This time, I want it to bloom in the spring
Thursday October 20th 2016, 10:55 pm
Filed under: Life,Mango tree

After much debate back in July, I pruned one last branch of the mango tree towards the end of its flush of summer growth, thinking it would play along and get right to it.

Nope. It just sat there, stumped.

It was the only one that had had flower buds and I hadn’t wanted to cut them off, but they were five months late and still unopened. I’ve since been told that heat was the thing and that the tree hadn’t had enough of it over the winter. I’d worked at keeping it above 40F, knowing that below that kills the inflorescence; 55F was actually what was optimal for production. Okay, I will try my best this year. Change that auto-setting.

But here it is now mid-October and the tree is finally responding to that pruning. You see that cluster of leaves on the right? It looked like those tiny sprouts above it just yesterday, and it will want to grow to an 8-12″ long branch to start, with the other sprouts coming right after it doing likewise. It’s doing just what I wanted, just not when. Tender growth is vulnerable growth. I have me a bit of a challenge here.

Those two curled larger yellow leaves on the left? Those popped out right before we left for DC, where the Christmas lights triggered on with the temp but there was no cover at night because we were out of town and looking at the weather reports I was hoping it should be okay, and I confess I neglected to start the covering process for the season during the first two days we were home again.

Seven nights of colder than they wanted and their growth is stunted.

Last year I erred on the side of getting the tree more sunlight in the morning. This year I’m putting the double-layer frost covers on at sundown and keeping them on till the day warms up more (we’re talking 19 degrees’ difference between 8 am and 9 am today, with sunrise at 7:21) and I just ordered what will be a third layer of frost blanket. Greenhouse-ing it on the cheap.

Still learning.

(Meantime, the bug has gone to my lungs but it’s still just a cold. I’m glad for the comfort of knowing I got my flu shot.)


3 Comments so far
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Just take care of yourself. This change of seasons is a bad time to get a cold.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 10.21.16 @ 6:10 am

Sherry is right. A nice time of year for chicken soup and warm woollens.

Comment by LynnM 10.21.16 @ 10:41 am

I couldn’t quite see the photo as well as I wanted, so I used a higher mangofication.

The admonishments of the comment above remind me to go get my hot ginger tea. I, too, have a cold and have comforted myself with the knowledge that I also have my flu shot in. Feel better soon!

Comment by twinsetellen 10.21.16 @ 2:21 pm



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