I'm glad to have found this site, thanks for setting it up. My question is along the same lines as onewebfoot, so I'll be following that thread as well.

What is the preferred growinig media for mango, guava, lychee in containers?

I've asked on the GW tropicals forum and got a few replies. Based on these replies and Google searches, the best I could come up with was a "high peat" mix. The nursery recommended a 50-75% peat mix. Another source recommended Promix + 1/4 peat for coffee, and this is currrently what I use in the containers.

Are any of these suitable for a raised bed (good drainage, topsoil well-amended with compost, pH 6.8 to 7.0)? Perhaps if I amended with some additional peat?

Thanks in advance,
Robert

Hi Robert. Welcome to the forum. Again I would direct you to joencolo or Millet as both are growing many tropicals in greenhouses up in Colorado.

Stressbaby:
I'm growing many topicals including those you mentioned, plus several S. Am. Cherries, Miracle Fruit, Sapote, Star Fruit, Cherimoya and such. I've been using either coconut chips OR pine bark with peat moss @ 3-1. I add trace elements (S.T.E.M.) and a bit of osmocote on top. I'm trying for an even lower ph than mentioned. Drainage is very important, moist but not soggy.

Thanks, Joe. And thanks to Millet who posted his recipe on the other thread.

The nursery instructions that came with my last shipment of plants suggested a high peat mix, 50-75%. Most other sources suggested a 25-40% peat mix. The % loam varied from 0-40%.

I repotted yesterday with a combination of CHC, grit, peat with a dash of composted manure. We'll see how it goes.

I will add that purple guava is a stunning plant, even if I get no fruit.

Robert

I'd use the same soil as works well for citrus, for the guava and lychee. But the mango couldn't care less. Mango trees are "weeds" that can live in soil of nearly any pH, well- or not-so-well-drained, etc. They really don't care. In the east Homestead Fla. area, there are trees on marl (pH 8.1) that are standing in brackish water for weeks after a hurricane storm surge. They don't even slow down. No other fruit tree could survive such a situation.