Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[Little Luey]

I finally got a mango tree from lowe's, the manilla variety. But after I got home I took a good look at it and I don't see a graft point on it. I am thinking it may be a seeding if there is no graft, right?

I will try to take a picture of it and post it later today.

[phoenixtropicals]

The same thing happened to me when I bought my Manila from HD. The Manila mangoes sold at HD are from a nursery called La Verne in California. For some reason a couple of years ago the graft line on their mangoes mysteriously disappeared. However, those type of mangoes (SE Asian I believe) are known as polyembryonic, meaning seeds from them have mutliple embryos and majority of the embryos in a seed (2 out of 3 or something like that) are actual clones of the parent. So is La Verne actually somehow sorting out the right embryo? Or are they just playing Russian roulette with our mango trees. I have no idea. However, my Manila that had exactly the same suspiciously smooth trunk fruited within two years and was delicious. So, I'm guessing you will probably have the same experience.

[Little Luey]

my tree also came from La Verne, I found their web site and they don't say weather their trees are seedings or grafts. I send them an e-mail but I am not sure they will even answer my question.
I guess I can give it a couple of years and see what happens. But I need to get me another tree from a different source as a back up, just in case.

[Little Luey]

I looked around some more in the La Verne web site and saw their order forms, they have the sub-tropical trees and the mangos in it, the Manila is listed by itself, but they also have grafted varieties, so I am thinking these trees have to be seedings. check it out, page 2, it is an excel format document

http://www.lavernenursery.com/ASALES%20REP%20AVAIL.xls

[phoenixtropicals]

It appears that polyembryonic mangoes generally come true from seed, so it appears you are correct in thinking its a seedling. Here is paste from the article sited below. The amazing thing about my Manila is that I had fruit in only two years, which is really very extraordinary from a seedling. Possibly that is why the Manila is popular.

Propagation

Polyembryonic types generally come true from seed, which is the common method of propagation in the tropics. Monoembryonic types do not come true from seed, so they must be grafted onto seedling rootstocks, using almost any available mango seeds.

The fibrous stone or pit should be removed from the seed. The seed should be planted concave edge down and about 1 inch deep in any good potting soil. Germination may take two to three weeks; graftable seedlings of a quarter inch diameter take about six months.

Veneer or side veneer grafting and chip budding are the most successful methods of propagation. Most propagation occurs in winter, using rootstocks grown from the previous summer's production. Cleft grafting is also practiced.



http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/EXTENSION/HOMEFRUIT/MANGO/MANGO.HTML

[Little Luey]

I was plesently surprised to receive a response to my question from none else than the CEO of La Verne Nursery. Here is his response:

"Thanks for your inquiry. The Mango you purchased from Lowes is a seedling, a manilla seedling, fruit weighing approximately 7-12 ounces. This seedling will produce outstanding fruit. When you do get flowers, limit the number of fruit after pollination to 2-5 and be prepared to prop-up or support the fruit as they are forming and getting larger. Water deeply when watering and fertilize with a fruit tree type fertilizer once a month in the growing season (our label says longer between fertilizing) and your tree will perform. Need anything else, please let us know,



Richard Wilson – CEO

La Verne Nursery Inc."

I think it is great that they took the time to responde, let alone that their CEO would do it.
I decided to keep the tree.