Mania
Defining “mania” is a heightened expression for what turns you on – obsession or irrational behavior. MangoMania has arrived at the German American Club on Pine Island Road this weekend.
There are many ways to express one’s maniac desire that is not pleasing to everyone. My giant Valencia Pride mango tree was loaded this year and I have many family members to share these with except, the mango thief has struck. My oldest daughter and mango lover lives directly behind me. She stares at my mango tree through her kitchen window. Valencia Prides are large sweet mangoes shaped like an Indian paisley print. They ripen at the end of June, first of July. Near the end of June, my daughter called me to inform me someone in a truck was standing in the bed of his truck with a long fruit picker, picking all my mangos. By the time I got out the front door, he had departed. Later, her son, my grandson, saw the same truck picking the small mangoes off my corner neighbor’s small tree. No permission was asked for in either case.
They either had a voracious appetite, or were selling them for their profit. I could huff and puff and say – how dare they – but they did dare and once again I have very few mangoes to enjoy. It is probably my fault for planting the tree so near the street. I’m sure it overhangs my right-of-way. I blatantly put my tree right in the swale line, tempting one and all.
Getting it to grow was a problem after Hurricane Charley blew it over. We took my grandson’s truck and tried to pull it upright, propping the tree with a large rock. It eventually grew straight up and is now a giant, too tall to reach all the top fruits. They seem to be aided by the winds we’ve been having, so my son-in-law picks those fallen fruits up from the ground, not a recommended practice. And, of course, there are the critters that love to immediately nibble the fruit, even as they hang in the tree, leaving fruitless seeds.
I do suffer for my addiction. Mangos are related to cashews, pistachios and – the dreaded poison ivy. If I’m sleeveless, leaves touching my shoulders bring bright red itchy slash marks. Once I gathered a group in my T-shirt, dropping the mangos into a bag and going my merry way. Not for long. I developed bright red itchy blotches at my waistline. At first the doctor thought it was psoriasis, but we realized it was only on my front half. Didn’t think the T-shirt would pass on the allergens.
There are many sizes, shapes and ripening seasons for this fruit. I chose Valencia Pride because it was a large, heavy fruit, 21 to 32 pounders shaped like the paisley design. I bought it at ECHO, back when Haden was the mango for Florida. Normally, one doesn’t recommend growing a fruit from seed, but mangos seem to be the exception. So many new and better varieties have been developed and grown.
Mangifera indica, mango, is noted as the most popular fruit in the world. They were grown in India over 5,000 years ago. Mango seeds traveled through Asia to South America and Mexico before arriving in Florida. In 1885, six seedlings were planted and one survived a freeze. It was labeled “Mulgoa,” but it was not. The thinking was, this was a shoot from the late 1800s frozen rootstock. Never bothering to change the name, this is the tree from which Capt. Haden in Miami planted six seeds. When they fruited, Mrs. Haden named the best tasting one, Haden. It became popular for shipping because of its tough skin. This was the standard of excellence for many years. The mango became one of the most popular dooryard fruits. It is compared to the peach in texture and flavor. David Fairchild and his Tropical Gardens along with the program of the U.S D.A.’s seedling program, continued extensive cultivations, developing new varieties.
Mangos thrive in tropical warm weather, freezing easily. A medium to large tree is 30 to 100 feet, evergreen, the leaves are bronze in color when first setting on, then mature to dark green. Flower clusters are grapelike drupes, with the majority of them male, the remainder are bisexual. Mangos are well adapted to many soil types. Our light sand and limestone produce satisfactory yields, but flooding and wet soil conditions are very unsatisfactory, so keep them well drained. My swale planting was not a good idea, but the tree has thrived. Many insects attack, but seldom affect fruiting. Mango decline is caused by manganese and iron deficiencies.
In home yard conditions, beware of damaging lawnmowers and weed whackers. Injuries allow infections to set in.
Mangos can ripen after picking, so a green one doesn’t matter. They make great salsa. You can leave the fruit on for later picking if you’ve picked your fill, but beware of moochers. You can slice, put in baggies and freeze extra, or try drying them, use canned or in jams, jellies, preserves, pies, smoothies, ice cream and chutneys. They are a good source of phosphorous and potassium, plus being a good source for vitamins A, C, B-6, and E. Half a mango is just 70 calories.
Join the crowds at the Pine Island’s Tropical Fruit Fair at the German American Club on Pine Island Road from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday. Taste the many flavors, be a maniac, let them turn you on, and join in the fun – buy a tree, just make sure you have plenty of room for it to grow. If you are able, try pruning them to keep them shorter and the fruit more reachable.
Thank it double fold for its health-giving abilities and the delicious fruit it provides.
Joyce Comingore is a Master Gardener, hibiscus enthusiast and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.