Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[phoenixtropicals]

All of these photos were taken in Mesa AZ in June. Yes, my neighbor still has his Christmas lights up, ha ha. First photo is of my Brewsters Lychee. It has taken like 10 years but this tree is finally really starting to produce.

[phoenixtropicals]

Asian Pear tree. It has 3 varieties on it. Its been in the ground at least 4 years.

[phoenixtropicals]

European pears. Both planted in the same hole. Varieties Hood and Florida Home. FH has better fruit but Hood is much more productive and vigorous.

[starch]

Nice trees, that lychee looks great!
My Brewster was a 1 gallon airlayer last fall, but I have it planted in a protected spot and even though it has not grown much, at least I have managed to keep it alive through the summer so far

[phoenixtropicals]

The lychee really started to take off when I started putting green lawn clippings around its base. Every time I mow the lawn I take the green clippings and put about an inch or two of them around its base. I don't put it too deep in them because they can get hot when degrading. It has been a long time since I put any other fertilizers on it.... well except I did put some EDDHA iron mixed with water around its base one time in the winter I think. That tree is also planted on the east side of the house. You can see how it is growing toward the sun over the sidewalk but probably it wouldn't do well in full sun I think.

[myamberdog]

Nice job PT - I've never had luck with pears, and so out of the ground they've come....would love to see your mango trees in a picture...

Had my first Coconut Cream mango this morning - divine coco-nutty flavor and it had fallen off the tree with the other 2, and they are close to ripe now too....wish I could share them with you all if you've never had one.....

Maddie

[phoenixtropicals]

Sure. I'll post some mango pictures soon. The only tree I have this year that has a lot of fruit is my Manila. Since there are only about 10 they are really big. The tree itself is doing fantastic. My Keller mango seems to only bear every other year.

[phoenixtropicals]

Here is some fruit on the Manila.

[phoenixtropicals]

Here is one that shows you the tree size.

[myamberdog]

Yep - looks like my one manila - the other one i have has smaller more colorful fruit - seedlings ya know....

First take a look at this nearly 2 pound, one and only Edward that I just picked up off the ground today. Six year old tree has had one mango the last three years...then take a look at my grafted Lemon Zest onto my larger Manila tree in front (oh a couple years ago) but this last heat up fried a few of the grafted branches - here's a picture of that and another Manila I have in the back yard that wasn't covered....

[phoenixtropicals]

Nice mango. Only one in 3 years. Well, it might start pumping them out when it gets better established. I have found grafted trees are very slow growing though. Seedlings are definitely more vigorous and I have had good luck with the fruit quality too even though they are seedlings. Wow, it looks like the sun hammered your trees. Well, at least you don't have frost problems like we do here.

[myamberdog]

I should clarify what I said PT....I meant 1 mango EACH of the last 3 years, and each time they've been huge......and yes, I still get frost damage too - not immune to that either.....

thanks, myamberkitty

[darkcoolboo]

Jay Barringer at the Phoenix Fruit Growers Facebook page just waters them more often when it gets hotter. Maybe because his soil life is better, his plant can cope better.

Isnt 122 degrees fun guys?! Desert gardening at its finest! Walk thru quickly when its this hot! -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Agv0HLSRI

[phoenixtropicals]

Nice video. Are you in the Phoenix area or Palm Springs? I don't recall it getting to 122 here this year.

[starch]