Summer calls for Ice Cream - Mangoes, that is

Yes. Yes, it deserves an update.

The update is that I learned something new to help me be better prepared next year. I assume it was a squirrel that realized my last mango was a fruit. Whatever it was, the critter chomped a bite, must not have enjoyed the unripe fruit, and tossed it to the ground! I was not expecting that. It was interesting that what was left had the smell of mango, even though it wasn’t ripe.

I would wager that this was the same critter that stole my unripe Ichi persimmons and left only the caps and a few bits of orange on the ground. (The orange surprised me because the fruits were still green.) My few carambolas also outright vanished. These are all planted near each other. All these fruits are downright nasty tasting when unripe! I hope that squirrel, or whatever it was, came down with a bellyache and had its mouth so puckered up that it never considers bothering anything in the area again. :imp: I have heavy UV resistant insect netting that I intend to put over these trees next year.

One fruit they didn’t bother was my papayas, which are growing very well and continue to set more fruit. Nor have they bothered my figs in the area. Not even the big, fat, dark ones.

All was not for naught. The mangoes both flowered well this year, and the one set and held fruit. Next year they will be larger, stronger, and be more likely to carry a small crop to maturity. I’ll have to settle for that, and will take solace knowing that the energy My Ice Cream conserved by not ripening that fruit will either increase its reserves or be directed toward more growth.

The really good news is that all of the tropicals that I’ve planted out for the summer - 2 varieties of mangoes, 2 of papayas, 7 bananas, and a carambola, as well as the ones in containers - coffee, cacao, miracle fruit, guanabana, tropical guava, and lychee have been thriving since they got here or we planted the seeds. I’ll probably have fruit from all of them faster than I harvested my first apple. :smile:

Thanks for asking! Maybe Patty has better news with hers. Her trees appeared to be larger and were carrying more fruit.

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I do, they are trucking along, Muddy, and I promise to snap some updated pics tomorrow and post :slight_smile:

Patty S.

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Don’t let the squirrels get to them! Somebody needs to get to eat their own homegrown mangoes. :slight_smile:

Those squirrels are really something. They ate my Thai hots one year! One Thai hot which is the size of your pinky nail flavors a pot of chili. Bet in January he had to cool himself in a snow drift. Guess it’s not easy being a thief. Hopefully a coyote liked the Thai hot seasoned squirrel. I only have one now and he eats strictly hedge apples so far. He’s not exactly chubby and you can’t call them picky eaters!

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That’s a tough loss on the mango. It looks like you’ve found the silver lining in the situation :slight_smile:
Looking forward to next seasons progress!

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that is a strong, strong list!

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Thanks, Raf. I appreciate that coming from you. :blush: I feel like it’s really a rather short list compared to all the possibilities that tropical fruits offer. But they are ones we know we like and that I think I have a good chance of getting to fruit considering the constraints of the area. The choices were also confined to what would either fit in the car on trips to central FL, or my carry-on bag from PR. :smile: , in with my gingers and heliconia. It’s nowhere near as extensive as @joehewitt is attempting. You’re aware I have several pineapples and passion fruit growing, as well. Now, if I could only grow coconuts here, I’d clear out the pines, devote much of land to them, and be very happy. :smile:

One thing I really would like to plant next year, if I can find an appropriate variety, is colacasia with edible roots. I don’t even know where to start looking.

of course @joehewitt 's list is awesome. It is just that have never heard any similar list being grown in SC, so evidently biased. There’s quite a number of organizations and nurseries in cali with ‘tropical aspirations’, and seriously doubt your area has anything close…

what gingers did you ‘smuggle’?
i sure miss the nicolaia’s/alpinia’s and heliconia’s used to grow back in the day. And the hedychiums are heavenly fragrant!

quite certain you have asian/hawaiian supermarkets there. You could try planting some of the corms. Choose the hard, firm ones with plenty nodes, as the rubbery ones(even though edible), may already be dead due to refrigeration. There are two basic types–big and small. The smaller ones are better-tasting imo, having a delicate, nutty taste and firm texture… Delicious when cooked with coconut milk with a little sugar as dessert, or used as vegie in lieu or along with potatos. The leaves are also edible, but also must be cooked well.

I have had to make many trips to LA and San Diego to build my collection. Nurseries in the SF Bay Area have zero interest in zone pushing. Some carry bananas, mac nuts, cherimoyas, and strawberry guavas over in the tiny oddball section. That’s the closest they come. So I’m in the same boat as @MuddyMess_8a, having to drive to FL for tropical plants (not sure if you do that) or mail order.

i stand corrected, and agree SF area is too tropically-challenged for most.

admittedly was speaking for california as a whole.

Okay, tardy photos, but here they are:





And yes, gotta build some tall cages out of hardware cloth or heavy duty chicken wire, and put them over my little trees. Then stake them down, The squirrels, rats and raccoons will have a field day with these, no doubt.

Patty S.

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Hey @MuddyMess_8a, when will your great fruit migration begin (taking all your indoor tropicals outdoors)? I’d also be curious to hear an update on your mangoes as I’m leaning towards trying the condo mango option up here in the north.

Thanks

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