What Fertilizer to Use When Mangoes Are Flowering?
Mango (Mangifera indica), native to tropical areas of Burma and eastern India, is a an attractive sprawling tree, great for colour and landscapes in addition to yielding mango fruit. Mangoes are generally fertilized just before they flower, not during flowering. A temperature below 30 degrees Fahrenheit will severely hurt young mango trees along with a fever 40 F will kill fruit and flowers of most species. Some species of mango will grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 10.
Fertilizers
Fertilizer numbers show the ratio by weight of the main plant nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). This ratio is expressed in the amount on the package, such as 10-10-10, meaning 10 percent of each of the three nutrients. Slow-release fertilizers are granules coated with polymer or sulfur which require 8 to 12 weeks to dissolve in the dirt. Soluble rapid-release fertilizers, generally less expensive than slow-release fertilizers, enter the dirt instantly with watering. A complete fertilizer is one which includes all N, P and K. Chelated iron and other minerals mean they’re more capable of being absorbed by the mango origins.
Fertilizing Young Trees
University of Hawaii horticulturalists urge that first year mango trees receive 1 to 2 pounds of slow-release 10-20-20 fertilizer divided into three or four programs just before flushes of growth. During their second and third years they ought to receive 1 1/2 to 3 pounds of 10-20-20 fertilizer applied in the same manner. The fertilizer is spread directly under the leaf drip line and watered into the soil. University of Florida horticulturalists state any comprehensive fertilizer containing from 6 to 10 percent nitrogen, 6 to 10 percent potassium and 4 to 6 percent magnesium are acceptable for young mango trees. Be careful not to apply too much fertilizer to young trees.
Fertilizing Mature Trees
University of Hawaii horticulturalists urge 1 pound of complete, slow-release fertilizer annually for every inch of trunk diameter 4 to 5 ft above the ground. Half of the fertilizer is applied before flowering, not during flowering, as well as the remainder after the mangoes are harvested. In general, fertilizers for bearing trees should include 9 to 15 percent potassium and potassium ought to be decreased to 2 to 4 percent. Commonly available fertilizer mixes that are satisfactory for mango trees include 6-6-6 and 8-3-9-2, the two signaling magnesium. To encourage flowering and mango yield, additional rapid-release fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied just before mango trees flower.
Mango Fertilizing Tips
The California Rare Fruit Growers Association (CFRG) says chelated iron and other micronutrients are frequently necessary for healthful mango trees. You can have your soil tested by a laboratory to see if it’s deficient in minerals, but the results will likely require from 1 to 4 weeks. Purchasing a soil testing kit in garden supply centres is a less expensive and acceptable alternative. CFRG says Sweat mango trees is comparable to feeding citrus trees except that mango trees should not be fertilized after midsummer. Mango trees planted in sandy land require more fertilizer than do those implanted in clay or loam.