Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

Will take pics tomorrow. I have some leaving the nest and moving into their first apartment. No homebuyers yet.

[ginger2778]

They are all making their little elbows, shedding their helmets( hopefully) and reaching their baby arms into the light.

[maxjohnson]

It's the neighbor's plant, looks more like plantain to me. But we also have half a dozen bunches of our own.

[efisakov]

I know what I would do with them (when ripe). Now that I have good dehydrator. He, he

[ginger2778]

I had 2 whole stalks very similar to that matured all at once, and my husband cut them both down together. (DOH!) So I had a lot of bananas and that was what I did. I froze the sweet crunchy chips, munched some, then reconstituted them, and made amazing banana nut bread.

[kurt]

I had all my 35/72 trays ready to go,selections,was going to drop them on the 1st of month.Then we are getting the Glades generated stormfalls ,now this Hermine aftermath,I can't get away from the 80 pus humidity down here.Having to wait,debating to start indoors.But the water is great for all the fruit trees.I am getting great blushes on the Mangoes,Lychees I am having to brace the bananas since they want to fall over with the bunch weight.Sugar canes are almost 20 foot and filled with water.

[Barb_FL]

Kurt - what kind of Mango are you growing that is blushing now?

Marsha - Are all your mangos off the tree?

I found my Kent instructions and it said to fertilize a fruiting plant (once a year) after all the fruit is off. Do you do this? Yesterday, I had DH pick up 40 lbs of Sunniland Citrus (for mangos too) organic fertilizer for <$14 from Lowes.

Geez - Why can't tomato Food be this cheap.

[Zone9b]

If you are thinking of replacing your T5 grow lights with LED panels you may want to watch this youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtRWbltewB0
LED may ultimately be the way to go but for now it looks like one could spend the money and not get the result one was looking for.
Larry

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kurt - what kind of Mango are you growing that is blushing now?

Marsha - Are all your mangos off the tree?

I found my Kent instructions and it said to fertilize a fruiting plant (once a year) after all the fruit is off. Do you do this? Yesterday, I had DH pick up 40 lbs of Sunniland Citrus (for mangos too) organic fertilizer for <$14 from Lowes.

Geez - Why can't tomato Food be this cheap.

Keitt
Kent both of these are blushing they were tipped(1 foot trim off spent mango fruit branch)

Cushman blushed 1month ago

Ice Creams blushed 1 month ago

Rosigolds blushing now.

All trees are kept at their optimal harvest size 20-25 foot.

The Cushman is a mango that is most productive at its height now at 45 foot.

All the blushes now are the vegetative new trim/tipping growth.
One month before the flower/blush bloom we water heavily(well) then at the canopy drip line,3-4 ft band of granular ferts watered in every 2 weeks for blooms/flower set.

Also during this time I mix up some "Tea"Mg/Blue,some heavier Phosphorous Bloom Boost and with the larger stand up solo sprayer coat the whole center trunk/bark so as the ferts gets absorbed thru and up the tree quicker than the capillary actions thru the ground and roots.This will happen three to four times to get those "optimal results".

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kurt - what kind of Mango are you growing that is blushing now?

Marsha - Are all your mangos off the tree?

I found my Kent instructions and it said to fertilize a fruiting plant (once a year) after all the fruit is off. Do you do this? Yesterday, I had DH pick up 40 lbs of Sunniland Citrus (for mangos too) organic fertilizer for <$14 from Lowes.

Geez - Why can't tomato Food be this cheap.

I fertilize once per year, I do it in January, because bloom buds are just starting to swell. Seems to work. I use plain old cheapo citrus, mango, avocado fert on it. I don't worry about organic, because the tree has a taproot going down 15 feet into who knows what, certainly just the native soil, and whatever is in it. I need to get it pruned now that it is finished producing.
You are only supposed to prune 25% or less of a given tree's limbs, with the exception of fruit trees, which you can hatrack at will. Our Kent got to about 40 feet, so last year it got a good ol maiming, and only produced about 60 fruit.
This year though, wowee!!
Barb- Sunniland 40 lb is what I use, but not the organic one. Can you please photo the front and back so I can identify it at HD or lowes?
I paid about $14 for it at HD too, but not organic.

[Barb_FL]

Marsha - Lowes description says organic but I'm not sure. The package does not state organic. Sounds like we have the same one.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Sunniland-40...-6-4-6/3083855

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Kurt - So do you get multiple fruit sets per year with Kent? Wow!!!! How many per year with Kent and the others?

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Marsha - Lowes description says organic but I'm not sure. The package does not state organic. Sounds like we have the same one.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Sunniland-40...-6-4-6/3083855

---
Kurt - So do you get multiple fruit sets per year with Kent? Wow!!!! How many per year with Kent and the others?

Barb,
Twice in my history with mangoes did I get two harvests.About 5 years ago(Keitt and Kent only) and last year.
I have been a member of Fairchild Tropical Gardens where I got my trees at.Went to all the classes and do attend the Mango Fest each year.No special regimen for multiple harvests.Early and late cold snaps tend to alter the cycle somewhat.One main key I took away and have experienced is the flower set,the rain after will devastate the flowers with mold.Heavy winds will literally blow all blooms away.Hence the millions of buds each year(survival strategy?).Heavy watering/ferts during the specific growth stages have been my strategy.Wind and rain during the small window of flowering set seems to be the denominator. Then once the fruit sets(multiple as usual,and then again the weaker fall off)then it is a race with the four legged tree vermin,and here sometimes those two legged human vermin thieves.Keeping the trees trimmed(no horizontal growths)and under 25 foot works for this homeowner with TOO many trees.

Ginger 2778
I have a friend in Plantation who has some of the original Hadens(Hayden/Mulgabo as rootstock).His backyard had a canal.All the trees on his side of the street did well(water table at 6-10 foot).If the taproot breaks through the coral rock you are good to go.His one tree was 4 foot away from canal and would produce football sized(some not all)perfect fruit.I have a sapling about 8 foot am waiting for my turn,it is grafted to a Cushman and it looks healthy and strong.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Marsha - Lowes description says organic but I'm not sure. The package does not state organic. Sounds like we have the same one.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Sunniland-40...-6-4-6/3083855

---
Kurt - So do you get multiple fruit sets per year with Kent? Wow!!!! How many per year with Kent and the others?

Barb, it does. I was kinda hoping it was organic, and Lowes does indeed claim that it is. The NPK numbers sure do look like those of an organic product.
Anyway, I have been using it for years, results were excellent, as the photo showed.
I have gotten 2 sets of blooms with Kent, but they just sort of elongate the fruiting length. First bloom December or January, second bloom March, so fruit matures from late may through July, or August if I am lucky. This year I actually had a few left(21 fruit) at the first of September when we returned from our hiking trip.
This year the tree waited until almost March to bloom, and only 1 set, but wow!

[kayrobbins]

I am having so much fun growing the micro dwarfs from Ellie at Bunny Hop. They are almost like pets. The seeds were started around July 15th, the same time as my other plants that are outside. Only one of them even has a bloom so far. I can't wait to see how they taste.

[Fiishergurl]

Kay so cool! I love your set up.

Ginny

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