Growing Mango Trees
Tip: Want to print these instructions? Download the printer-friendly version here.
1. Clean and extract the Mango seed from the pit
Clean the pit with a scrub brush, or steel wool pad, until all hairs have been removed.
Dry the pit overnight in a cool location.
Open the pit with a sharp knife, as you would shuck an oyster, being careful not to cut too deeply and damage the enclosed seed.
Pry the pit open and remove the seed, which resembles a large lima bean.
2.Germinate the seed
Place the seed about an inch deep, and concave side down, in a container full of quality potting soil.
Dampen the soil and store the container in a warm, shaded area until the seed sprouts. This process usually takes 1 – 3 weeks.
3. Transplant the newly-sprouted seedling to its permanent location, or continue to care for your container-kept mango tree outdoors. Follow the sub steps below if you’re transplanting the tree to a permanent ground location.
Prepare to transplant at the beginning of the wet season.
Choose a protected spot of land, ideally to sunny side the house, which will receive full sun. Above the equator, the sunny side of the house is the south, and vice-versa.
Rinse the sides and top of the root ball clean immediately before placing the seedling into the ground.
Build a soil ring around the newly planted tree, about 3 inches high and slightly wider than the planting hole. Fill the inner basin of the soil ring with water and allow it to seep into the surrounding soil.
Stake the seedling, and continue to support the growing trunk for the first year.
Water the mango tree regularly by filling the soil ring with water. After about six months the soil ring will erode away naturally, indicating that the tree has been properly established.
Mango Rootstock (Local mangoes only)
Collect seeds in Dec-March – Remove the skin and edible part of the mango and dry the nut
Sow: March/April. Plant one seed per tube
Seed: Polyembryonic.(The seed has two embryos and can produce two shoots. If this happens
remove one shoot and replant in another tube)
Seed preparation:
– Recommended method – Peeling: 1 to 2 weeks to germination. (Break the hard nut with a
knife and split open and remove the seed inside and then plant in the tube)
– Other methods of seed preparation – Chipping: 2 to 3 weeks to germination. (Cutting off the
top part of the nut and planting with the chipped end facing upwards). Untreated: 3 months to
germination. (Plant the nut directly into the tube)
Sowing depth: Sow in the tubes 5 cm deep. If the seed is sown too shallow, e.g. 2 cm, the
covering soil may dry. If the seed is sown too deep, the plummule (shoot) will die before
germination.
Watering: Morning and afternoon each day
Ready for grafting with improved mango scion when the seedling reaches the size of a pencil,
normally after 3 months – July
