To pick mangoes, check the texture, color and condition of the fruit to determine if it is ripe and ready for picking, leave a short stem over the fruit, and pick only those mangoes that can be pulled easily from the tree. Alternatively, pick the fruits before they become fully ripe, and ripen them using a chemical.Continue Reading
A mango that is ready for picking should be soft and give in to pressure when squeezed. The skin should be orange-red or golden in color with a red or purple blush at the fruit's base. If the skin of the mango is green, it indicates that the fruit is yet to ripen. Normally, mangoes ripen three to five months after the tree flowers.
The skin of the mango should be free of blemishes such as bruises and soft areas. It should have a tropical and sweet odor. Pick those fruits that are not surrounded by rotting ones. If the mango cannot be pulled off the stem easily, the fruit needs to be ripened longer.
To pick mangoes, pull the fruit manually or use pruning shears to cut the stem. When picking, retain 4 inches of the stem over the fruit to prevent the milky sap from oozing out. If some sap is released when picking, wash the fruit in water prior to storing.
Pick mangoes before they fall on their own to the ground and get bruised. If picking mangoes before they become ripe, store them at 55 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of three to eight days. Treat the fruits with a chemical meant for ripening them 54 days after the mango flowers bloom, and ripen at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.Learn more about Trees & Bushes