How Not to Kill Your Mango Tree

Treat your mango tree right to get an abundant harvest.

Treat your mango tree right to get an abundant harvest.

The mango tree can help add a touch of the tropics to yards in the warm climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 11. Its lush, dense foliage provides shade while its brightly colored fruit can be eaten fresh or in smoothies or baked goods. While mango trees are relatively low maintenance, you need to make sure you meet the mango tree's needs so you don't kill it.

Weed and Grass Invasions

When the mango tree is first planted, its shallow roots are sensitive to the growth of other plants. In fact, until the tree is fully established and mature -- which can take approximately a year -- its roots cannot compete with other plants for soil nutrients and moisture. If you don't defend the tree, it could die from malnourishment. During this time, maintain a weed- and grass-free zone throughout the mango tree's drip line. The drip line is the area directly under the tree's branches. Manual, non-herbicide-based methods such as hand-pulling or light tilling work, as does applying a 3- to 4-inch-thick mulch layer to block out weed and grass development.

Poor Fertilization Practices

Mango trees are hungry plants and require constant soil fertilization to support their growth and fruit development. But too much fertilizer can lead to fertilizer burns on its roots due to excess nitrogen, which in turn can lead to leaf drop, stunted growth and possibly the death of the tree. Too little fertilizer, and the tree's health is likewise compromised because it lacks the nutritional support for healthy growth and disease resistance. For the best results, mango trees should get a 5-8-10 fertilizer application every three months. Apply the fertilizer at a rate of 1 pound for every year of age of the tree at the time of fertilization. Scatter the fertilizer evenly across the soil, directly under the tree's canopy. After spreading the fertilizer, water the area well to help carry the fertilizer down to the tree's roots and to avoid excess buildup of nitrogen on the soil's surface.

Poor Pruning

While not necessary for its health, mango trees often get pruned to encourage more fruit production and to make the tree easier to manage. But poor pruning practices can cause more harm than good and could end up killing the mango tree. For example, while many gardeners apply pruning paint to seal off tree wounds after pruning, mango trees do not respond well to this and these wound dressings may damage the tree and cause it to rot and die. Additionally, if you don't carefully sanitize pruning equipment before cutting the mango tree, it may transfer diseases and other problems. To properly sanitize garden equipment, the pruning shears and any other equipment that touches the mango tree should be soaked for a couple minutes in a solution made of 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. Dip the shears in the solution and rinse them with fresh water between every cut.


Mango trees have relatively few pest problems, and the few pests that do get involved are fruit flies and similar insects that typically don't cause long-term damage to the tree. But mango trees do suffer from a fungal infection known as anthracnose, which is the tree's most serious disease and causes widespread rotting and the entire loss of a year's worth of mango fruit. The best way to avoid this disease is simply avoiding any method of watering that gets the tree's foliage wet, as well as pruning back the mango's branches and removing nearby vegetation to improve airflow around and within the tree.

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