I have been immersing myself lately in learning more about hydroponic trees. Over the past few weeks, I wrote several articles about hydroponic trees like apples, oranges, bananas, and bonsai. I wondered a lot if it is possible to grow a mango tree hydroponically?
So, is it possible to grow a mango tree hydroponically? Yes, mango trees can be grown using a hydroponic system. Although it has a large size that not every hydroponic system can handle, the boost in the yield and growth rate that is resulted from using hydroponics can be dramatic.
There is no doubt that growing mango trees hydroponically will have significantly higher results when compared to mango trees grown in soil. Not only will the yield production be insanely higher, but also the growth rate will be much faster.
When it comes to growing trees in hydroponics, we have to admit two things: the first one is that trees are extremely large in size, and the second one is that they take a longer time to produce fruits.
So, how are we going to deal with the obsessively large size of trees? you cant expect to fit a mango tree with its full width and height into a hydroponic system and expect it to thrive. The answer lies in dwarfing.
The Ideal Size For A Hydroponic Mango Tree
Normal Mango trees can grow and reach a height of up to 115 ft and a radius of 33 ft. I have no idea which hydroponic system in the world can withstand a tree this size. Not to mention that a tree with these dimensions will never fit into an indoor growing facility.
Can you imagine how much nutrient solution will a tree this size consume daily? you will spend a fortune every month just to get a sufficient amount of water and nutrients for only one tree.
Of course, trees take years to reach an extremely large size like this, but at some point, the hydroponic mango tree will overgrow your system. So, you can’t ignore something like this from the start as the consequences will be catastrophic after some time.
In order to grow mango trees hydroponically, you must choose dwarf species. Dwarf mango trees are way smaller in size when compared with normal tree varieties. A dwarf mango species will grow to reach only 13 ft high which is significantly shorter than other species.
Unlike the original mango trees, the dwarf mango varieties can easily fit inside your house. Moreover, there are several hydroponic systems that can withstand its size pretty well.
Dwarf Mango Varieties For Hydroponics
There are several varieties of dwarf mango trees available out there, and to be honest, most of them are suitable for being grown in a hydroponic system as long as their size is kept under control.
Fairchild
The Fairchild mango is considered one of the most suitable varieties to be grown in hydroponics. The fruits are usually ripe between June and July.
Nam Doc Mai
Another variety that is small enough to fit in a hydroponics system is Nam Doc Mai. This variety has several different variations. You have to choose the varieties with the smallest size possible to thrive in your system.
Mallika
Mallika is considered a dwarf mango variety with an Indian origin. The Mallika mangoes have a sweet taste and an average weight of 13 oz. You can expect your Mallika mangoes to ripen in June.
Lancetilla
If you would like to get a mango variety that ripens later during the year, I advise you to grow Lancetilla. This variety ripens around August and October. It is considered a semi-dwarf tree that grows up to 10 feet in height.
Rosigold
On the other hand, some people like to grow and eat their own grown mangoes early on during the year. These people will be comfortable in growing the Rosiegold variety. This variety starts ripening in March
The Pollination Of A Hydroponic Mango Tree
Mango Trees, like any plant, need pollination to produce fruits. Lucky for us, mango trees are self-pollinating which means that a single tree will have both female and male reproductive parts.
Self-pollinating plants are much easier to handle than other cross-pollinating plants. Let’s take apple trees as an example.
Apple trees are cross-pollinating plants which mean that for the pollination process to be completed successfully, pollen must be transferred from a tree that has male reproductive parts to another tree that has female reproductive parts.
I have advised before that if anyone is willing to grow a hydroponic apple tree, he must grow at least two or three trees in order to ensure the presence of different tree genders to complete the pollination process.
Mango trees will be much easier to grow, and you will only need to take care of one tree. But don’t get me wrong, there are some steps that you need to take yourself in order to support the pollination process.
There are two ways that you can choose to grow your mangoes hydroponically. Whether indoors or outdoors. If you chose to grow the tree outdoor, then there is no need to worry about pollination.
Natural pollination methods as wind and bees will take care of everything. If you are planning to grow your hydroponic mangoes indoors, then you will need to provide some sort of support to increase the chances of successful pollination.
I have written a detailed article before about how to pollinate any indoor hydroponic tree, you can go and check it out here.
The Growing Conditions For A Hydroponic Mango Tree
Mango trees require to be kept in certain constant conditions in order to bear fruits and reach the harvest stage.
Best Temperature For Hydroponic Mangoes
The optimum temperature for hydroponic mangoes is between 80°F to 97°F. In some regions, the temperature might get pretty high which will stunt the tree growth.
You have to maintain the temperature at the optimum levels using several methods. For instance, turning on the AC system for indoor plants on extremely hot days could be done.
The Nutrient Solution Of Hydroponic Mangoes
The nutrient solution of hydroponic mangoes must be kept at a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. The nutrient solution should be balanced most of the growing cycle.
At the beginning of the blooming season, you have to take two important steps; you have to decrease nitrogen levels in the nutrient solution. On the other hand, you must increase the phosphorus and potassium levels.
The Light Requirements For Hydroponic Mangoes
Mango trees need a lot of sunlight in order to thrive. An average of 8 hours of light exposure has been shown to produce optimum results to boost the yield and growth rate.
If you are growing your hydroponic mango tree indoors, then you should turn on the growing lights up to 10 hours a day. Moreover, make sure that you place the growing lights up enough so that all the tree branches could get light exposure.
