growing mangoes - how to grow mango trees from seed

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GrowingMangoesMangiferaIndica

HowToGrowMangoTreesFromSeeds

IknowmoreaboutgrowingmangoesthanI'dliketo.Iliveinamangogrowingregion...Allmyfriendsgrowmangotreescommercially!

WhetherIlikeitornot,Idogetsuckeredintohelpingoutwhenextrahandsareneededondeck...

Actually,it'snotthatbad.ThereasonsomanypeopleIknowgrowmangoesisthatmangotreesareextremelyeasytogrowandmanage.

Intherightclimategrowingmangoestakesnoeffortorattentionatall.

ThroughmyfriendsIcangetallthemangoesIwantforfree,andthensome.ButIstillgrowmangoinmyowngarden,aboutadozendifferentvarieties.

Mangoescomeindifferentcoloursandsizes,havedifferentflavours,andtheyripenatslightlydifferenttimes.

Growingdifferentmangotreevarietieskeepsthingsinteresting,butmostimportantlyitstretchesouttheharvesttimeofthisfeastorfaminefruit.Youcaneatfreshmangoforafewmonthsinsteadofonlyafewweeks!

WhatDoMangoTreesLookLike?

Themangoisaveryattractive,evergreentreewithglossy,densefoliage.Thenewshootsarereddish,thematureleavesadarkgreen.

Dependingonthevarietymangotreescangrowhuge(to35mand15macrossforseedlingtreesofoldervarieties).Butyoucankeepamangotreesmallbypruningitregularly.

Amangotreeinfullflowerisasighttobehold.Thelargepinkpaniclesare

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attheendsofthebranchesandcoverthewholetree.Oh,andtheysmellgood,too!

WhereCanYouGrowMangoes?

Mangoesareastrictlytropicalfruit.Theylovethetropics.Thebestclimatetogrowmangoesisfrostfree,withcool,drywintersandsteamy,hotsummers.

Mangoeslikegrowinginlightandfreedrainingsoils,theydon'tneedrichsoil.Youactuallygetthebestcropsonsoilsofsomewhatlowerfertility.

GettingStartedWithGrowingMangoes

Therearetwowaystogetstarted:youcanbuymangotreesatanurseryoryoucangrowyourownfromseed.Theseedgrowntreeswilltakealotlongertobearfruit.(Unlessyouknowhowtograftthemorknowsomeonewhodoes.)

Mangotreesthatweregrowninanurseryareusuallygraftedandshouldfruitwithinthreetofouryears.Seedlingtreesmaytakefivetoeightyears.

Seedlingmangotreesgrowmuchbiggerandstrongerthanthenurserytreesandhaveanindestructiblerootsystem.

Graftedtreesareofamoremanageablesize.Anotheradvantageisthatyouknowyouwillgetareliablybearingtree.Ifyougrowmangofromseedyouneedtoknowexactlywhichtreeyourmangoseedcamefromoryouwon'tknowwhatyouaregettinguntileightyearslater...

IfyoubuymangotreesinanurseryIsuggestyoudon'tlookjustforsizeandcolour.Haveyouevertastedthevarietyyouareabouttobuy?Somemangoestasteawful...True.Someofthecommercialvarietiesarebredforshelflife,sizeandlooks,butarebarelyedible.(Yes,Iamtotallyspoiledwhenitcomestomangoes.)So,knowthevarietyyoubuy!

Secondly,ifyouplantogrowmorethanonemangotree,findoutifitisanearlyorlatefruitingvariety.Don'tbuythreetreesthatallfruitatthesametime.

Thirdly,ifyouliveinacooler,subtropicalarea,makesureyougetavarietythatflowerswellinthoseconditions.Allmangoeswillgrowifyourclimateisfrostfree,butfloweringhabitsdependontemperatureandvary.Andwithoutflowerstherewillbelittlefruit...

Andlastbutnotleast,especiallyifyouliveinanareawhereitmayrainduringthecoolertimeoftheyear,youshouldalsolookforavarietythatshowsgoodresistancetothemangodiseaseanthracnose.(Moreonthatbelow.)

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Ifyoubuyyourmangotreesyoucanskipthenextsection:

GrowingMangoTreesFromSeed

Growingmangoesfromseedisactuallyquiteeasy.(AlltheseedsofthemangoesIeat,dryandfreezearethrownoutinthegardenasmulch,andtheyallgrow...)

Themostimportantstepistheseedselection!Ifyoutakeanyoldshopboughtseeditmaynotgrowtruetotype.Theseedneedstocomefromwhatiscalleda"polyembryonic"variety.

Whatthatmeansisthattheseedwillsproutseveralidenticaltrees.Andthoseseedlingtreeswillbeidenticaltotheparenttree.Theyareclones.

Ideallyyouknowtheparenttree,it'sfromyourarea,growsreallywellandgetsabumpercropeveryyear!Ifnot,ohwell.Getseedfromapolyembryonicvarietyandatleastyouknowthatthefruityouharvestwilltastethesame.

(ThemostcommoncommercialvarietyinAustralia,theKensingtonPridealsoknownasBowenispolyembrionic.It'salsoavigoroustreeandusuallyfruitsreliably,soitiswellsuitedforseedgrowing.IfanyoneknowsagoodvarietytorecommendtoUSreaders,pleaseletmeknow.)

Thebesttimetogrowmangoesfromseedisthebeginningofthewetseason(beginningofsummer).

Eatanicemango,removeasmuchfleshfromtheseedaspossibleandthenletitdryforadayortwo.

Togerminatethemangoseedyoucouldjustputthewholethinginawarm,moistplaceandwaitforittosprout.Thencutoffalltheseedlingsexceptforone.(Thesmallestsupposedlygivesyouthebestfruit.)

Or,ifyouprefertofussoverthem(orifyouhaveonlyoneseedbutwanthalfadozentrees)thenyoucancarefullycutacornerofthefibrousbigseed.Cutonlyjustdeepenoughsoyoucanseethetwohalvesoftheseed,andthenbreakitopen.

Insideyoufindseveralsmallbeanshapedseeds.Hopefullytheyarewhiteandnotallgreyorbrownandshrivelled...

Youcanplantthosemangoseedsindividually.Theyshouldtakeabouttendaystosprout.Iliketosproutmyseedsrightwheretheyaretogrow.ThatwayIdon'tneedtoworryabouthardeningthemoff(gettingashadegrownseedlingusedtofullsun)orabouttransplantingshock.Ifyouareworriedaboutthelittlethinggettingeaten,uprootedortrampledyoucanalwaysputabarrieraroundit.

Ifyouprefertofirstgrowyourmangotreeinapot,followtheinstructionsfornurserytreeswhenitcomestoplantingtime:

PlantingAMangoTree

Youplantamangotreejustlikeyouplantanyotherfruittree,soIwon'tgointospecificshere.(Apageaboutplantingfruittreesiscomingsoon.)

Thebesttimetoplantyourmangotreeisthebeginningofthewet

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season(summer).

Makesureyouselectaplaceinfullsun.(Andmaketriplesureyoureallywantabigtreethere!)

Thetreeneedstobesunhardened.Ifyourmangotreewasgrowninashadehouse,graduallygetitusedtothesunfirst.Thendigabigenoughhole.Carefullyseparatetreeandpotwithoutdisturbingtheroots.Puttreeinhole,fillin,water.

CaringForAMangoTree

Imentionedatthebeginningthatmangoesneedlittlecare.It'strue.

Youngmangotreesdobenefitfromregularwateringandalittlefertilizinguntiltheyareestablished.Butdon'tloveyourmangotreetodeath.Overwateringcankillit,especiallyifyoursoilisabitheavy.Andtoomuchnitrogenfertilizerwillmakeitweakandsappy,allleavesandlittlefruit,susceptibletobugsanddiseases.

Theolderthetreegets,thelessnitrogenitneeds.Phosphorusandpotassiumaremoreimportant.

Mulchyourmangotreeheavilyandspreadabitofcomposteverynowandthen.Ifyoursoilisreasonablethatshouldbeallthetreeneeds.

Ifthecompostismadewithwoodash,allthebetter.(Woodashsuppliespotassiumwhichwillencouragefruitingandmakethefruittastebetter.)Formulchuseonlyroughstufflikehayorlucerne,nothingthatmaymatdownandbecomeallsoggylikegrassclippings.

Fertilizemangotreesinspringandsummeronly,andonlyalittleatatime.

Agoodwayofhelpingthetreeisfoliarsprayingwithfishfertilizerorseaweedsolution.Itprovidestraceelementsandavoidsdeficiencies,butitdoesn'toverfeed.

Butyourbestbet,evenonverypoorsoil,isstilllotsoforganicmatterbywayofcompostandmulch.

Whenthetreeisonemetrehigh,cutitbackbyathirdsoitbranches.

Whenthosebranchesgettoametre,cutthetipsoffagain.

Thatshouldgiveyouaniceshapedtree.

PruningAMangoTree

Mangoesrespondverywelltopruning.Andtheyareforgiving.Whateveryoumessup,itwillgrowback...

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Mangoesgrowterminalflowers(theyfloweratthetipofabranch),sothemorebranchesyouhavethebetterthecrop.Youcanencouragelateralbranchingwithtippruning.(Onlytakingoffthetipsofbranches.)

Youshouldalsoaimforanopencrown,takingoutwholebranchesifthecentrebecomestoocrowded,sothatairandlightcanpenetrate.

Youcanusepruningtokeepyourtreeamanageablesizeandaniceshape.Mangotreegrowingtootall?Cutitdown.Toowide?Cutitback.

Pruningmangoesisnotascience.Infact,thecommercialgrowersherehireabig,scarymachinewithalongarmwiththreehugerotatingblades.

Themachinedrivesalongtherowsandgivesthetreesagoodhaircutsotheyallendupexactlythesameheightandwidth...Youcandosomethingsimilarbyhandifyouwanttokeepyourtreeacertainsize.

Usuallymangopruningisdoneafterharvest,thoughinsomecoolerareasthepreferredtimeisjustbeforeflowering.

Ideallyyoupruneonlyalittlebiteveryyear.Ifyouletamangotreegrowmuchtoobigfirst,andthencutitbacktoathirdofitssize,thetreewilllikelyskipthenextcrop...(Cutitbacktoastumpanditwilltaketwoyearsormore.Butamazinglytheywillgrowbackevenfromthat!)

Havingsaidallthat,aftertheinitialcutstoencouragebranchingasmentionedintheprevioussection,youdon'tHAVEtopruneamangotree.Ifyoudon'tmindhavingarealbigtree,mangoesgrowandfruitverywellwithoutpruning!

Flowering,FruitSetAndHarvestingMangoes

Mangoesflowerprofuselyandselfpollinateverywell.

Thefloweringistriggeredbycoolnights.Inthetruetropicsaseverecoldsnapwillbringoutmassesofflowers.Forusaseverecoldsnapisanightbelow15C.Inyearswhereitdoesn'tgetsocoldweendupwithpoorcrops.

(Buttherearemangovarietiesthatflowerwellevenwhenitdoesn'tgetsocold...That'swhyIgrowadozendifferentones.)

Incolderclimatesitcaneasilybetoocoldformangoflowerstobeviable.Selectingcoldhardiervarietiesisimportantforyou.(NamDocMaiwouldbeasuitablevarietyinAustralia.)

Initiallyyoumayseemassesoftinymangoesonyourflowerpanicles,butthetreewillshedalotofthemandkeeponlywhatitcanhandle.Sodon'tworryifyouseealotofthemdropoff.

Themangoeswillgrowbiggerandplumper,andeventuallytheywillstarttochangecolour.Howlongthattakesdependsonyour

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climate.Thehottertheweatherthefasterthemangoesripen.

Usuallyyourmangoeswillbereadybythebeginningofthewetseason(latespring/earlysummer).

MangomaraudercapturedbyHashmil

Ifyourmangoesgeteaten(wildbirds,bats,possums,theneighbour'skids...)youcanpickthemhalfgreen.Theywillripenatroomtemperature.(Ha!Myroomsareabout40Catthattimeoftheyear...whentheysayroomtemperaturetheymean1822C.)

Becarefulwhenharvestingmangoes,don'tgetanyofthesaponyou.Thesapcanspurtfromthefruitstemwhenitsnapsoffandcancauseburns,allergiesanddermatitis.

Italsoburnstheskinofthemango,whichwillgorottenatthatspot.

(Doesn'tmatterifyoueatitstraightaway,butitdoeswhenyoupickthemhalfgreen.)

Thebestwaytoharvestmangoesistocutthemoffwithalongsectionofstemstillattached,andtohandlethemcarfullysothatthestemdoesnotsnapoff.

MangoPestsAndDiseases

Themostseriousmangodiseaseisanthracnose,afungusthatcancausetheflowerstogoblackandfalloff.Italsocausesblackspotsonstemandsmallfruit,leavesmaygobrown...

Somevarietiesaremoresusceptibletoitthenothersandit'sworseinwetweather.Itisworstinareaswhereitrainsduringfloweringandfruitset.Inareaswithdrywintersanthracnosecanoftenbeseenonlyoncethefruitripens.Itdevelopsblackpatchesthatgorotten...

Unlessyouwanttospraynastystuff,likecoppersolutionorfungicides,youmayhavetolivewithanthracnoseandacceptsomelosses.Ahealthytreewithstrongcellwallswillshowlessinfectionsthanaweakone.Sokeeppilingonthatcompostandsprayingthatseaweed...

Therearemanynewermangovarietiesthatshowgoodresistancetoanthracnose.Getoneofthoseifyouliveinaclimatewithwinterrains!

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Anyothermangopestsanddiseases,likefruitspottingbugsandborersandwhateverelseisaround,shouldbekeptincheckifyouhaveadiversepermaculturegardenthatencouragesbeneficialinsects.

Onemorehintistoforsakeneatnessandleaveyourlowermangotreebranchesdroopingontotheground.Wheneverythingelsehasbeenstung,suckedandeaten,thereareusuallystillmangoeshidingunderthere...

CanYouGrowMangoesIndoors?

Nope.Butyoucangrowmangoesinpots!Soifitisjustalittlebittoocoldinwinterwhereyouare,youcanbuyadwarfvarietyandgrowitinatubandbringitinsideduringthecoldesttimeoftheyear.

However,evenamangotreegrowinginapotstillneedslotsandlotsofheatandsuninsummer.Growingmangoesindoorswon'tdo!

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Theyareneverthelesscorrect!