MANGO |
How long do they take to bear? Seedling Bowen Mangoes will generally bear in three years. Grafted Mangoes will bear even sooner. Bowen Mangoes do not have to be grafted as they grow "true to seed", i.e, identical to the parent. Other varieties do have to be grafted. What time of year do they bear? In Coffs Harbor, Bowen Mangoes mature in early February, Further south is later, further north is earlier. There are a range of grafted varieties that are earlier and later than Bowen. Are they frost hardy? No, Mangoes must be protected from winter cold, i.e. frosts and chill winds until they are about three years old or 8 - 10 ft high, Where can I grow a Mango? Fortunately they will thrive in a very wide range of soil types from sand to heavy clay soils. warm northerly aspects with shelter to the south and west are preferable. How big do they grow?Mango trees have the capacity to grow into huge trees especially in the Tropics, however, it is possible, and preferable, to keep Mangoes pruned to a small size. In fact, smaller trees in this climate generally fruit much better than large ones. Do they need pruning? It is not essential, but if you want your Mango to be fruitful for many years it is desirable to prune it to a roughly open dish shape as you would a peach.. If left to their own devices mangoes will form a dense dome-shaped canopy as they get older. This traps humidity in the tree which will encourage fungus and bacterial problems that greatly affect flowering and fruit set. When the young tree is about 4 ft high pinch out the tip. This will cause branching. Select the three best and most evenly spaced branches and remove any others that arise at this point. As these three branches grow outwards, they can be pinched again at intervals of about 2 - 3 ft to allow more branching as the tree spreads out. Avoid heavy pruning if possible,because this will cause excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruit. Remove dead wood and excessive growth. Try to maintain a sparsely foliaged tree. Once the tree is mature, the best time to prune if pruning is needed is directly after fruit picking. Mangoes flower on the growth from the previous season on the outside of the tree. Which is the best variety ?This is a difficult question. The variety Kensington Pride, commonly called BOWEN, has for some time been esteemed to be Australia's best. As far as eating quality goes this claim is generally undisputed. However disease resistance and reliable cropping in coastal N.S.W. leaves much to be desired from the Bowen types.~Many varieties have recently been introduced from different parts of the world. These are currently being trialled. It is yet too early to say which of these are the best. A few varieties that are showing promise so far are: Glenn, Nam Dok Mai, Early Gold, Florigan, Ann, Irwin, and Kent. Do Mangoes need much feeding and watering ? Compared to other fruit trees, no, but it is still a good idea to fertilize in small amounts regularly, especially in their early years. Although they do need some water it is best to keep them a little on the dry side if possible. Do I need more than one tree for pollination ? No, mangoes are fully self pollinating. Are there any dwarf varieties? Most of the new grafted varieties tend to be a little dwarfed which is probably a result of their heavy bearing at an early age. |
The Mango
is a medium to large glossy leaved evergreen tree. It is thought to have originated in
India but has been in cultivation for so long that it is hard to tell. It is said to be,
on a population basis, the most eaten fruit in the world. In India alone there are over
1,000 varieties in cultivation. It is also extensively grown in all the South Pacific
nations including Australia. Although Mangoes thrive best in a Tropical-Monsoonal climate,
where it is warm all year round, and there is a long dry season from Autumn to Mid Summer,
they are versatile enough to do reasonably well in Coastal New South Wales.