Land preparation and planting

Vegetative propagation

• Stone grafting is successful in mango.
• Grafting is done on seedlings that are only two to three weeks old.
• Grafting should be done before the stem and leaves turn coppery.
• Since it is a young seedling, it should be grafted very carefully.
• August is ideal for the operation.
• Select four-month-old scion materials.
• Defoliation of scion shoots 10 days prior to grafting is beneficial.
• The top of the stock seedling is cut off at a height of about 10 cm.
• A slit is made straight down the middle of the stem, about 3 - 4 cm from the cut.
• A scion of the same thickness should also be cut from the mother tree.
• Before cutting this stem, cut the leaves 10 cm from the top down. A small piece of the stem should be cut to cut the leaves.
• At the base of this rod, 3-4 cm. On both sides. A length of 3-4 cm. is cut and shaped into a cone. After inserting the cone-like part into the slit made in the stock, the glued part should be wrapped with polythene tape.
• It should be kept in the shade and watered.
• If the grafting is successful, shoots will appear on the scion in three weeks.
• These can be transplanted after five to six months of growth.
• Grafting of 8 cm long scion on rootstocks at a height of 6 to 8 cm is most successful.
• The dieback disease of grafts caused by Colletotrichum can be controlled by spraying 1 per cent Bordeaux mixture.

Planting

• Mango is a long-term crop. Therefore, when preparing the ground for planting new saplings, buying saplings, planting them, and caring for them, all require significant attention.
• If planted as a standalone crop, a distance of 9 meters should be maintained between the saplings. However, this is not possible when planting in rows.
• A mango sapling should be planted in the center of four coconut trees planted in a square arrangement.
• The preparation of the planting hole should also take into account the nature of the soil
• In fertile, firm soil with a higher proportion of clay, a hole with a square meter area and a depth of one meter is ideal. However, in sandy soil, a hole with a square area and depth between 50 to 75 cm will suffice.
• Another important factor is that the hole should be prepared at least a month before planting the sapling.
• Mango saplings can be planted at the beginning of the rainy season. This is the ideal weather for the saplings to establish roots and grow.
• The saplings are typically planted when the first rains arrive at the end of May
• By June-July, when the rains become stronger, the saplings will have established roots
• If irrigation is available, mango saplings can be planted in any month.
• Once a good sapling has been selected, it should be planted in the hole prepared earlier
• After filling the hole with fertile topsoil, a small depression is made in the center
• Without disturbing the roots and the soil around them, the sapling is carefully placed in the hole. The sapling should not be damaged during planting
• The depth of the hole should match the depth at which the sapling was in the polyethene cover. The sapling should not be planted too deep; the root collar should not go below the surface
• If there is no rain immediately after planting, the sapling should be watered. There is also a chance that strong winds could cause the sapling to shake or become loose
• Sometimes, roots may begin to grow from the stock below the root collar. This should be carefully removed.
• Mango saplings typically begin to flower in one or two years after planting. These flowers should be removed
• In short, mango saplings should not be allowed to fruit until they are at least four years old.