Fertilizing

Young plants can be fertilized lightly once a month.  Conventional or organic fertilizer should scattered just beyond the existing roots, so that new roots will reach it.
Established Mango Trees require minimal fertilizing.  For trees in our grove, we use mulched tree trimmings and add calcium (pelletized gypsum) once a year.  Plants in other conditions sometimes require other minor nutrients.

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Climate Requirements

Mango trees can be injured or killed by freezing temperatures.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg216

 


Pests and Diseases

In Florida there are a few significant pests that affect mango trees. The major pest is scale which can be controlled through organic or conventional products. We use Neem Oil and Organicide as needed. 
Aphids are often seen on tender young leaves, but usually do not present a significant problem to the tree. 

 

Depending on the weather, the mango bloom is susceptible to different fungi including powdery mildew and anthracnose. Anthracnose can also cause superficial black spots on the skin of mango fruit. It is associated with damp conditions and some varieties of mango like ‘Rosa’ and ‘Haden’ are more susceptible to it. 

 


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Pruning

Pruning is an important part of mango tree maintenance. It is ideal to trim your tree annually. Pruning is best done right after you pick the last mango from the tree so that the plant can establish new growth before the risk of cold weather. It’s good to have a long term vision for the tree in terms of size and shape. We try to maintain our trees between 10 and 12 feet. Each year we trim for air circulation and light penetration by removing branches from the centers of the trees. We also thin lateral branches depending on the growth habit of the tree. Different mango varieties have different growth habits and thus require different approaches to pruning. We advise removing no more than 25 percent of the tree.