I love eating delicious mango fruits in summers, every day a mango is a necessity in my diet. But do you remember getting a mango fruit directly from the tree? Well I do, I used to visit my grandparents home in summer breaks in my school.
There was a small orchard of mango trees in the backyard having different varieties of mango like Amrapali, Maldah, Himsagar, Dasheri, Chausa, etc. They are still growing in my grandparent’s home but in those days I used to care for them with my grandfather.
He loved gardening a lot. I remember, every morning he used to visit the backyard garden along with garden equipment to take care of the plants. I used to stay for at least 2 months in my village with my grandparents.
I loved sitting on the mango tree and feeling the smell of leaves and its ripening fruits. Sometimes birds used to feed on fruits but they don’t eat all. There were always plenty of fruits left on the tree to eat.
Every day me and my grandfather used to pull ripe mango fruits from the tree to eat and that memory is something that made me connected to nature.
In my city, I used to miss those trees and mango fruits from a self-grown tree. Anyone can eat mango fruits after purchasing them from the market but growing a mango tree is like growing a deep bond with a trusted friend.
If you grow this plant yourself in your garden either terrace or backyard then you will feel yourself the connection with this plant. Whenever it will face disease you will feel like your friend is in problem and you will treat him with love and passion.
You can also grow this plant organically instead of using pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. But growing mango plants is not so easy as it looks. Unlike other plants, mango tree requires precise knowledge and care to grow properly.
If you are reading this article today then I will suggest read it completely with patience in a silent room and make a promise to yourself to purchase a mango tree from the nearest nursery as soon as possible to add it in your beautiful garden.
Let’s now learn “How To Grow Mango Tree In Pot.”
Growing Season
Rainy season is the ideal time to grow mango saplings however you will need to take care of fungal infections in the root zone. You can also plant in March with controlled watering in the pot.
Selection of Pot
Mango tree grows very big in size and height but at early stages of growth you can plant it in a medium-sized pot and according to the increase in growth you can shift your plant to a larger size pot later on.
Select an earthen or cemented pot only for growing this plant. A pot of 20 inches by 20 inches or larger with good drainage holes is sufficient.
Selection of Variety
There are a lot of varieties of mango trees available in the plant nursery but you can not grow everyone in your pot and this is the common mistake that happens with many garden enthusiasts.
We can only select high yielding dwarf varieties of Amrapali, Thai mango and Neelum. Other varieties will grow to 65 feet in height and your container will break eventually from the extra load.
The high yielding dwarf varieties will grow to 6 to 8 feet in height and can survive for more than 100 years if you will provide proper care.
Preparation of Potting Mix
Prepare potting mix with 40% normal garden soil + 20% cocopeat + 30% organic compost + 10% Neem Khali. Do not use any inorganic fertilizer in preparing the potting mix, and even excessive organic fertilizer.
If your soil is sandy loam soil then it is good but if you do not have sandy loam soil then mix 10% sand in the potting mix. Mix the components thoroughly and pour it in the pot. Take care to cover the drainage holes properly with pebbles.
Propagation
I will personally suggest you to purchase a healthy grafted variety of Amrapali, Thai or Neelum to grow in your home garden. If you will grow this plant from seed then it will take 6 to 7 years to produce fruits.
Grafted varieties do well in the pot and start producing fruits within two years. Take the grafted plant in your home garden and clear out the soil medium from the medium-sized pot selected for transplanting the tree with the help of Khurpi.
Apply a handful of organic fungicides in the dug portion of soil medium. Remove the plastic cover of your plant carefully without damaging the roots and place it in the soil medium. Cover with potting mix medium around the base of the plant.
Take care not to put the grafted portion under the soil as it can cause diseases in your plant. Always keep the grafted portion above the soil region.
If your grafted plant has fruits in the branches then remove all the fruits if you want to grow them to a healthy plant.
Gently apply water in the pot but do not overwater and place your pot in the semi-shade region if the temperature is above 40 degrees Celcius for 15 days to establish your plant in the pot. Water gently every day for 15 days but do not overwater.
Sunlight Requirement
Mango tree loves sunlight to grow. Place your pot in an area that can receive at least 6 to 8 hours of daily sunlight. Less amount of sunlight will affect the growth of your tree.
Fertilizer Requirement
Apply a handful of organic compost like vermicompost once in a month. During the flowering stage, you can apply banana peel fertilizers in every 15 days to improve flowering.
READ MORE: LEARN TO MAKE BANANA PEEL FERTILIZER
Water Requirement
In summer apply water in the pot when the top layer of the soil seems dry. Do not overwater your pot as it can damage the roots of your tree. In winter water once in a week.
Pruning
After harvesting the tree is ready to be pruned. Pruning helps to maintain the size and shape of the plant. Pruning also helps to get higher yields in the next season. Remove the dead and damaged branches. Clear all the diseased portion from the tree.
Cut 20% of the branches from the upper and lower portion of the tree.
Pest and Disease Management
Mango tree is susceptible to pest and diseases. Powdery mildew, malformation, Anthracnose, etc. In case of Powder mildew spray 3 ml/liter of neem oil spray.
I personally spray neem oil once in every 15 days to prevent from any pest and disease infestation organically.
READ MORE: LEARN TO MAKE NEEM OIL SPRAY
Important Point
While growing mango trees from a grafted variety wait for at least 3 years for the plant to get matured to bear fruits. If you notice fruiting within 3 years then remove all the fruits from your plant. This step will ensure heavy fruiting once your plant will become mature.
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