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Tree care

Caring for your tree

Planting, watering, feeding, cold and pruning for the fruits we sell, in plain words. Every line links to the UF/IFAS Extension guide it came from.

    How we wrote this page: every line below links to the publication it came from, mostly UF/IFAS Extension, the University of Florida's home-grower guides. Tap a tag like MG216 to read the original.

    Where the sources disagree, the card says so. Where we found no source, we left it out. For anything not covered here, your county UF/IFAS Extension office answers home-grower questions.

    MangoUF/IFAS MG216

    Planting

    • Full sun, in the warmest spot that does not flood. If water stands after heavy rain, plant on a mound of native soil 2 to 3 ft high and 4 to 6 ft across. MG216
    • Clear a 3 to 10 ft circle of grass. Dig the hole 3 to 4 times as wide and 3 times as deep as the pot. Don't put fertilizer or compost in the hole; if you add compost, mix it no more than half and half with the dug soil. MG216
    • Set the top of the root ball level with or slightly above the ground, and water right away. MG216
    • Spacing: 25 to 30 ft or more from buildings, power lines and other trees for vigorous or unpruned trees; 12 to 15 ft for less vigorous ("dwarf") trees kept small by yearly pruning. MG216

    Watering

    • New trees: at planting, every other day for about the first week, then once or twice a week for the first couple of months. MG216
    • First 3 years: once a week whenever 5 or more days pass with little or no rain. Cut back or stop once the rainy season starts. MG216
    • Trees 4 years and older: only during very long dry spells in spring and summer. Overwatering can cause poor fruit and decline. MG216

    Fertilizing

    • First year: every 2 to 3 months, starting at ¼ lb and working up to 1 lb. After that, 2 to 3 times a year, more as the tree grows. Granular feeding goes best March through August. MG216
    • Young trees: a mix such as 6-6-6-2. Bearing trees need little to no nitrogen and more potash (examples given: 6-3-16, 0-0-22). Too much nitrogen makes the fruit disorder "internal breakdown" (soft nose, jelly seed) worse. MG216

    Cold

    • Young trees may be killed at 29 to 30°F. Mature trees can take 25°F for a few hours, with damage to leaves and small branches. Flowers and small fruit can be damaged below 40°F for a few hours. MG216

    Pruning

    • Train young trees to branch. Each year, take a few upper limbs back to where they start; this keeps the lower canopy and cuts storm damage. Prune soon after harvest. MG216
    • Once a tree is 25 to 30 ft or taller, don't climb it: use a licensed, insured arborist. MG216
    Florida cautions. Keep grass 2 to 5 ft or more back from the trunk and never hit it with a mower or string trimmer. Mulch 2 to 6 inches deep, kept 8 to 12 inches off the trunk. Lawn sprinklers on a timer can overwater the tree into root rot. MG216

    Source: UF/IFAS EDIS MG216, Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

    AvocadoUF/IFAS MG213

    Planting

    • Avocado will not take flooding or poor drainage. Where the ground stays wet, plant on a mound of native soil 2 to 4 ft high and 4 to 6 ft across. MG213
    • Hole 3 to 4 times as wide and 3 times as deep as the pot; no fertilizer or compost in the hole. Plant 23 to 30 ft or more from buildings and other trees. MG213

    Watering

    • New trees: at planting, every other day for about the first week, then once or twice a week for the first couple of months. MG213
    • First 3 years: water well twice a week in dry spells of 5 or more days. Older trees: water in long dry spells, and avoid drought from bloom through fruit development. Water less November to February. MG213

    Fertilizing

    • First year: every 1 to 2 months, from ¼ lb up to 1 lb. After that, 3 or 4 times a year, never more than 20 lb per tree per year. Mixes such as 6-6-6-2 or 8-3-9-2. MG213
    • Spring through summer, 3 to 4 nutritional sprays a year (copper, zinc, manganese, boron) for the first 4 to 5 years. On alkaline soil, use iron chelate made for high-pH soil in late spring and summer. MG213

    Cold

    • It depends on the variety. Least cold-tolerant: Donnie, Dupuis, Simmonds, Pollock, Nadir, Hardee, Waldin. Moderately tolerant (25 to 30°F): Beta, Choquette, Loretta, Booth 8, Hall, Monroe, Reed. Tonnage, Taylor, Lula, Kampong, Meya and Brookslate can go where it dips to 24 to 28°F now and then. Mexican types (Brogdon, Ettinger, Gainesville, Mexicola, Winter Mexican) may take the low 20s. MG213

    Pruning

    • Shape in the first 2 years. Once bearing, cut the top back to 10 to 15 ft and take a few upper limbs back each year. Do not remove the lower branches. Prune after harvest for early varieties, after frost danger for late ones. MG213
    Florida caution: laurel wilt. This fatal disease, spread by ambrosia beetles, has been found in all 67 Florida counties. Warning signs are wilting or browning leaves, dieback, and sawdust tubes or white powdery sap on the trunk. Report a suspect tree to the state's Division of Plant Industry (1-888-397-1517) or your county Extension office. Never move avocado wood as firewood, smoke-wood or mulch. HS1358

    Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS MG213, Avocado Growing in the Florida Home Landscape · UF/IFAS EDIS HS1358, Laurel Wilt in Avocado in the Home Landscape

    JaboticabaUF/IFAS HS1519

    Planting

    • Grows in USDA zones 9a to 11. Prefers acidic soil (pH 5 to 6), sandy or loamy. On high-pH soil it needs acidifying and minor nutrients. HS1519
    • Usually 10 to 15 ft tall in Florida; space about 10 ft apart. Benefits from mulch and organic amendments. Partial shade is preferred; full sun is tolerated and gives bigger crops. HS1519
    • Fallen fruit stains, so keep it away from driveways. It can live in a pot for years if moved up to bigger pots and fed. HS1519

    Watering

    • Likes steady moisture and handles drought poorly; leaves brown from the tips when dry. Drip irrigation is ideal. Young plants need water more often. Older trees can survive flooding up to a month if allowed to dry out afterward. HS1519

    Fertilizing

    • UF/IFAS has no official rate for jaboticaba. The guide suggests about three feedings a year, skipping June through September, following the product label; organic fertilizer to avoid salt buildup; a 4-3-4 slow-release has shown promise. It burns easily from nitrogen. HS1519
    • Yellowing between the veins: chelated iron as a spray or soil drench. HS1519

    Cold

    • Does not take frost well; can be damaged by long spells below 28.4°F. Cold tolerance differs by variety, so a warm spot such as a south- or east-facing wall is better. HS1519

    Pruning

    • Young trees need none. Mature trees: take out crossing branches and ones shading the trunk and inner limbs, where the fruit grows. Avoid cutting large branches. HS1519
    Florida cautions. Shallow roots make big trees lean in strong wind; stakes or a windbreak help. Birds and squirrels take fruit; netting helps. UF/IFAS has assessed jaboticaba as non-invasive in Florida. HS1519

    Source: UF/IFAS EDIS HS1519, Jaboticaba: A Unique Fruit Tree for Florida Home Gardeners

    SapodillaUF/IFAS MG057
    Read this first: invasive rating. UF/IFAS has assessed sapodilla as invasive in central and south Florida and does not recommend planting it there. In north Florida it is not considered a problem species. MG057 UF/IFAS Assessment

    Planting

    • Where flooding is possible, plant on a mound of native soil 2 to 3 ft high and 4 to 6 ft across. Hole 3 to 4 times as wide and 3 times as deep as the pot. MG057
    • Handles seashore salt spray well; tolerance of salty soil or water is not known. MG057

    Watering

    • New trees: at planting, every other day for about the first week, then once or twice a week for the first couple of months. First 3 years: once a week in dry spells of 5 or more days. Young trees can drop leaves or decline if they go dry. MG057
    • Mature trees handle dry soil; water during long dry spells from flowering through harvest. Overwatering can cause decline. MG057

    Fertilizing

    • Not a heavy feeder. When new growth starts, ¼ lb of a young-tree mix such as 6-6-6-2 with minor elements (20 to 30% of the nitrogen from organic sources), every 8 to 10 weeks the first year, then up to ½, ¾ and 1 lb as it grows. Mature trees: 2.5 to 5 lb, 2 to 3 times a year. MG057
    • 2 to 3 minor-element sprays a year, April to September. No nitrogen after August, so the tree doesn't keep growing into winter. MG057

    Cold

    • Young trees can be badly damaged or killed at 30 to 32°F. Mature trees may take about 26°F for a few hours without major damage. MG057

    Pruning

    • Young trees: tip 1 to 2 inches off new shoots about 3 ft long, once or twice between spring and summer, for more branching. Remove narrow-angled limbs that could break under fruit. MG057
    • Keep mature trees 12 to 15 ft tall to lower the risk of toppling in a hurricane. Prune after harvest. MG057
    Florida cautions. Keep grass 2 to 5 ft or more back from the trunk; no mower or string-trimmer hits. MG057

    Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS MG057, Sapodilla Growing in the Florida Home Landscape · UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants: Manilkara zapota

    Barbados cherryUF/IFAS

    Planting

    • USDA zones 9 to 11. Full sun gives the most fruit; it survives part shade with less fruit. Well-drained sandy soil is fine; pH 6.0 to 7.0 preferred. St. Lucie Ext.
    • Plant in spring at the start of the rainy season. Hole twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper; mulch 2 to 3 inches, kept a few inches off the trunk. Space trees 10 to 15 ft apart. St. Lucie Ext.
    • For a hedge or screen, 5 to 6 ft apart. Needs fertile, nematode-free soil. FPS-390

    Watering

    • New plants: 2 to 3 times a week for the first 2 to 3 months, then taper off. Mature plants: water in dry spells for better flowering and fruit. St. Lucie Ext.

    Fertilizing

    • Young plants: ¼ lb of a balanced fertilizer every 2 months. Mature: work up to 2 to 4 lb, 3 times a year, about 15 lb a year at most. In alkaline soil, iron, zinc and boron sprays may help. St. Lucie Ext.

    Cold

    • Not cold-hardy; may be damaged below 30°F. Cover young plants on frost nights, or bring potted ones inside. Mature plants handle brief dips near freezing but lose leaves and twigs in longer cold. St. Lucie Ext.

    Pruning

    • Little needed: shape it and take out dead or crossing branches, lightly, after harvest. It takes heavier pruning if it needs renewing. Wear gloves; the fine leaf hairs can irritate skin. St. Lucie Ext.
    Florida cautions. Nematodes, whiteflies, scale and plant bugs; plant bugs deform the fruit. Not salt-tolerant. FPS-390 Birds love the fruit; netting helps. St. Lucie Ext.
    Where the sources differ. The UF/IFAS fact sheet rates drought tolerance "high"; the St. Lucie Extension article calls mature plants "moderately" drought tolerant. Spacing differs by use: 5 to 6 ft for a hedge, 10 to 15 ft for separate trees. FPS-390 St. Lucie Ext.

    Sources: UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Growing Barbados Cherry in Florida (2025) · UF/IFAS EDIS FPS-390, Malpighia glabra, Barbados Cherry. UF/IFAS has no home-landscape growing guide for this fruit like the ones for mango or guava.

    GuavaUF/IFAS MG045
    Invasive rating: the two UF/IFAS sources differ. The guava growing guide says guava is invasive and not recommended for south Florida, and may be planted in central Florida if managed to prevent escape. MG045 The newer UF/IFAS assessment (last assessed 2026) rates it "Caution: manage to prevent escape" in both central and south Florida. UF/IFAS Assessment Either way, in central Florida: keep it managed so it doesn't spread.

    Planting

    • Full sun, warmest spot that doesn't stay wet after summer rain, 15 to 25 ft from other trees, buildings and power lines. Grows in sand, loam, rocky soil and muck; pH 4.5 to 7 is ideal, and higher-pH soil works with chelated iron. MG045
    • Clear a 3 to 10 ft circle of grass; hole 3 to 4 times as wide and 3 times as deep as the pot; no fertilizer or compost in the hole. MG045

    Watering

    • New trees: at planting, every other day for about the first week, then once or twice a week for the first couple of months. First year: water well twice a week in dry spells of 5 or more days. MG045
    • Older trees: water in long dry spells, especially from bloom through fruit development. Short floods (7 to 14 days) are tolerated; long ones are not. MG045

    Fertilizing

    • First year: every 1 to 2 months, from ¼ lb up to 1 lb. After that, 3 or 4 times a year, no more than 20 lb per tree per year. Mixes such as 6-6-6-2 or 8-3-9-2. Don't heavily fertilize the lawn around it. MG045

    Cold

    • Young trees may be killed at 27 to 28°F. Mature trees can take short spells of 25 to 26°F without much damage. Air-layered trees may regrow from the ground and fruit again 2 to 3 years later. MG045

    Pruning

    • New unbranched trees: cut at 1 to 2 ft to make side branches; keep 3 to 4, let them grow 24 to 36 inches, then tip them. Keep bearing trees under 10 ft so wind can't topple them. Avoid heavy pruning November through February. MG045
    Florida cautions. Grass-free circle 2 to 5 ft or more; no mower or trimmer hits. Mulch 2 to 6 inches deep, 8 to 12 inches off the trunk. Sprinkler timers can overwater it into root rot. MG045

    Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS MG045, Guava Growing in the Florida Home Landscape · UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants: Psidium guajava

    PomegranateUF/IFAS MG056

    Planting

    • Plant in early spring (February to March), after late-frost danger. Best on well-drained soil, pH 5.5 to 7.0; it does poorly on alkaline soil. MG056
    • Space trees 10 to 16 ft apart; 6 to 9 ft for a hedge. MG056

    Watering

    • Every 7 to 10 days when there's no real rain. Sudden changes in watering cause fruit to split, especially in the weeks before harvest; keep the soil evenly moist in late summer and early fall. Tolerates some flooding. MG056

    Fertilizing

    • The UF/IFAS guide gives no fertilizer rate. It does warn that over-fertilizing and over-watering worsen fruit drop in young trees (years 3 to 5). MG056

    Cold

    • More cold-hardy than citrus, but varieties differ. Dormant trees can be badly injured at 12°F; trees already growing can be hurt at higher temperatures (UF/IFAS shows a 28°F late freeze damaging one). MG056

    Pruning

    • At planting, cut back to 2 to 2½ ft and build 3 to 5 evenly spaced main limbs, the lowest at least 8 to 10 inches up. Remove suckers as they appear and dead wood in late winter. Light yearly pruning helps fruit quality. MG056
    Florida cautions. Florida's hot, wet season brings disease that lowers fruit quality. Anthracnose is the worst seen here; at least three neutral-copper sprays a year can reduce it. Thin heavy crops or prop branches so they don't break. MG056

    Source: UF/IFAS EDIS MG056, The Pomegranate

    BananaUF/IFAS MG040

    Planting

    • Full or near-full sun, in the warmest spot that doesn't flood; bananas are not flood tolerant. Where the ground stays wet, plant on a mound 2 to 3 ft high and 4 to 10 ft across. Best pH is 5.5 to 7.0. MG040
    • Hole 3 to 4 times as wide and 3 times as deep as the pot; no fertilizer or compost in the hole. Keep them away from windows, since they can topple in strong wind. Small varieties: 8 ft or more apart; large ones: 12 ft or more. MG040

    Watering

    • Thirsty: about 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week, especially in dry weather. But don't overwater; wet, poorly drained soil damages them. MG040

    Fertilizing

    • High-potash fertilizer (3-1-6 ratio, such as 6-2-12 with 2 to 3% magnesium): start with ½ lb every 2 months and work up to 5 to 6 lb by flowering, 10 to 18 months later. At least one manganese and zinc spray a year. MG040

    Cold

    • Growth slows below 60°F and stops at 50°F. Damage can start at 32°F, and below 28°F plants may die to the ground, usually regrowing from the base when it warms up. MG040

    Pruning

    • Each stalk fruits once. After harvest, cut it at the base and chop it up as mulch. Keep 3 to 4 stalks of different ages: one fruiting, one half-grown, one or two small suckers. Cut off and dig out the rest. MG040
    Florida cautions. Keep a 2 to 6 ft weed-free circle with 2 to 6 inches of mulch. Don't spray systemic weed killer near the stalks. No mower or trimmer hits. Sprinkler timers can cause root rot. MG040

    Source: UF/IFAS EDIS MG040, Banana Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

    Blueberry (Emerald)UF/IFAS MG359

    Planting

    • Needs acidic soil, pH 4.0 to 5.5, and at least 18 inches of well-drained soil; use raised beds where water sits. Southern highbush types like Emerald need 3% or more organic matter, usually milled pine bark or peat. MG359
    • Best planted mid-December to mid-February. At least 4 to 5 hours of full sun, away from tree roots (pines are fine), 20 ft or more from foundations. Allow a 4 by 4 ft space, or 3 ft apart as a hedge. MG359
    • Mulch with pine bark about 3 inches deep, 2 ft out around the plant, topped up every 2 to 3 years. MG359

    Watering

    • Most important from fruit set through harvest. Mature plants: about 0.6 inch a week in March, then 1 to 1.2 inches a week (rain plus watering) through late spring and summer. On sandy soil, three or more waterings a week in dry spells. MG359
    • Deep-well water is often above pH 7 and can raise soil pH; test the soil yearly if you suspect it. MG359

    Fertilizing

    • Light and often; too much fertilizer can kill them. None in the planting hole. First year: 1 oz of 12-4-8 with 2% magnesium (1.5 oz if heavily mulched) after planting, then in April, June, August and October. Year two: 2 oz; year three on: 3 oz. Use ammonium, urea or organic nitrogen, not nitrate: "blueberry special" or camellia-azalea fertilizer. MG359

    Cold

    • The plant isn't the problem; the flowers are. Emerald reaches full bloom around February 15 in Gainesville, so flowers and fruit need protection from freezes in February and March. MG359

    Pruning

    • Rub off all flowers the first year so the plant grows. From about age 4 to 5, remove 1 to 3 of the oldest canes a year. Top the bush right after harvest. MG359
    Florida cautions. Southern highbush do better with a second southern highbush variety nearby for cross-pollination. Very salt-sensitive: near the coast, test well water for salt. Root rot comes with poor drainage and overwatering. Birds take most of the crop without netting. MG359 Emerald is best suited to north-central and central Florida. HS1245

    Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS MG359, Blueberry Gardener's Guide · UF/IFAS EDIS HS1245, Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars from the University of Florida

    Not covered here. We only wrote care for fruits where we found a published source. For the rest of what we sell, ask us, or ask your county UF/IFAS Extension office (find your local office). These are general guides from UF/IFAS, not a guarantee; your yard's soil, drainage and cold pocket matter.
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