Growing a mango from the stone is extremely easy, as long as we know what the mango needs to sprout properly. So find out what ensures success in growing mangoes. Find out more about the requirements of this plant and its fruits. Anyone can grow a mango from a stone in their home, it's really easy and gives a lot of satisfaction. You just need to follow our tips carefully and be patient.
How to grow a mango from a stone - the pits inside the fruit
What does a mango look like?
Indian Mango(Mangif.webpera indica) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family.Mango is one of the oldest fruits grown in tropical countries. They were brought to our world by sailors in the 17th century. In nature, mango is a fast-growing tree, reaching 20 to 30 m in height. The leaves are lanceolate and evergreen. After rubbing it in your hands, the leaves smell like turpentine. The flowers are inconspicuous and only a few millimeters in size, they are cream or pink in color. Mango blooms between November and March.
Mango has a stone fruit with a slightly kidney shape. The maximum length of the fruit is 15 cm. The outside of the mango fruit is covered with a hard shell, while in the middle of the fruit you will find a large stone. Aboutmango seedshas an edible, very juicy flesh. The closer to the stone, the more fibrous the pulp is, which makes it difficult to separate the pulp from the stone, which prevents the stone from drying out.The shell on a mango stone may be of different color depending on the variety (green, yellow, red or multi-colored).So let us remember that the color of the shell does not show the degree of ripeness of the fruit. Whether the fruit is ripe and suitable for eating is known by its smell and degree of hardness. Unripe mango is hard and has a turpentine smell, the weaker the smell, the more ripe the fruit. A soft shell and no odor indicate that the fruit is fully ripe. We usually sell unripe fruit in our stores. After purchase, the mango can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or two, but it is not suitable for freezing.
Note! When buying fruit to grow a mango from a stone, choose a slightly soft, ripe fruit, with no visible signs of darkening of the skin or rotting.
Planting a mango stone
HardMango stoneTake the fruit out of the fruit and gently clean it from the fibrous flesh (preferably with a brush or kitchen dish cloth). To speed up germination, put the seed into a glass of water at room temperature for about 2 weeks, remembering to change the water every two days and wait for the seed to break.
The more impatient can also gently cut the seed along the seam and pull the seeds out right away, but this requires a lot of dexterity and is quite difficult as there is a risk of damaging the seeds. And damaged seeds will not germinate.
Once we have seeds, prepare a deep pot and mix the soil properly. A suitable substrate formango cultivationshould be permeable and have good drainage. It can be, for example, a mixture of peat and sand. It is also worth adding gravel or perlite to the substrate.Once you have a prepared pot with the substrate, you can start planting. To do this, press the mango pit into the pot (thin end up). Cover the whole thing with half a plastic bottle or a foil bag to retain moisture and put it in a warm place.
How to grow a mango from a stone - a fruiting mango bush
How to grow a mango after sprouting
Mangostarts to sprout approx.4-10 weeks after planting. Initially it develops red, slightly drooping leaves, which with time turn green and become more elastic. When the plant starts to grow more strongly, it should be transplanted into a larger pot, with the same prepared substrate. Mangoes on the windowsill primarily need space, light and warmth. He hates frost. From time to time you can sprinkle the mango with water from the sprinkler. The first flowers appear at the earliest after 4 years, but usually it is 6-10 years after planting. The fruit rarely appears in home cultivation.
In our climate, we cangrow mangoesonly at home. The plant requires a bright and even sunny position. The optimal temperature is 24-28 ° C. It should be remembered to fertilize the plant every week or two weeks in summer, in winter we limit fertilization to 1-2 times a month. Older plants should be given a short period of drought in the fall, which brings them closer to the natural growing conditions. Remember not to drop below 15 ° C in winter.
Katarzyna Matuszak
