Is this Coc mango tree getting too leggy?

[NewGen]

It has grown 20" since I received it about 1.5 months ago. I'd like to have a more compact, bushy form. Is it too soon to "pug"?

[gunnar429]

huh?  the pot isn't in the ground yet, right?  That looks awesome, with branches and all.  If anything, tip the top.

[NewGen]

Pug is the wrong word, I think I meant to ask if I should encourage more lateral branching instead of allowing it to grow upward.

[zands]

A severe and full pug would be so low you would have no leaves. My coc is kinda leggy but larger and needs a wooden support post. It might be  coc tendency. I'll PM you a photo.

I think I meant to ask if I should encourage more lateral branching instead of allowing it to grow upward

If you do a small pug on it I would wait for the new growth to harden two more weeks. While you think about to pug or not to pug.
If lateral is what you want for space reasons.....Yes you get more of a bushy tree this way

[gunnar429]

Usually with mangoes, tipping of all branches is done to get more branches to have more chances for fruit.  In my opinion, the side branches haven't grown out enough to tip, so I would simply use clippers and snip only the very top (terminal bud) inch.  That will encourage lateral branching.  However, the tree's shape is largely dependent upon its genetics.  Sure, you can shape the tree, but if it grows kinda leggy and upright, there's not much you can do to change this without tying limbs down with weights or tying them to a trellis.  For example, my LZ grows upright.  I can tip the branches but the new growth still grows straight upward.  There can be a happy medium between what you want as the pruner and what the tree will allow based on its growth habit, but that tree looks great to me.  It has lateral branches and just needs topping.

Disclaimer:  I have only been doing this thing for 1 year, so take this with a grain of salt.

[gunnar429]

I still think a leggy coc is better than a short, stumpy one 

[mangomaniac2]

I get better luck with more branching when you wait until the branches are at least 24" long or more, like a few growth flushes worth. Then, when you cut the branch back you will get more branches. When you tip or prune such short branches I tend to get the same single branch growing except now looks uglier because it was cut and restarted only single branch. This usually happens on younger trees like that. Also keep in mind the more leaves and foliage you have the faster the tree will grow, so at this point I believe you want to leave it alone and grow as fast as possible.

[NewGen]

Is it normal for the side branches to bend down like that? I don't think it's underwatered, soil is damp, drains well.
Thanks,

[gunnar429]

some of my young trees do that....i think it will get better as the branch grows up and the wood hardens up. 

[simon_grow]

Newgen, that looks like typical growth of Mango trees on Florida Rootstock grown in SoCal. All my Florida rootstock trees look like like that and eventually get worse. As you get more growth on the ends of the branches, the weight of the new foliage will weigh down the branches even more. I've resorted to slowly transferring everything on Lavern Manilla rootstock or Double Stone Grafted plants.

Do you have an update on your tree? I'm considering getting this variety and would like to know about the growth habit and growth rate. I did try pruning back the growth of leggy branches of Florida rootstock Mangos and initially it does seem to help, after first flush, but it's too early to tell if the secondary and tertiary flushes will eventually become leggy and droopy or not.

Simon

[NewGen]

Simon,
I'll upload a recent photo tonight.
Trung

[simon_grow]

Nice update Trung. I see that you still have it in a pot. I know I'm repeating this like a broken record but I highly recommend planting a Lavern Manilla Mango into the ground as rootstock and then taking a scion from your coc/Cac tree and grafting it onto the Manilla rootstock. The tree will grow faster and will not be as droopy. I've wasted about five years by planting Mango trees on Florida rootstock only to find out that the rootstock is not ideal in SoCal.

Another alternative is to try the Double Stone Graft or better yet, if you prefer not to graft, order a tree from JF or Behlgarden. They sell trees that are already on rootstock that is better adapted to growing in SoCal and you will save a lot of time with better growth and more fruit. Your tree is also not going to be so droopy.

Simon

[NewGen]

Thanks Simon, I appreciate your advice. I do have a manila from home depot that I plan on putting in ground. I bought it before I knew any better 😀. I've been in touch with JF about some things. I'll need to learn more about grafting before proceeding, however.

[jbaqai]

All my Florida rootstock trees look like like that and eventually get worse.

Simon

that's a excellent observation, and explain the same on my trees.  only exception are LZ and ST.
NDM, pickering, CC are worst.