Mango cultivation

[nch]

What do you mango experts think of this?

Growers of grafted mangos in India resort to various expedients to check the vegetative activity of the tree and encourage the development of fruit. Thomas Firminger1 says: "The mango, like all other fruit trees, is much benefited by having the earth around it removed, and the roots left exposed for a space of two or three weeks. This should be done in November, and in December the roots should be well supplied with manure, and then covered in again with entirely fresh earth, and not that which had been previously removed." Woodrow notes that "the mango growers near Mazagon, Bombay, who produced such famous fruit before the land was occupied with cotton mills, applied ten pounds of salt to each tree at the end of September; this would arrest growth in October and November, and encourage the formation of flower buds. In a moist climate, and the intervening ground occupied with irrigated crops, this system is highly commendable, but with a dry climate it is unnecessary."

Read more: http://chestofbooks.com/gardening-horticulture/fruit/Tropical-And-Subtropical-Fruits/Mango-Cultivation.html#.UqVPZfRDsbs#ixzz2mx3NPQ4t

I found it here:
http://chestofbooks.com/gardening-horticulture/fruit/Tropical-And-Subtropical-Fruits/Mango-Cultivation.html#.UqVPZfRDsbs

[TnTrobbie]

Not an expert here but it supports the technique that stressing a mango tree induces flowering. In florida its the seasonal cold weather, some areas its the heavy rains. And other parts of the world like Africa and Philippines (my dad still practises this in Trinidad), its "smoking" or buring stuff right near the tree. Never heard of using salt but mango trees are salt tolerant. In my 3 years of hoarding 7-15 gal trees, many of em have flowered in the tiny pots they came in though not all held mature fruit. Kind of similair to the root-air exposure mentioned in the excerpt. So stress, a few levels short of detriment is a good thing .

[Dangermouse01]

Not an expert either.
But I wonder if they mean Espom salt?
10 Lbs of the epsom salts sounds better for the mango tree than 10 Lbs of salt, but still sounds like alot.

DM

[gunnar429]

So, would this be done in order to induce flowering during off-season?  I could see myself trying the salt, but digging them up and leaving them unexposed is out of the question for me...although it might be necessary if I get an Edward.