I am not expert on fruit, but I have never sprayed my magoes with anything and it fruits every year. I'll be interested in what others have to say. Your tree might have been to young to bear fruit last year.

Julie Mangos are very prone to fungal problems. I've already sprayed mine. Spray every 10-14 days until the fruits are pea-sized, at least. The flower sprays will stop turning brown, if sprayed correctly. It will drop fruit until it reaches the number it can support. My Julie is about 6' tall and gave about a dozen fruits last year. I only sprayed it once last year- this year I'll be more careful.

Lisa

I am interested in this topic too. I have a Carrie mango and understand for BEST output we must spray. Seeing as I am starting with the tree this yr and spraying, I have no benchmark for how things go if I didnt spray. I am NOT taking any chances, I love mangos and want all the tree can produce.

Be very careful with that copper spray as it will kill your bromeliads.

Thanks Lisa, good info as always about fruit. I think mine mango is a Hayden, so maybe it doesn't get this problem easily.

Here's a paragraph quote from UF edis...the whole link is below if you want to read it. Scroll all the way sown to the bottom and go to diseases (Anthracnose)

"Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides): The most important disease of mango in Florida, the anthracnose fungus attacks flowers, young fruits, leaves and twigs. It also appears as a storage disease of mature fruits. Symptoms appear as black, slightly sunken lesions of irregular shape, which gradually enlarge and cause blossom blight, leaf spotting, fruit staining, and fruit rot. Disease development is encouraged by rains or heavy dews. Prevention can be accomplished by maintaining a coating of fungicide on susceptible parts starting when bloom buds begin to expand and ending at harvest"

Good Luck with your tree

Here is a link that might be useful: Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

Tampaart,

I was wondering what you thought also. I thought that you were the one that mentioned the need to spray mango's with copper?

Thanks everyone for the help.

Gabriele

Thanks Ricky, good to know about the copper killing the bromeliad.:o)

I wonder if any of you might want to check on a fungicide called Phyton. It is copper based, but supposedly works systemically. It is quite expensive, but i mention it for a few reasons. I use it on heliconias, it was recommended to me by a grower who loved the results, plus it was safe around orchids and bromeliads. I have used it around both with no damage noted. Also, it may not need to be re-applied as often since it gets into the plant.

Bill

Bill ,

what are your feelings about using a systemic on edibles?

I am not sure I would use it for fruits unless it said it was safe.

I wonder now.... maybe for tomatoes too ? I know copper hasnt killed my few tomatoes yet when I spray it on em.

I would rather not use a systemic on my mango. Plus I do not have any bromeliads, except some pineapples. I will definately keep it away from them.

Does anyone know if it is still organic if I use the copper spray?

Gabriele

Bump...

I would spray. I've been spraying my mangoes with copper for over 30 years with great success. Mangoes are lously at protecting themselves from Anthracnose. The spray is very safe and it is not harmful to humans. (Remember, we are not drinking the copper solution - just spraying it on the fruit and trees) Spray the fruit when they are small and continue spraying until they are the size of a golfball, every 10-14 days. It also doesn't hurt to spray just the trees without fruit. Again, mix according to directions and spray as the last thing you do in the evening prior to going inside.