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Tropical Fruits

How close to house can I plant Manila mango?

11 years ago

I just bought a Manila mango at OHS, and I'm trying to decide where to plant it. I have a spot near a west-facing side of my house, also near a concrete walkway, so there should be lots of radiant heat to help with frost protection. But is it safe to plant it in the ground close to the house? It would be about 4 feet from the building. Would the roots cause any damage? The house sits on a raised foundation.

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Comments (3)

jalilu
11 years ago
Hi

I am just a beginner in fruit trees growing, but I believe that 4 feet is not enough for the tree to develop a canopy, not mentioning the roots that could damage your house.

Good luck

Jalilu
mangodog
11 years ago
well....janlep....I'm out in Palm Springs so conditions are probably different from where you are. I can't plant anything against a west wall as the radiant heat cooks anything I plant there....BUT.....if you are closer to the ocean then you should be fine with that part of it....

Now...back to the house/foundation issue. I've got a 9 year old Manila Mango planted maybe...let's see about 6 feet from the house and there's been no problem and I don't foresee one for your's either. A Mango sends down a deep tap root so it should not bother the foundation at all. Also, it eventually cleared the house and the canopy is now free to rise and spread. You'll see in the photo I have a 4 foot overhang on my roof too....
Good luck and happy eating.

If it's a 4-5 foot tree that you bought at Lowe's or Home Depot you'll have to wait till about the 4th year or so to get your first fruit...but it will be well worth the wait....Fertilize with a diluted amount more often than a stronger dose less often. I fertilize every couple weeks with something like 1/3 the dose they say on the instructions....

Good luck - mangodog
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Zigmund
11 years ago
Hi! Manila mango trees can really really get big.

We have a 20 year old tree that sits right in the middle of our house living room, going through the 2nd storey roof. The trunk sits right next to a wall in the living room. It hasn't made any damage through the years (it hasn't cracked the walls or lifted the floors). But we consider it to be lucky. We attribute this lack of structural damage to the fact that the tree's root system grew immensely downward instead of sideways. We somehow figured it to be so because we knew the tree was planted near a known natural deep well. Roots follow the water.

We consider the lack of damage lucky because it is not an uncommon sight to see manila mango trees cracking / lifting concrete walls and pavements.

Maybe safer for me to say not to plant anywhere near your house structure at all.
3 meters away might look safe and far enough (for now), but there's no telling where the roots may go and what damage they may bring to your walls and flooring 10-15 years hence.

Good luck in your tree planting decision.

Zigmund

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