To reduce the risk of hare and wallaby damage,
sunburn, frost and herbicide spray drift, place a
protector sleeve or staple a strip of sisalation around
the tree stem. An application of white plastic paint will
help to prevent sunburn damage.
Apply a mulch layer under young trees. Slightly ‘hayed
off’ and coarsely cut crops such as oats, sorghum,
setaria or mixtures of these with a legume such as
lablab, soybean or lupins provide open mulch that
decomposes gradually. Coarsely cut barner grass is
excellent. Finely cut softer material, such as sawdust
and bagasse, is undesirable as it may pack down and
become soggy, inducing root rot.
Mulch provides organic matter (a valuable source
of tree nutrients and food for beneficial soil microorganisms),
improves physical characteristics such as
soil moisture and temperature levels and checks weed
growth.
Mulch crops can be grown in the interrow and
directed onto the tree row with a side-throw slasher
during mowing.
Tree spacing
Planting density is a much debated subject. Mangoes
generally grow into a large tree, making management
difficult. To facilitate spraying and harvesting, tree
size is controlled by regular pruning. This means trees
can be planted much closer—200 to 350 per hectare
depending on variety.
Access between tree rows is required for spray
machinery and harvesting aids. Trees within the row
can grow into a hedge row.
TREE TRAINING AND PRUNING
Aim to produce an open centred tree with about 8
main supporting limbs to a height of 3 to 4 metres.
Limbs causing overcrowding and shoots arising
from below the graft union should be removed. It
is important to avoid a weak crotch or a divided
trunk.
Remember that mangoes are tip or terminal bearers;
the more laterals that are present the greater the
bearing potential of the tree.