#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  Growing mangoes and harvesting

## forreachingme

We have 32 Mango trees on about 6 hectares of land and plan to get some output of it next season.
The variety is awarded World sweetest fruit, called Carabao or Manila super. Well i had similar mango taste in Thailand or in India, however it's a good big fruit.

I really do not have green hands, but with the help of good advice from the experienced people around here and the net, we should get from 40 to 60 tonnes with those trees. In good years they made over 200 boxes of 48 mango per box. this is then calibrated and rated A B or C, best variety A shall be around 60 boxes, B is major at 100 to 120 boxes and C makes the rest and is cheapest.

The trees were planted by the grandfather of the wife, they are between 25 to 40 years of ages and are huge.

Treating will start in october, once the rain stops, it should then be around 120 days before harvesting. This variety being sweet and very watery is prone to be easily attacked by microbes.

We still have another 4 hectares were we will grow grafted Carabao trees, shall be 20 to 30 more trees coming there.
To gather mango from seed takes around 10 years, but with grafting method time shall be cut to 3 years only.

----------


## Boon Mee

What are you going to treat them with?

I've got a couple dozen Mango trees on 5 rai and the trees are 15 years old.  Pump out too many when the season comes in and I give away 90% of them.  Got one Apple Mango tree that puts out fruit too sour to eat.

----------


## forreachingme

^ will come back with fertilizer and insecticide later on, still studying, but i am looking at what one guy told me, a fertilizer, cheap and extremely efficient, mango grow out of tree trunk ! They found this out by throwing away stuff from the chicken farm...

This is all a trial, first year, they had some years, wrong work no output, they abandon it for a few years and now we purchased it, we might have anything from 1 tonne to 70 tonnes depending on luck, typhoons, correct stuff we use and hard work of the 2 bro in laws...




Well i think this thread will be cut short as i tried 4 times to insert picture from gallery, working with mozilla and it just wont upload image, sorry...

----------


## palexxxx

> Treating will start in october, once the rain stops, it should then be around 120 days before harvesting.


What do you mean by 'treating'?

----------


## forreachingme

^ spraying stuff ! 
   Insecticides and fertlizers...Most eco natural possible way
   Marking the trees to record work and output per tree
   Cutting bad branches, not sure what season this has to be done
   and
   Preparing scaffolding with bamboo
   Making Bamboo shelter for short storing after harvest...


I'll gladly follow up the 6 month of process doing this on this thread, but since posting pics from gallery does not work with Mozilla, and i not have nor like photobucket and such, only words will not do, so probably i will andandon the follow up quite soon. Any advice why Mozilla does not work with gallery ?
Chrome does not work as well, in edit function at least, cannot re insert images in past replies...
My explorer is old and i not actually wish to sponsor Bill to get a new one.

----------


## liveinlos

Mangoes are in gross over supply in Thailand. Unless you have an buyer or plan to export it may be hard to sell your harvest. I would ensure you have a buyer first before going through all the labor.

----------


## forreachingme

Yep, buyers are there... they supply special boxes to pack in
they come and pick up daily at season, coz 1 week if not at 12 C and 2 week if at 12 C, short shelf life those mangoes...

they have facility for the treatment to export to honk kong and Japan mainly, i believe it is just a temperature regulated water bath at 45 C for some time, to kill possible germs and wash.

this is in northern Phils not Thailand...

----------


## forreachingme

Best complete read found around, here linky :

Guide to Growing Organic Mango With Natural Farming System

Many things around the web regarding organic ways of pesticide and fertilizing, as well for treating after harvesting.

Guide to Growing Organic Mango » EntrePinoys Atbp.

Morelinks to come, but the first above is very complete and interesting.

As i understood, Neem is a very good plant to have handy against pest and garlic and ginger mix with neem does a great job, in a natural way.

Cow dung is good to have around as well.

----------


## DH Woo

Hi,
This is Korea.
I'm trying to find the way to manage an organic mango farm on 10 hectares of land at least, in Thailand or Vietnam, for my friend. He will run the mango farm there and expot mango to Korea. 
 Can you help me to find the farm? Rent is preferred.

----------


## GracelessFawn

Some mango farmers force their trees to flower by spraying chemicals. This is usually done during off mango seasons.  Be careful if you do this, especially if your farm is in PI.  Rain, too much wind, or a combination of both could cause the flowers to fall. You could loose money this way.  This is a huge gamble which could be very financially rewarding if played right, and if you get lucky with the weather because mango prices during off season are extremely high. Just don't spray if the tree is leafing reddish/purplish young mango leaves.  Wait til the new leaves have matured, or spray the other branches that are ready and leave that one for next time.  

As for cutting mango branches, this is usually done after harvest.  You cut the branches that are not needed, especially those ones that the sunlight cannot reach, as they do not bear good quality fruits.

----------


## crackerjack101

3 mates of mine invested in mango farms in the Northern Territory.
They all went bust.

 :Sad:

----------


## GracelessFawn

> 3 mates of mine invested in mango farms in the Northern Territory.
> They all went bust.


Yeah, its a very risky investment, but a very rewarding one if you get lucky.  The real winners are the Mango Fruit owners because they just rent out their plants to investors.  Investors on the other hand deal with shitloads of problems like the operational cost, (chemicals, manpower, even the paper bags used to wrap the fruits with) weather, (rain, wind) insects.  That's too many variables that could go wrong before you start to see profit.

----------


## GracelessFawn

> What are you going to treat them with?
> 
> I've got a couple dozen Mango trees on 5 rai and the trees are 15 years old.  Pump out too many when the season comes in and I give away 90% of them.  Got one Apple Mango tree that puts out fruit too sour to eat.


Two to three months before flowering use a balanced fertilizer like 14-14-14.

During flowering use potassium and nitrogen, like 17-0-17 fertilizers.  Do not use urea fertilizer as it will cause the flowers to fall off.  

Two months before the fruits ripen use 17-0-17 and 0-0-60 (muriate of potash) in equal amounts.  Use one kilo of the mixture for every 10 kilos of fruits.  

Note:  Fertilize by making 10 holes, 3-4 feet away from the trunk.  Hole deep is 3-6 inches.

Enjoy the sweet fruits!

----------


## piwanoi

Graceless , You are dead on about the Urea , a few years ago I used a 50/50 mix of urea and normal fertiliser on my big  tree which normally gives massive yields , that year the yield  was at least 70% down ,my mate said it was due to the Urea ,since then I have had bumber crops every year  :Smile:

----------


## GracelessFawn

> Graceless , You are dead on about the Urea , a few years ago I used a 50/50 mix of urea and normal fertiliser on my big  tree which normally gives massive yields , that year the yield  was at least 70% down ,my mate said it was due to the Urea ,since then I have had bumber crops every year


Hope your tree recovers soon.  Try applying trace elements like rhizocote mixed with balanced fertilizer.

----------


## BaitongBoy

Did you study this at uni, Fawn?...Or is it accumulated knowledge from experience?...Did you grow up "farming?"...

----------


## GracelessFawn

> Did you study this at uni, Fawn?...Or is it accumulated knowledge from experience?...Did you grow up "farming?"...



Just another passerby that keenly observes BBoy.

----------


## PAG

> Originally Posted by BaitongBoy
> 
> 
> Did you study this at uni, Fawn?...Or is it accumulated knowledge from experience?...Did you grow up "farming?"...
> 
> 
> 
> Just another passerby that keenly observes BBoy.

----------


## piwanoi

> Originally Posted by piwanoi
> 
> 
> Graceless , You are dead on about the Urea , a few years ago I used a 50/50 mix of urea and normal fertiliser on my big  tree which normally gives massive yields , that year the yield  was at least 70% down ,my mate said it was due to the Urea ,since then I have had bumber crops every year 
> 
> 
> Hope your tree recovers soon.  Try applying trace elements like rhizocote mixed with balanced fertilizer.


   Yeah its back to normal now,  Last year was another bumber crop  :Smile:

----------


## rakukenny

Howdy~
     There is a Kasetsart University Dept of Horticulture Research Center at Pak Chong. We have been trying to talk to someone at the facility about "Grafted Hass Avocado Trees." They do not answer the phone numbers we have been given. Does anyone know how to reach them?  Also, anyone in production on the Korat Plateau with Avocados? Would appreciate some input on success/failure?  Thanks, kw

----------


## Topper

> We have been trying to talk to someone at the facility about "Grafted Hass Avocado Trees."


If you can get that going, I'll pray for people to invest...

----------


## Pragmatic

There's some help on here. I shouldn't really but.............Growing Avocados - Farming in Thailand Forum - Thailand Visa Forum by Thai Visa | The Nation

----------


## Neverna

> Howdy~
>      There is a Kasetsart University Dept of Horticulture Research Center at Pak Chong. We have been trying to talk to someone at the facility about "Grafted Hass Avocado Trees." They do not answer the phone numbers we have been given. Does anyone know how to reach them?


Do you use Facebook? 

https://th-th.facebook.com/สถานีวิจั...3512076089689/

----------


## thaimeme

> Originally Posted by rakukenny
> 
> 
> Howdy~
>      There is a Kasetsart University Dept of Horticulture Research Center at Pak Chong. We have been trying to talk to someone at the facility about "Grafted Hass Avocado Trees." They do not answer the phone numbers we have been given. Does anyone know how to reach them?
> 
> 
> Do you use Facebook? 
> 
> https://th-th.facebook.com/สถานีวิจั...3512076089689/



Nice find, Nev...
Could be informative.

 :Smile:

----------


## Hugh Cow

The problem with Mangoes is harvesting and ripening. Mangoes ripen best at 20C to 23C and storage temp is between 10C and 13C depending on ripe or unripe. In Oz they use CA rooms with ethylene ideal RH is 95%. Al very expensive in the initial set up.

----------


## rickschoppers

Where could I buy avacado trees, Tak research center? Anything closer to the NE?

----------


## thaimeme

I'd breed a few breadfruit trees into the mix...

----------


## Pragmatic

> The problem with Mangoes


The thread has changed from mangos to avocados.

----------


## GracelessFawn

> Where could I buy avacado trees, Tak research center? Anything closer to the NE?


You can grow it from seed.  At least, you get to pick the variety.  Avocados grow v quickly.

----------


## Pragmatic

> You can grow it from seed.


I was told they won't fruit if grown from seed. :Confused:

----------


## bluecowry

Not sure if someone mentioned or not, I have a few tips that have worked for me.

1. used coffee grounds mixed with ash, smear around the base of the tree.  Have to do this like once a month or more.  Seems to help ward off some bugs like ants n such.

2. Keep the soil / ground near the base of the tree clear and clean.  Unlike some fruit trees like citrus trees, they don't like too much rotting wood / leaves near base.

3. Kill every bird and squirrel that goes near your trees haha.  I like pellet guns for this. Makes it more fun.

----------


## GracelessFawn

> Originally Posted by GracelessFawn
> 
> You can grow it from seed.
> 
> 
> I was told they won't fruit if grown from seed.


I'm afraid the info they gave you is wrong.  Avocados if grown from seeds normally bear fruits after 5 years.  Some even start producing fruits after 3 years, if they are v v healthy.  

There's a traditional method that farmers do to force their fruit trees to flower.......  If its v hot for an entire week, you water a tree of fruit bearing age with tap water at noon.  It seems to force them to flower.  Or you circumcise the tree by cutting the top part of the pain trunk.  This is not scientific.   Its farmer voo  doo .

It seems to work for me...

----------


## jjlh

> Hi,
> This is Korea.
> I'm trying to find the way to manage an organic mango farm on 10 hectares of land at least, in Thailand or Vietnam, for my friend. He will run the mango farm there and expot mango to Korea. 
>  Can you help me to find the farm? Rent is preferred.



Hi i have read your post and been testing some exotic mango strains. i am trying to create a strain which grows 5 kg in size and very sweet. i would like to know what is your friends skills and the price per kg of mango your willing to pay?

----------


## pseudolus

Might be a bit late - that was 18 months ago.

----------


## petercallen

How do you stop the fruit flies, In Phuket they attack everything that my wife and our neighbor grow while still green, mangoes, tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, grapes, bananas you name It
The only way she gets any mature edible crop is to put plastic bags over the fruit while its growing, She hangs bottles of fruit fly poison all around the garden, it attracts them but it does not get rid of them all and they seem to breed like rats or rabbits

----------


## rakukenny

Am curious as to your location and how you did with your harvest?  We have a few producing trees and recently planted more.  I want to keep them pruned to be able to get to the fruit without having a "skyhook" transported to the Korat Plateau from a shipboard container facility. The peak of our season just passed but we do have some stragglers. Are you selling to packing facility or just locally, ie., village-markets et al?

----------


## OhOh

> Does anyone know how to reach them?


Turn up at the door, with a Thai speaker, and wait. There is always somebody around who will help at these Agriculture offices.

----------


## Pragmatic

> I'm afraid the info they gave you is wrong. Avocados if grown from seeds normally bear fruits after 5 years. Some even start producing fruits after 3 years, if they are v v healthy.


 Okay thanks.




> Ungrafted trees (like those *grown inside from seeds) rarely produce fruit. In order to have an avocado tree that produces fruit, one must graft the seedling.**.*

----------

