Description
Mangoes are erect, branched evergreen trees that grow up to 40 m high and can be long lived. Trees spread to 15 m across and have strong deep roots. The leaves are 10β30 cm long, 2β10 cm wide, shaped like a spear and are arranged in spirals. Some kinds of mangoes have leaves with a wavy edge. In Sri Lanka, there are several local varieties of mangoes.
Available varieties:
- Horanahiru: Recommended for the low country wet zone, fast vegetative growth, regular and prolific flowering, unique taste, moderately resistant to Anthracnose, long shelf life, golden yellow pulp when ripe.
- Karthacolomban: Recommended for dry and intermediate zones, long shape with short beak, dark green and thick peel, soft golden color and juicy flesh.
- Velleicolomban: Recommended for wet and intermediate zones, polyembryonic, light green color, low fiber content, golden yellow and juicy flesh.
- Willard (Villard): Recommended for dry zone, red peel color, round shape, soft peel, low fiber content, unique taste and aroma.
- TOM EJC: Large fruit (average 400g), orange flesh with less fiber, good taste, recommended for commercial cultivation in dry zone.
- Malwana: Medium size, light green color, good taste, recommended for dry and intermediate zones.
- Dampara: Recommended for wet zone, round shape, average weight 100g per fruit, pale green color, dark yellow flesh.
- Giraamba: Recommended for wet zone, conspicuous beak, average weight 150g per fruit, dark orange flesh, unique taste.
Planting requirements
Planting season: May to August, best done before the onset of the rainy season.
Planting conditions:
| Propagation | Seeds germinate in 3β6 weeks |
|---|---|
| Planting method | Should be planted keeping a spacing of 6β12 m between plants. The size of the planting hole should be 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm, or 90 cm x 90 cm x 90 cm if the soil is very hard. A 10m x 10m spacing between trees is recommended |
| Soil | Can grow in a range of soils. In wetter areas, soils with less clay are better. They can also withstand occasional flooding. A soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is best. Soils with pH above 7.5 cause plants to develop iron deficiency |
| Water | Young plants require regular watering. Water the trees right after planting and during drought periods |
| Light | 8-10 hours of direct sun is optimal |
Growing conditions:
| Temperatures | They thrive best where temperatures are about 25Β°C but will grow with temperatures between 10 and 42Β°C |
|---|---|
| Soil | Deep, rich, well drained soils provide the best production. Fill the planting hole with organic manure and top soil 2 weeks before planting |
| Water | Mango trees grow best when watered using a wet/dry cycle. This means irrigating until the soil is fully saturated, then waiting until the soil is relatively dry before watering again. Mangos do not tolerate constantly wet conditions, so allowing the soil to dry down will keep the mango tree healthy. Soaker hoses, micro-sprinklers, or drip irrigation is preferred to prevent excessive water runoff |
| Pruning | Mangoes respond very well to pruning. It can be used to control tree size and shape, improve productivity, and enhance fruit quality. Prune to maintain an open crown, allowing air and light to penetrate. Regular pruning helps in canopy management, which is essential for good productivity |
| Weed control | Effective weed control to ensure healthy growth and optimal fruit production. Weeds can compete with mango trees for nutrients |
Harvesting
Seedling trees produce after 4β6 years and increase in production up to 20 years. Harvesting should be done between 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, using a fruit picker. In Sri Lanka, harvesting typically occurs from May to July. Fruits can be harvested when they change color from dark green to light green, or when yellow color appears on either side of the green shoulder.
Caution: Be careful of the mango sap when harvesting, as it can cause burns, allergies, and dermatitis.
Curing
- After harvesting, cure the mangoes at room temperature for about 3-5 days to allow the skin color to deepen and the flavor to develop.
- Keep fruits in a single layer in a well-ventilated area.
Storage
- Store ripe mangoes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Unripe mangoes can be stored at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- For long-term storage, mangoes can be cut and frozen or made into preserves.
Protecting your plants
Pest control
Pest types: Mango fruit fly, Mango hopper, Mango seed Weevil, Leaf cutting Weevil, Mango stem borer, Mealy bugs, Trips, Termites, Mites, Scales
Symptoms:
- Mango fruit fly: Small holes in the fruit skin with oozing liquid.
- Mango hopper: Yellowish-green insects on leaves and stems, causing leaf burn and flower drop.
- Mango seed weevil: Holes in seeds and kernels, visible when cutting the fruit.
- Leaf cutting weevil: Irregular shaped holes in leaves, particularly on young foliage.
- Mango stem borer: Holes in the trunk and branches, with sawdust-like frass exiting.
- Mealy bugs: Cottony appearance on plant parts, sap sucking.
- Trips: Brownish patches on leaf surface.
- Termites: Attack areas of dead wood.
- Mites: Brown color patches on fruit peel, retarded fruit growth.
- Scales: Retarded tree growth, poor flowering.
Control method: Spraying neem-based insecticides, regular weeding and pruning of overlapping/overcrowded branches, planting resistant varieties, removing and destroying affected stem parts. Use pheromone traps for fruit flies. For specific pests:
- Trips and Mites: Spray sulfur or miticide at early stages.
- Scales: Use natural enemies.
- Termites: Avoid trunk injury, use appropriate insecticides.
Disease Control
Disease types:
- Anthracnose: A fungal disease that causes black spots on leaves and fruit.
- Powdery mildew: A fungal disease that causes white patches on leaves.
- Sooty mold: A fungal growth that appears as a black coating on leaves and fruits.
- Stem end rot: Dark rot developing from the stem end as fruit ripens.
- Leaf spot diseases: Fungal, bacterial, and algal leaf spots.
Symptoms:
- Anthracnose: Black spots on leaves and fruit, with a yellow halo around the spot.
- Powdery mildew: White patches on leaves, often with distorted growth.
- Sooty mold: Black, soot-like coating on leaves and fruits, often associated with scale insect infestations.
- Stem end rot: Dark brown to black rot beginning at the stem end.
- Leaf spots: Irregular ash-colored spots (fungal), water-soaked blackish triangular lesions (bacterial), or whitish-grey spots (algal) on leaves.
Management:
- Prune affected branches and destroy them.
- Apply copper-based fungicides as per manufacturer's instructions.
- Maintain good air circulation by pruning trees and removing dead leaves.
- For sooty mold, control scale insects with insecticidal soaps or neem oil.
- For leaf spots, apply mancozeb and improve air circulation.
Sources
In addition to our General List of Sources (link), we used these specific references:
- https://doa.gov.lk/fruit-crops-mango-e/
- https://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-mangoes.html
- https://couchtohomestead.com/mango-tree-companion-plants/
- Bally, I. S. (2006). Mangifera indica (mango). Species profiles for pacific island agroforestry, 1-25.
- Mitra, S. K. (2014, August). Mango production in the worldβpresent situation and future prospect. In XXIX International Horticultural Congress on Horticulture: Sustaining Lives, Livelihoods and Landscapes (IHC2014): IV 1111 (pp. 287-296).
