Handling
Don’t hold on the stem when carrying the seedling, hold on the nursery bag to avoid uprooting. Loose roots may lead to early plant death.
Transplanting
Acclimatize for at least 1 week: Put in shady outdoors (around 50% sunlight) for 2-3 days and 4-5 days in full sunlight before planting. Water every morning. Best time to transplant is afternoon or evening.
Planting in a Pot (Applicable for Dwarf Mangoes)
Prepare a pot / basin big enough to hold a sack of soil (around 40+ kilos) Put soil in the pot / basin (best soil type is sandy loam, mixed with 10-20% decomposed rice husk or vermicast / compost by volume) Tear the bottom of nursery bag and bury the seedling 4-6” on the soil Put a peg support for the stem (bury away from the roots) Allow a few weeks before fertilization.
Planting Directly on Ground
Choose a non-flooded area with good water drainage. Best soil type is sandy loam (5.5-75 pH, slightly acidic). Dig a hole, usually 2 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft (best is 1 cubic meter). If soil is unfertile, barren, or hard, dig a 1 cubic meter planting hole. Put 1 tablespoon of 50/50 mixed urea (21-0-0) and triple-14 fertilizer on each corner on the bottom of the hole (4 tbsp total) Mix 10 kilos (1/4 sack) of vermicast / compost on the soil and set aside. Add 10-20% sand or decomposed rice husks to improve water retention / drainage Fill back half of the hole with mixed soil, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of 50/50 mixed urea (21-0-0) and triple-14 fertilizer. Fill the hole with remaining soil. Tear the bottom of nursery bag and bury the seedling 6-8” on the soil. Put a peg support for the stem (bury away from the roots).
Fertilizer Application
For potted mango, it is best to fertilize gradually – using 50/50 mixture of urea (21-00) and triple-14. You may choose to apply fertilizer daily (sprinkle a pinch of fertilizer farthest from stem) or weekly (spread a teaspoon of fertilizer farthest around the stem and bury / cover with soil). You may also dilute a pinch of fertilizer to water the plants.
If directly planted on the ground, make 4 holes 2” deep (north-east-south-west) at least a foot away from the stem and put 1 tablespoon fertilizer on each hole and cover with soil. Repeat monthly (except during flowering / fruiting). Gradually increase the number of holes per month, until you reach a dozen holes on 2nd year, still with 1 tablespoon mixed fertilizer per hole. Distance of holes from stem shall be at around 75% of crown radius.
Important: Only apply fertilizer on plants when the root stock is already dark brown and at least finger-sized already. Do not apply fertilizer during flowering / fruiting stage.
Pest Management
Mild pest infestation on leaves is normal, characterized by dark spots or partly eaten leaves. Organic remedy is thru spraying water mixed with mild detergent or pepper juice. You may also try foliar pesticide / fungicide.
Flowering & Fruiting stage
Mangoes that are voluntary fruiting (dwarf, giant, r2e2, namdokmai) doesn’t need fruit inducer spray. Do not expect too much during the initial fruiting – usually it will bear 1-5 fruits in the first fruiting cycle. Considerable fruits start on the 3rd year, especially for plants directly planted ng ground. Around 80% of mango flowers are male and for pollination purposes only. To get high pollination conversion rate, keep bees / butterflies nearby Shake the tree after a rain, or if dew is formed in the flowers. You may need to control pests / insects – for mangoes 2 years and up, it is advised to use pest attractants.
Support
This is just a generalized guide, seedling care may vary depending on soil fertility and climate. For support concerns, you may contact our facebook page and show a picture of your seedling.
Happy growing!