Walking around town, I have noticed that the mango crop appeared to be pretty bountiful. There is a large mango tree on my street that I pass every day on my walk to and from the office. It has been dripping with red and gold fruit for much of the month. There have been a number of times where a ripe mango in perfect condition is laying right on the road. Not one to pass up the offering, I happily pick it up and bring it home for breakfast or a snack. Friends have also been offering mangoes left and right as their backyard trees provide a tremendous bounty.

Apparently, this abundance of fruit is not unique to my little corner of Maui. An article in the Maui News today indicates that there has been a bumper crop of Mangoes all over Maui. If there is a positive to the current drought on Maui, this may be a reason. The lack of rain and storms meant that the mango flowers were better able to generate fruit. Moisture can cause a fungus that impacts the fruit. Wind associated with wet spring storms also tends to damage the flowers. Mango season usually starts in the late spring and extends to the middle of summer. We are coming towards the last few weeks of the season.

Pete Jalbert