Sunday, July 18, 2010

Mangoes!

Eat your hearts out, northerners! It's mango season!

I skipped Fairchild Tropical Garden's mango festival last weekend because I knew I'd spend money I don't have. If you're planning on coming to South Florida sometime, think about timing it with the annual festival.

It's also proving to be another abundant year, and, as you see from the first pic, there are enough around so that  damaged or too small ones are simply discarded. Since my own mango tree is still too small to be allowed to develop fruit, I rootle around in these piles for ones that are still fine to eat. (Can you say mango smoothie?) I also go out on the bike and collect them from the public-rights-of-way where the trees overhang. (This whole neighborhood was once mango groves and many homes still have trees from the original groves.)

I took the other photos in the garden of fellow blogger TOG. He says his trees produce masses every year and the trick is to cut the trees back hard after the fruiting season. It also keeps the trees a very manageable size and enables several varieties in a small space. Trees that are allowed to get big eventually stop producing fruit and concentrate of getting even bigger.

9 comments:

Floridagirl said...

Beautiful shots of those mango trees! How cool it would be to live in what was once a mango grove. I live in the land of old orange groves myself.

Terra Mirabilis said...

@FG: Well, that's not bad; fresh orange juice is such a treat. Plus you have that divine scent wafting on the air. Much as I adore mangoes, the flower's perfume is not exactly pleasant, plus it makes so many people sneeze.

James David said...

Mango season!!
Wow!!
I never got tired of mangoes.. there is so many varies in my region and all of them are very delicious!!!
Now, I'm anticipating the season to cross over to my place.

Ever Green Tree said...

We have been growing Mangoes at home and also commercially for decades now, but have never cut the trees back. Informative blog on Mangoes!

Terra Mirabilis said...

@James: Even last year, with the biggest crop is decades and people couldn't give them away, I never got tired of them. (They also freeze well.) My favourite has notes of coconut, and if anyone can tell me which variety that is, I'll be eternally grateful.

@Ever Green: Welcome! And thanks for commenting! What varieties do you grow? You may want to check the links in my post for more info about pruning. My father-in-law and a neighbor both let their trees get huge and both trees only produced a few fruits each year.

NanaK said...

Beautiful fruit! I love mangoes. No room for a tree here at my place but I might go looking in the neighborhood for some of that overhanging fruit!

Susan said...

Mangoes look so interesting when they dangle from the trees like that. Some great shots! Enjoy your smoothie...it will be refreshing in this summer heat.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

Great shots on mangoes... and the low lying fruits are very tempting indeed. ~bangchik

Terra Mirabilis said...

@Nana: Some varieties, such as Julie, can be grown in large containers. Would you have room for a small tree?

@Susan: Thanks! I'm off to make a smoothie in a minute: over ripe bananas, mangoes, a little lemon zest ...

@Bangchik: They were soooo tempting! But I resisted. :)