Second keitt mango dying in same spot

[DSotM]

Okay, so perhaps I’m stubborn in trying to get a mango to grow here that was clearly unsuccessful the first time around. But to my defense I didn’t know if the first issue was user error or a product of location. The exact same issue occurred previously. A seemingly healthy, young grafted keitt is planted (this time it lasted an entire year), then at the start of summer it’s leaves start to droop, it’s branches from the growing top downward start wrinkling, and it eventually dies. Upon inspection both trees had tons of either palm roots, privet roots or jasmine roots completely intertwined in its own root ball. I have a healthy seedling growing at the base of another queen so I don’t believe it’s the queen palm.

Anyway, the jasmines are my neighbor’s, planted directly behind my mango and the privet is about 40 ft tall planted about 15 feet to its right. Here are some attached photos. Last time this happened I pulled it out and brought it inside, copper fungicide drenched it’s roots and then watched it die. What can I do to save it?

Is this too much competition and lack of water? It gets a lot of water but it’s area is never soggy.

[yoski]

My guess it is the spot. Something wrong with the soil. I have a few spots in my yard, no fruit tree will grow there. Tried a Lula Avocado, it died. Then A Malika Mango, no success. Then a Sweetheart Lychee, it died as well. I gave up trying to grow anything but weeds there. I best guess is that the ground was poisoned way back in the old days with some wicked chemicals.

[Guanabanus]

Lots of dimwits at construction sites will dump all sorts of stuff.  Lots of dimwit renters or even home owners will dump burnt motor oil, transmission fluid, paint stripper etc.

You could cover the spot with pavers, and place a huge pot there and grow a fine mango there.  Make sure that the soil mix is more than one half sand, and that most of the other ingredients also are not bio-degradable or fermentable.

[JakeFruit]

Make sure that the soil mix is more than one half sand, and that most of the other ingredients also are not bio-degradable or fermentable.

Har, could you share what your (ideal) soil mix is composed of? I have a mix with larger nuggets of pine bark in it. I read multiple posts suggesting the use of pine bark, but now I wonder if adding bark was a bad choice.

[Guanabanus]

Bark Nuggets bio-degrade slowly, so are not a concern for causing anaerobic fermentation/water rot.

[JakeFruit]

Bark Nuggets bio-degrade slowly, so are not a concern for causing anaerobic fermentation/water rot.

Phew! That's a relief to read. I was worried I'd have to re-pot a dozen mangoes and avocado trees. Maybe not enough sand in the mix, but the trees seem to love it so far.