Juicy stone Fruit Mango King of Fruits

                                                                     Mango

                                                                    King of fruits

The mango is a juicy stone fruit (drupe) belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees, cultivated mostly for edible fruit. The majority of these species are found in nature as wild mangoes. They all belong to the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to South Asia, from where it has been distributed worldwide to become one of the most cultivated fruits in the tropics. The center of diversity of the Mangifera genus is in India.^[1]

While other Mangifera species (e.g. horse mango, Mangifera foetida) are also grown on a more localized basis, Mangifera indica—the "common mango" or "Indian mango"—is the only mango tree commonly cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions.

It is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh

Mango trees grow up to 35–40 m (115–131 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10 m (33 ft). The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years. In deep soil, the taproot descends to a depth of 6 m (20 ft), with profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots; the tree also sends down many anchor roots, which penetrate several feet of soil.

                                                      Mango Tree Planting

Mango tree planting is suitable in zones where temperatures do not usually dip below 40 F (4 C.). If you’re lucky enough to live in a tropical to sub-tropical climate, take these tips for mango tree care and enjoy the fruits of your labors in just a few years.

Prepare the site by digging a hole that is twice as wide and deep as the root ball. Check the drainage by filling the hole with water and watching how fast it drains. Mango trees can survive some periods of flooding, but the healthiest plants are produced where soils percolate well. Plant the young tree with the graft scar just at the soil surface.

You don’t need to prune the young plant but watch for suckers from the graft and prune them off. Young mango tree care must include frequent watering as the plant establishes.

Mango Flowering

Mango trees grow easily from seed. Get a fresh mango pit and slit the hard husk. Remove the seed inside and plant it in seed starter mix in a large pot. Situate the seed with ¼-inch protruding above the soil surface when growing mango trees.

Mango tree care is similar to that of any fruit tree. Water the trees deeply to saturate the long taproot. Allow the top surface of the soil to dry to a depth of several inches before watering again. Withhold irrigation for two months prior to flowering and then resume once fruits begin to produce.

Fertilize the tree with nitrogen fertilizer three times per year. Space the feedings and apply 1 pound per year of tree growth.

Prune when the tree is four years old to remove any weak stems and produce a strong scaffold of branches. Thereafter, prune only to remove broken or diseased plant material.

Caring for mango trees must also include watching for pests and diseases. Deal with these as they occur with organic pesticides, cultural and biological controls or horticultural oils.

Growing mango trees in the home landscape will give you a lifetime of fresh pungent fruit from an attractive shade tree.

The mango is now cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates; almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone, with the second-largest source being China. Mangoes are also grown in Andalusia, Spain (mainly in Málaga province), as its coastal subtropical climate is one of the few places in mainland Europe that permits the growth of tropical plants and fruit trees. The Canary Islands are another notable Spanish producer of the fruit. Other cultivators include North America (in South Florida and California's Coachella Valley), South and Central America, the Caribbean, Hawai'i, south, west, and central Africa, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes, it accounts for less than 1% of the international mango trade; India consumes most of its own production.

Generally, ripe mangoes have an orange-yellow or reddish peel and are juicy for eating, while exported fruit are often picked while underripe with green peels. Although producing ethylene while ripening, unripened exported mangoes do not have the same juiciness or flavor as fresh fruit

Mangos taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!  Discover how the “king of fruits” can help you, plus why monkeys eat mango seeds and a few mango cautions and concerns