I am wondering if any one has any ideas on how to start a mango sapling from seed with store bought mangoes? I have tryed five different methods and the pits rot and stink. Any help advise wouls be so awesomely appreciated. Thanks!! Bob

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Am interested in banana trees, cold hardy palms, trop. plants/trees I can raise inside during winter

Bob - I've sprouted a few from seed. The fruit should be very ripe and I usually take off the husk that covers the seed. Keep it moist but not wet and very warm, 80 - 90 degrees fahr. and in the sun if possible. Good luck.

I've gotten a few mango seeds like that to sprout. I just put the whole seed, shell and all, into a pot of moist soil and put that into a warm place. I keep the soil moist and up comes a little mango tree. I think I remember reading somewhere that it's bad for the seed to get chilled - I never refrigerate my mangoes.

My problems happen after the little plant has been growing for a while - they seem to get sick for some reason and the leaves turn crispy and drop off...

Hi mango seeds are one of my favorite to sprout , here is the way I do it :
1- After eating the fruit, wash the left over fruit from the pit off with water, and let it dry in a shady dry spot (24 hs or so).
2- Very carefully cut the fibrous edge of the mango seed until you can se the separation of the two sides of the cover is careful not to cut too deep and damage the seed inside.
3 –Separate the outer cover and remove the bean shape seed from the inside, this is covered with a paper like package, remove it also, the seed should be white and in sections that are no symmetrical.
4- Put the seed in moist potting soil in a zip lock bag (soil should be very moist but not soggy) close the bag and put it in a warm place (over 75F preferred) away from the sun.
5- in about 10 days there should be roots and sprouts coming out of the seed. Plant it in a pot and gradually expose it to sun, at first the leafs look droopy and red and grow fast, this will eventually get green and stand up.

I like planting polyembrionic mangos since they can produce several plants and they are usually true to type, if you are going to wait for a mango to produce fruit it is better is you expect good fruit, and if all you can get is monoembryonic mango then you can graft a known type to it the second year.
When you open the fibrous cover if the bean is gray or black it will not grow, sometimes they treat mangos with heat or refrigerate them too long and this kills the embryo, I have grown many mango trees this way it is easy. Have lost many mango trees also because of over watering; make sure to use good draining soils. And water when soil surface is dry to touch.

happy growing , Abraham

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I will take your advise and try cutting a mango seed open. Thanks for the advise.

David

grd_student@yahoo.com

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Hi

I like to know more about planting.

Hi David,
I do it just like Abraham until you get to the part about the baggie. I do think the careful removal of the outer casing speeds things up . Also do not give the seed a chance to dry out, cut it out when you are ready to plant. Instead I half bury it into a small 4" pot filled with sterile potting mix. The roots will grow down for a while but the seed itself will start to turn GREEN before it finally cracks open and usually 2 "trees" emerge. Within 2 months you will have to move it to a much larger pot. I do the same with avocados.