Growing Mangoes In Phoenix Arizona

Photo Photographed in March, this 3 year old, 6 foot tall, mango tree was planted as a 1 foot seedling. It was given minimal protection, the first two years, on unusually cold winter nights. It is located on the West side of the house in the lawn, on the East side of a cinder block wall. Being located a fair distance, 9 feet, from the Western wall of the house helps the tree avoid the baking reflected heat it would be exposed to if it was located closer. A small basin around the tree is kept free of grass, and is lightly composted. Fertilizers are not used on this tree because it burns very easily. It is watered by the sprinklers but it is also occasionally deep soaked. This tree has not flowered yet, which is typical of a seedling of this age. The success of this mango has convinced me to plant several grafted mango trees, which will be more likely to produce high quality fruit. Furthermore, I plan to graft some selected varieties to this tree in the future. Overview Mangoes tolerate the lower desert heat very well as long as they have sufficient water. They are salt sensitive and therefore one must be very careful not to burn them with fertilizer. Freezing temperatures are hardest on young mango trees but as they grow larger they can tolerate temperatures slightly below freezing for short periods.

Fruit
One of the best known fruits of the tropics, mangoes come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and even a variety of flavors. The best mangoes are sweet, with a full flavor, and are minimally stringy. Unfortunately, the mango found most often in supermarkets in the U.S. is a variety named Tommy Atkins, which is not one of the best, although it ships very well. So, many people are unaware how good a mango can be.

Heat Tolerance and Sun Exposure
Mangoes tolerate the lower desert heat very well and will grow continuously all summer. They like full sun but should still be kept out of reflected heat in Western exposure. For example, being next to a white wall in the heat of the day creates an oven like environment that almost no plant can take. In full sun, a mango's leaves will sunburn slightly during the hottest parts of the year, but this is generally not a problem.

Cold Tolerance
Being tropical, mango trees suffer when temperatures go below freezing. Generally speaking, young trees can be damaged below 30 F., and larger trees can take temperatures down to 25 F. for short periods of time. Therefore, mango trees are limited to neighborhoods in Phoenix with favorable microclimates. Planting trees near walls or houses can help them get through colder nights and small trees should be protected on the several frosty nights that typically occur from November to January. Neighborhoods on the outskirts of town that are typically colder than the Phoenix metro area, such as Queen Creek and Cave Creek are most likely too cold for mangoes.

Watering method
Basin and sprinkler irrigation are both suitable for mangoes. As mentioned above, an occasional deep soaking will benefit mango trees grown in the lawn.

Fertilizing and Growth Rate
Mangoes are very sensitive to soil salinity. Since Phoenix area water is already high in salts, the safest thing to do is to not use any chemical fertilizers. Soil amendments such as compost are still beneficial, and seasonal deep soakings with gypsum will help keep the plant healthier.

Some mango plants are more salt sensitive than others, which is most likely dependant on the root stock used. Pay close attention to the condition of a plant when purchasing it. If it is already showing signs of salt burn then it will be unlikely to survive in the ground in Phoenix.

Propagation
Mangoes can be grown from seed, but good fruit will only be reliable on grafts. See the "Fruit" section above for more information on selecting grafts.

Pests
Leafhoppers like mango trees but do not cause any significant problems, so they can be more or less ignored.

Links to more mango information

Julia Morton      California Rare Fruit Growers      Agroforestry