By Clint Thompson
A successful mango season is nearing an end in South Florida. The region’s temperatures and hot weather conditions paid off for a successful season, said Alan Chambers, plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center.
“We had a lot of heat and some nice dry heat, so a lot of sun this spring. The mangos came on, and they came on hard,” Chambers said. “They like the hot. They like the humid. The little bit of chill that we get, that’s what I like to call in the winter, it does help to synchronize flowering. They do well when we get just a little bit of fall weather when you dip into the 40s.”
Mango is fourth largest tropical fruit produced in Florida behind avocado, lychee and longan. It is largely harvested in late May and June. Chambers said harvests should continue through July with late-season varieties, depend on the weather.
For more information about mango production, see University of Florida/IFAS Extension.