Mango question

[Waterfall]

Hi All, my first post here however I did introduce myself in the intro thread.

I have a Kensington Pride seedling mango which I bought last summer, eventually planted in the ground in Autumn. The tree was rather tall with no branches when I bought it, the trunk was at least an inch thick at the base. Once in the ground I cut the top off to get some branches down low, I also did this with my khiew savoy.

Come spring my khiew savoy pushed some branches as expected but my KP mango has flowered instead of branching. My question is what should I do as I really want to get some growth on this tree more than I want to eat a mango. I'm guessing I just have to wait until it has finished flowering but will it grow branches from where it is flowering now or should I cut it lower?

Winter


Now (late spring)

 

[TnTrobbie]

Welcome .

To promote growth, let the current flower pannicles sets some fruit and then cut off the pannicles when the fruitlets are about golf ball size. Cutting flowers without fruit setting, in my expericence, just makes the mango plant flower a second time if flowering conditions are present. 

[bangkok]

I agree with Robbie

[simon_grow]

I agree with Tntrobbie also and good for you for having patience! Please keep us updated and Welcome to the forum!

Simon

[Waterfall]

Thanks guys, so I make the cut at the base of each flower pannicle or make a cut in the main trunk?

[HMHausman]

I wouldn't wait until the fruit is golf ball size.  That's will draw too much of the plants attention to fruit production.  I would say pea size is fine.  Remove the small fruits.  I would leave the fruitless pannicles as this may cause the tree to not bloom further.  There are some trees that may try to re-bloom but do the same thing again.

[Waterfall]

An update on this tree for you guys, it had over 20 fruit set at first and over the past few weeks it dropped them all except for 2 which are firmly attached.



I am almost tempted to cut it lower down on the trunk to get this tree growing again but my concern is if the branches are too low they may hit either the retaining wall or the fence, the gap between is those is a little over 2.5m (8ft).

[bangkok]

I would take the mango's off and start fertilizing the tree with ureum (urea) 46-0-0 every week a half handfull disolved in a bucket of water. Then it will start growing fast.

Spray it with micro's and just let it grow for a while untill tall enough to fruit. Spray micro's every 2 months or so and it will get healthy.

[Waterfall]

Well I figured I'd take advantage of this not being a grafted tree which means I could make a cut very low to get some branches. There were 3 very nicely spaced leaves right down the bottom so I made the cut just above these.



I did the same with my NDM about 3 weeks ago but not as low due to the graft, it has put on a huge growth flush and I'm hoping this KP will now do the same.

[bangkok]

I would prune the tips of that ndm now then you get many more sidebranches. Only the the first 5 mm have to be cut off.  If you do that the tree will grow more bushy and stay smaller. That way it is easyier to pick mango's or spray it with something. Also flowers come at the tips of branches so more side branches is what i 'm after. Right now i prune everything that is sprouting, every day, to get loads of sidebranches.

Yes the other tree will probably also sprout back again and then you can graft on it if you want to try that. For seedlings you will have to wait many years to get it fruiting. My neighbours have seedlings who are 7-8 metres tall and still no flowers at all, never. I think they don't care but only want to have shade from it.

[DurianLover]

I would take the mango's off and start fertilizing the tree with ureum (urea) 46-0-0 every week a half handfull disolved in a bucket of water. Then it will start growing fast.

Sounds to me that you are advising waaaayyy too much N for such a tiny tree. I wonder what other mango pros think?

Spray it with micro's and just let it grow for a while untill tall enough to fruit. Spray micro's every 2 months or so and it will get healthy.

I think its safe to spray every two weeks in moderation, rather than every 2 months. Did not notice any burns from bi-weekly spraying. Also this interval is advised on most organic foliage feed bottles. 

[gunnar429]

I agree that is too much N, but it may depend on climate conditions (in FL many of us want smaller trees that are easier to harvest/spray/prune plus better protection from hurricane winds, but in other areas, you may wish to have the tree get large).  Here in FL, many people follow the Fairchild method of No nitrogen, and only use Potassium 3 or 4 times a year (plus foliar micros).  Others in FL, do not avoid N.  According to fairchild, nitrogen/lots of water makes the tree look beautiful and grow vigorously, but isn't helpful for fruit production.  There are really 2 schools of thought on it.  At Fairchild Farm, they don't even mulch their mango trees to avoid additional N (Though I am choosing to mulch heavily to improve the fertility of my soil).

[gunnar429]

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/Horticulture/Plant-Collections/Tropical-Fruit-Collection/Mango

[bsbullie]

Small/young/juvenile trees need nitrogen.   Not tf he amount of nitrogen bangkok suggested.   Once the trees near a maturestate, the nnitrogen can be cut way back or eliminated to focus on fruiting.   When doing ghis. Just be careful the tree does not suffer and fail to flush vegagtatively as you can cause excess stress by continual heavy fruiting and lack of vegetative growth.  This skill be easy to recognize by the tree suffering and almost thinning out.

[Rob1977]

I was thinking the same thing. Enough nitrogen to put on some good growth the first couple years as you want some size before you let it fruit. After it sizes up some then cut out the nitrogen and focus on fruiting.

[StPeteMango]

Like gunnar429, I'm following the Fairchild method, plus plenty of mulch. No fertilizer other than potassium sulfate 3 times a year. Tip pruning every 20 inches, citrus nutritional spray 2 times a year (though I'm thinking of an extra dose this week to prod them into flowering a bit more quickly).
All the trees are quite small -- 5 feet or less; the Pickering is less than waist height still; the Graham is the tallest at 8 feet. They all seem healthy. I'm a city-dweller, and if the choice is between a couple of big(er) trees and several smaller ones, I'll go with the latter. Though I envy HMHausman and some of the other folks who have lists of trees taller than my Pickering!

[bsbullie]

Like gunnar429, I'm following the Fairchild method, plus plenty of mulch. No fertilizer other than potassium sulfate 3 times a year. Tip pruning every 20 inches, citrus nutritional spray 2 times a year (though I'm thinking of an extra dose this week to prod them into flowering a bit more quickly).
All the trees are quite small -- 5 feet or less; the Pickering is less than waist height still; the Graham is the tallest at 8 feet. They all seem healthy. I'm a city-dweller, and if the choice is between a couple of big(er) trees and several smaller ones, I'll go with the latter. Though I envy HMHausman and some of the other folks who have lists of trees taller than my Pickering!

at such a young age, you trees need nitrogen.  Like i said, not an overdose  but a balanced NPK such as 8-3-9.  Once your trees are mature a developed to where they are truly healthy and mature enough to the point they should be focusing on  fruiting,  use a fertilizer such as sulfate of potash (0-0-51), not potassiun nitrate.

[bangkok]

Allright then use less urea but give more in your summertime. Urea works much faster then other Nitrogen fertilizers. I always see results within a few days but only use it  to get tree's out of the ground. Urea works only for 2 weeks and worms hate it. Bad luck for the worms because urea works much better then their manure.

But honestly i would cull that seedling tree and get me a grafted one. Or just graft onto it (just try it). No fun to wait 5+ years to get some mango's.

[StPeteMango]

bssullie,
We'll have to compare notes in a few years 
My guess is you'll have bigger trees, and higher yields because of their bigger size.
I'll be happy with small trees and moderate yields. Dr. Richard Campbell of Fairchild, in one of the videos I watched, said the smaller trees should be good for 20-40 mangoes each after a few years. I'll settle for 10-15.
At 20-40 each (x 6), it would be mango heaven.

[bsbullie]

bssullie,
We'll have to compare notes in a few years 
My guess is you'll have bigger trees, and higher yields because of their bigger size.
I'll be happy with small trees and moderate yields. Dr. Richard Campbell of Fairchild, in one of the videos I watched, said the smaller trees should be good for 20-40 mangoes each after a few years. I'll settle for 10-15.
At 20-40 each (x 6), it would be mango heaven.

You are totally  missing the point.   Three to four year old trees are not at a stage where they are truly ready for  fruit production.   The nitrogen  in the  early years will help develop  more than just size, it will also help promote  strength  and ability for the tree to properly  support and develop  fruit.  You are watching a  video frm Dr. C., it is not a 100% step by step caring from fraft to maturity.   

You can do what you want.  I am trying to give you realistic  help to give you healthier  trees in the long run.  I am giving  thistthrough  education and experience,  not from watching a  video.

[Waterfall]

But honestly i would cull that seedling tree and get me a grafted one. Or just graft onto it (just try it). No fun to wait 5+ years to get some mango's.

The seedling tree is already fruiting now, that was initially the whole point of this thread.

[nullzero]

But honestly i would cull that seedling tree and get me a grafted one. Or just graft onto it (just try it). No fun to wait 5+ years to get some mango's.

The seedling tree is already fruiting now, that was initially the whole point of this thread.

I would maybe cull some of the small mangoes and keep a 1-2 on the tree and see how they turn out if this is the case.

[bangkok]

But honestly i would cull that seedling tree and get me a grafted one. Or just graft onto it (just try it). No fun to wait 5+ years to get some mango's.

The seedling tree is already fruiting now, that was initially the whole point of this thread.

Oh i see, solly  i got confused. I would have cut the panicles off and if they came back cut them off again. You can also cut side branches off if you don't want them.

Strange that it bloomed so young, is that normal for Kensington pride? I have never seen that for a seedling but i never grew seedlings.

In the summer i would give it urea and 15-15-15 and water it every day. Then it will sure grow and if it blooms then cut them off. Panicles are easy to break off.

[Waterfall]

I think it was already a couple of years old when I bought it. It was about 7 foot tall with a reasonably thick trunk but no branches at all so I cut it down to maybe 2 foot tall. I was very surprised to see flowers so soon myself.
Most KP sold here are seedlings, you can get grafted but they are not common. Every other type of mango are usually grafted though besides a handful of KP variations like R2E2.

[bangkok]

I think it was already a couple of years old when I bought it. It was about 7 foot tall with a reasonably thick trunk but no branches at all so I cut it down to maybe 2 foot tall. I was very surprised to see flowers so soon myself.
Most KP sold here are seedlings, you can get grafted but they are not common. Every other type of mango are usually grafted though besides a handful of KP variations like R2E2.

I see, well i hope to taste a KP mango one day. I have read so much about them now but never saw any mango while i have been all over OZ for 6 months. R2e2 we can buy here in the supermarket, imported from Oz. I wished they would send us some KP's as well but farm mango's always taste worse then homegrown ones.

If mango's grow well in your garden you can probably grow more fruit there, i also started with mango and now fruittree's are everywhere around the house