Growing Mango seed-Instructions here

Hamilton, Canada

Propagation from Mango Seed

After eating or cutting away the fruit of the Mango, the seed must be scraped clean of most of the fibrous material clinging to it. Dry the seed thoroughly. The Mango seed is large and flat and looks a bit like a taco. One edge of the seed will be slightly rounded, the other edge will be a bit sharper. Being very careful, use a sharp knife to cut away enough of this sharp edge to expose a bit of the interior of the seed. Partially pry open the seed shell to expose the plant embryo but leave it intact. Place the seed, cut side up, in a small container of water and place it in a warm sunny location such as a kitchen window. Change the water every 2 or 3 days and in a few weeks the plant will start to grow. When the plant is well established and has about 6 leaves it is time to plant it in potting soil. Regardless of the time of year that I have tried to propagate from mango seed, only about half of the sprouts have survived. One of the problems has been moving the seed from water to soil too soon. The sprout really has to be well established before planting it into moist potting soil. The temperature should remain above 72°F. Propagating this plant may be easier during summer months when heat is free. Another problem may be that many mangoes are picked before they are ripe and the seeds have not fully developed.

The Mango plant can reach the size of a large tree outdoors in tropical climates. Its growth can be restricted somewhat by growing it in a pot indoors during the winter months. It is a very handsome plant with long blade-shaped shiny green leaves. During winter months void placing it near areas such as next to an outside door where cold drafts are likely. The fruit of one variety of Mango is more oblong and golden yellow in color. The other variety is less oblong and has a skin that is green to yellow with about half of the fruit being red on one side. These are the common varieties found most frequently in the U.S.A. All varieties can be propagated in the same way.

A Funny Experience
HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO!
#1 Don't buy unripe fruit and think it will ripen indoors, not even if its on the discount tray!
#2 Don't put the unripe fruit in a plastic bowl where you can not see it inside through the plastic.
#3 NEVER put the plastic bowl on top of the refrigerator, chances are you will forget about it since the bowl is not at eye level.
#4 After going through all the trouble to scrape,and then dry the seed, do not put the rounded end into water-nothing will happen even if you wait a liketime! You have to cut the pointed end and GENTLY crack the seed pod ever so slightly.
#5. When discovering a curious fermented odor in the kitchen, check on top of the fridge to find those mangoes you totally forgot about.
#6. Now after ages of nothing happening with your "trial seed", go and surf the web and find the proper way to do it!
#7 When carefully following the proper instructions that you should have looked up in the first place, use too much force and pop of the over ripe, fermented fruit, open the seed by accident only to find that the darn thing is sprouting already inside!
#8 Spend the next half hour pulling out your fridge to disinfect the top of the fridge, see now there is some spring cleaning done!


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