Q.Why Are The Leaves Of My Little Mango Tree Wilt And Develop Glossy, Slightly Sticky Patches With Tiny White Spots?
Hello to you at Gardening Knowhow, I hope you’re safe and well. For the last years my little mango tree has suffered from a recurring illness. At first the leaf tips turn brown and dry, then the green of the whole leaf becomes patchy as if the chlorophyll was missing in small spots, then the edges of the leaves turn also brown and dry in some areas, and patches of a glossy, slightly sticky coating appear, especially on the underside of the leaves. There are then also tiny white bits on the leaf surface visible. I have never seen them move. They look like tiny sugar crystals. Eventually, the whole leaf gets drier and drier, the edges curl together and then the leaf falls off. It has happened that the tree shed all leaves one after the other. Yet after some weeks it has always recovered and grown nice fresh leaves – until the illness started again. This cycle has happened several times during the last years at different times of the year. Organic pesticide and soap water spray didn’t help. Repotting and moving it from the window sill (northwest) outside into a sunny spot, didn’t make a difference either. This January when the tree was bare again, I tested the compost and found it to be very alkaline (maybe because of the very hard water in my area?) and the potassium content to be near zero. Hence I gave it fresh compost and started fertilising it regularly. The tree grew indeed the most leaves it has ever had, however, unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, leaf tips started to turn brown again and the illness seems to progress in its usual pattern. It would be super if you could give me a tip what to do. Thank you very much. Stay well. Kind regards, Maria Nietgen
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Your plant has some kind of fungus. Here's an article that will help you resolve it:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/mango/mango-tree-diseases.htm
