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Planting a mango seed | Naples Botanical Garden

Planting a mango seed | Naples Botanical Garden

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Planting a mango seed

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Summertime in South Florida is hot, but the upside? It’s sweet! We’re talking tropical fruit sweet, like the mangos that are at their peak right now. If you find yourself coveting this “king of fruits,” why not grow your own? Grab a mango, and discover how to plant your own tree from its seed.   

Materials: 

Steps: 

  1. 1. Cut open mango to remove seed. The seed will be inside a husk.
  2. 2. Clean the seed husk.

  1. 3. Using a pair of strong scissors, such as kitchen shears, carefully cut the edge of the seed husk, allowing you to open the husk and remove the seed. The seed will be slippery, so proceed with caution. 

Sometimes the seed may have a papery coat, as seen in the photo below. Remove this before proceeding to the next step. 

  1. 4. Soak the seed in a cup of water for 24 hours.
  2. 5. Moisten a paper towel. Make sure it is damp throughout, but not soaking wet. Wrap the seed in the paper towel. 
  3. 6. Place the seed and paper towel inside a sandwich bag, and store the seed in a warm place.  
  4. 7. Monitor the seed’s progress every few days, watching for sprouts.  Germination time will depend on air temperature and the mango’s ripeness when the seed was extracted.  
  5. 8. Plant the seed in potting soil, making sure not to cover the new leaves. 

Just sit back, and watch your mango tree grow! A few days after planting, you should see a set of true leaves showing and significant growth within a week. 

Keep in mind that you may have to step up the young tree into a larger pot over time as it grows large enough to plant in the ground. 

An important thing to keep in mind when you are growing a mango tree is that there are two types of mango seeds, monembryonic and polyembryonic. Monembryonic seeds produce only one plant. This plant will not be like the parent tree. Polyembryonic seeds are different. As the name suggests, there are many embryos in the seed, all which are clones of the parent except for one. This one fertilized seedling is usually the first to germinate and sprout.   

If you do not notice which shoot sprouted first, the shoot most unlike the others is probably the one that isn’t a clone.  You can either keep that shoot to produce a new cultivar or get rid of it in order to ensure your tree is a clone of the parent and will produce identical fruit. Also, with polyembryonic seeds, you can separate the embryos before germinating the seed, and you will have two plants. 

About the Author

Patrick Deja is an Education Programs Assistant at Naples Botanical Garden. When not at the Garden, he loves to spend time with his wife and daughter. He also enjoys traveling and learning, whether it is about plants, history, language, or science.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Grow Mango from Seed (Easy Method)

This easy method shows how to grow a mango tree from seed using a mango from the grocery store. Eat the mango, save the seed, and follow these simple steps to grow it into a plant.

You can also grow an avocado from seed using the same method.

Growing a Grocery Store Mango Seed

Did you know the husk inside mango fruit contains a seed? And it’s a nice big seed! And that’s what we sow to grow a new mango plant.

If you live in a cold climate, without outdoor tropical growing conditions, you can still grow mangos indoors as houseplants, beginning with a mango fruit.

I’ll show you a simple way to prepare the seed, make it sprout, and grow it as a houseplant. These are tropical plants, so you’ll want a sunny, warm place in your home to provide the best growing conditions.

So, what makes this method easy?

By starting the mango seed in damp paper towel (see below), we can first determine if the seed is viable (will grow).

You could also plant it directly in damp potting mix, but that means waiting to see if there is growth (for several weeks).

The easy method reveals which seeds are good ones so we don’t waste time on the duds.

Will it grow fruit?

Probably not, unless you manage to provide exceptional, tropical-like growing conditions for many years that eventually trigger flowering and fruiting. Grafted mango trees can produce fruit.

How long does it take to grow a mango tree?

A mango tree grown from seed indoors can take 5 to 8 years to mature.

A grafted mango tree may take 3 to 4 years to reach fruit-bearing age.

Contents

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How To Grow Mango From Seed

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Related: How to Grow Ginger Root from the Grocery Store

How to Grow a Mango from Seed

Supplies

To get started, gather your supplies. In addition to a ripe mango fruit, you will need these items.

Organic Potting Mix | Amazon

Flower Pots with Saucers | Amazon

Reusable Paper Towels | Amazon
or regular paper towels

Fiskars PowerCut Scissors | Amazon

Steps

1Buy a Ripe Mango

Every mango has a seed inside. It’s protected by that thick, husk-like thing you set aside when preparing the fruit for eating.

You have to start with a ripe mango because otherwise the seed within the husk may not be mature enough to grow into a plant.

2Remove the Husk/Seed from the Mango

Use the edible fruit (yum!) and set aside the husk. They tend to have stringy pieces of fruit attached to them and we’ll take care of that in the next step.

If you like propagating stuff like this, get my Kitchen Propagation Handbook here for more projects.

Want more propagation tutorials? Get the ebook here.

3Clean and Dry the Husk

Next you want to gently scrub off the pulp/stringy bits of mango fruit from the husk. The purpose of this step is simply to help the husk dry faster and make it easier to cut open.

You can hold the husk under tap water and use a soft scrub brush to push the pulp off.

Or, very carefully scrape it off with a small knife, always aiming away from yourself!

When the husk is fairly pulp-free, dry it off with a towel and set it somewhere to further dry for a day or two (not much more).

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4Remove Seed from Husk

After 2 days, the mango seed husk is dry enough to cut open.

This is the part that amazed me the first time I did it. I have eaten a lot of mangos over the years, and I had no idea there was a great big seed in there!

5Clean Off the Seed

This is a mango seed found within the husk of the fruit.

Pretty cool! It’s like some sort of giant bean seed. And no two mango seeds look the same.

Some mangos produce polyembryonic seeds, but the ones shown here are singles (monoembryonic). Plants from polyembryonic seeds produce fruit true to the parent (like grafted plants do since they are created from vegetative cuttings). Our grocery stores have very little variety so I’ve only ever seen two types of mango seeds here and they are always singles.

If the seed appears shriveled or rotten, start again with another mango.

6Sprout Seed

The mango seed is wrapped in moist towel and placed in a plastic bag.

I use this method for sprouting all sorts of the things including avocado seeds and ginger. I like this method because it shows me I have a viable seed before I go to the trouble of planting it in soil.

There is no need to buy plastic bags for this step. Just use any plastic bags or wrap you have.

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7Check for Sprouting

After 3 weeks, the seed is sprouting.

The mango seed pictured above (after 3-weeks) is growing a red sprout!

I wait until any new growth is 2 to 3-inches long before planting in potting mix.

My mango seed split open during germination. Is this normal?

Yes, some seeds will split open during germination. It happens when parts inside grow or swell, pushing open the shell. It’s fine.

Related: How to Grow an Apple Tree From Seed

8Keep Checking for Growth

After 5 weeks, there is enough new growth to plant the seed in potting mix.

At this point you can see how the red sprout is also growing roots, and there is another sprout on top. This took 5 weeks to grow.

That new sprout on top (right) is pale in color because it is growing without light. It will turn green when exposed to sunlight.

Now it’s time to plant the seed in potting mix.

9Plant the Sprouted Mango Seed

At week five (or when there is a few inches of new growth), we plant the seed in potting mix.

Some of the new growth will become roots and the other parts are shoots, but it’s very hard to tell what’s-what at this stage.

Because of this, it’s fine to plant the seed flat in the pot (the way it is in the photo, above). The plant will sort itself out just fine.

Your pot should be a few inches wider than the seed and have room for several inches of root growth. The pot I used is 8-inches deep total, but 6-inches would be fine too.

Also, be sure the pot has drainage holes and a drip saucer to avoid water-logging the plant.

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10Grow Your Plant

At six weeks, a shoot has emerged from the potting mix and leaves are forming.

Mangos are tropical plants and enjoy warmth and humidity.

The mango plant in the photo (above, 6-weeks old) decided to send its shoot up at the side of the pot. That’s fine! It’s approximately 4-inches tall and nice and healthy.

11Don’t Worry About Limp Leaves

During the early growth stage, the leaves may be limp. It’s normal.

Limp leaves! I’ve had this several times and I’ve seen others mention it so I’m confident it’s normal.

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12Grow as Houseplant

Just a week later, my mango plant perked up:

After 9 weeks, the leaves have perked up and the plant is approximately 9-inches tall.

At this point the mango plant is approximately 9-weeks old (from the day we put it in paper towel) and it’s nine inches tall.

The five main leaves formed early (week 3) and no additional leaves have appeared since then.

It’s fairly cool in our home (just below 20°C / 68°F), so growth will be slower than you’d get in a warmer space with better humidity.

After 18 months, the main stem is starting to die off at the top of the plant but a lot of new side shoots with leaves have formed.

Basic Indoor Mango Plant Care Tips

Ideally, you will mimic tropical conditions in your home, or as close to it as you can manage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you grow a mango tree inside?

Yes, indeed. You can start a mango tree from the seed inside the fruit or buy a grafted tree, which is much more likely to grow fruit, although it does take several years and the right growing conditions.

How long does it take to grow a mango seed?

With the method listed above, it took 9 weeks from the day I started the germination process to having a 9-inch tall plant.

How do you germinate a mango seed quickly?

Most seeds germinate fastest within certain temperature ranges but it varies for each plant. This is usually a bit warmer than the plant’s comfort zone.

Because mango plants grow best in when the ambient temperature is between 21º to 24ºC (70º to 75ºF), it’s a fair assumption that the seed would sprout fastest at temperatures just above that.

How big will an indoor mango tree grow?

Outdoor mango trees growing in tropical climates can reach 35 meters tall if not pruned.
Growing indoors, both because conditions are not optimal and the plant is restricted to a container, will limit growth.
I realize that didn’t answer the question with a specific measurement, but that’s because I’m not sure. I have seen a few indoor ones that appear to be about 6-feet tall. The more tropical the conditions, the bigger they will get.

Will my indoor mango tree grow fruit?

It’s highly unlikely. If you want fruit, start with a grafted mango tree (from a nursery that specializes in them). These are intended for growing fruit, although the quantity will be small.

Provide optimum growing conditions including intense heat without drying out the soil.

Grafted mango trees are reported to take 3-5 years to flower and fruit.

Some say mango seedlings (like we’re germinating here) can grow into fruit-producing trees after 5-8 years, but I have not yet found anyone to confirm this.

The fruit, if you do get some, will vary depending on the source. Mango seedlings cannot produce fruit true to the parent plant (because they are hybrids). But grafted mango plants can (because they are clones). But really, it’s such a cool achievement to grow the plant to produce fruit, either way I’d be happy.

Resources

Buy Grafted Mango Trees

If you want much better odds of eventually getting fruit, buy a grafted mango tree.

More Information

Get the Ebook

Kitchen Propagation Handbook
7 Fruits & Vegetables To Regrow As Houseplants

by Melissa J. Will

Learn how to grow houseplants from avocado, oranges, lemons, ginger, and more using leftover pits, seeds, and roots.

About This Ebook

This ebook is a digital file (PDF format) you save to your device. It is not a physical product.

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Not available in EU, UK, and Northern Ireland due to tax regulations.

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Print Instructions Pin It

5 from 19 votes

How to Grow Mango From Seed

Use these step-by-step instructions to use the seed inside any ripe mango fruit to grow into a new houseplant.

Total Time30 mins

Author: Melissa J. Will

Cost: $10

Prepare Husk
Prepare Seed
Sprout Seed
Check for Growth
Plant Sprouted Seed
Grow Your Mango Plant

See additional mango plant care tips here.

How to grow a mango from a stone at home

February 12, 2019 Likbez Do it yourself

A step-by-step guide for those who dream of a real tree.

1. Buy a mango

theancientolive.com

Try to choose a ripe fruit. It is fragrant and slightly soft, and with light pressure it leaves a small dent.

Skin color may vary depending on the variety. The main thing is that it has small dark specks on it. This is another sign of maturity. nine0003

If the skin falls under the finger, the mango is overripe. For planting it is just right, but the taste is not very good. And yes, it smells sour.

If all fruits are hard to the touch, don't worry. Buy any of these, put them in a loosely sealed paper bag, and leave them for a day or two. Neighborhood with apples or bananas will speed up the process due to the ethylene they release.

Instead of a bag, a container with ordinary raw rice is also suitable. Put a mango in it, cover with a lid and pull out a ripe fruit in a day. nine0003

Memorize 🥭

2. Prepare the stone for planting

Peel the ripe fruit and separate the pulp. Wash the bone under running water and inspect. If the shell has already burst, open it all the way. If not, don't worry. Just carefully cut it with a kitchen knife. nine0003

Remove the seed, being careful not to damage it.

Before planting, soak the seed for 10 minutes in a solution of rich pink potassium permanganate, and then rinse with water. This treatment will protect against fungal infections. Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use fungicides that are sold in stores with indoor plants.

If the seed has already begun to grow inside the shell, it is not necessary to germinate it further.

Do not overstay a bone that has been removed from the shell. After a few days, it will simply dry out and you can not wait for seedlings. nine0003

3. Germinate the seed

Wrap the seed in well-dampened gauze, a small towel or soft cloth, and then in a bag. Place in a plastic container with a lid and store in a warm and dark place. For example, under the battery, if you plant during the heating season.

Moisten the package daily to keep the moisture constant and prevent the seed from drying out.

When the stone starts to sprout (usually within 5-14 days), plant it in the ground. nine0003

4. Choose a suitable pot

legkovmeste.ru

Take a pot with a diameter of 8-10 cm, preferably high, so that the roots have room to grow. Definitely with drainage holes at the bottom. For the first year, it will be enough.

Do not immediately plant in too large a container. The soil in it will dry out and turn sour for a long time, so that the roots will lose access to air and begin to rot. 5. Choose the right soil0003

Place a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot so that it takes up about a quarter of the space. In addition to flower expanded clay, which is sold in stores, you can use crushed stone, gravel, broken bricks, and even Styrofoam, crushed into pieces of 4-5 cm. spine down. It should be buried no more than ¾.

7. Water and keep moist

amazonaws.com

Water the soil to keep it moderately moist. Excess water will not benefit the seedling, it will rot.

For watering seeds, and then plants, use only filtered or settled water, always at room temperature.

Cover the pot with plastic wrap or plastic wrap. Instead of a film, a plastic bottle with a cut bottom, always transparent, is also suitable. Its diameter should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pot so that it can be easily inserted. So inside there will be constant humidity. nine0003

8. Place the pot in a bright and warm place

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For example, on a windowsill or a shelf near a window. If this is not possible, use additional lighting for indoor plants.

In the warm season, take the pot out to the balcony, but keep it out of direct sunlight.

9. Properly care for seedlings

landshaftdizajn.ru

Water moderately every 2-3 days so that the earth does not become waterlogged, but also does not have time to dry out completely.

Once every couple of days, lift the film, water the stone and air the pot for 10-15 minutes to avoid rotting. With a dome from a bottle, it is even easier: unscrew the cap for the same time to allow air to enter.

After 10-15 days, and possibly even earlier, a sprout will appear. There can be several of them from one bone.

When the mango sprouts, do not rush to remove the protective greenhouse. A sharp change in humidity can be detrimental to a plant that has not yet grown stronger.

If the pot was covered with a bag or film, make some small holes for ventilation. Increase their size daily, and after a couple of days, finally remove the protective dome.

If the seedlings are covered with a cut bottle, open it daily for 40-50 minutes, and remove the entire structure after a few days.

10. Create conditions for the growth of mango

landshaftdizajn.ru

Water the plant regularly, at least once every 3 days. If the soil dries out faster in summer, shorten the interval between waterings. nine0003

Spray the mango every 2-3 days or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every week.

In summer, take the plant to the balcony or outdoors.

When the mango is one year old, start feeding it in spring and summer 2-3 times every month. Use a regular houseplant fertilizer at the recommended rate.

11. Transplant the mango and form its crown

ainogarden.com

Transplant the mango after about six months, when it is already strong enough. Take a pot a few centimeters larger in diameter, be sure to be tall and with drainage holes. In order not to damage the root system, move the mango along with the earthy clod and add the right amount of earth. nine0003

Transplant the plant next time when it becomes crowded in the previous container. It's time - if the roots completely braided the earthen ball, filled almost the entire internal space and are visible through the drainage holes. Another sign is a slowdown in development, even with regular fertilizing.

If the mango is too long, pinch off the top to encourage side branches to grow. When the tree is more than a meter high, prune regularly to maintain the shape of the crown. nine0003

Mango will bloom after 6-10 years. True, the harvest is unlikely.

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Growing mango from the stone at home, with photo and video

Mango is an amazing tropical plant, the fruits of which have a delicious taste, and in addition, are very rich in vitamins and nutrients. But is it possible to grow mangoes at home and what kind of care he needs. nine0003

Contents:

How to grow mangoes at home
How to care for a mango tree at home
Is it possible to get mango fruits at home
How to grow a mango from a stone at home: video instructions

Growing mango from the stone at home

The sprouts of this evergreen tree can be purchased from a special nursery and planted at home. This method is preferable, since the survival rate of the seedling is much higher, it is easier to care for it and there is no chance of getting a wild plant. However, if you still have a bone from a ripe fruit, then it is absolutely realistic to germinate it and save on the purchase, following some simple rules. nine0003

How to grow mango at home

Ripe mangoes from shop

Only a fresh stone taken from a ripe fruit is suitable for planting. Determining the degree of maturity of a mango is very simple - if the core is easily separated from the pulp, then it is suitable for sprouting. Rinse it well, then carefully scrape off the remaining fruit with a sharp knife. Next, the stone must be split to allow the sprouts to break through faster:

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  • if it lends itself easily, then remove the outer thick layer, carefully pull out the large bean-like contents and treat it with a fungicide (a special agent that fights fungi and harmful spores). If there are several embryos, choose the most green and even one, it is he who has the most chances of sprouting.
  • if the shell is very hard, then it is better not to try to make a prick so as not to injure the seed. In this case, place the stone for several weeks in a transparent container with water at room temperature and leave it on a well-lit windowsill. Do not forget to change the water every two days so that it does not stagnate and bloom. nine0022

    How to grow mangoes at home: we get the stone

    Then prepare the pot for planting. Since under natural conditions a mango tree grows from 10 to 45 m in height, it is better to initially take a large pot for the plant in order to transplant it as little as possible and injure the roots. Drainage should be laid at the bottom of the pot: small gravel or special granules - they will not allow water to stagnate and spoil the root system. The soil is suitable for a universal type, the main thing is to maintain a neutral level of acidity. nine0003

    Mango seed germination at home

    The most convenient way to check the level of acidity is with a special device, which can be called a soil Ph meter or a PH meter. There are also paper disposable indicators that change color upon contact with acidic soil after some time (from 1 to 15 minutes, depending on the manufacturer).

    Landing can be done in several ways:

    • sideways, if you are not exactly sure which is the bottom and which is the top; nine0022
    • horizontally if a small sprout has already hatched.

    In any case, it cannot be completely covered with earth, it is optimal to leave 1/4 of the stone above the surface and pour abundantly with settled water at room temperature. If after watering the soil settles heavily, just add another small layer.

    Ready-to-plant mango seed with germ

    To create the ideal microclimate for germination for mangoes at home, after planting, cover the pot with the stone with a thin glass sheet, cellophane or a plastic bottle cut in half. Once every 2-3 days, slightly raise the edges of the shelter to ventilate and prevent the bone from rotting. nine0003

    It is best to place the pot on a southern windowsill, where there is the most sunlight. In two or three weeks, the first sprouts will appear and it will be possible to observe how the mango grows at home, then the shelter can be removed from the pot.

    Mango tree at home: how to care

    Mango tree from stone at home photo

    If from the very beginning you took a small container for mangoes, then you should wait with a further transplant. It is best to do this after the tree grows a little and gets stronger. It will be possible to finally transplant a mango tree into a permanent container no earlier than in a year. Try to avoid frequent transplants, because each manipulation of this kind is a stress for the plant, to which it can respond by shedding leaves or even death. nine0003

    Given the climate in which mangoes grow in their natural environment, it will be necessary to recreate these conditions at home as much as possible. The tree does not tolerate dry soil and air, so do not forget to water it regularly, and also maintain a sufficient level of humidity in the room (70-80%). At the same time, do not get carried away with excessive spraying of leaves - they are very susceptible to fungi and mold, which can quickly develop and destroy the plant.

    Biohumus and nitrogen-containing mixtures used for growing persimmons or citrus fruits are suitable as a fertilizer for mangoes grown from a stone or a seedling at home. If you planted it in open ground, then 2 times a year do not forget to add organic matter (4-5 liters of water infused with manure or rotten leaves) to the near-trunk circle for feeding. nine0003

    The plant needs bright daylight, so the pot with it should be placed on the most illuminated window sill of the apartment, and in winter an additional light source will not interfere, you can use a fluorescent lamp.

    Mango tolerates pruning well - you can shape its crown at your own discretion. If you plan to leave the tree in the room, then after it reaches a meter, start pinching the top pairs of leaves along with the buds. Pruning sites must be treated with garden pitch. nine0003

    Is it possible to get mango fruits at home

    How mango grows at home photo

    Unfortunately, even if you follow all the instructions exactly, growing mango from the stone at home will bring you an ornamental tropical plant with graceful leaves, reminiscent of a palm tree. Only grafted specimens can bloom and bear fruit. They can be bought at a botanical garden or nursery, or you can graft a plant by budding yourself, taking a bud from a fruiting one. nine0003

    For grafting a mango tree grown from stone:

    Take a sterile sharp knife, cut off the kidney with a piece of bark and wood. On your tree, not far from the ground, make a small incision in the shape of the letter T with a sterile tool, carefully bend the edges of the bark and plant a cut kidney there. Wrap the vaccination site with soft electrical tape and wait until it grows.

    Mangoes can bloom 2 years after grafting, and if this happens, then after 3 months (100 days) expect the first harvest of sweet, fragrant fruits. A grafted tree needs regular fertilization (it only needs to be watered with nitrogen-containing dressings and mixtures), especially during flowering and fruit ripening. nine0003

    Growing mango from the stone at home: video instruction