Mango flowering

[Kumar]

My two mango trees are nearly 20 years old - both planted from seed by me. From 1996 they have been fruiting, at the usual time - Mid March to Early June. The last two years though they have been flowering at odd times - whether due to hormonal changes, climate changes, pests or something else, I don't know.

This time also I see mature flowers and some tiny developing fruit as well(in Winter!!) - indicating that the blooms started in mid-November, perhaps earlier.

Take a look - comments please!

Here is the tree

Flowers

Edited January 5, 2011 by Kumar

[tropicbreeze]

The mangos always flower in winter here. Although, this last season when they'd normally start flowering some already had large fruit, while the trees were still developing new flowers.

The coldest part of winter was right at the beginning and then it stayed warmer. Also, there was some rain during winter which is very unusual. I think the mangos got confused.

[aussiearoids]

iTS all good .. can remember a few times with strange flowerings on mangos ,, fruits in the middle of winter [ July ] YUMBO

Think a cool bit of weather is needed to intiate flowering and then a dry period for fruit to set . Wouldn't it be great if we could control the weather to do that

[Jeff in St Pete]

Hi Kumar, I noticed that our mango trees are flowering now too, although this is the normal time for them. We usually get ripe fruit starting in April/May.

[Kumar]

I'm in two minds about this - early fruiting is good as fruit loss due to april nor'westers will be nil, yet not all branches are flowering. Further this flowering has come at a time when the tree usually produces a growth spurt of leaves - hence no new growth so far since may. I've decided I don't like it at all.

[Wai`anae Steve]

Kumar, you are so lucky to live where the mangos flower in the dry season. Here in Hawai`i it rains during the flowering time.

Back in the rainy mountains I've see HUGE mango trees w/diameters over 4'. But because it rains when they flower a fungus attacks and most of the fruit is lost.

Our best mangos grow in the drier areas.

[Kumar]

  On 1/7/2011 at 2:41 AM, Wai`anae Steve said:

Kumar, you are so lucky to live where the mangos flower in the dry season. Here in Hawai`i it rains during the flowering time.

Back in the rainy mountains I've see HUGE mango trees w/diameters over 4'. But because it rains when they flower a fungus attacks and most of the fruit is lost.

Our best mangos grow in the drier areas.

Dear Steve, I would like to add a short rejoinder; The mango crop here in india starts flowering in early Feb (earliest varieties), usually mid March and upto April-end (for Langra and a few others). Though the flowering itself is usually under a dry sky, temperatures are already warm and bees, wasps and other pollinaters are active. There are thunderstorms across india about 6-8 weeks before the monsoons that are mostly wind storms and relatively less rain - which in my view serve a purpose - they cause the unhealthy fruit to fall away before the plant expends resources into it and trims the number of fruit per stalk to 2-3 (from 5-9). This is extremely important because fruit growth and maturity time is inversely proportional to numbe of fruit. Finally, the fruit become ready for plucking just as the monsoon is arriving. The further inland you go, the more time the monsoon takes to reach and the later the fruits mature. But flowering in winter is just not right - completely wrong timing - althpugh it does mean i get to enjoy some delicious mango chutney out of season if i am in calcutta then.

[Central Floridave]

Here in Florida, mango flower from December to March. I have fruit holding all ready on some, but pea-size.