Letting young Mango trees bear fruit?

[Homeby5]

I planted 3 young Mango trees last year in the summer and fall. They are flowering now and looks like they will bear fruit. For some reason I thought I heard that it wasn't healthy to let a young tree to bear fruit but I might be mistaken. Should I let the fruiting continue or does it do long term damage to the tree?
Thanks

[Julie]

If you planted them from a 3gal tree, remove the fruit they set and don't let them carry it to maturity.  This is too stressful for a tiny tree and will kill the tree.

[Homeby5]

I believe they were a 7 gal pot? I remember one of them (the Carrie) had a ripe fruit while still in the pot at the nursery they let me pick and taste.
BTW...the three trees are Glenn, Pickering and Carrie. The Carrie is flowering a LOT but the tree looks very bushy and healthy. It's about 4ft tall but 6ft diameter. The Pickering is the youngest tree and also looks very bushy. About 4ft tall but about 3ft diameter. The Glenn is taller...maybe 5 foot at highest but not bushy at all. It is just starting to put out flowers.
Thanks

[Julie]

Personally I would not let it fruit or maybe 1 fruit, it may be ok from a 7gal but 4 ft is still small. I’m sure other people will chime in. I lost a 3gal tree by letting it fruit the first year in the ground, not sure what the guideline is for 7gal.

[bsbullie]

Do not let them fruit.  Remove the fruit once they are pencil eraser size.  Do not cut off the pannicles.  You can pop the pannicles off around April or so (they will be dried up).

[bovine421]

I would say there are three different philosophies when it comes to this subject. The commercial philosophy 0 fruit until it reaches such-and-such size. The backyard enthusiast who have attachment to the tree and want to try their fruit.  Between one and three. Then there's the island philosophy. Let the tree be. Let nature do her thing. 

[bsbullie]

I would say there are three different philosophies when it comes to this subject. The commercial philosophy 0 fruit until it reaches such-and-such size. The backyard enthusiast who have attachment to the tree and want to try their fruit.  Between one and three. Then there's the island philosophy. Let the tree be. Let nature do her thing.

And then people whine that why is their tree stunted, sick and dying...

Fruits on young tree causes poor root development.   Poor root development causees sickly, weak tree...

[fliptop]

Rob, what's your standard for when to let a tree hold fruit to maturity? Is it age/size/combination of both? Does it differ based on whether the tree is vigorous or considered dwarf/semi-dwarf? Obviously a three-year old Valencia Pride tree will be a different size than a same-aged Pickering or Ice Cream, so what's the standard you recommend? Thanks!

[zands]

Mangoes are blooming everywhere this year in SE Florida. Is it the same where you are in Tampa? If so you will be able to buy fruits of known/grafted varieties and even the ones you are growing/ So buy and eat these instead of taking from your young trees.
__________________

One fruit per tree, allowed to develop should be OK. Sorry but don't get too excited about what you will be eating. Often, mangoes from a young tree are not too flavorful. Not too sweet.
Your Carrie seems very healthy. Let 1 to 3 develop on it. Fertilize it.

[bsbullie]

Rob, what's your standard for when to let a tree hold fruit to maturity? Is it age/size/combination of both? Does it differ based on whether the tree is vigorous or considered dwarf/semi-dwarf? Obviously a three-year old Valencia Pride tree will be a different size than a same-aged Pickering or Ice Cream, so what's the standard you recommend? Thanks!

I would say a combination of age, size and health.  Assuming the tree is in overall good health, I would say a minimum of 3 full years after planting inground.  This can vary though, you have to take a realistic and intelligent approach on a tree to tree basis.

Instead of letting a small tree hold one piss poor inferior fruit, let the tree grow and develop and go buy a fruit.

[Weboh]

I have a Pickering mango planted in a ~30 gallon pot. I got it about three years ago in a three-gallon pot. It's full of blooms this year. What is your recommendation for letting fruits develop on it?

[Julie]

PIN has told me that for a 3gal tree, the first summer it is in the ground do not let it fruit, then the second summer you can.  I've followed this and had no problems.  I have Glenn, Pickering and Carrie all planted from 3gal from PIN.  7gal maybe you could let it fruit the first year, but there's a lot of variation of the size of trees within 7gal containers.  I have an orange sherbet that I planted 6 months ago from a 7 gal and I may let it hold one fruit but maybe wait another year in the ground, I'll have to see, it's 5ft+ tall.

[Odenwald]

Rather than height look at the overall bushiness and size of the tree trunk.  A bushy four foot tall Pickering with 2" wide trunk will easily bear fruit and not suffer any consequences.  A six foot tall skinny VP is almost certainly a much younger weaker tree.  Also, don't get fixated on pot size.  A 7 gallon tree might have just been up potted and its roots are still 3 gallon size.

[achetadomestica]

Maybe another way to look at this is how long does it take a seedling mango to
flower? I have heard 5 years occasionally but more like 6-8. In nature it takes
a seedling at least 5 years to produce flowers. What's it doing the other 5+ years.
As Rob keeps telling you it's developing the root system. When you buy a grafted
mango you basically have a seedling tree that would not fruit for 5 years at the
minimum. Do you want 100+ mangos in 5 years or do you want 2 inferior mangos in 2 years
and maybe 3 the next year?

[weiss613]

achetadomestica Your logical deep thinking reply was fantastic I totally enjoyed it and I’d like to add to the conversation with the hard fast rules that I follow.
I used to have over 200 citrus trees so like all of us do with mangoes I studied about them on the internet. Guess what the University of Florida recommends as far as the big question here. Citrus trees should be in the ground for 3 full years before you let them fruit.
Also there is a Jewish law that says the exact same thing and it applies to all fruit trees and even fruit bushes like blueberries. Of course it’s a bit agonizing to wait but it’s because human nature makes us want instant gratification but so for most it’s real easy to disregard the perfect advice the experienced people on this site have given. For me yes it’s torture to wait the 3 years but it’s consoling to know you are doing the right and good thing.

[bovine421]

achetadomestica Your logical deep thinking reply was fantastic I totally enjoyed it and I’d like to add to the conversation with the hard fast rules that I follow.
I used to have over 200 citrus trees so like all of us do with mangoes I studied about them on the internet. Guess what the University of Florida recommends as far as the big question here. Citrus trees should be in the ground for 3 full years before you let them fruit.
Also there is a Jewish law that says the exact same thing and it applies to all fruit trees and even fruit bushes like blueberries. Of course it’s a bit agonizing to wait but it’s because human nature makes us want instant gratification but so for most it’s real easy to disregard the perfect advice the experienced people on this site have given. For me yes it’s torture to wait the 3 years but it’s consoling to know you are doing the right and good thing.

Both of you fellows have let me see the big picture thanks. Rob pretty much had me with the program but I was thinking of what grows above ground and not below so much.
You solved a huge problem for me and maybe spared me great harm. My wife is from an island and we all know how they feel about the Julie mango. Last season I got a large 10 gallon Julie from Truly Tropical Chris. Several months ago I mentioned not letting it carry fruit and got a ominous warning. Yesterday as I read your post I had an epiphany. I will use the biblical reference about not carrying fruit for 3 years. Being that she is a graduate from UCF you can't finish. My daughter being a engineering graduate from the Seminoles. She was totally unimpressed with me reading your post about UF suggestion. When I read
to her the biblical law she got a smile on her face. She said oh I've heard of that. Now the skids are greased and I can get totally with the program. I owe you a great deal of gratitude
Does the 3-year in the ground rule apply to 15 Gallons trees just as much as a 3-gallon tree?

[Homeby5]

Thanks guys.
I have attached a picture so you can see the size of the Carrie. It's the one straight back. It's a a far away shot but I wanted to give you perspective for the size.
Also...this is from PIN. When I bought it I picked a fruit off of a tree in the pot to taste. So they don't have a problem with letting a young tree fruit.
Anyway.....anyone want to volunteer to pinch my babies off for me. I can't bear to do it

[weiss613]

Bovine size does not matter it’s just 3 years in the ground. Today I marked all my trees so I’ll know each trees status when walking up to them. I have concrete circles around each tree so for trees that can be eaten from this year I took a green spray can and made one dot on the concrete. That 1 dot stands for the summer of 2021. For those that will be “kosher” in 2022 I made 2 dots. 3 dots for 2023. My blueberry plants won’t be in ground for 3 years till 2024 so I didn’t mark them. I replaced a baby Lemon Zest this week that I killed accidentally with too much weed and grass killer and this new pineapple pleasure mango tree got 4 dots and is the only mango tree of mine that is a 2024 tree. And the dots give me important information. For example I am a neurotic tipper/pruner and when I see it’s a 2021 tree I leave it alone. If it’s a 2022 tree I plan on tipping/pruning it through April then not touch it again till after I pick all its fruit off in the summer of 2022. My 2023 trees I’ll continue to stay on top of. And when it comes to fertilization no 2021 trees get fed again till after the harvest whereas I can push the 2022-2024’s till each graduates from class to make fruit the next year.

[pineislander]

I also think it depends on the overall health of the tree. Here is my expeerience.
In 2018 I planted 50 trees from 3 gallons and kept them very healthy with no setbacks. It was clear from the start the 10 Carries were more precocious with blooms on all still potted trees straight from Zill nursery. I let no fruit set then. The second season they had made good size and the Carries were back blooming strong and the 5 other varieties scattered bloom most trees were 5 feet, no bloom at all on Mahachanok. I decided to let a few fruit set and only got scattered fruit on a few but the Carries held on more than I expected. I watched the Carries and they seemed to be carrying fruit with no problem they ended up holding 20 or so fruit each to maturity.
Year 3 is on and all are 6-8 feet the Mahachanok had great bloom all trees are ready to carry what they want.

[FMfruitforest]

First year ill let this tree hold fruit.  It tried to overload last year from 3 gallon.

[bsbullie]

First year ill let this tree hold fruit.  It tried to overload last year from 3 gallon.

Those branches look a tad weak at this stage to let it hold fruit.  Note those are the main branches and look how just the weight if the pannicles are bending the branches from the trunk.  Add fruit to the branches and it may cause a very undesirable and unhealthy future for the tree.

[skhan]

First year ill let this tree hold fruit.  It tried to overload last year from 3 gallon.

I personally wouldn't.
There aren't a lot of leaves to support the amount of energy a fruit requires, along with the general structure Rob pointed out

Even if you're doing Dr. Campbell's method his trees are bushier.
With that said in our condition in South Florida, i don't think letting the tree hold fruit will kill it.
It's really up to you. But do have to ask yourself, if getting 1 or 2 mangos this year is worth setting back the tree 1 year or 2.
Ideally, we'd plant two and get a sacrificial tree to give you mangos now and a second one that will focus on the future.

Generally speaking if one has a grafted tree, the idea of "let nature do its thing" doesn't really apply much.

Anyways, happy growing