February 26, 2005
Question: I have a mango tree in my backyard in a new community. I have not noticed any bees or insects around it doing the pollination thing. I’ve heard that there should be another tree in the area for my tree to produce. I used to live in the Whiskey Creek area and had a mango tree in my backyard that always gave fruits. Of course, there were many fruit trees around and one mango tree three blocks away. I was wondering if going out to the nursery and picking up a bee loving plant and setting it out by the tree would help for this year?
- Lois T., Estero
Answer: Mangoes are self-fruitful, that is, they do not need cross pollination from another tree to produce fruits. Successful cross pollination in any case is accomplished by using a plant of the same species. For example, specific oranges with specific oranges and specific hollies with specific hollies. Pollination is sexual reproduction and pollens from an orange tree on the flowers of mangoes will never yield mango fruits. The fruits from any plants can be considered ‘babies’ resulting from pollination. There are two mango diseases that are responsible for low yields no matter the degree of pollination, powdery mildew and anthracnose. Sulfur and copper fungicides are used to treat powdery mildew and anthracnose, respectively. Treatments should begin even before the inflorescence has fully expanded and the fungicides alternated weekly until the fruits are about marble size. In most years, mango trees need no fungicidal treatments. Mango pollination occurred weeks ago. In any case, your tree appears to be a young tree and perhaps next year will yield a better crop.
Stephen Brown is a horticulture agent with the Lee County Extension.
To submit questions call the horticulture desk at 461-7504 between 9 a.m. and 4
p.m. or via e-mail at
shb@mail.ifas.ufl.edu. Listen to the ‘Garden Show’ at 8 a.m. on
1200-AM WINK/WNOG.