how to grow a mango plant from seed

Discussion in 'Plant Propagation' started by dogseadepression, Feb 15, 2006.

  1. visarlene

    visarlene Member

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    I can't believe another year has gone by. My mango is now 2 years old and doing well at about 53" tall. Here are some photos taken today. It's not growing very tall but definitely filling out, at least when viewed from one side. Such amazing progress from the little seed sprout it started from!
     

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  2. GreenLarry

    GreenLarry Active Member 10 Years

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    IK tried growing a mango from seed years ago-nothing happened. I'll go to the firrst page of this thread for a look see.
    Impressive looking specimen there BTW!
     
  3. keyssandi

    keyssandi Member

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    I live in Marco Island, FL. I have a mango grown from seed in a small pot - it's about 2 1/2 ft tall. It has no branches-just goes straight up. My friend started it about 3 years ago. I've kept it in the pot to allow the trunk to grow thicker but am thinking we need to plant it now. It has been on the lanai all this time. Will it ever branch out or should I have cut it back when it was small? I read the other day that you were supposed to cut the avacado stem back at 3-4 inches to have it branch out. A friend said I could do it even after it was a foot tall. I had one growing so I tried it-first it sent up another stem and then it died. Don't want the mango to go the same way.
     
  4. visarlene

    visarlene Member

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    If you have a yard, I would definitely plant it as opposed to keeping it in a pot. I know someone who planted a mango about the same time that I did. It's a different variety and, like yours, it is just one main shoot without branching out at all, but it is growing very rapidly and was way over 7 or 8 feet tall several months ago. I don't know much about pruning and need advice about it myself.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2010
  5. visarlene

    visarlene Member

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    My mango has grown almost a foot in 2-1/2 months and is now 64 inches at its tallest point. I have a question about pruning. As shown in the second photo, #1 is a branch off the main trunk that further branches off into #2 and #3. A lot of new growth is happening in #2 and #3 but it is growing out sideways and rather low to the ground. Could this growth be preventing the main trunk from growing taller? If so, should I cut off #1 completely or just #2 or #3? Thanks in advance for your help.
     

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  6. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    If you're trying to get your plant to get tall and treelike (which is what most home growers are after), then by all means take off the sideways growth. Personally, I'd take only the two lowest lateral branches and retain that second trunk - that way you've got a sturdier and IMHO more attractive tree. It should also reinforce apical growth, which is what it sounds like you're after.

    In contrast, plantation trees are often allowed to ramble low, because it makes picking the mangoes easier.

    The red lines in my reattachment of your pic is what I'd take off. It's a gorgeous tree, and it's shaping up really nicely.
     

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  7. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Just adding my story to this thread :-) Bought 3 mango's from the store today and chowed down on one this afternoon. Cleaned the husk and soaked it in warm water for about an hour then split the husk and planted just the seed in some fresh potting soil. I'm gonna let the other 2 mango's ripen further for a few more days and then do the same with them. Looking to just grow these as decorative indoor/outdoor house plants. Seems like pruning them to be sub 5' and bushy isn't a problem. I didn't see any one post for sure or not if it's possible to get them to bear fruit in containers. Guess it would just be an added perk!

    -Luke
     
  8. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    well for the sake of interest(and if no one minds) i'll continue to post my experience. I've got all 3 seeds in their own little container, whatever i had lying around. to help keep heat in i found 3 plastic cd spool covers(the kind that are on the 50pack of blank cd's) that i'm using. When i'm home i set them over my fireplace to help keep the soil very warm and when i'm not home i put them in my little seed starting mini greenhouse which probably stays around a mere 70-75 if i'm lucky. better then nothing though. i've attached a few pictures. about 4-5 days after planting the first seed i got a little curious to see what was going on and would you look at that root! So from here on out it's just gonna be patience patience patience. I read about snipping the tap root to encourage more side roots later on. i'll look into this more and find out when in the early stages this is good practice.

    -Luke
     

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  9. Chhaya

    Chhaya Member

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    Good pictures!
     
  10. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Something's happening! haha. somebody gave these guys an alarm clock because all 3 mango seeds are at the same stage. just about to break the surface! This is especially interesting because they were all planted 2-3 days apart, so the last mango seed to be planted(in the yogurt tube) germinated 5-6 days earlier than it took the first seed. Either way i'm happy to see them all sprouting! :-)

    -Luke
     

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  11. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Here are some more photos. First one is from the day they broke through the suface. Next three are from today.
    -Luke
     

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  12. kiwibrah

    kiwibrah Member

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    Nice to see this thread is still alive!

    I too have been trying my hand at mango growing here in NZ. I planted about six or so mangos from 3 different countries over the summer months.

    All of my Australian Mangos (Kensington Pride I think) failed to germinate. I think these may be irradiated before they enter the country.

    Two from Chile (not sure what type) sprouted but died shortly after.

    And the last ones I tried were from Peru. Both sprouted but one has since died. The other however is going strong! It looked like your ones Luke when it sprouted and grew very rapidly in the space of 2 weeks. The grow has slowed down now with the leaves maturing out. Hopefully it will survive the upcoming winter and start to thrive.

    Will post pics later.

    Keep the updates coming Luke. Good Luck.
     
  13. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    thanks for the input! sorry to hear you had some unsuccessful attempts at it. I'm not sure which type mine are but i think you're right they might be from Chile or Peru. Please share some photos if you have any.

    Here are photos of mine from yesterday. The 2nd and 3rd picture are the same photo, but the 3rd pic is my phone's attempt at an HDR picture. The tap roots have already hit the bottom, turned 90 and hit the other side of the container so i am starting the process of repotting them in deeper containers. Anyone know where there is an article describing tap root trimming for mangos? i remember seeing it somewhere.

    Thanks

    -Luke
     

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  14. Bastiaan

    Bastiaan Member

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    beginner sprouting mango/avocado

    hello, I am new to this forum. In my search of information for sprouting mango and avocado pits(unknown variety) this forum/thread proved the most useful.

    i had 3 mango pits and 4 avocado stones. I used different methods found in this thread, but I still have some questions.

    2 weeks ago i planted the first mango pit with its "hump" half an inch above the soil and spanned kitchen plastic over the pot to improve humidity ( I did poke some holes in the plastic). The part that is above the soil turned green due to sunlight exposure, is this positive ?
    A few days after I planted a second mango pit half an inch underneath the soil.
    Both pits dried for a day or 2.

    The third pit is drying since yesterday and I am planning to use the toothpick method. I saw pictures in this treath about this method, i noticed the pit needs to be suspended vertically but is there a specific side that needs to point up ??

    I used the toothpick method for all 4 of the avocado pits. These should stay suspended in water untill the stem is about 3 to 5 inch tall, right ??

    overall temperature is about 15 to 20 C (59 to 68F)

    My biggest concern is the soil i use, this is general potting soil.
    But this doesnt allow good drainage. I read that good drainage is needed for both mango and avocado plants.
    What mixture should i make for planting these plants??
    70% potting soil 30% sand or coconut fibers ?
    Now I am using 100% potting soil and this stays wet for days.

    Due to my locations (Belgium) these plants will become house plants for at least 8 months a year. I Can put them outside from june untill august.

    I will post pictures when they sprout

    please enlighten me
     
  15. TheChinski

    TheChinski Member

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    I've been looking at this thread and decided it would be fun growing my own mango tree. I have just put the seed in some water. I will try and get some pics up here some time :-)
     
  16. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Do it! it's so much fun watching these grow. The new growth is chocolate brown, and very soft. It then slowly transforms into beautiful deep green stiff leaves. Here are pictures of my three mangos today. That would make them just about 2 months old.

    -Luke
     

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  17. buells1

    buells1 Member

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    Hi,
    I'm new to this site, I found it looking for information about what to do with a mango seed and to see if I could get it to germinate for bit of fun, I live in the U.K so it will only be a conservatory plant that's if it did germinate, well I've found lots of information on what to do and how easily they do germinate. So far I'd done everything right by accident, bought a ripe giant 'Kent' mango, it was grown in Costa Rica, it tasted wonderful, save the seed which I washed then left to dry out on sunday in my conservatory, today is tuesday and found this forum and proceded to split the outer shell carefully and found the huge bean which looks as though it had already started to sprout, now it's planted it a pot and hopefully in around 10 days I should see what you've all managed to grow for myself. I'll let you all know how I get on.
     
  18. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Great! To get the quickest results cover the pot with some plastic to create like a little greenhouse and then place in a very warm place. My 3 mangos are still growing, although perhaps a bit leggy from not being able to be outside all the time but the weather has changed and hopefully they'll fill in nicely this summer :-)

    -Luke
     
  19. buells1

    buells1 Member

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    Hi Luke,
    thanks for the advice, my conservatory faces south and gets very hot when the sun is on it so I hope I won't have too much trouble getting it to grow but I will get a poly bag to help it along.
    Fiona
     
  20. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    You're welcome Fiona. Post up pictures of your trials.

    planted another mango seed today. Wish i could remember the variety name(started with af* or al*), a second mango is seen in the pictures. It was delicious. fiberless, very sweet, great texture, and very small seed. Anyways, posted up some pictures. It's now sitting indoors in my small plastic greenhouse. My other 3 mangos are still doing well. They are just about to put on their 3rd set of leaves.

    Also, has anyone ever had experience with the fairchild cultivar? reading on wiki and it says it can produce while under 8ft in height. known as a condo mango variety for it's small size.

    -Luke
     

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  21. buells1

    buells1 Member

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    Hi Luke,
    not had any luck yet with mine yet I have covered them with poly bags but now moved them to somewhere which is warm during the night as well as day, think it was too cool at night were I had them, will let you know what happens. Yours are looking good.
    Fiona
     
  22. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    how long have they been in the dirt? Did you push some dirt aside to take a look if it's sprouting? did you split the 'hull' and just plant the seed? looking back, mine took about 2 weeks to poke out from the dirt.

    Here are my 3 little guys today.

    -Luke
     

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  23. buells1

    buells1 Member

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    Hi Luke,
    The 1st which is a Kent variety, I planted below the compost about an inch down [probably too deep] around the same day I made my 1st post on the forum hadn't shown yet, so I removed the soil away today to see what was happening, it hasn't rotted, it has split open and there is a small sprout started at the root end so I've left it uncovered and just put the plastic bag back in place. The other I started about a week later which is a Kiett I layed it on top of the compost and gently pressed it halfway into the soil and poly bagged it seems to be doing better, it has a bigger sprout comming from the rootend and is about 3/4" long now, that's why I uncovered the 1st one as the second is doing better laying on the top of the soil plus I can see what is going on.
    I think they are much slower starting here because of the uk climate esp the night temps which is around 11c at the moment so keeping the overall temp up isn't easy unless you use a heated propagator, which I haven't got.
    Hopefully the move to the kitchen window sill has helped and I hope to report I too have got 'baby' mango plants to look after.
    Fiona
     
  24. lkailburn

    lkailburn Active Member

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    Neat! Yeah you'll see a little ways back i did the same thing. kicked off some dirt and found it had a nice 3" root coming out. give it a week and i bet they'll break through the surface. Then give them lots of light and watch them grow! Mine have flushed out another set of leaves, they are still that chocolate brown color, such a neat plant to watch grow. My other two mango seeds that i just planted(ataulfo or something. i think basically the small champagne type of mango, the one with fiberless flesh) haven't popped up yet. I buried them about 1" down as well, maybe too deep. eh i'll see what happens. I also sprouted some lychee seeds. Those shot up in about a week. One is inside directly under full spectrum grow lights, one is in my mini plastic greenhouse next to a south window, and the third is on it's own outside. The one under the grow lights seems to be growing the fastest. I posted up a thread in the hort forum on them.
    Be sure to post up pictures when they sprout

    -Luke
     
  25. buells1

    buells1 Member

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    Hi Luke,
    Sounds like things grow so much faster where you live, I haven't looked at my mango today but the last time I looked which was a couple of days ago I could see the the tiny beginings of the leaves, I looked again the next day but it is so slow growing but it is growing, at last. This the 2nd of the two I planted, the Keitt. The Kent, I found had started to rot so that's gone now. I've started another one but I don't know the variety only that it came from Costa Rica, I did look on the fruit box in the shop but couldn't see any mention of the variety only the grower etc. Nice big fruit, mostly green with a rosy blush, not as tasty as the Kent, which I liked the best from the few I've tasted so far, which isn't many as I've only discovered I like them now after trying a sample of Kent in our local Asda supermarket and now trying others as the varieties change.
    I haven't tried growing any other exotic fruit seeds or stones yet as I've a fairly big garden to look after which takes most of my spare time, amongst the typically English things growing in it I have a few hardy exotics like Musa Basjo the Japanese hardy banana, Tasmanian Tree Ferns & my favourites are my palms, some of which took a severe battering last 2 winters I thought I'd lost them but are slowly recovering.
    I also have a few citrus trees indoors too.
    Nice chatting to you again.
    Fiona
     

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