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The "Late-Season Giant" – Kent Mango
For those who want to extend their harvest season into the late summer, the 'Kent' is the ideal candidate. This variety is famous for its massive fruit and "melt-in-the-mouth" texture.
Kent Mango Tree
Kent Mango Tree
Design Role: The Skyline Shade Tree. The Kent tends to grow more upright than the Tommy Atkins. Use it to provide high-level shade over a patio or to break the skyline in a large boundary layering project.
Cape Performance: Excellent. It is known for being a consistent bearer. Its upright habit makes it a great choice for narrow-ish spaces where you still want a "proper" tree.
The Fruit: Large, greenish-yellow fruit with a red blush. Like the Heidi, it is fibre-less, but the fruit size is significantly larger—often reaching nearly 1kg per mango!
Growth Habit: Upright and stately. While it can get large, regular pruning after harvest keeps it neat and productive.
Kent: The "Late-Season Giant"
The Kent is the choice for those who want "more mango per mango." It is famous for its sheer size and "melt-in-the-mouth" quality.
The Look: Large, greenish-yellow fruit with a dark red shoulder. It is often much larger than the other two, with a single fruit sometimes weighing nearly 1kg.
The Taste: Exceptional. It is completely fibre-less and has a sweet, juicy, "creamy" consistency. Many consider it the best variety for juicing or eating straight with a spoon.
Fruiting Window: A Late-season bearer. This extends your harvest into March and even April.
Yield: Very good. Because it fruits later, it avoids some of the early-season pests, but you must protect the heavy fruit from the late summer winds.
How to Grow & Care for the Kent
Spacing: This is an upright grower. Space them 5 metres apart. Its vertical habit makes it great for "skylining" above a lower hedge of Sweet Viburnum.
Growth Rate: Moderate. It focuses more on vertical height than width in its early years.
Watering: Consistent moisture is key. If the soil dries out completely while the fruit is large, the fruit may "drop" prematurely. Use wood-chip mulch to keep the root zone cool.
Pest Control: Watch out for Fruit Fly in the late season (Feb–March). Use organic pheromone traps to protect your harvest without using harsh chemicals.
Winter Care: Because it fruits later, it needs a bit more energy to get through the winter. A post-harvest feed of liquid seaweed helps strengthen the "blood" of the tree against Cape cold snaps.
Pro Tip: Use the "Pencil Test"—if the branch is thinner than a pencil, don't let it carry a heavy Kent mango, or the branch might snap! Prune for strength, not just shape.
Visit us at the shop or contact us on Whatsapp 072 867 3243.
Our Mango Trees are currently available at R280 each.
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