Cleft grafts on new mango trees.

These mangoes use cleft grafts. Apparently Tim wanted them to be grafted closer to the base but the nursery's preference was higher up. I'm guessing California growers don't have the confidence or expertise as do the Florida fruit tree grafters.
Update: I found out the root-stock is called "Criollo".

Antonio's graft line

JMT's graft line

New cold-tolerant Mango trees

Yesterday I drove 11 hours to Camarillo to pick up my order of cold-tolerant mango trees.

 This is Tim Thompson, the breeder of cold tolerant mangoes. He also breeds Pitaya Cactus and pineapples.

This mango below is JMT (not sure what it stands for?)

This variety is called Antonio; its suppose to be the most cold tolerant.

The exciting this about these to plantings is that they are in the ground rather than pots. I hope they grow like crazy.

Yesterday ate Maha Chanok Mango

I ate my Maha yesterday and found it yummy, albeit it had an unusual floral flavor. Not sure if its my favorite mango. Another year maybe?

My Maha Chanok and Julie harvest!

Mahachanok

My Maha ripened and fell off my little tree. There was a lot of rain so my fruit has splitting.

 

 

Julie

Julie had also show splitting from too much rain. It was ripe so I ate it. It was delicious.

 

 

Yeah!

My Manila didn't die.

Still alive!

Mango update; May 18th.

A group shot of my mangoes.

Graham, Carrie, Valencia Pride & Lancetilla

Four of my mango trees got really bad damage from the cold and they had to be severely pruned.

'Valencia Pride' got chopped to about 11 inches. It's regenerating though.

'Carrie' was chopped down to about 3 inches of the graft line. It's growing back.

Poor 'Graham' was cut down to near the graft line. Its growing back and I can see it's 'Turpentine' rootstock is putting out a shoot. I cut off the tip of that.

'Lancetilla' was also chopped to about 12 inches. I don't have pic yet but a lot of it's branches were dead and slowly regenerating. So I thought I have a clean start with it and pruned it.