiment you are running up there in No Cal! I commend you for trying the hydroponics and other things you've done. It's by people taking chances and unusual steps to grow things that valuable discoveries can be made that might benefit others later....

I was just at Mimosa in E. LA on Thursday and picked up a 20 gallon Edward mang0. Right now they have a 30% off sale. The Edward would retail for $320 so that would be about $220 (I got a little more off as I know someone that knows the owner). A lot I know, but the tree was about 7-8 feet high, 1 1/4 inch trunk with lots of branches. Probably...what... 3-5 years old (?). And Gilbert did tell me he gets them from Florida - Pine Island Nursery I think - a great place to order smaller plants, too, but also expensive.....

Anyway, what they have in the 15 and 20 gallon containers now are the Edward,Nam Doc Mai, Lancetilla, Glenn, Haden and I think that was it - no Julie.

If you ever wanted to buy something there I think the way to do it is to drive down on a business trip some time when they have a 50% off sale (or aSK Gilbert or Tom, the co-owners, IF THEY might give you a break if you buy at least a couple trees) and if you have an SUV you could sort of pack a few of them in the back if you had seats that go down, and make it worth your while - and perhaps 1 or 2 of these large trees would be great to plant after your greenhouse goes up....but yes that nasty anthracnose - in a greenhouse...dangerous I would think....just make sure you buy varieties that are anthracnose resistant or immune....

Anyway, yes you did carry on a bit, but I enjoyed following the flight of your passion!!!!!!!!

mangobowwow

Mango dog -> A 20 gallon Edward! Wow! Awesome! Are you going to plant it into the ground or keep it in the pot? I must admit, I'd be hesitant to spend that much on a single tree; considering that I haven't "earned" my green-thumb yet.
The great thing about being addicted to fruit trees is that we are off-setting our carbon foot-print with every tree we plant! So in fact, it's the socially responsible thing to do. ;)
Thanks for the stock update for Mimosa. I vaguely remembered reading at cloudforestcafe's forum that Gilbert did in fact get some of his mango trees from Pine Island but since they migrated to a new forum design, I couldn't locate their archive.
I think I read on his website that he'll custom graft trees? I wonder if he'll graft a Julie scion onto Manila rootstock for me? Manila seems to be really hardy and fast growing (for here).
I drive a prius. I love my car but it's a bit too small for a 7-8 foot tall tree. ;)
But as they say, where there is will, there is a way.
Please tell me what you think of the flavor of Edward. I saw a youtube video of Dr Jonathan Crane and watching his expression as he ate that mango variety made me jealous and hungry.
I hope you and everyone here have a safe and happy holiday season!

Rob

Invar
When it comes to mangoes you have to have a few game plans and fall back plans. I'm just suggesting another one. You have a mango nursery right in California say 400 miles from you

His Nam Doc Mao are more anthracnose resistant than Julie and other "Indian origin" mangoes. You could even order a few 3 gallon mangoes and have him ship them to you if he does that.

Mimosa does not appear to use e-mail...might be better to write a letter telling him you want a nice thick trunk specimen. I spoke on the phone w them and we had trouble communicating. English hard to undersatnd

I know you love Julie mango from childhood so keep going with that but Nam Doc Mai might be very good for your mango obsession

Mangodog
Your friend Gilbert at Mimosa
He has to be getting 3-gallon Pine Island mango trees and cultivating them and re-potting them upward into 7 gallon then larger and larger. Right? This takes skills and smarts.

In other words Gilbert at Mimosa is probably re-selling 3 gallon mangoes he gets from Pine Island. But the larger trees are 3 gallon ones (from Pine Island) that he has carefully raised larger. Which is not a that easy. You can mess that up. I have seen 7 gallon mangoes for sale that are trapped within their bark. They become bark bound, not just root bound. A 7 gallon mango worth buying has lots of fresh greenery. 3 gallon mangoes are never bark bound. They are too young

Hi invar - no, the 20 gallon edward is going in the ground as to all my mangos here in Palm Springs. We get occasional frost but usually only once or twice a winter so most of the trees will sustain minimal damage, though my small ones I definitely cover.

The custom graft thing - I have sort of just heard that he does that but haven't asked him directly. A direct call is best, but as Zands says the communication can be dicey. I would talk to Gilbert over Tom. I think there is the slightest edge to his english....

I think the flavor of the Edward will be grand once I taste one! I've heard nothing but exquisite things said about it, and yes I saw Dr. Crane slobber and drool when he ate that edward, too. My friend JFernandez told me that he knows someone here in SoCal that grows Edwards and doesn't have the spotty, inconsistent crop yields that are advertised with it...He apparently has large amounts of fruits, so maybe they flourish in this drier climate down here. Just a guess....

Hey Zands - I've heard that before that Mimosa gets Pine Island 3 gallon plants and then nurtures them into these larger plants in huge plastic pots. I don't know if that is true, although he has told me he gets plants from Florida, but I don't know what size. Maybe JFernandez would know......but like you say, if he does nurture them to that size, he appears to be doing a great job. they appear robust, but I do have this feeling they haven't been in the 20 gal. containers for very long...just too much loose soil around the top.

I've now bought 3 of these largest size trees because I needed more mature specimens to replace 3 acacias (I think) I have in front that I am so tired of getting scratched to death when I have to trim them back every year...and they drop these brown pods - really do belong out in the African savannah - I have no idea why they are cultivated for the home yard.....the second reason i got them big was to have fruit almost immediately as I didn't want to wait. I have 6 or 7 trees that are under 3-4 feet which I will just have to watch grow for the next 2-3 years before I can raid their spoils....!!!!!

And that's my share on the day of Christ's rising....

Peace to All - mangosleighdog

Regretably, I have some documentary evidence bearing on the subject of this thread. My yard walk today turned up some more weed whacker damage that demonstrates my previously espressed thoughts. This is a newly planted Manalita mango with a metal tag attached that has been yanked so hard that the metal tag is mostly gone and the attaching wire ripped into the stem...definitely well through the cambium layer and into the green wood. The bud on the bottom of the stem is now pushing and the terminal buds are pushing as well.

Invar, you are a mango hero of NorCal (along with Tammy and StanofHayward). I will be watching out for your updates to see how they do for you.
As for a local source of Edward mango - Cupertino Summerwinds carried 7 gallon (very vigorous, thick trunked specimens) for $75 last April. They were gone in a blink of the eye, but I would suggest just calling them (either at the Cupertino location or their Alameda location) and ask them if they can order them for you. They were from LaVerne, but under their "Carribean Dreams" brand name and were grafted. And Roger Meyer sent me a list of mangoes he has available for shipping and they include Nam Doc Mai and some other popular varieties.
Good luck and hope you have tons of success with your trees!

Harry! - Thank you for the photos! Sorry to see your mango got so gouged but its encouraging to see that notching might work for me! BTW, where do I go about learning to post multiple pics like that?

Ashleysf - Thanks, but "hero" is a strong word. LOL ;-)
When I started I actually called all the local Summerwinds and it turned out that the Cupertino branch you mentioned was the only one that was willing to get mango trees. Mike (the guy that worked in their nursery) didn't know about the Edward variety but I asked him to call me if he got any but it has been months now. Is Roger Meyer a nursery? I remember seeing his name mentioned at cloudforest cafe.

mangodog - I've seen thornless acacias in San Diego, I was told that if you can avoid injuring the plant, it won't develop thorns. I've seen dramatic looking acacias in Africa. I got to go horse back riding in Kenya; the horse didn't like me and tried to scrape me off under a nasty looking tree with 3-4 inch thorns. Luckily that didn't happen and I did get to see a wild African mango tree (among other fascinating fauna). It was huge. I wanted to try one of its fruits but the baboons around it were scary. The safari guide I was with told me the wild mangoes taste awful.

mangoHound
Good going. Now you get fruit sooner. It is well worth the $$$. You might be able to find some Fairchild comments about how it is better to buy 3 gallon mangoes. In my opinion they say this because many larger (7 gal and up) mangoes are too root bound and bark bound. Especially when they have sat too long at the nursery or Home Depot. Has anyone ever seen or bought a 7 gallon mango at Fairchild?

So I really give Gilbert credit for taking 3 gallon mangoes from Florida. Plus in my opinion they are sending him good specimens in a decent size lot. Gilbert takes over and grows them larger into 7 gallon on up PLUS he does it right which for all I know might involve a foliar feeding and fertilizer boosts at the right time.

I have walked into nurseries here with 15-20 neglected 7gallon mangoes. Many were blackened from god knows what. I bought the best one they had which is a good specimen. But the others will never be bought. Well maybe 5 of them will that were marginal.

Acacia trees are just big ol bean stalks. Legumes. You can't eat them...mangoes you eat. Edible landscape.

Invar69:

Glad that I could help. Posting a picture is easy depending on which photo image hosting site. I use Photobucket.....there are many others. Photobucket gives you choices for sharing photos when you click on a picture. By just clicking on the HTML choice, it automatically copies the appropriate code and then you just paste that code into your posting. For a complete description for all picture options check the link attached. Focus on step 3 in the section on posting to a forum without a gallery to use the language which will allow you to post a picture from anywhere on the internet. Good luck. It looks more complicated than it is, so don't get discouraged.

Harry

Here is a link that might be useful: How to post a picture on this Forum

Harry - Much thanks.

Rob

Hey Invar (reminds me of my TM mantra from the old days!)
- my "acacias" have smaller 1/2 inch thorns and they have been on the trees for the 6-7 years I've had them, so maybe they are a diff. variety than the one you describe, dunno....I prefer to medidate under the mango tree and take my chances of being struck by falling bliss-in-a-fruit!!!!!!!

thanks, zanda, I agree that it appears gilbert does a good job of growing transplanted stuff, if that is indeed what he does....and I do enjoy talking to him as well....interesting guy..

buddhalovedmangos