Best time of year to start air layering a mango tree?

[chad6159]

Hey guys I have tried searching on this and I would think this would be a pretty easy thing to find but I cannot find the info anywhere.

What is the best time of the year to start an air layer on a mango tree?

I started two at the beginning of October and just checked today and there is basically no root growth on one (starting to bulge so probably will pop a few roots out sometime soon) and the other one had probably 6 roots but they were only a half inch to an inch long.

From what I have heard and seen most people let it go a month and a half to two months. Is that too short? Also I am completely new at air layering, this is my first try at it, so I am just happy that it seems like roots are forming!

[561MangoFanatic]

Mango trees aren’t best suited for air layering. They need a tap root or they eventually die from lack there of from my understanding and that’s why mango trees are grafted rather than air layered.

[chad6159]

Hmm that is interesting. Every time I go to fruitscapes their big mango trees are loaded with air layers.

[Cookie Monster]

Most prefer to graft their mangoes over layering. I would be really interested to see Steve's mango layers. When I've purchased from him in the past, they've all been grafts.

Lack of a tap root shouldn't be an issue. They can be a little less resistant to the wind I suppose? Most of the mango trees you buy from a nursery are going to have a badly malformed taproot anyway -- you'd need to grow them in a tree pot (long and narrow) to allow the taproot to develop.

The main reason mangoes are not layered is because it's far less efficient for mass production. Grafting is quicker and easier. Plus, you can produce hundreds or thousands (using budding) of grafts from a single tree vs a few dozen using layering.

Another common reason nurseries will prefer layers over grafts is when the tree has a tendency to sucker from the rootstock (eg, guava). However, a good nursery will skip the layering and just use tender cuttings (Pine Island, for example), which are faster and more efficient.

That said, I would suspect that layering would be best in the fall (Sept), as that's when mangoes send a lot of energy into root production.

[TREESNMORE]

Steve at Fruitscape does not airlayer mango trees . What you are seeing is longan and lychee

[shaneatwell]

All of Tim Thompson's trees were on a rootstock he discovered accidentally that happens to air layer well. Its the only mango that's doing well at my place.

[Squam256]

Air layering mango tends to be highly cultivar-dependent (some varieties don’t air layer well at all) and studies have shown they often grow poorly. From what I’ve personally observed, a lot of ameteur attempts have a low rate of take. Cynthetic auxins seem to help.

I suspect the vast majority of the Mango trees sold at fruitscapes are grafted rather than air-layered.

[chad6159]

I guess I could be mistaken and thought they were mango trees. I will look more closely next time I am there. But for now forget that I said that