My mango seedlings

[Intriguedbybonsai]

These are all about a month or 2 in age. It's amazing how fast they can grow! The varieties are Ataulfo, Kent, and Tommy Atkins.
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/DSC01069.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/DSC01070.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Skeletor619/DSC01071.jpg[/img]

[thepassionatecook]

Very interesting Are you keeping these in containers throughout their growth or will you transfer them to the garden later? How many mangoes will they produce for each container? Did you buy the seed or have you collected them from mangoes you've eaten?

[Intriguedbybonsai]

They will need to be transferred to a garden, or at least larger pots in the near future. As I've noticed mango roots grow quickly, and they travel deep. Some of the roots are growing right out of the bottom of their pots... . The only problem is I live in an apartment so garden planting is out of the question. So I guess larger pots will have to do.

I collected these seeds from store bought mangoes. I'm not sure when they will produce fruit, or if they will at all. I'm not even sure if the seed will produce the same fruit that I removed them from. It started out as a fun project, but their rapid growth is somewhat overwhelming.

[thepassionatecook]

This seems pretty cool. Do you need to do anything differently for mangoes as opposed other fruits? How did you prep and sow the seed? What is your fertilizer ratio? Any information would be helpful. I want to try this...

[applestar]

WOW yours are growing well! I have one that sprouted and has 5 or 6 leaves now (don't feel like going outside in the rain to count ) but 3 others refused to grow -- two of them the seeds shriveled up, the 3rd one is still green, but nothing is happening. Now we're getting cooler weather, enough that I'm thinking I need to bring them in, so I'm afraid this one won't grow either.

I'm glad you mentioned about the long tap root. I'll repot mine into a tall tree pot like yours when I bring mine in so it won't suffer from cramped roots during the winter.

I'm thinking that the most likely reason for my failure is that the fruits are picked when green and hard for shipping, even if when I buy them, they appear to be ripe and taste good, I'm probably not getting the REAL mango experience, and the non-viable seeds are proof of that.

thepassionatecook, when you try this, I suggest you get the RIPEST mangoes you can find, and avoid ones that have been refrigerated if possible. In my experience, seeds from tropical fruits that have been refrigerated often fail -- or take absurdly long time -- to germinate.

[Intriguedbybonsai]

Like applestar was saying, find the ripest mangoes you can find. Avoid those hard green ones. You can tell they're ripe by giving them a gentle squeeze of the fingers. If they push in easily they are ripe. If they don't push in, and feel hard as a rock then avoid them.

Here's my method;

Get a ripe mango, and cut the flesh(the part you eat) from the seed husk, but be careful not to cut into the seed husk. Try to scrape as much flesh as you can from the seed husk. I use a pot scrubber pad to do this. It's not absolutely necessary to do this, but the seed husk can be very slippery to handle when prying open.

You may want to use some paper towel to dry this seed. Like I said before it can be very slippery to hold. Use a spoon or butter knife(nothing too sharp) to pry apart the seed husk. Inside you will find a large bean-like seed. To me it looks like a big lima bean. If you see a purplish-red colored root growing from the seed try not to damage it. If there is no root then don't worry, one will grow soon.

Get a large flower pot, and fill with potting soil. I use Miracle Gro potting mix, but I'm sure any brand is fine. Moisten the soil, and make an indention in the soil for the seed. Place the seed in with the rounded edge facing upward.

And there you go, simple as that. Just keep the soil moist always until it establishes itself. The seed after a few days will turn green, and get more greener as the days go by. After a few weeks a stem, and a tiny set of leaves will emerge. The hotter the climate the better they do, but that's not to say it can't be done indoors.

Just a reminder though, but mango roots do in fact have a very long tap root. Meaning their roots travel far, and spread out everywhere. Bigger pots will be needed in time or risk cramping your plant.

Good luck though. It's a fun project to do, and exciting to see them grow.

[!potatoes!]

I wish I knew what happened to the one I sprouted...jeez, musta been 13, 14 years ago now. I bet it would be impressive. my oldest doesn't seem to want to branch (and as it gets a little taller each time it puts out more leaves, it will have to soon)...currently it's about 2'6" after being outside all summer, but it will need to be shorter to fit with the winter plant menagerie inside...

I think I've had an 80-90% germination rate with them. probably helps that I only buy very ripe ones, and I think it also helps to let the seeds (still in shell) to dry for a few days, before cracking the beans out and planting.

I can hardly eat a mango without trying to germinate it.

[applestar]

What would you say is the minimum temp for Mangos? Looking at 70~80º days but lows in the mid 50's to 60's for the next week around here. One of my avocado leaves are starting to get a bronze sheen that I think means I should bring it inside or put in a more sheltered spot -- maybe inside that hoop tunnel I'm planning to build for the peppers if I can get it done in time.

[Intriguedbybonsai]

What would you say is the minimum temp for Mangos? Looking at 70~80º days but lows in the mid 50's to 60's for the next week around here. One of my avocado leaves are starting to get a bronze sheen that I think means I should bring it inside or put in a more sheltered spot -- maybe inside that hoop tunnel I'm planning to build for the peppers if I can get it done in time.

Doing a bit of googling I found they do well in climate zones 9 and higher. For example, southern California which is where I live is a perfect location. It's hot and dry here all the time. Temperatures near or at 30 degrees can severely damage the plants. They cannot tolerate frost either. Seeing as you live in New Jersey you may want them brought in during winter months.

[!potatoes!]

if I really thought about it, I'd probably be concerned if it dropped below 45 or so...in practice (in the past) I've kept them outside as long as possible, bringing them inside overnight for frosts, and only keep them inside full-time when frosts are regular enough to make shlepping them back and forth daily a pain.

[thepassionatecook]

When do you expose them to light? Immediately, or when the seed has sprouted? What kind of fertilizer do they like?

[Intriguedbybonsai]

I keep mine in the shade of my patio mostly from the time they are seeds to the time they sprout leaves. Direct sunlight could harm them in their early stages. I'm not sure what type of fertilizer they like. I use Miracle Gro potting soil, and it has time release fertilizer in the soil.

The only real direct sunlight mine get are in the early morning, and late afternoon.

[applestar]

I'm no expert, but mine's getting sunrise to noon sun, then dappled sun/shade under a tree for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the tip potatoes, I guess I have a little more time then. I thik I'm too nervous to let it stay out below 50ºF though. I guess there IS a tendency to coddle what I think of as tropical/tender plants. I remember last year, I hustled something inside then found out it was good to 35ºF. Never fear, Intriguedbybonsai, I wouldn't DREAM of leaving these guys outside during the winter.