Young mango trees and fertilizer poisoning!

[mangoprofessor]

Hello mango lovers:

I was giving a presentation to a local garden club about mangoes and how to grow them the other day when a great question came up.  The question that was: “What kind of fertilizer do you recommend for young mango plants”.  The question brought to mind an experience of mine about 15 years ago.  I was giving a presentation for another garden club at a local retail nursery, again about mangoes.  The nursery had brought in some good Florida mango varieties for people to buy as part of the occasion.  One of the Florida varieties the nursery had for sale was a variety that I decided I wanted for my collection, so I had the nursery set it aside for me.

I did the presentation and took my new mango plant home with me.  The mango plant that I bought was a healthy looking plant.  At home I moved it up from the five gallon pot I bought it in to a 15 gallon plastic pot.  I put it in my greenhouse to accelerate its growth so I could get it to fruit more quickly.  Over the next few months the mango plant remained static, then slowly turned yellow and finally it died.   I recognized the symptoms almost immediately.  Fertilizer poisoning! 

Young mango plants are very vulnerable to this problem.  If you use any of the high nitrogen commercial tree fertilizer on your young mango plants, beware!  You may just kill your new young tree with your kindness!  I recommend to all my listeners at presentations these days:  ONLY USE ORGANIC, NATURAL FERTILIZERS on your young mango plants.  I suggest liquid fish emulsion.  You can get it in one gallon containers at most good nurseries or garden stores. 

Mango Professor

[murahilin]

Non organic synthetic fertilizers seem to work just as well for mangos. You may have had a bad experience because you used the wrong type.

[mangomandan]

I think the key is that less fertilizer is better than more on young mango trees.

[Mark in Texas]

Sounds like root rot to me.  For an educated guess, I'd need more info - soil type and structure, fertilizer - amount and frequency of application, water quality.

If a plant is not bulking up, it doesn't need much food.  You can't push it.  I am giving my young mangos a very high N food and they love it including a huge flower flush.  I use a 12 month slow release 18-4-9 with micros.

Organic foods do not have an edge over synthetic food, chemicals/salts.  They can burn.  If they didn't contain salts, chemicals, they'd be useless to the plant.  Fish emulsion can burn.  It is super high in N - 5-1-1.  It's all relative....

[Mark in Texas]

I think the key is that less fertilizer is better than more on young mango trees.

Yeppers.  If the plant is dormant or not real active, it doesn't require much nutrition.  One must read their plants and use some common sense regarding applications of food and water. 

Would you feed a baby a 12 oz T-bone, dollop of mashed potatoes and heap of green beans?   

[natsgarden123]

As far as mango trees, there is a plethora of wild mango trees ( and many old grove trees) here in Palm Beach County that receive no fertilizer at all- these tree are as healthy and productive as can be- The Grove where Squam picks his fruit is an excellent example.

So, I think that fertilizer for mango trees, past a certain point, may not really make a difference.

Im sure there are those who disagree...

[Patrick]

My trees receive 8-3-9 w/ minors, foliar sprays, drenches, and even a blast of high nitrogen fertilizer in spring and mid-summer from lawn fertilizer overspray.  I haven't seen a leaf burn problem yet.  I do carefully measure what I use, and pay close attention to rainfall and gauge accordingly.  I was going "organic" with the regimen about four years ago but it got too costly.  The nutrient supply in most fully organic products is so minuscule that you would be better off just using a teaspoon of chemical fertilizer and mixing it in a gallon of water.  Also, some of the organic products are pretty bad in makeup, waste products, fermented biosolids, and potentially concentrated harmful metals.  The tree only "sees" the actual elements, so in theory, well diluted chemical products can provide purer forms of those elements.  Its funny how the organic products boast statements like "use as much as you want, it wont hurt".  I do however avoid chemical pesticides and fungicides, those are really nasty when used long term!

[wslau]

Gilbert from Mimosa LA Nursery once explained to me that some of the PIN mango trees (i.e. NDM) in 3 gallon pots die because too much fertilizer (clusters) is added down in the root system at the grower.

[Patrick]

As far as mango trees, there is a plethora of wild mango trees ( and many old grove trees) here in Palm Beach County that receive no fertilizer at all- these tree are as healthy and productive as can be- The Grove where Squam picks his fruit is an excellent example.

So, I think that fertilizer for mango trees, past a certain point, may not really make a difference.

Im sure there are those who disagree...

I agree with Nat too! As the trees I have get larger, I plan to slowly increase the time between nutrition, especially in mangos! They seem to do fine in our soil!

[bangkok]

I have done everything what you shouldn't do with mangotree's (because i only used them for scions) and they never died.  What happened sometimes is the leaves curling up when overfertilized or sprayed with to strong mixtures but they always survived.

Our climate is different though, always hot and sunny.

My inground tree's get all kinds of fertilizer but when i plant a mango i give it bonemeal and dried old cowdung. They love cowdung.

Here they are very cheap so i don't care loosing one or only buying it for a scion. The cocktail tree's are fine and i think next year i will graft more variety's on them.

[ClayMango]

Firm advocate on Dynagro Liquid Pro 7-9-5....It is an extreemly light yet highly concentrated Fertilizer...When used properly at the recommended proportions (1tspn per gallon for monthly/bimonthly feeding) it is amazing.

All my Japanese Maples grown here in zone 9b where they have no buisness being...are extremely happy here, and I fertilize monthly during Spring and begining summer...For those of you who don't know....Japanese Maples are one of the most sensitive trees in the world minus a few varieties....anything can kill them....Afternoon Sun will kill them in week, Wet Feet/soggy soil...will kill them instantly,  Fertilzer will also kill them...But 7-9-5 is light Fertilzer in Nitrogen...is fine and works great when correctly portioned...I highly doubt this stuff would be bad on Mangoes... KEYWORD here is MODERATION.... and definately not these high Nitrogen ferts above anything 10-*-* in ratio

[jbaqai]

i am actually surprise to see such a divided opinion on the one of the most basic question on growing mangoes.

by no mean i am expert and very new to growing tropical , i found out the mix of liquid fertilizer (both organic and chemical) with the addition of organic fertilizer by miracle grow is the best for me.

the liquid fertilizer i used is from Fox Farms series. but i don't use there growth one. Just the root builder and the other one that helps the flower production.

[ClayMango]

i am actually surprise to see such a divided opinion on the one of the most basic question on growing mangoes.

by no mean i am expert and very new to growing tropical , i found out the mix of liquid fertilizer (both organic and chemical) with the addition of organic fertilizer by miracle grow is the best for me.

the liquid fertilizer i used is from Fox Farms series. but i don't use there growth one. Just the root builder and the other one that helps the flower production.

It all sounded really good until you said Miracle Grow....Face Palm

[jbaqai]

It all sounded really good until you said Miracle Grow....Face Palm

yes this year i am planning to not to use the Miracle grow. last year was bit of experiment

but i am very happy from fox farm big bloom (0.01 0.3 0.7) organic fertilizer , the effect on plants are immediate. Now its a must in my fertilizer routine.

its also help the plants to recover from shipping and planting shock. 

[ClayMango]

Fox Farm also has a 7-9-5 light Fertilizer just like Dynagro....Ironically guess what it's called lol "Japanese Maple 7-9-5" LMFAO...

I personally prefer to use Dynagro because its used by the University of Florida and their Master Gardeners with incredible research to back it...So if your in doubt about burning any of your plants...anything 7-9-5 is your safest bet...

[jbaqai]

Fox Farm also has a 7-9-5 light Fertilizer just like Dynagro....Ironically guess what it's called lol "Japanese Maple 7-9-5" LMFAO...

I personally prefer to use Dynagro because its used by the University of Florida and their Master Gardeners with incredible research to back it...So if your in doubt about burning any of your plants...anything 7-9-5 is your safest bet...

i search the amazon for Dynagro

http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Gro-7-9-5-1-Quart-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0054YQ1WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396023824&sr=8-1&keywords=Dynagro

it is stated as "Discontinued by Manufacturer"

is this the same one you are using ?

[ClayMango]

Yep, Thats it...I'm not sure why it says discontinued? Their website sill has it listed.

********Notice how it says its the only Nutrient supplement that has all 16 Micro and Macro Nutrients needed to grow in one Fertilizer*******

[ClayMango]

Fox Farm also has a 7-9-5 light Fertilizer just like Dynagro....Ironically guess what it's called lol "Japanese Maple 7-9-5" LMFAO...

I personally prefer to use Dynagro because its used by the University of Florida and their Master Gardeners with incredible research to back it...So if your in doubt about burning any of your plants...anything 7-9-5 is your safest bet...

i search the amazon for Dynagro

http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Gro-7-9-5-1-Quart-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0054YQ1WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396023824&sr=8-1&keywords=Dynagro

it is stated as "Discontinued by Manufacturer"

is this the same one you are using ?

Just spoke with Dynagro...None of their products are being Discontinued and they are working with Amazon right now to figure out who is TROLLING them lol.

[zands]

It is easier to burn a potted tree than one in the ground
It is harder to burn with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer than the usual common 6 6 6 and 10 10 10 you find in Walmart and Lowes

Here is the Zill tag on mangoes. These directions are good. Add foliars if you like. I have followed this fertilization program fairly closely plus lots of wood chip mulch and watering young mango trees every other day or every day...watering into the mulch to help it decay into the good black humus quicker.
You get a fertilizer with minor elements and slow- release nitrogen that comes as close to 12-5-9 as you can get. There is a 6-4-6 (called avocado and citrus fertilizer) with minors here in HD and Lowes so I use this but a little more than I would if I has 12-5-9.
I have one last bag of of Excalibur 8-3-9 and have mostly been using this instead of 12-5-9 (could not find any)

Palm fertilizer can have good mix of minor elements and good NPK numbers close to 12-5-9

http://postimg.cc/image/ph5u2hj1z/

[Mark in Texas]

I use Brawndo, it's got what plants crave, it's got electrolytes!   

Idiocracy - Brawndo

[Cookie Monster]

As long as you use a slow release (eg, osmocote, dynamite), you should have no problems.

Some of the signs of fert burn on mango (from what I've seen here) are: heavy leaf drop of older leaves, burning of leaf margins, and immediate drop of newly emerging leaves (normally a really bad sign).

For what it's worth, Dr Campbell once told me that a great way to kill a young mango tree is to plant it with a fish. I guess mangoes are highly aversive to ammonia.

[SWRancher]

"I use Brawndo, it's got what plants crave, it's got electrolytes!"

LOL!!!

[ClayMango]

It's Official!!!! Everybody switch to Brawndo!!!!

[bsbullie]

Clay - be mindful that mangoes and Japanese maples are different and may not react the same with the same fertilizer. Just start light and keep an eye on how the mangoes react.

[zands]

I use Brawndo, it's got what plants crave, it's got electrolytes!   

Idiocracy. Great movie set in the far very near future