Advice on promoting more side-shoots?

[Montray Davis]

Thanks for reading!

So here is my plan for this Mango tree. I want to grow it as a short ornamental tree. I'm wondering if there is any advice out there that would promote side shoots toward the bottom of the trunk versus the top. Basically, I want it very bushy but short.

About 2 weeks ago, I FIM'd it, and a new shoot grew closest to where the bud was cut. This sort of defeated the purpose of my cutting in the first place.The shoot has grown in almost exact placement of where I cut the main shoot. I was hoping for bottom shoots. Or at least a few nodes down.

So what I have done now is super-cropped the tree. Hopefully shoots will grow below the bending point?

Any tips?

 

[Pablo]

Yeah I'd like to know this too. My Mango tree is still pretty young, It's grown its first set of leaves but I take about almost one month for it to grow its next set, my second set of leaves just started to grow on saturday. And by first set I mean the first 4 leaves it starts of with when it successfully germinates. It already has 1 side shoot, so that's 5 leaves, not including the 1 leaf that took about a month to grow. Is this normal?

 

[Montray Davis]

Yeah I'd like to know this too. My Mango tree is still pretty young, It's grown its first set of leaves but I take about almost one month for it to grow its next set, my second set of leaves just started to grow on saturday. And by first set I mean the first 4 leaves it starts of with when it successfully germinates. It already has 1 side shoot, so that's 5 leaves, not including the 1 leaf that took about a month to grow. Is this normal?

Well, I guess it depends on what's "normal".
I mean, yeah, side shoots normally grow. It's like hair though.
Grows slowly -- some faster than others I suppose.

It's not normal for a baby to be born with a lot of hair -- but it's definitely not a bad thing if it happens.

I'm not sure how strong apical dominance is in Mangos -- but if not very strong, I'd say you're off onto a good start. Better than myself IMO.

Can you post a pic?!

 

[remnant]

To promote lateral growth at the expense of vertical growth, you should try to limit apical dominance which is responsible for the latter. This can be easily achieved by pinching off the buds at the extremities of the main stem and the side branches. Even with this, periodic pruning is necessary to prevent growth of bushy plants which would encourage plants and diseases.