Need help with Litchi fruit and Mango tree info

[Mary Johnson]

i have started growing 10 Litchi fruit and 2 Mango trees. any advise will help. My Litchi's have what look like tiny ants crawling around in them, and the leaves look like they have been burnt. My Mango trees are doing well from what i see. do i need to plant them close or keep them in separate pots. i have been told that any and all fruit bearing trees/plants need a mate, as in male and female. Do i need to plant more Mango or will 2 be enough? i have very little knowledge of the Litchi, but i have eaten them and they are very tasty. Their nutritional value is outstanding. Also i would love to try my luck with Jack fruit trees, if anyone can help.........

Thank You so much
Mary Johnson

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy Mary Johnson!

I could never get a Mango to go past about 8 leaves.

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Majority of mangos are self compatible, meaning you only need one. Lichi, I don't know. Jackfruit I don't know if they are self fertile.

All 3 fruits you mentioned have large to very large leaves. None have ''good traits'' for bonsai. That sais it is likely you won't get a lot of responses with first hand experience, you will get peoples thoughts from''internet experience'', meaning they read about it.

I've eaten all 3 fruits, and they are wonderful, well worth growing. You can even use some ''bonsai pruning techniques'' to keep them more compact. But these are very unlikely to make good bonsai. Especially Jackfruit, as its leaves are huge. So enjoy these in your container orchard, but don't wast your time trying to make them bonsai.

 

[Anthony]

Mary,

with Mango, try for 3 feet in height. If it were possible look for - Table Top - mangoes are smaller than normal about 2".
They also hang like grapes.

Jack fruit and Litchi - better to get Tamarind and Pomegranate or the smallest Citrus or Citrus type. [ google search suggested ]

Have to agree with Leo here.

How about a Seagrape from Miami ?
If you like large leaves.
Fruit is edible and will hang like grapes.
Best of growing.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[eferguson1974]

Where I live mangos grow like weeds, litteraly. Every year they cut the unwanted seedlings out from around the trees. I remember from Fl that they do not tolerate temps below freezing, which limits their range to south Fl. Here in the mountains at about 1300 meters the trees grow well but rarely produce fruit. Just one good downpour knocks off the flowers, and since rainy season stretches into January when they flower, ruining any chance of a good harvest. Down closer to sea level the rainy season is shorter usually and their branches get heavy with fruit. There are a ton of fruit shapes, sizes and flavors. The leaves are long and narrow, and some are sorta weepy looking. They tolerate salt in the air and grow 50 yards from the pacific ocean where I used to live. I dont know if any of that will help you, but I hope so. The other two are strangers to me, at least in English. They may exist here in CR, but with a local spanish name. Someone should try "mamón chino", I dont remember the english name, but theyre supposedly available from any Chinatown kinda place. The fruit of the sweet ones is awesome, a lot like a firm grape but bigger. If you can find fruits, the seeds sprout easily, again like weeds here. You do need both male and female trees for fruit. There are lots more tropical fruits that have smaller leaves. Jaboticaba, cas, and guayava types have shedding bark, small leaves and grow fast. I can name more if you like... Again, hope that helps. Good luck!!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Mary Johnson - hi Mary, I looked up your location, if you are in Texas City, Texas, along the coast, near Houston, you are in an area where the climate is almost frost free. They will make great patio trees, grow them outdoors. Grow these seedlings on, step them up into larger pots until they are big enough to go into a large nursery can, say into large 20 gallon pots. Set the pots on their own dollies - small platform with wheels - before you fill the pots with media. They will be heavy. During the few weeks when weather is cold, you can wheel them into a garage, or other area to protect them from cold. Then back outside as soon as it has warmed up a bit.

The litchi is likely fully winter hardy in your area. You can go for a 4 or 5 foot tall bonsai. At this size the large leaves won't be much of an issue.

Same for the Mango, except when nights dip below 40 F you will want to bring it in. Actually of the 3, mango will likely make the better ''bonsai''. Again, you are looking toward a 4 or 5 foot tall tree, smaller, you won't get much fruit, if any. While mangos are hardy to 33 F or 34 F, cold below 40 F is very likely to kill flower buds, so wheel it indoors when temps are predicted below 40 F at night.

Jack fruit is a thermophile, I've only heard of it being grown in areas where the lowest temps are above 50 F. Indonesia and Malaysia are its ''home'' climates. Parts of Thailand are too cold for it. This one will need to spend much of winter indoors. Given its size, a big plant, I don't know how practical this could be.

Pomegranate and citrus are likely fully winter hardy in your area, they would be good patio choices. Sapodilla is also winter hardy in your area. Maybe even the guava family including Eugenia, the bush cherries. Jaboticaba is not winter hardy. Lots of good fruit trees you could use for patio bonsai that are better choices, but you already have the 3, so why not?

From seed, there will be little or no bonsai technique needed other than keep them growing for the first couple years. Get them big and bushy, then they get cut back to bonsai size.

Keep us posted, and take pictures and post them.