Mango blues

18 years ago

I live near Newcastle and have a 9 year old mango tree (not sure the variety) that is about 4m high and 3m wide. It had one fruit when it was about 4 y.o., and the following year about 30 of the most delicious mangoes I've ever eaten!! I never fertilised it or even needed to water it as we had plenty of rain. Then no fruit for the next 2 years so I visited the local nursery and was told to try citrus fertiliser. So I tried it, and watered regularly, but still no fruit! The tree appears very healthy and green, it flowers profusely and last year it had 100s of small pea sized fruit, but none survived again. What can I do??

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Comments (3)

gardenlen
18 years ago
mangoblues,

might be i can't suggest a lot but, i have found mango's are very water reliant at the right time of the year, ie.,. in rockhampton they needed good heavy rain around easter, then average low winter rain some good spring rain then not big lots of water as they tried to set the fruit, seems at fruit setting time too much water causes the sap to run and they drop their fruit.

so might be look at the watering regime, set up a dripper around the feeder roots zones, and keep watering a consistant rate, get hold of a rain guage so you know when enough rain ahs fallen so a not to over water with the dripper, or alternatively give them a good deep water say monthly, not sure how effective it would be fertilising a tree that size? but i would suggest more mulching from about a foot out from the trunk to out just beyond the drip line.

also around march give it a good prune to open up the middle of the tree. out side of that tlak to a grower they will know waht is needed for your area, i would suggest that you most probably ahve a bowen mango by the sounds of it?

alos a lot of trees of recent years have suffered that mildew disease on the flowers not sure what it is called, anthraxis?? maybe if your tree is affected then it won't fruit, usually needs the aplication of a copper based spray i thinks some even hammer a couple of copper nails into the trunk.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page
blackolive
18 years ago
Hi Mangoblues
From my experience, NPK and chickenpoo are good for mangos - esp in late winter/ early spring. they are heavily water dependent - Len sounds like he knows his stuff. I havent looked at it so closely, I just give mine plenty of water most of the time. I try to imagine where mangoes grow naturally - in the tropics, where in the wet they get water almost daily.
Phil
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User
18 years ago
Yes, mangoes need a dry period during flowering for fruit set. You could try to mimicking their natural habitat: a definite dry season and wet season.

Roughly April to September is generally the dry season, and October to March the wet season with highest humidity December to February. I usually notice storms starting mid to late October, gradually increasing in volume and frequency into November. January and February (particularly February) I have found to be the wettest months, although March can be very wet too. By the end of April the rain has lessened in intensity and frequency and we are usually heading into a warm but dry winter with only the occasional rainy day here and there.

In non-tropical areas regular hosing of the foliage from December to February (if water restrictions allow) may substitute for some of the humidity liked by the trees.

I hope this helps a little.

Mango blues

Comments (3)

gardenlen

blackolive

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