Faq
SHOULD I ARTIFICIALLY RIPEN MANGOES?
Mangoes are generally harvested in a mature, but still firm, green state. Ethylene gas can be used to trigger ripening of fruit, bringing on uniform colouring and ripening. The results of gassing will depend on critical temperature management during and after ethylene treatment. You should decide whether to gas fruit in consultation with your agent/wholesaler because ripened fruit has a shorter storage life and will need to move quickly through the market chain.
DO MANGOES NEED REFRIGERATION?
Fruit should be cooled within 48 hours of harvest to prolong storage life, maximise fruit quality and improve colour development. Uncooled fruit tends to ripen irregularly and is more prone to post-harvest diseases.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD MANGOES BE STORED AT?
Mangoes ripen evenly between 18 and 22°C. Hard, green mangoes can be stored at 13°C until they start to ripen, and ripe fruit can be cooled to 5°C for about four days.
DO I NEED TO DIP MANGOES?
Fruit sold to areas free of fruit fly must be treated according to the fruit fly certification agreement in place for that destination. This will include dipping or a post-harvest spray with an insecticide in addition to your pre-harvest fruit fly control program. Treatment for post-harvest diseases is recommended, though not compulsory.
WHEN ARE MY MANGOES READY TO PICK?
Fruit that is ready for harvest should have a minimum dry matter of 14 per cent and should well filled at the beak and shoulders. When the fruit is cut open, the internal flesh is a uniform pale yellow. The internal flesh of immature fruit is white.
WHAT TREE SPACINGS SHOULD I USE?
Tree spacings will depend on variety, and how you prune and manage your mature trees. Varieties such as Keitt and Palmer can be planted closer than more vigorous types, such as Kensington Pride. If you plan to prune your trees as a hedgerow, they can be planted closer within the row. Row spacing should allow easy access for machinery when trees reach full maturity.
HOW LONG BEFORE MY TREES WILL BEAR FRUIT?
Grafted trees will settle into a cropping pattern by the third year after planting and reach peak production in 6-8 years. Seedling trees take a year longer to come into production.
HOW CAN I PROTECT MY TREES FROM FROST?
The best way to protect trees is to grow them on frost-free land. You can protect young trees by wrapping their trunks in sisalation or similar insulating material for their first winter. Another method is to irrigate for an hour or two until sunrise, just before the frost settles.
SHOULD I HEDGEROW MY NEW PLANTINGS?
Hedgerowing will depend on tree spacing. Tree spacings fewer than 4 m lend themselves to hedging more than wider spaced individual trees.
HOW TALL SHOULD I LET MY TREES GROW?
Hedgerowing will depend on tree spacing. Tree spacings fewer than 4 m lend themselves to hedging more than wider spaced individual trees.
HOW AND WHEN DO I PRUNE?
Young mango trees should be pruned every 1-2 flushes to maximise branching and fruiting terminals. When trees reach bearing age, prune them each year to maintain size, thin out the canopy and remove dead wood. Prune by hand with secateurs or machine prune. The main pruning is done after harvest.
WHEN SHOULD I FERTILISE MY TREES?
In bearing trees, most fertiliser is applied after harvest. The rest is applied at flowering and early fruit growth. Young trees require regular fertilising every 2-3 months to encourage continuous, strong growth.
HOW MUCH FERTILISER SHOULD I USE?
The amount of fertiliser you use will depend on soil type, tree size and cropping history. Always do a leaf and soil analysis before planning your fertiliser program.
HOW MUCH GYPSUM DO I NEED AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I APPLY IT?
Gypsum supplies additional calcium to the plant without changing the pH of the soil. The normal application rate is about 5 t/ha or 500 g/m 2 . Gypsum is normally applied soon after harvest, and before flowering.
HOW MUCH WATER DO MY MANGOES NEED AND WHEN?
Mangoes are a deep-rooted crop and a mature tree needs a large volume of water. The amount of water depends on the size of the tree and the time of the year. An orchard’s water requirements can exceed 6 ML/ha a year. At peak demand, from fruit set to harvest, a mature tree may need more than 2000 L per week