How to Grow a Potted Mango Tree and Solutions for Dry, Withered Leaves

Mango is a common and well-liked fruit in our country. In the past, mangoes were all planted in the ground, but now some people like to grow mangoes as potted plants at home, so they can both be enjoyed as ornamentals and eaten, which is very nice. So what techniques are there for growing potted mangoes? Let us take a look below!

How to Grow a Potted Mango Tree

1. Prepare a standard growing medium for planting in a flower pot, then half-bury the seed in the soil with the germinated end facing down, so that it is favorable for the seed to sprout and protects the germ from being bitten and damaged by ants or snails.

2. After planting, place the flower pot in a warm, humid place with sunlight, pay attention to tending it and keep the soil moist. Under normal temperature and suitable humidity conditions, on the fifth or sixth day after burying the seed, you can see the top of the seed begin to sprout and grow larger day by day.

What to Do When the Leaves of a Potted Mango Tree Dry Up

1. Too much water. The young leaves at the top of the plant turn pale yellow, the old leaves also gradually turn yellow, and the new shoots shrink. This is because too much watering, rain, or excessive watering causes the pot to be too wet, the soil to lack oxygen, and the fibrous roots to rot. The correct approach is to loosen the soil frequently and control watering.

2. Lack of water. The color of the top leaves of the potted plant is normal, but the lower leaves gradually dry, turn yellow, and fall off upward. This is generally because the pot soil is too full and water cannot penetrate thoroughly for a long time, causing the lower leaves and branches to age. Excess pot soil should be properly removed, water should be applied in the right amount, and the soil should be kept moist.

3. Lack of fertilizer. The leaves are thin, tender, and yellow, generally caused by the plant being large while the pot is small, or by not repotting or changing the soil for a long time, resulting in insufficient fertilizer. Fertilizer and water should be gradually increased, but be careful not to make them too concentrated. Potted flowering plants should be repotted once every one to two years. Tree bonsai should be repotted once every 2~4 years. When repotting, add a small amount of base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot and replace part of the soil with new soil.

Care After Planting a Potted Mango Tree

1. Temperature: Mango likes warmth and is not tolerant of cold or frost. The optimum growth temperature is 25~30°C. Below 20°C growth is slow, and below 10°C the leaves and inflorescences stop growing, and nearly mature fruit will suffer cold damage. The effective temperature for growth is 18~35°C, the suitable temperature for shoot growth is 24~29°C, and fruit set and young fruit growth require an average daily temperature greater than 20°C.

2. Light: Mango is a light-loving fruit tree. Sufficient light can promote flower bud differentiation, flowering and fruit set, and improve fruit quality and appearance. Usually, a single tree on the sunny side of the canopy or in an open environment flowers more and has a higher fruit-setting rate, while mangoes with too many branches and leaves, a closed canopy, and insufficient light flower and bear less fruit, and the fruit appearance and quality are both poor. Through pruning and shaping, the light conditions in the orchard and within the tree can be improved to increase yield and extend the peak production period.

3. Water: Mango grows well in areas with an annual rainfall of 700~2000 mm. In South China, the uneven distribution of annual rainfall often affects growth and development. If the air is too dry during the flowering period and early fruiting stage, it easily causes flower and fruit drop; too much rain leads to flower rot and poor pollination and fertilization; excessively concentrated summer rainfall often induces serious fruit diseases; and autumn drought after harvest mostly affects the sprouting and growth of the mother branches of autumn shoots.

4. Soil: Mango is not demanding about soil and can be cultivated in areas below 600 m altitude. However, loam or sandy loam with deep soil layers, a groundwater level below 3 m, good drainage, and slight acidity is best.

Pests of Potted Mango Trees and Their Control

1. Mango shoot borer, the mango twig girdler. It mainly bores into and feeds on tender mango shoots and inflorescences, causing withered shoots and withered inflorescences, affecting growth and flowering. The main control pesticides include: 90% trichlorfon, 50% metolcarb, 15% mielingguang at 800-fold dilution, etc.

2. Mango leafhopper. It mainly damages flower spikes and young fruit, causing flower and fruit drop and inducing serious sooty mold. The main insecticides include: 50% leafhopper powder at 1000~1500-fold dilution, 2.5% baode at 1500~2000-fold dilution. Spray 1~2 times during the inflorescence elongation stage.

3. Longhorn beetle. Its larvae bore into and feed on the wood of mature branches, causing the branches to become hollow and dry up, seriously threatening mango growth. Mainly use 100-fold dichlorvos injected into the bore hole, then seal it.

When planting potted mangoes, be sure to pay attention to the choice of soil, and after planting, management of temperature, light, water, and other aspects is also needed. If the phenomenon of yellowing leaves appears, do not panic; find the problem from the root cause and then completely solve it.