Expert Mango & Avocado Consultation in Broward?

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Hi all. I have a mango and avocado tree and am planning for many more! I've done a ton of reading and watched a ton of videos on pruning. Based one the first video I watched and the decision to no longer research, I did some stupid things to my mango to say the least! (haha). After watching more videos, I think I have a clearer idea, but still really not sure... I've been trying to find someone for the longest time with expertise in mango and avocado trees who I can pay to come to my house to give me a "lesson" but haven't had much luck. I tried reaching out to local nurseries but hard to find someone who I really trust as an expert. Any ideas? Any members of this forum interested? Thanks!

[bsbullie]

You are probably over thinking and over trying.  If you just planted trees, why are you already wanting to prune?

Posting pictures may get you some help.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

You are probably over thinking and over trying.  If you just planted trees, why are you already wanting to prune?

Posting pictures may get you some help.

It was planted 1.5 years ago and was already of reasonable size. My understanding was pruning annually was necessary to encourage branching and keep the height in check. But sure... I'll happily share my pruning error with the world. See photos from all around, and close up of a branch that I stupidly cut thinking for some reason it was a good idea!

[bsbullie]

You had made it sound like you just planted and didn't know what to do.

Forgetting the branch you just pruned, not sure what the issue is.  Tree looks fine as is.  No need to prune it.  Let it be and do its thing.

[johnb51]

Trees are very forgiving!

[JakeFruit]

Your tree looks healthy, as does your lawn. If you have a professional fertilizer company doing your lawn, I recommend clearing-out the grass under the tree out to just beyond widest branches. Every year my young mango tree would have this terrible leaf problem in the summer and fall seemingly when we'd get in the rainy season. I thought it was anthracnose-prone, so I started spraying it with copper. That seemed to work for a awhile but the problem came back full force when I thought I had it solved. I happened to watch my fertilizer company spraying one day and realized they were spraying right up to the tree. Two years ago I cleared all the grass out from under the tree and tell every lawn tech who shows up to not spray anything around my tree. Problem completely solved.

[bovine421]

What variety is it? Nice-looking tree! I wouldn't fertilize it or prune it. Just let it flower and produce fruit next season. Then prune after harvest.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

What variety is it? Nice-looking tree! I wouldn't fertilize it or prune it. Just let it flower and produce fruit next season. Then prune after harvest.

Thanks so much for you help, everyone. It's an Orange Sherbet, btw. I guess I will push my continuous questioning of the pruning process back another year - haha. I'm happy I posted this. It's bulk trash weekend and I was going to cut a bit out of the top of the center of the tree to let in some light and air. Instead, I'll just leave it be (you can see why I'm in need of expertise!). Thanks again.

[CA Hockey]

Hi there. Looks like you really  Looks like you really want to make sure that you're doing it right. Over all you have a have a great shape which is the 1st part. If you want to get down to the fine details, up most of us will prune the tree individual branches when they get to about 18" long which is usually to flushes or so. I like to prune by tipping at the node so that but a buds an individual leaves get activated and you get branching all along being a new branch as opposed to multiple buds activated at the note which results in branching all at the same spot which is weaker. This should result  In shorter But stronger branches that have Better architecture. Good luck. As for fertilizing, some people fully or spray every month. I am on and off with that period otherwise you can fertilize every 3 months of be aware that in Winter the tree slows down you may not want to push the nitrogen. Same with growth. If you are happy with the growth in don't want the tree to become much larger com I would not push the nitrogen.

[bsbullie]

Here we go again.  People in California should not give people in Florida growing instructions for mangoes unless they really know what they are talking about.

Frequency of using fertilizer depends on type of fertilizer.

Consistent tipping also does not necessarily cause stronger branches but it can actually cause thinner/weaker branches with too much branching on each branch which will weaken the branch and make it more difficult to support the weight of the fruit.   Mango trees planted in the ground especially when planted as a small 3 gallon or small 7 gallon will naturally branch on their own and cause a natural round full shape.  If growing in a pot, this could differ.

[bovine421]

Here we go again.  People in California should not give people in Florida growing instructions for mangoes unless they really know what they are talking about.

Frequency of using fertilizer depends on type of fertilizer.

Consistent tipping also does not necessarily cause stronger branches but it can actually cause thinner/weaker branches with too much branching on each branch which will weaken the branch and make it more difficult to support the weight of the fruit.   Mango trees planted in the ground especially when planted as a small 3 gallon or small 7 gallon will naturally branch on their own and cause a natural round full shape.  If growing in a pot, this could differ.

Makes sense to me. This VP tree has never been pruned and has never had a broken branch.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Here we go again.  People in California should not give people in Florida growing instructions for mangoes unless they really know what they are talking about.

Frequency of using fertilizer depends on type of fertilizer.

Consistent tipping also does not necessarily cause stronger branches but it can actually cause thinner/weaker branches with too much branching on each branch which will weaken the branch and make it more difficult to support the weight of the fruit.   Mango trees planted in the ground especially when planted as a small 3 gallon or small 7 gallon will naturally branch on their own and cause a natural round full shape.  If growing in a pot, this could differ.

Very interesting. In your view, it's not an issue that virtually all of my branches are coming out from rings of nodes - so they are all coming from the same place. CA Hockey's comment coincides with something I saw on a Truly Tropical pruning video. She indicates that she prefers for this not to happen, as it makes for a weaker connection.

[bovine421]

I think maybe truly tropical Chris is referring to the development of the scaffolding of the tree but at some point that would get very time-consuming to prune like that after every growth flush. With the size of trees and as many trees that she has I would just assume after a certain point it would just be pruning after harvest. I have been keeping one main vertical and one side to the very outside on growth rings but if I understood Har right you can keep up to three sides and the one main vertical. On most of my trees I have them shaped to the way that I want and I'm just going to let them do their own thing and prune after harvest because I don't want to be climbing on a ladder anymore than I have to
ps  You can prune any branch that point to the interior of tree to achieve good air circulation. Over all your tree looks nice and green and clean