How to Grow a Mango Tree

Tropical Backyard Fruit

Oct 27, 2008 Jacqueline Cross

For tropical gardeners, the mango tree is a must have fruit tree for the home landscape. It offers a sweet and tangy exotic flavor that is eaten raw or cooked.

Gardeners lucky enough to live in tropical and even subtropical areas of the world can grow this tree right in their own back yard. The Mangifera indica, or mango tree, is a fast growing, long-lived, evergreen tree. It makes a good shade tree as well as a lovely ornamental addition to the home garden. Depending on cultivar, the tree can reach one hundred feet high with the average being more like sixty-five to seventy feet high. Dwarf varieties tend to grow to approximately thirty feet. Dwarf varieties are the best choice for home gardeners.

Site and Soil

The tree should be located in a warm, sunny spot in the landscape. Plant so that high winds will not affect it. The wind can dry out the soil and cause your tree to loose leaves and fruit to drop from tree.

Mango trees are not very picky about soil as long as it is well drained and leans toward the acid end of the scale at 5.5-7.5 pH. Trees will grow in sandy loam and medium clay alike. Allowing plenty of room for roots to spread is essential because the Mangifera indica has an extensive root system with a very long tap root.

Water and Fertilizer

Trees will need regular watering during the warm growing season for the first two to three years. It is important for root development that the tree receives plenty of water. After the first two to three years, water as you would other fruit trees. Organic mulch around the base of tree will keep the soil from drying out with the added bonus of thwarting weeds.

Fertilize tree with an all purpose fertilizer high in nitrogen, much like many other fruit trees. Feed tree two to three pounds per year, spread the feeding out over three or four applications during the growing season. It is often necessary to add extra nutrients such as iron to the mango tree. Stop feeding after midsummer.

Mangifera indica is susceptible to fertilizer burn and this should be taken into account when feeding young trees in particular. Young trees need approximately half as much fertilizer as mature trees.

Pests and Diseases

Pests that may affect the mango tree are fruit flies, scale insects, whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and mealy-bugs. Gophers may also find the roots of this tree a tasty treat.

Bacterial spot and powdery mildew can also attack the mango tree.

Pruning

When the tree is young, prune only the leading branch, or main shoot. Clip this shoot back once it reaches about three feet long to encourage side branches to form. During the first three years, trim any crowded, dead or diseased branches from tree. The tree should have an open appearance with a rounded canopy. Limited pruning is best.

Harvesting

Trees will begin to bear fruit between three and seven years from planting, depending on cultivar and whether they were grown from seed or a grafted specimen.

Once fruits begin to change color, pick them carefully so as not to bruise them. You may want to gently squeeze the fruit to check for firmness with a slight give to know that the fruit is ripe.