Light. Plant in full sun, away from buildings, power lines and other trees.
Water. Water every other day the first week, then once or twice a week for a couple of months. Established trees need water only in long spring or summer droughts.
Soil and feeding. Mangos grow in sand or limestone but not in poorly drained soil. Feed young trees every 2–3 months, later 2–4 times a year, with a fruit-tree fertilizer such as Citrus and Fruit Tree Fertilizer.
Size. Kept to about 10 ft with yearly pruning. Mallika is a lower-vigor variety, so it is easier to keep small.
Pruning. Prune soon after the June–July harvest. Cut a few upper limbs back to their crotches each year.
Problems to watch. Mallika is susceptible to anthracnose, which blights flowers, spots leaves and rots fruit. Full sun and dry foliage reduce it, so avoid wetting flowers and fruit.
Good to know. Young trees can be killed at 29–30°F, and flowers are damaged below 40°F. Keep grass and string trimmers 2–5 ft from the trunk.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS HS2/MG216: Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
