The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: linwein@hotmail.com on October 06, 2020, 12:31:32 PM
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Do you prune above or below the growth ring on your very first cut of a young mango tree about 4 ft. tall. Also how high from the ground should I cut and do I remove the lower leaves?
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I'm a noob, cut mine almost in half right above some leaves.
It kept growing straight so a month or 2 later i took more off & it worked.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Pp90w5Zk/IMG-1370.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Pp90w5Zk)
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Do you prune above or below the growth ring on your very first cut of a young mango tree about 4 ft. tall. Also how high from the ground should I cut and do I remove the lower leaves?
Lots of info out there on this topic and tons of YouTube videos. Cut above the growth ring, It should fork there. Keep the lower leaves for future growth energy. First cut at 3-4’ is usually ideal.
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Below.
Branching from a single point will be structurally weaker later on.
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Below.
Branching from a single point will be structurally weaker later on.
Skhan is correct here, make your first prune below the growth ring to ensure trunk strength. Cuts above the ring can create many new offshoots, but should be kept to just 3-4 branches.
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My current belief (comprised of watching a lot of videos and observing my grafts over the last few years) is you cut below the growth ring until you reach the tree size/shape you want, then you cut above the growth ring from then on (generally, individual branches might vary subjectively). I think it's important to know the general growth-habit of the variety you are trimming, vigorousness/precociousness/spreading-behavior should be factored into what size/shape you are targeting.
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Being i cut mine above ring, how will it effect strength or weakness?
It's a rapid grower, my guess Kent. House came with parent tree.
It grew nearly high as top utility wire in no time before cutting it way down.
Bought imported Kent mango and fiber, color, flavor seemed same (minus tree ripened goodness).
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Your tree will likely be fine having cut it above the growth ring. Just prune as it grows to maintain optimal shape and smaller size. Most of my trees were pruned as such.
I do agree though, cutting below growth ring is better for smaller tree, to get branching at different heights rather than emanating from one central point.
You could always cut again now, just below the node.
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So when cutting below node, new growth usually pops out staggered?
Strength wise it makes sense now that i think about it, my main bottom limbs will all be at one central point.
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I made my first cut above a node on three seedlings, after watching a pruning video recommended in an earlier thread on this same subject. All three put out multiple shoots at the initial cut point. Two of the three seedlings have since put out multiple branches from a subsequent single point again. I wonder if the first cut above the node influenced the subsequent growth pattern?
The cut I did is in the red circle; the blue circle is the tree's own branching. I also wonder, if that's a weaker branching system, why would the tree do that instead of scaffolding?
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGd9kWGH/20200922-072337-HDR-4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGd9kWGH)