Mango Tree Growth - or lack thereof

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Grantman31 West Palm Beach, FL Dec 07, 2009

Hello all. I have a Julie Dwarf Mango Tree in my tiny backyard. The problem I'm having is the lack of growth. The thing is barely 1 1/2 feet tall, and hasn't grown much since I planted it in February of this year. It grew a branch shoot out of one of the main branches a few months back, but I have seen no growth since then. Should the mango tree be growing more than it is? I have noticed many of the larger, more mature mango trees of other varieties in the area that have grown considerable this year. The only growth I've seen since that small branch is a few suckers coming from the graft rootstock (which I quickly clipped). I appreciate the help!
For what its worth, I have a papaya tree growing close-by that is, within months of planing, grown to 9' tall and is producing papayas! I know this is like comparing apples to oranges, but it negates the question of whether the soil is any good.
Thanks in advance!

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Dec 08, 2009

And here come the links, Grantman...grin

http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=MANGIFERA_JULIE

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mango.html

http://www.tropicalrainflorist.com/mango_trees.htm

http://www.tropicamango.com/mangos.html

http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Mangifera-mango.pdf (pages 7-9 for problems)

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Dec 09, 2009

I wouldn't necessarily worry--some things take off and grow like weeds right away, but many shrubs and trees will take a couple years to really get going. There's a saying "first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap" which often holds true. And since it's a dwarf it won't grow as fast as a non-dwarf variety would so even when it gets around to "leaping" it may not grow as fast as the other mangoes you see.. It's definitely worth checking to make sure you're caring for it properly, but if you're doing everything you should be then chances are you just need to be patient with it.

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flowers_delight Leicester, NC(Zone 8a) Dec 09, 2009

ecrane I too have found that to be true, patience is a virtue

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Dec 09, 2009

Unfortunately not a virtue that many gardeners have much of! LOL (at least I don't!)

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Grantman31 West Palm Beach, FL Dec 09, 2009

Thanks for all the information - links and all! I know it's healthy since the leaves tell me so, and it did have an attempt at a crop of mangoes this season, so I guess I'll just try to be patient! I'm being spoiled by the growth of the papaya, so I guess the mangoes will have to wait a couple more years. The thing I dislike about this variety is the necessity to treat with kocide on a weekly basis. Other than that, I look forward to the reward at the end. Thanks again!

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Dec 09, 2009

Just making sure you have all the info you need Grantman....GRIN...that little tree may just surprise you this spring....smile

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Grantman31 West Palm Beach, FL Dec 10, 2009

I hope it does just that!

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