Our very own Mark Suiso with the help of the Searider Program made two new videos about tree care, pruning, and fruit.  You can view them here:

1. https://vimeo.com/436953119/032465132d

2. ​https://vimeo.com/415664213/8ca5a9b487

This is a good series on how to top work a mango tree. Covers branch choices, decent cut placements, and grafting.  This is a 3 part video series, put together by Chris from Truly Tropical.

• PART 1
• PART 2
• PART 3

Put together by a who's who of local tropical fruit masters and just published by UH CTAHR, this publication is quite useful for folks to understand the different methods of local tropical fruit tree propagation.

Click here to download your copy - read and go propagate! 

HPR's Molly Solomon pays a visit to the Makaha Mangoes farm to learn more about the history and traditions of Mangoes in Hawaii

Click HERE for the text and audio of the radio broadcast.

Here is an excellent easy to follow example of how to bring old, non-productive trees back down to manageable size, and help make them fruit producers again.  Please call us if you want help - we can work with you to help make your trees healthier and more productive!

Here is a fantastic video sent to us from Dr. Mark Nickum concerning ultra high density mango planting in India - They are able to get 670 trees per Acre!  And they maintain them at 7 feet so the farmers can do much of the picking and care themselves.  Good advice.

Featured Farmer: Mark Suiso
Makaha Mangoes, Mākaha, Oʻahu

• Area under production: 1 acre, plus other cooperative arrangements
• Years farming in Hawaiʻi: 25 years
• Crops grown, animals raised, other products/services: mango, tropical fruit, sheep and goats
• Number of employees and/or family members involved: No employees, 4 other family members on shares
• Fertility management: It is evolving, from traditional, to mulches and foliars to EM® (Effective Microorganisms®),occasional soil and tissue analysis.

Hot Tips from Makaha Mangoes

• Thereʻs lots of information on YouTube and Google. Sharing information with others helps us all get better.
• Ultimately it is production that makes the difference.
• Tree ripened fruit is the best there is. I do not like to let anything leave the farm unless it is ripe. Fruit does not ripen well off of the farm. I use a brix meter to verify the ripeness of the fruit.

• Makaha Mangoes: http://www.makahamangoes.com/
• Makaha Mangoes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makahamangoes

Mahalo nui loa to Mark Suiso for this interview and photos.


READ THE UH VERSION HERE

Here is the full color entire article here:

Here is a good spreadsheet list of many of the mango varieties found here in Hawaii.  It has information about climate, growing conditions, taste characteristics and the like.  We will continue to update and add to it so check back periodically.

Long time favorite Heidi's presentation about general mango care:

Master Arborist Steve Nims presentation about pruning:

Every year we host a hands on workshop in partnership with the Malama Learning Center where you can come to our farm and learn about trees, tree care, and even try some grafting and pruning.  These handouts are a useful resource for you as a reference guide.