Mango or Mangifera Indica is one of the most popular tree species in South Asia. They belong to the evergreen family of trees and are considered to be the national fruit of India and the Philippines. There are over 400 varieties of Mango trees and each one produces slightly different fruit in terms of size, taste, and color.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can kill Mango trees and their root system.
How to Kill Mango Trees?
When it comes to killing mango or Mangifera Indicas, you have a number of methods to choose from:
- Foliar Spray
- Cutting the tree down and treating the stump with Herbicides
- Gridling or ring barking
- Basal Bark treatment
- Injecting the tree with killing chemicals
- Cut surface treatment
If you wish to learn more about each of these methods, I will be publishing a huge guide on how to kill trees without cutting them down.
It should also be noted that these are mostly just the killing methods, in some cases, you will still have to cut the tree once it dies.
The best way to kill a small Mango tree
Mangifera Indicas take a long time to properly establish themselves. Therefore, it is relatively easy to kill them during the first few years of their growth. The average height you can expect them to grow during this time is about 10-15 feet. As long as the diameter of the tree is less than 6 inches, you should ideally go for Basal Bark Treatment.
The steps to kill a small Mango tree:
- You will need a backpack sprayer for spraying a chemical or a herbicide.
- Use an oil soluble mixture of a herbicide. The ideal proportion for mixing should be 1 part herbicide and 4-part oil carrier. A suitable oil carrier would be diesel, kerosene or basal oil
- The best options you can go for is Tryclopyr from Amazon. (allilate link). However, in some states industrial herbicides are available, like Garlon 4 Ultra, Relegate, Forestry Garlon XRT.
- Once you have the solution, spray the bottom 20 inches of the trunk with this solution and let it dry out, repeat this process again for faster absorption.
- If the tree is on the larger side, slash some parts of the bark with an axe to make deep gashes which will enhance the absorption of the tree killing solution.
You can kill a young Mangifera Indica during any time of the year if it has not started fruiting. You don’t have to worry about more trees propping up because of the season you pick for killing the Mango tree.
The best way to kill a large Mango tree
Mangifera Indicas can large, with a maximum height of more than 100 feet. They can also keep fruiting for a long time, some trees have been found to be producing fruits for up to 400 years. While killing large Mangifera Indica, you need to make sure that the root system is killed as well.
Big Mangifera Indicas can have extremely deep roots because of their size and age, a lot of times the root system can revive the tree if not killed properly.
There are ways you can go about it, either use Girdling along with Cut Surface treatment or simply cut the tree down and treat the stump with herbicides.
Girdling along with Cut Surface treatment
Ringbarking would be the easiest and the most efficient method for killing a large Mango tree as it will stop the nutrient flow from the roots to the stems and the leaves.
Steps to kill a large mango tree:
- You will need to either get a big axe or chainsaw for this method.
- Remove a ring of bark around the entire tree, about 4-8 inches wide.
- For extra measure, spray some herbicide along the exposed bark.
Once this is done, you can start with the Cut Surface treatment.
- A little above where you have girdled the tree, start making deep cuts into the bark of the tree using an axe. The cuts should be made along the entire circumference of the tree.
- The cuts should be at least 2-3 inches deep
- Spray some herbicide like Roundup into these holes as quickly as possible and let it dry out.
Using these two methods in conjunction will help to speed up the process to kill the tree for good.
Find more about my recommended herbicides here.
Cutting down the tree
If you are in a real hurry or if the Mangifera Indica is infested with insects or with some disease, you can simply cut the tree down and treat the stump with herbicides to prevent it from growing back.
You should ideally kill a Mangifera Indica during the fall. This is because after the fall the tree starts producing fruits and if you kill during summer or spring, these fruits can produce new trees.
Can you kill a Mango tree without cutting it down?
Mango or Mangifera Indica can be killed without cutting them down. The preferred methods for doing so would be ringbarking, basal bark treatment, or cut surface treatment. More about this here.
Consider the fact that once the tree is dead, it will start decomposing over time and it can fall on the nearby property thus it should be cut down.
Here’s an article on how to tell if a tree is dead.
Things to consider before removing a tree on your own
Mangifera Indicas as I have mentioned before can be huge. Their root systems will go very deep thus being hard to remove on your own. On top of this, this species is known to cause dermatitis to sensitive people through its sap.
Handling a Mangifera Indica can be tricky on your own, especially if you are not experienced in the field of tree-killing.
Once the tree is dead, it will eventually start decomposing and fall. To remove the tree, you will have to get it cut down, transported, and get the stump treated.
Hire a professional tree removal service
Hiring a professional while dealing with Mangifera Indica makes a lot more sense when you think about the entire tree removal procedure. A professional will take care of almost the entire process from killing the tree to transporting it off the property. They can also professionally deal with all of the sap and insects which often infest Mango trees.
If you decide to simply get the tree cut down, you should definitely hire a professional to do it. Cutting down huge trees is risky, especially if you don’t have any experience.
Take a look at my tree removal cost guide here to get an idea how much will it cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How prone is Mangifera Indica to diseases or insect infestation?
Because this species is primarily grown in tropical climates, the chances of diseases and insects are higher than usual. Some types of diseases on Mangifera Indica can cause skin irritation on humans.
Which time of the year is most suitable for killing Mangifera Indica?
The best time of the year to kill a mature Mangifera Indica is during fall, or once the fruiting season is over. This way you won’t have to worry about new trees propping up once the tree is killed.
Can you use the Foliar Spray method on Mangifera Indicas?
The foliar Spray method is quite effective on young Mangifera Indicas. Because this species is evergreen and has good-sized leaves, the chemical absorption is good, furthermore, this method can be used year-round.
Conclusion
The easiest method for small Mango trees, besides cutting it down straight away, is considered to be foliar spray. For bigger trees, you should stick to ringbarking, cut surface treatment, or use both.
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I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside.
