When should mango trees be pruned? What fertilizer is best?
Mango is very common in our daily lives, and it is one of the fruits that are both nutritious and delicious. Although people are very familiar with its effects and benefits, because it is a tropical plant, quite a few people still do not know much about what goes into growing it. To achieve a bumper crop, proper pruning and fertilization are both essential.
The best time to prune mango trees
Generally speaking, pruning should begin at the harvest stage, trimming the relatively large branches, using weak branches as the leading shoots, and thinning out overly dense branches to reduce apical dominance. For branches with moderate growth rates and various long branches, their growth can be slowed to ensure they form good fruiting mother branches. At the same time, during pruning, attention should be paid to cultivating branch groups, increasing the level of branching, so that branch growth can become more vigorous.
When pruning and shaping, attention should also be paid to controlling the timing. Generally speaking, pruning is mainly about inhibiting branch growth to promote flower bud differentiation. Newly emerging shoots should be appropriately removed, which not only makes the mango tree's shape more beautiful but also gives the mango tree higher fruit yield and better fruit quality. For example, during pruning, from the end of pruning to the first flush of new shoots takes about 1 month; by properly managing the pruning timing, nutrients can be controlled in time and the growth of secondary shoots suppressed.
What fertilizer to apply to mango trees
First, apply post-fruiting fertilizer (early June to July): post-fruiting fertilizer is the key fertilization of the whole year, accounting for 70-80% of the annual fertilizer amount. Its main purpose is to promote the emergence of autumn shoots, restore vigor, and lay a good foundation for the next year's fruiting. It is mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and organic fertilizer: apply 30-50 kg of organic fertilizer, 1-1.5 kg of urea, and 0.5 kg of compound fertilizer per tree, applied after fruit harvesting and pruning are completed.
Second, apply flower-forcing fertilizer (September to October): normal flower bud differentiation in mango generally occurs in November to December, while flower bud differentiation induced by chemical agents can be advanced to October. Therefore, the flower-forcing fertilizer should be applied before the end of the rainy season that year, mainly potassium fertilizer, with 1-1.5 kg of potassium nitrate per tree.
Third, apply post-bloom fertilizer: mango flowering causes a large consumption of nutrients, so a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should be applied once at bloom drop, with 0.5-1 kg of urea or potassium nitrate per tree. Urea or potassium nitrate can be mixed with water into a 0.5-1% fertilizer solution and sprayed on the leaves for foliar topdressing to supplement nutrients.
Fourth, apply fruit-swelling fertilizer: about 30 days after mango bloom drop, during the rapid growth period of young fruit, in order to reduce fruit drop, apply 0.5-1 kg each of urea and potassium nitrate per tree, or spray a 600-fold solution of Shengmingsu, spraying once every 10-15 days, for 3-4 consecutive sprays.
Precautions for fertilizing mango
1. Young mango trees have small root systems, few fibrous roots, and shallow distribution, so fertilizer should be applied frequently and lightly. In dry weather, water-soluble fertilizer should be applied. At the same time, spray Xingao Zhimo together to improve the utilization rate of the effective components of the fertilizer.
2. Fertilizer should not be applied close to the trunk, but along the drip line at the outer edge of the canopy, evenly distributed in holes for the best effect. The amount applied can be adjusted appropriately according to the soil fertility conditions and growth vigor in each area.
Also, during the flower bud differentiation period of mango, use Cuhuawang No. 2 to promote flower bud differentiation, regulate the nutrient conversion rate, and thoroughly balance alternate bearing.
3. Young mango trees can appropriately receive a little more nitrogen, and for fruiting trees, supplementing with some organic fertilizer gives better results. Also, before mango flowering, at the young fruit stage, and at the fruit enlargement stage, spray Zhuangguodiling once each time to thicken the fruit stalk and increase the amount of nutrients transported. This prevents flower drop, fruit drop, fruit cracking, stiff fruit, and deformed fruit, making the fruit brightly colored, beautiful in shape, and good in taste.
How many years until mango saplings bear fruit
Mango propagation methods can be divided into two types: sexual propagation and asexual propagation. Sexual propagation is propagation by sowing seeds, while asexual propagation includes grafting, air layering, and cuttings. Mango seedlings grown from seed take a very long time to bear fruit, and may not even flower in ten years. However, grafted mango trees generally bear fruit in 4-7 years, and some early-maturing varieties can bear fruit in 3-5 years.
That is all for the introduction to mango pruning methods and fertilization methods. We hope it is helpful to everyone. Properly pruning mango plants is very beneficial, as it can reduce the loss of nutrients and thereby achieve the goal of increasing yield.