How to prune mango trees?

Timing and accuracy are important when pruning mango trees. Pruning after harvest will allow wounds to heal in time for the rains of the monsoon season. I was once able to save a tree damaged by a storm by pruning the broken limbs within 48 hours of the storm. I usually try to use sharp bypass pruners. Clean cuts are important for recovery and also prevent diseases from entering the tree.

Vertical water sprouts drain energy from the tree. To prevent this, remove them flush with the parent branches at summer pruning. One of my clients removed these from their tree and the following year, the harvest was 60% more. Never leave stubs behind they simply attract borers and fungal infections. As a general rule, treat large cuts with a dab of pruning paste.

Keep tree height approximately 15ft by way of tip pruning. I use an extendable pole saw for pruning the upper branches. Then the dense areas until you start to see sunlight dappling the ground below; thinning the densely-leaved area reduces anthracnose risk. Space the remaining branches about 18-24 inches apart for best airflow.

Disinfect tools whenever switching sites between trees. If there is no alcohol, clean the blades with vodka. A Florida outbreak spread through pruners that had been sanitized only with water, resulting in the loss of 12 trees. Always keep blades sharp by sharpening after every third cut. Dull tools or blades can crush vascular and xylem tissues, leading to vascular clogging and decreasing recovery time while increasing the risk of insect damage.

Read the full article: How to Grow a Mango Tree from Seed in 5 Steps