Glossary

Flushing is the production of a new burst of shoots and leaves, rather than steady growth throughout the year. Mango leaves often emerge bronze, reddish, or pale green and become firmer and darker as they mature. A flush helps build the canopy and provides shoots that may later flower, but a late vegetative flush can compete with flowering. Record when growth starts and hardens before deciding when to prune or fertilize; the calendar varies with climate and tree condition.

Phenology is the study and recording of recurring biological stages in relation to environmental conditions. For a mango grower, useful stages include flushing, shoot rest, panicle emergence, bloom, fruit set, and harvest. A local record can show why an apparently sensible pruning or irrigation schedule produced a different result in another season. Dates alone are less informative than dates paired with weather, tree condition, and observations of the actual developmental stage.