Pruning mango to increase yield.
Gross E. R.
Author Affiliation: 15901 SW 157th Avenue, Miami, FL 33187, USA.
: 538-542
Abstract : Pruning of mango trees to improve fruit yields is discussed. Selective pruning (thinning crowded foliage and lightening the centre of the tree) allows penetration of the canopy by light, air and sprays. It is recommended that branches of 2 inches in diameter should be cut flush, and that larger branches should be cut external to the top of the collar, identified as a bark ridge, at the junction where limb meets trunk and branch meets limb. It is suggested that if a stub is left for formative, vegetative purposes, it should not be 6 inches. Preserving a tree stump is described. If a tree must be reduced to a stump, as in top working, it should be made with a cut of about 5° angle. The surface cut may be left alone without significant damage for some time, and should not be painted with any material that leaves a film, as this may provide a substrate for decay-causing fungi. The stump surface should be allowed to dry, causing the formation of radial cracks. At this point the surface may be drenched with wood preservative until saturated. This method keeps the stump decay free, allowing the tree to callous over the cut surface. Tipping or heading back is a form of very light pruning involving the removal of no more than 8-10 inches from the end of the branches after harvest. After tipping, new shoots will develop in 30-40 days that will bear fruit the next season. Other pruning suggestions are listed.