Black Spots on Baby Mango - Cause and Treatment

One day, I noticed something strange on my mango tree. A small mango fruit had a dark, rough spot on it. At first, I thought maybe an insect had damaged it.

But when I looked more carefully, I realized it was a common problem on mango trees called anthracnose, which is a fungal disease.

This problem usually starts with small dark or black spots on young mango fruits. After some time, the spots become sunken and rough. You can see it clearly in the picture I shared above. Sometimes the fruit also stops growing properly or falls off early.

When I saw that spot on my mango, I knew I had to fix the problem before it spread to the rest of the fruit.

Why This Happens

From my experience, this usually happens when the weather is warm and humid. Mango trees love warm weather, but unfortunately, fungus loves it too.

Rain, high humidity, and leaves staying wet for a long time make the perfect conditions for the fungus to grow. It can then spread through rain splash, wind, or infected fruits and leaves.

That means one infected fruit can easily affect other fruits on the tree. So, we need to take action as soon as possible.

What I Did to Save My Mango Tree

The first thing I did was remove the infected mango fruit. I didn't want to do it because I was waiting for that mango, but leaving it on the tree could spread the disease.

So I cut it off and threw it away far from the garden.

Then I made a simple neem oil spray, which I often use in my garden.

This is the mix I used:

• 1 liter water
• 3–5 ml neem oil
• a few drops of mild liquid soap

I sprayed the leaves, stems, and small fruits, and repeated the spray every 7–10 days, especially when the weather stayed humid.

If the problem spreads more, you can also use a fungicide for mango trees, like a copper fungicide. It can help control the fungus more effectively.

I Pruned the Tree for Airflow

I also noticed my mango tree had too many crowded branches. When branches are too close, air cannot move properly, and moisture stays longer on the plant. Fungus likes that kind of environment.

So I trimmed a few branches so more air and sunlight could reach the tree.

So, if you see black or sunken spots on young mango fruits, don't worry too much. Just remove the infected fruits, spray neem oil or a fungicide, and make sure the tree gets good airflow.