Are mangoes feasible in 9b?

[mwhight34]

I’ve always loved mangoes and have been toying with the idea of growing a potted tree. In ground is not an option. Has anyone in 9b grown them successfully and if so, what kind of winter protection have you seen work? My winters typically don’t get below 35F at the coldest, summers are brutally hot and dry.

[KSBorder]

MWHigh36; I sent this to Venturabananas. Fruitnut, it hope it gets to you too! Its about some Mango varieties from Pakistan. Sounds like its hard to obtain the mangos let alone a tree! (I suppose start from seed!)

Passing it on an interesting story. I think that this might interest you'all. (I have no green house so its a total guess for me. )

Pete (KSBorder)

https://www.eater.com/22618349/pakis...=pocket-newtab

snip....
Pakistan’s Anwar Ratol and Chaunsa mangoes — the kind I picked up from the Detroit airport’s cargo bay — smell strongly of flowers and have a custardlike creaminess that drips with sticky-sweet juice. A popular method of consumption involves rolling the small, yellow-green fruit around, slicing off the top, and sucking out the liquefied pale-yellow or ochre flesh, like you’re drinking a juice box from nature. These mangoes, Pakistanis contend, are among the best varieties in the world....

more at link

[Figland]

I've got a dozen mangoes in the ground in Valley Center. For the first few years I religiously covered them at night and uncovered them at dawn,they really did not need that much attention. They were grafted Keitt. After three years they fruited, we removed the fruits till then. They seem to be fine both winter and summer, and we get down to 32F sometimes but only for an hour or so each time. I think one of the reasons they are thriving is that they are on the side of a hill and so cold air does not pool there. We also have Manilla, Golden Lady, Nam Doc Mai, and some seedlings. The seedlings have been through a winter and are fine. If you want to make frames to cover yours it might help in the extreme temps. I guess in pots, I would put it in the deepest pot possible since they need room for their taproot. Cool story KSBorder!

[mwhight34]

That’s good to hear you’ve been successful with them! I think your inland climate is pretty similar to mine. Hot dry summers and mild wet winters

[Figland]

Have to watch out for gophers though, they just recently started to notice the mangos and have started to take them out.

[emik]

I have also recently ventured into mango growing in 9b. I purchased 2 trees, which I keep in pots, a few months ago. Both are grafted. I have an Alphonso and an Angie. My understanding is frost protection is key, particularly when they are young. In the winter, mine will be on a covered porch, that gets afternoon sun (i.e. is quite a bit warmer than everyplace else in the yard). Am hoping that is sufficient. When the are mature enough to fruit, my understanding is that a long day of direct sun is very helpful.

I found a thread on houzz before I purchased my first. There was someone growing in 9b (Bay Area- Peninsula) that had pretty good success.

Good luck!

[JoshHolbrook]

I have an acquaintance who grows them in Lake Wales, FL, where it gets down into the 20s - in-ground, too.

[FigHopeful]

Absolutely yes. I've seen people growing them in 9a. While I find some of this information to be outdated at times, the CRFG page on Mangos indicates a temperature of below 30 to be the damage/death point for young trees and 26 for mature trees ( https://crfg.org/wiki/fruit/mango/ ).

There is a HUGE mango orchard in ground in the California desert, Wong Farms. That said, pots get colder than trees in the ground so it will just be a matter of being consistent with your frost protection, if any as it seems you're pretty warm at night.

I have a seedling in ground I hope will survive winter, but it's my only mango currently. I get down to 22-24 on 1-2 freezing nights a year but we mostly are above 30 through winter. If you're close enough to the temperature range they like, you can modify the space they are in via improving their microclimate. For sub-tropical/tropical trees in my opinion location is everything, then windblock. Also, trees that are happily fed and watered always appear to handle temperature extremes better.

[mms2020]

There are many people who are growing mangoes successfully in 9B. I would suggest checking out the forum which has Tropical Fruit in its name.

[599gh888]

Check out the articles from Simon. He really have great ideas that can be applied to the Bay Area. He is one of the most knowledgeable person growing mangoes in California, especially Southern California

[Ghawdex]

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, maybe even selling a fig to get a mango. I’m in Tucson AZ. I’ve read some about it - Alphonso would be my preferred variety if I go forward with it although they are expensive - if anyone had insight on a variety to put in a pot in the desert I’d be grateful.

[emik]

be careful where you buy your tree. I purchased an Alphonso from FastGrowingTrees and have not been thrilled. The graft on the alphonso was not great. It has been a few months and only one side has healed. I have also gotten a few other things from them, and about half have had issues (hundreds of centipedes in my miracle berry, sugar cane that appears to have some red fungus, the bad graft on the mango). While I did hear back from customer service re the mango (wait and see if it heals), I haven't heard back re the other issues and it has been over 2 weeks at this point.

[SubmarinePete]

I’m happy to hear this. I plan to move to 9b next year and my wife is demanding that be we grow mangoes.