| I have a mango tree which is about 4 years old. This is the second year it has bloomed, set fruit and then dropped it all when it reaches the size of a large pea. I would like fruit. Do you have any idea of what is happening and can I do anything to help my tree hold its fruit? |
| It could be that your tree isn't quite mature enough to produce fruit, or there may be some environmental conditions causing the immature fruit drop. Mangos basically require a frost-free climate. Flowers and small fruit can be killed if temperatures drop below 40? F, even for a short period. Young trees may be seriously damaged if the temperature drops below 30? F, but mature trees may withstand very short periods of temperatures as low as 25? F. The mango must have warm, dry weather to set fruit. In southern California the best locations are in the foothills, away from immediate marine influence. It is worth a trial in the warmest cove locations in the California Central Valley, but is more speculative in the coastal counties north of Santa Barbara, where only the most cold adapted varieties are likely to succeed. Mangos luxuriate in summer heat and resent cool summer fog. Wet, humid weather favors anthracnose and poor fruit set. The yellowish or reddish flowers are borne in inflorescences which appear at branch terminals, in dense panicles of up to 2000 minute flowers. Pollinators are flies, hoverflies, rarely bees. Few of the flowers in each inflorescence are perfect, so most do not produce pollen and are incapable of producing fruit. Pollen cannot be shed in high humidity or rain. Fertilization is also ineffective when night temperatures are below 55? F. Mangos are monoecious and self-fertile, so a single tree will produce fruit without cross pollination. This is probably more information than you want to know, but it might shed some light as to why your mango tree is not producing fruit. Best wishes with your tree! |
