It depends where you are at and what your specific goal is. You even need to factor in which variety you are talking about after you consider location. For those that are new first read this article.
https://www.growables.org/information/documents/MangoPruningStrategies.pdfIn SoCal and other marginal climates, you want vertical growth as vertical growth will generally produce less florigenic hormones. In SoCal, we don’t want early flowering in our mango trees. Our goal is to grow the tree vegetatively until it reaches your ideal size, which may be different for everyone.
If you just want one or two mangos, sure, let it fruit early but you also risk stunting your tree. In general, I would recommend people in SoCal to grow their tree to 4-5 feet tall and wide before allowing it to hold fruit if you just want a few fruit a year or let it get to about 6 feet tall and wide if you want more fruit every year. The problem for us is that once the tree starts blooming and setting fruit, it will try to bloom every year and you won’t get much growth.
By having your tree reach these sizes I recommended above, it has reached a critical mass of leaves and wood that will allow it to hold some fruit without losing your tree, diseases aside.
So now back to the subject of pruning, in SoCal, I would recommend getting your tree as vertical as you can get it with minimal scaffold branching.
If you cut above an intercalation, there will be too many growths and the weight of all this branches will cause the branch to droop. By cutting below an intercalation, you get fewer branches that are spaced further apart. You may still need to thin the branches forming at the leaf petiole scars, probably 3 is good but it depends on your final goal.
In Florida where mango growth is vigorous, you may want to allow the branches to become more horizontal to stimulate blooms. Because you get good growth in your warmer climate, it may be wise to create lower scaffold branches as fruiting wood moves up as the tree grows.
The tree should be structured so that you can mow, weed and fertilizer under without much trouble. Those members that are elderly but insist working on their own yard and harvesting their own fruit should consider lower bushy trees for easier harvesting and maintenance but this has issues of its own.
If a tree is kept extremely low and bushy, there is less air movement and you may have more disease issues.
You also have to consider the variety you want to prune/shape. Some varieties like PPK grows extremely dense clusters of branches. Lemon Zest, Sweet Tart, VP and other vigorous varieties may want to grow like crazy depending on your growing environment and establishing lower scaffold branches may make it easier to trim, spray and harvest in the future.
Simon
Topic: Pruning consistent tipping vs Au naturale (Read 1425 times)