Pugging

[michsu]

I won't feed your anxiety..  good job, great job  you did a wonderful job.. now don't do that to any more other trees.. whoops.. did I let that slip in? 

[mksmth]

you know what.  Nothing you can do about it now so why worry. 

[savemejebus]

wow... it's like that picture on Sheehan's phone (only 10 - 11 inches longer).

[bsbullie]

wow... it's like that picture on Sheehan's phone (only 10 - 11 inches longer).

Uhhh, and you openly admit that??

[merce3]

you live and you learn. i am sure you can train it into a good shape with constant attention.

[bsbullie]

Have never pugged a mango before and am a little concerned that I went too far.  Trunk dia is almost 2" for this coconut cream mango.  Cut was a little on the rough side about 14" above the graft.  How long until new shoots would appear if I didn't kill it?

By the way, I would pull away the mulch and some of the "top soil" about a foot radius from the trunk.  Grafted trees should always be planted a little high (a couple/few inches above ground).

Can you also take a close up of what looks tobe another mango over by the air conditioner.

[savemejebus]

wow... it's like that picture on Sheehan's phone (only 10 - 11 inches longer).

Uhhh, and you openly admit that??

He handed me his phone. It was like a traffic accident - I had to look.

[TnTrobbie]

Thats a pugging!!! . I like to pug at around 3 ft. but hope is not lost. Hopefully the temps in your area will be consistently warm (high 70's) and in about 21 days you'll see some protrusions mostly off the stump tip. What I do is keep the soil moist and let the new branches grow to about 3-4 inches. You'll see the difference in vigor among the new protrusions. Nip off the weaklings clean off the stump and select 2-3 vigorious ones that would make your main branches- the more eqidistant from each other the better. New protrusions will continue to appear so keep nipping them off (to allow the tree to focus all their energy on developing the 2-3 u selected). To help with shaping, you can use pliable electrical wire (that can hold the weight of the new branches) to set the angle (vertical) that the new main branches will grow towards at and eventually harden. With continued training you'll have a very nice looking tree . I've had beautiful results with it Cushman (7gal), Dot (3gal), Fernandin (7gal), Mahachanok (3gal).

[Squam256]

It will be ok.

This kind of pruning strategy is better suited for more upright growers. One of my CC trees got naturally pruned like this by a freeze a couple years ago. I'll need to take a pic tomorrow so you can see what it looks like.

[edzone9]

I would dig it up & Place it In a Big Pot ..
Ed

[gnappi]

I would dig it up & Place it In a Big Pot ..
Ed

I would too

[TnTrobbie]

I would leave it where it is. No need to introduce another form of "shock" to it.

[stormin]

Wow, you're a brave man. I cut off a third of my Maha earlier this week, it was just getting tall but no lateral growth. I hope your CC prospers.

[jc]

Why...so you could put it in the freezer and finish killing it like the rest of your trees?

 

I would dig it up & Place it In a Big Pot ..
Ed

[mangomaniac2]

Hate to tell you, but this tree is a horizontal grower. Well, more of a willow tree like growth. You may want to consider starting over with another younger plant because the end results will likely be quicker that way. Of course you could always put a trellis up.

[edzone9]

Planting it in the POT will give him a little more clearance from the Ground once the tree fruits as Rob Stated , As for my trees Freezing Its Ok , I can buy More This Spring .. Its all Good..
Ed

[FruitFreak]

This post is awesome.  Definitely some characters on board.

Rob - ill post more pictures of the other mangoes nearby.  There's an LZ near the air conditioner and Rosigold beyond that.  This side of my house offers the best sunlight and protection from wind and cold.

Trobbie - I will keep the soil moist and hopefully the weather cooperates.  your post makes me feel better
If you don't mind, please post some of your results.


Thanks,

[FruitFreak]

Lol.  You guys are not exactly helping my anxiety about this.  Hopefully some nodes will appear in the next couple of months.  The damn tree was so scraggly when I got it.  It will have to be maintained at a smaller size in its location. My intentions were that the scaffold branches would begin at the cut and I was going to let the grow up a foot or two.

Not sure what you mean by the bolded section.

Since you removed the leader, your brances will most likely start 4"-12" below the cut.  With the CC's undulating growth habit, those bottom branches will be dipping and near dragging the ground, like I said above.  You will need to try to promote some healthy vertical growth.

Accidentally emboldened while making my entry via cell phone.  I agree, and will have my work cut out for me shaping this young tree.  Why do the branches start out so far below the cut?   

[Waterfall]

I cut mine just as short

before


after


If its an established tree you will be fine.

[Cookie Monster]

It will be fine. You cut it at a good time. The tree would have stored up a good bit of energy over the dormant period and is ready to pupe out a bunch of growth. By the end of summer, it will be 6 foot tall and round.

Just make sure to only leave 3 sprouts. The tree will naturally want to send out 6 or 10, but pick out the 3 most vigorous and most evenly spaced and nix the rest.

The only potential drawback is that (depending on vigor) the branches may end up hanging low to the ground. You can always deal with that later though, by tying up branches and/or pruning next year.

Don't dig it up. It spend the fall and winter rooting out and has a good base to grow like a beast this summer.

You'll be fine !

[Cookie Monster]

PS, a good rule of thumb is to cut them back to about waist height when you're doing initial pruning (or pugging as it were).

[puglvr1]

I agree with the advise since its already done,  no point in worrying. I too think it will be fine  ...it may be a little shorter than you would like but it should be a nicer more compact shape once it gets growing...

Waterfall, that's a nice looking tree. You did a great job!  I've pugged a mango or two that drastically also.

Here's one I pugged severely in 2008...unfortunately this one  died (due to severe 'freeze' damage that winter)

July 31,


After hard pugging...


Sept. 30... 2 months later


I'm sure it will be fine Fruitfreak... Best of Luck!!

[FruitFreak]

Have never pugged a mango before and am a little concerned that I went too far.  Trunk dia is almost 2" for this coconut cream mango.  Cut was a little on the rough side about 14" above the graft.  How long until new shoots would appear if I didn't kill it?

By the way, I would pull away the mulch and some of the "top soil" about a foot radius from the trunk.  Grafted trees should always be planted a little high (a couple/few inches above ground).

Can you also take a close up of what looks tobe another mango over by the air conditioner.

The one by the AC is the lemon zest and the one in the corner by the fence is the rosigold.

[FruitFreak]

It will be fine. You cut it at a good time. The tree would have stored up a good bit of energy over the dormant period and is ready to pupe out a bunch of growth. By the end of summer, it will be 6 foot tall and round.

Just make sure to only leave 3 sprouts. The tree will naturally want to send out 6 or 10, but pick out the 3 most vigorous and most evenly spaced and nix the rest.

The only potential drawback is that (depending on vigor) the branches may end up hanging low to the ground. You can always deal with that later though, by tying up branches and/or pruning next year.

Don't dig it up. It spend the fall and winter rooting out and has a good base to grow like a beast this summer.

You'll be fine !

10-4.  This was what I was thinking all along.  Thanks!

[FruitFreak]

I agree with the advise since its already done,  no point in worrying. I too think it will be fine  ...it may be a little shorter than you would like but it should be a nicer more compact shape once it gets growing...

Waterfall, that's a nice looking tree. You did a great job!  I've pugged a mango or two that drastically also.

Here's one I pugged severely in 2008...unfortunately this one  died (due to severe 'freeze' damage that winter)

July 31,


After hard pugging...


Sept. 30... 2 months later


I'm sure it will be fine Fruitfreak... Best of Luck!!

That's sad a freeze claimed what was such a healthy looking tree.  Appreciate you chiming in.  Did you spray anything to kill the grass around your tree??