Should I stop the nitrogen on my mangoes now?

[Calusa]

The last time I applied any fertilizer to my Maha and Glen trees was in March 2023. They've grown magnificently, the Maha (below) started out 2 1/2 years ago at 3', and is now about 8-9' high by about that much wide. There is a pine bark mulch surrounding it and my lawn mower throws clippings on top of that. I really want a great fruiting season for next year so I don't want to mess it up with too much fertilizer. I'm thinking should apply something that doesn't have nitrogen but not sure about the best analysis to use. Is the pine bark providing nitrogen? Any help is appreciated.

[achetadomestica]

The tree leaves looks dark green to me. I wouldn't give any fertilizer anymore this year.
Depending on the weather it could flush late and not have flowers next year on the new growth.
I have a couple larger mango trees and I don't fertilize them at all.  I do give  my young mangos
8-4-8. My neighbor gave his large Lancetilla and Angie fertilizer non stop last year and the leaves
are super dark green and not one flower this year.

[Cookie Monster]

I would not give them any nitrogen, unless you're wanting them to get big quickly. Be careful not to feed the grass with nitrogen too close to the root zone either.

There is a special 0-3-16 formulation that Har / Guanabanus helped create which is sold by Truly Tropical and is perfect for mangoes on our sandy soil: https://www.themangoplace.com/fertilizers

[Calusa]

The tree leaves looks dark green to me. I wouldn't give any fertilizer anymore this year.
Depending on the weather it could flush late and not have flowers next year on the new growth.
I have a couple larger mango trees and I don't fertilize them at all.  I do give  my young mangos
8-4-8. My neighbor gave his large Lancetilla and Angie fertilizer non stop last year and the leaves
are super dark green and not one flower this year.

Yes the foliage is dark green and I can't find even one brown spot anywhere on the leaves. It's so green it looks fake.

I would not give them any nitrogen, unless you're wanting them to get big quickly. Be careful not to feed the grass with nitrogen too close to the root zone either.

There is a special 0-3-16 formulation that Har / Guanabanus helped create which is sold by Truly Tropical and is perfect for mangoes on our sandy soil: https://www.themangoplace.com/fertilizers

I don't fertilize the lawn so I'm safe there. I'll have to look around for something similar to that 0-3-16 because Truly Tropical doesn't ship. Thanks

[kapps]

Bone meal has little nitrogen and high phosphorus. Sulfate of potash gets you the potassium. I mix these and use around my mango’s.  For plants that like some nitrogen, add some blood meal to the mix.

[Greater Good]

I would not give them any nitrogen, unless you're wanting them to get big quickly. Be careful not to feed the grass with nitrogen too close to the root zone either.

There is a special 0-3-16 formulation that Har / Guanabanus helped create which is sold by Truly Tropical and is perfect for mangoes on our sandy soil: https://www.themangoplace.com/fertilizers

Picked up 100 lbs today. The analysis looks like what my fruit bearing mango trees need. I trust Har's advice regarding Florida grown mango. My "sub" soil is porous limestone that drains nicely.

[MasOlas]

That is a beautiful tree! I can’t wait for mine to look that nice!!!

[Mike T]

When did Nitrogen become a villain and get a rap? It is the most important nutrient and for a mango a formulation of 10:2:4 is more what I would be thinking. So with a few species like mangoes and lychees don't go on a N spreading bender in the lead up to flowering but chuck a bit around after harvest and fruit set.
So does N impede flowering in favour of foliage? Yes but not for everything and for some species it can enhance flowering.

[DocTropical]

How much 8:4:8 fertilizer with micros would you add to medium sized mango trees, ranging from 7-15 ft tall? My trees are not “mature” in any sense; trunk diameters are maybe 2-4” maximum.

When would you fertilize with N with such a mixture?

[Greater Good]

When did Nitrogen become a villain and get a rap? It is the most important nutrient and for a mango a formulation of 10:2:4 is more what I would be thinking. So with a few species like mangoes and lychees don't go on a N spreading bender in the lead up to flowering but chuck a bit around after harvest and fruit set.
So does N impede flowering in favour of foliage? Yes but not for everything and for some species it can enhance flowering.

In Florida we get electrical storms that fixes nitrogen gas atoms to water molecules in the atmosphere. Mangoes do not require much nitrogen, their leaves typically are 1% nitrogen,  In Florida, fruiting mango trees get enough nitrogen falling from the sky. They also are good at scrounging up nitrogen from the soil if needed.
In the past I tried to push trees with nitrogen. My experience has shown me to let them do their thing. Gary Zill says sunlight is their food.

[Mike T]

Thunderstorms do supply N but not enough. In the NT where there are 80 to 90 thunderstorms a year, the fertilzer guide for mangoes is pretty sophisticated and draws on N % in foliage in which optimal range varies between varieties but also canopy area.the amount of N available in the soil in plantations also is known and influences application rates of N. Keitt by the way has lower requirements than the more glamorous and prized honey gold.It advises that N is the most important nutrient for fruit volume and quality and that excess or deficient application strongly influences the crop. It is lost from the system relatively faster than other macros and is in the soil in a few forms.
The pre-flowering dormancy is needed as is the pre harvest root flushing but vegetative flushing during flowering isn't. So what does that all mean? Most people have no idea how much N is needed in any season but it is pretty volatile. Anyway fertliser application around harvest time and a second period around flowering and fruit set is recommended for the best crop. Nearly always dominates other nutrients in terms of volume applied but is reduced in some seasons and years when the soil has plenty and leaf concentrations are over about 1.4% N.

[palmcity]

Thunderstorms do supply N but not enough. In the NT where there are 80 to 90 thunderstorms a year, the fertilzer guide for mangoes is pretty sophisticated and draws on N % in foliage in which optimal range varies between varieties but also canopy area.the amount of N available in the soil in plantations also is known and influences application rates of N. Keitt by the way has lower requirements than the more glamorous and prized honey gold.It advises that N is the most important nutrient for fruit volume and quality and that excess or deficient application strongly influences the crop. It is lost from the system relatively faster than other macros and is in the soil in a few forms.
The pre-flowering dormancy is needed as is the pre harvest root flushing but vegetative flushing during flowering isn't. So what does that all mean? Most people have no idea how much N is needed in any season but it is pretty volatile. Anyway fertliser application around harvest time and a second period around flowering and fruit set is recommended for the best crop. Nearly always dominates other nutrients in terms of volume applied but is reduced in some seasons and years when the soil has plenty and leaf concentrations are over about 1.4% N.

A great thought provoking piece Mike T.

For those that love biology & theories,  "Nitrogen storage and remobilization by trees: ecophysiological relevance in a changing world"  I'm really enjoying the first few minutes of reading.
https://academic.oup.com/treephys/article/30/9/1083/1640876



I've already decided to try extra nitrogen on a particular tree that may be lacking as it is not carrying on the process of abscission properly IMO...