Mango is one of the most popular and loved tropical fruit trees. It produces large fruits, so much so that they can be served as a dinner, and delicious. Precisely because of this when you have one and you don’t see it bear fruit, it is not uncommon to worry.
»Why is my mango tree not bearing fruit? What am I doing wrong?are some of the questions we usually ask ourselves. But sometimes it can happen that, simply, we are not making any mistake in its cultivation, but we must wait a little longer.
How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?
Mango is a rather slow growing tree that reaches a height of between 4 and 10 meters, depending on the variety and / or cultivar. It has a more or less wide crown, which provides excellent shade. But it can take a long time to flower and even longer to bear fruit.
If specimen is seed (We can identify it because it has a more or less straight trunk, and does not have the grafted spike), it will spend many of its life developing, so much so that it can take 6 to 15 years to bear fruit. On the contrary, if it is graftedit will take 2 to 3 years, maximum 4.
Why is my mango tree not bearing fruit?
There are many reasons why a mango does not bear fruit, or stops bearing fruit. Therefore, below we are going to see what they are and what we have to do in each case:
It’s very young
As we have commented, depending on whether it is from seed or grafted it may take more or less to bear fruit. But equally, patience is necessary. For one day to produce them, it is crucial to provide adequate care, which is: moderate watering, periodic fertilizers and … nothing else. It is not a plant that has to be pruned to get fruit; if it’s okay, sooner or later it will.
The weather is cold
Although there are varieties and cultivars capable of resisting temperatures of -2ºC, such as Ataulfo, the vast majority do not tolerate such low values. So that they can bear fruit, there must be a minimum annual temperature of 5ºC or higher. In the event that frosts are registered in your area, the ideal is to protect yourself or with anti-frost fabric (for sale here!), or if we are talking about really cold climates where frosts are registered several times throughout the winter, we will have to keep it in a greenhouse.
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Lack of food (compost)
Sometimes we don’t think about it, but the truth is that if we don’t fertilize the mango it will cost a lot to bear fruit, especially if the soil we have is poor in nutrients. Thus, from spring to late summer we have to throw it out organic fertilizerAs manure or guano (for sale here!). We can also mix banana and egg peels, tea bags, and wood ash with the earth.
Need more space
Both to grow and to bear fruit, it needs to be planted in a more or less wide field so that its roots extend as long as they need. The most advisable thing is to plant it far (minimum 4 meters) from other tall plants, in addition to pipes and paved floors.. If you have it in a pot, you have to transplant it to a larger one -about ten centimeters deeper and in diameter than the one you are already using- with mulch, or if you prefer with a substrate for an urban garden. The season of the year in which it will be done will be in spring.
Mango: does it take a male and a female to bear fruit?
It is common to have this doubt, especially since it is a tree that can take a long time to bear fruit. But, as with kakis and citrus, among other fruit trees, the mango is self-fertile. This means that it does not need another specimen nearby to produce fruit, since an individual is only capable of doing so.
How many mangoes does a tree produce?
The number of mangoes on a mature tree is quite high; in fact, in kilos / year, they are about 200, although it can exceed 1000. If we add to that that each fruit can weigh about 400 grams on average, and that it is very nutritious, then we can get an idea of how interesting it is to be in the garden or in the orchard, tasting one before returning to home.
How are mangoes harvested?
Once our mango has borne fruit, how do we have to harvest it? Well then for that you have to know that these take an average of 120 days to finish maturing. We will know if it has done so if, in addition to having acquired the normal color of the variety, when pressing it a little we notice that it is certainly a little tender, but without becoming soft.
Mangoes that are too hard, even if they have their color, will be more difficult to consume since they will not have ripened enough. These can be left in a dry place protected from the sun for a few days, but their thing is not to take them from the tree until they are well, since they do not always mature as expected.
As soon as we have them, we can consume them directlyor leave in the fruit bowl in the kitchen, at room temperature. Another option is to freeze them, but you don’t have to keep them in the fridge as they spoil quickly.
We hope that from now on you can enjoy freshly picked mangoes.
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