Mango

frozenoak

Yamadori
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Location
San Juan Capistrano, CA
USDA Zone
9b
2012-10-02 18_15_52.jpg

I have a mango sappling. There is a style of bonsai that I have seen and loved. I have seen it done with Pears and Lemons where the tree is used to frame a single fruit left to mature. I realize that a mango will not contrast as much with the foilage as a pear or lemon but I thought it might be fun to attempt something like this with my tree. I am also aware that it may be 5 years before I get a flower and or fruit but I was wondering if this were doable.

Any suggestions would be welcome.
 
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Cold hard truth alert.....

You will most likely have a decade or two to wait until this sapling is developed enough to begin bonsai training. It will take that long just to develop a trunk with enough diameter to support a fruit, add another ten years to develop the apex and branch structure to make it look like a tree and you're 30 years in. Those Chinese quinces that are used to create framed single fruit style are well over 50 years old--and in most cases in exihibitions the fruit is glued on...

One of the first rules that is hard for beginners to grasp is that small bonsai don't become big bonsai. Bigger bonsai are CUT DOWN from large trees to their final design. The initial growth stages--mostly trunk diameter development is the "heavy lifting" phase of development. Most people that have been doing bonsai for more than a few years --including the vast majority of Japanese growers---start with tree stock that has already spent over 10 years in the ground developing trunks.

They mostly don't use saplings to begin.
 
Thank you rockm. 30 years does not sound unreasonable for this endeavor. I am starting with saplings because that's what I have. As far as building tunks and developing taper go, this seems like an ideal time to start. I will be brousing nersurys after I have attended an Orange County Bonsai Society meeting next month or the orange county study group here has time to show me around. I have questions to ask that I don't think forums are best suited for.

Regards,
Dale
 
Are you sure this is a mango? I've grown several mangoes over the years and none of them had serrated leaves like that.
 
This came from the pit of a mango that I purchased from the store and ate, so it seems unlikely that it would be anything else. I guess we'll know for sure in about 20 or 30 years. ;)

Also keep in mind that this tree is less than 6 months old so new growth may look different than a more mature tree.
 
I grew up where there are mango plantations...different kinds and in different stages. None have serrated leaves. Granted I haven't seen all mango types.

Is it possible, it got mixed with something else? If you check a bit deeper, you should find the humongous seed still attached to this seedling if it is indeed a mango.
 
that is definitely not a Mango.
 
Lol.
He said he ate the mango and planted the pit. The only way it couldn't be a mango is if it wasn't a mango that he ate.
 
Truth Poink!
It doesn't look like a mango to me. Big leaves though. Carefully dig that thing up and see what's in there.
 
I stand corrected. I was able to dig up the old Mango seed, lo and behold there was not tree attached. One of the joys of compost gardening is the surprises one can receive. I have another of these trees that volunteered in the garden this spring in another pot. Dug that one up also and no mango seed there either. Can this be made into a plant I.D. thread?
 
I can't even say what you have is a tree. Looks to be more like a garden plant (flower) or some type of weed.
 
Hmm. that's a little disappointing. I have a few necterine seeds stratifying in the fridge right now. Maybe this would be a good pot for them. Thanks for the help.

Regards,
Dale
 
NotMango.jpg

One of my "mangos" put on a couple of new leaves. They are compound, and if you look closely at the leaves under the two new leave one of them has split and become kind of compound it's self.
 
Neither do I at this point. I found the Mango seed and this tree was not attached to it. I am hoping that someone might be able to help me identify it though.
 
I don't think the leaves are compound. If they were the existing leaves would be.

My money would be a on perennial weed species...
 
I have no clue what your weed is.

For what ever it is worth. If you want a mango, why not start with a grafted tree that will actually bear edible fruit?

I'm in the north, you are in California, I don't know if you would be able to keep them outdoors year round or not. For me, if I were to try one, they would have to spend 6 months a year indoors.

I have noticed there are half a dozen or more varieties of mango that are selected to be 'condo size' mango. At least 3 of the varieties on the list in this link are noted as being able to grow and fruit in containers and be maintained under 6 feet.

http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/mango/condo.shtml

And grafted trees should start fruiting within a few years if grown well.

Of course a 6 foot mango tree in a 20 gallon pot is not usually what we would think of as bonsai. In fact if you want them to have fruit, you should not prune they way you would for shaping a bonsai. One would have to be very careful to not prune below the graft, and not allow suckers from the rootstock to sprout.

But if one felt creative, perhaps you could train an attractive fruit tree, just don't call it bonsai, because you will really never be able to get the scale and proportions needed to create the image. You can have a nice container grown patio tree. Nothing wrong with getting artistic with your patio trees. I encourage you to try.

If you want bonsai with edible fruit, and don't want the 30 year process rockm described to create them; look to trees with smaller fruit. There are a few on the main list in the link above. Cherries come to my mind, if your winters are cold enough, eugenia & jabotacaba & kumquats and other citrus for more tropical options. The choices are many, key is to look for smaller fruit say maybe under 2 inches in diameter.

RockM was telling you the truth about the time it takes to create what you described. A noble goal, and if you want to you should try. But it will take time.
 
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