By MEREDITH KIRTON

Most Australians love the taste of mangoes and eagerly await the summer when this fruit comes into season and they become affordable.  What many people don’t realise is, that although they are strictly a tropical fruit, the trees will grow further south and fruit, though not as heavily, as far down the coast as Sydney and Perth.  In fact, once established, trees will even cope with the occasional frost, though fruit set is dependent on temperatures staying warm enough during flowering in spring.

Kensington Pride is probably the most popular variety in the supermarket, however the home gardener should try other types, as these are susceptible to rot, and tend to grow too big (12m tall) whereas ‘Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Irwin’ and smaller cultivars.

Plant your mango tree in an open sunny place, protected from winds and cold.  Ensure the soil is well drained and add lots of organic matter to it to boost the water holding and nutrient storing capacity of your earth. The good news is that they are relatively quick to produce crops, and you should expect to see mangoes from grafted plants after only 3-4 years.  Watch out for fruit fly and scale insects, and anthracnose and black spot.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS