Mango Growing Tips and Tricks for WA

Name: Baileys Fertilisers
Address: Perth, Western Australia
Telephone: (08) 9439 1688

Author

Baileys Fertiliser

Published

4 February 2019

Fruits & Citrus

Sometimes referred to as the king of fruit, mango is a sub-tropical tree that can now be found fruiting in all suburbs of Perth.

The flavour here is as good as from more northerly areas such as Darwin and Carnarvon, the main difference between our crops and those of the tropics is the cropping times. February to March is Perth's mango season.

Location

Getting started can be a bit tricky. You need a sunny location and a sunny season to plant so growth kicks off immediately. Winter plantings often don't work in Perth because the plant is dormant. Generally, tropical plants need to hit the ground running.

Soil preparation

Be generous with your planting compost. If growing in pots or tubs, choose Baileys Premium Potting mix. If you are planting in the garden then amend the soil with generous quantities of Baileys Clay & Compost (for sandy soils) or Soil Improver Plus.

Dig a hole about twice as wide as the pot the mango tree comes in and then carefully take the mango tree out of its container. Then use the empty pot as a measuring device, use two pots-full of composted soil conditioner like Baileys Soil Improver and mix this into the backfill soil. Place the mango tree in the hole so that the level of the top of the root ball will be the same as the surrounding soil. Don't bury the plant any deeper than it was in the pot. Use the mixed compost and backfill soil to surround the root ball.

Maintenance

Make a saucer around the young mango tree and water well to settle the roots. Apply a 50 to 75mm thick layer of composted mulch like Baileys Moisture Mulch. Aim to keep the new tree just moist right through until winter.

The next step is to surround the young mango tree with a shade-cloth shelter to stay in position for the first year. This can be easily constructed with four tomato stakes, a four-metre length of shade-cloth and some cable ties.

Feeding & Watering

Avoid placing any fertiliser in the planting hole. After planting when you see the first new flush of burgundy coloured leaves beginning to form, start feeding every month from September to April. Use Baileys Blood & Bone or Baileys Soil Matters Garden, this contains all essential macro and micronutrients, and a biological coating which encourages strong root growth. Apply little and often, water in immediately.

Varieties

The best performing mango variety for planting in Perth is Kensington Pride or its larger fruiting daughter with the curious name 'R2E2'. A well-established tree can produce literally hundreds of fruit every year.