can anyone suggest good fertilizer for mango trees?
all have diffent NPK ratio and sulfur. For example Arizona's Best citrus have 12% sulfur and others have 1-3% most of socal soil ph is 7+ and fertilizer with sulfer good? or adding separately is good?
Thanks,
Mike
The best answer is it depends. If you have heavier soil you will need to add less N and K, and if you have lighter soil you will need to add more. Lighter in the sense that it drains more easily/ holds moisture less.
Being that the trees are being grown in an arid clime, and likely on municipal water sources, the pH is going to climb at some point, and the easiest way to address this is with sulfur. In this case elemental sulfur is the usual choice, as when water is added it begins to dissolve and convert into the highly acidic sulfuric acid, which helps to lower the pH of the water and help balance the pH of the soil. The ultimate goal is to keep the soil pH below the high 8s in order to keep the micronutrients soluble and ready for roots to absorb. If the pH climbs, you will see interveinal cholorosis, which is a common condition, and somewhat detrimental for mangoes. The issue with mangoes in dryer areas like the west is that they produce very few vegetal flushes per year, and those leaves last for up to three years, so having poorly formed leaves which will never improve over time is a huge detriment. If you want pictures, check the mango diseases thread, there's usually a few pics within a page or two.
You will find N and K to be the Macronutrients required to sustain the trees, and Ca will be necessary once fruiting begins, but you may start adding it early, the solubility is poor, so it sticks around. The best form is gypsum, which is readily available, and has a balanced pH which will not worsen the condition of the soil (for micronutrient uptake).
