Mango plant advice

[Nogreenthumb23]

Hi. This mango plant almost died of frost few years ago but came back next year. It has been growing skinny with few leaves on top . Worth letting this one grow? Can I do anything to get it to grow healthier ?

 

[Chuck]

Hi. This mango plant almost died of frost few years ago but came back next year. It has been growing skinny with few leaves on top . Worth letting this one grow? Can I do anything to get it to grow healthier ?

What I would do is remove the weakest of the two. You have 2 trees growing on one rootstock, not a multi-trunk tree. I would remove all of the grass for a 2 foot radius, fertilize and mulch making absolutely sure that the root flare of the tree is exposed.

 

[Nogreenthumb23]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I cleared up some of the grass around it and tried to expose the root flare. Not sure if I need to clear up more. Also, the two stems seem to shoot from the same base. So not sure how to remove one, just cut it as close to the base as possible? The right stem looks to be slightly wider than the left. So ok to remove the left one? I see couple more little offshoots growing from the base. Should I cut those off too or let them be? Sorry for the many follow up questions, thanks.

 

[Chuck]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I cleared up some of the grass around it and tried to expose the root flare. Not sure if I need to clear up more. Also, the two stems seem to shoot from the same base. So not sure how to remove one, just cut it as close to the base as possible? The right stem looks to be slightly wider than the left. So ok to remove the left one? I see couple more little offshoots growing from the base. Should I cut those off too or let them be? Sorry for the many follow up questions, thanks.

Yes, clear more grass away. You still have not exposed the root flare. Yes, cut one of them slightly higher than the base and remove all of those shoots as they emerge. I can't tell if this tree was grafted or not but from what I can see of the base it isn't. But, if it is grafted that would explain why there are two trunks. Everything froze in that frost except the rootstock and these two trunks came back from the rootstock. Or, it was not grafted and it froze and these two trunks came back from the roots. If it was grafted you may or may not have a good mango, probably not. If grown on its own roots you will have a good mango.