Tricks to Get Flowering in Mangoes

Location

• Provide your trees with the best possible growing environment. Plant them in a location with good drainage and no problems with flooding; avoid planting mango trees in wet soils such as heavy clay. Select a site that experiences full sun, warm temperatures and dry conditions. Humidity affects pollen shed in mangoes. Mango flowers won’t fertilize if temperatures fall below 55 degrees at night, and temperatures below 40 degrees will kill the blooms.

Protection

• Offer your trees protection from wind and good air circulation. Because wind can damage mango flowers, you can build a windbreak to protect trees grown outdoors. However, you should not allow the windbreak trees to grow close enough to shade or compete with your mango trees. Retain 30 to 40 feet of space between mango trees, and leave 25 to 30 feet of space between mango trees and structures or other trees. Proper spacing and planting in the right location encourages airflow, speeding the drying of plant tissues, reducing disease.

Disease Prevention

• Take steps to manage anthracnose. The fungal infection damages mango flowers and causes blossom blight. Any form of moisture, including humidity, watering, heavy dew and rain, may trigger the infection. Plant anthracnose-resistant varieties of mango. Coat mango flower buds with applications of fungicide before signs of disease appear, and continue applications through the harvest period.

Pruning

• Prune to create the proper form in your trees, as this provides the strength needed to support fruit and to make harvest easier, but avoid severe pruning unless it is absolutely necessary. If you prune, do so right after you harvest. Pruning triggers new growth, which will set back flowering in your trees. Pruning is needed when trees are placed in an area too small for their size and when too many trees are planted within a space.

Water and Fertilizer

• Mature mango trees need supplemental water only during protracted periods of drought and only during the spring and summer. Stop watering your mature trees two months before their flowering period. You may supply water again once flowering occurs. Fertilize just prior to flowering, and offer your trees supplemental nitrogen. This timing prevents the tree from using the nitrogen to fuel excess growth, according to the extension. Apply nutritional sprays as needed, depending on the soil at your site.