Growing a single mango is not too difficult, but growing different varieties on a larger scale is quite a challenge. This starts with the procurement of germinable mango seeds, which are not so easy to obtain in this country.
How can you grow mangoes yourself?
To grow mangoes successfully, you need a mango seed from a ripe fruit, clean it of pulp, carefully drill it open and place it in growing soil. During germination, keep the substrate moist and ensure warm and bright conditions.
Different types of mangoes
If you decide to grow mangoes, it matters less which variety you choose. The most important factor for success is the ripeness of the fruit you buy. Although a mango continues to ripen even after purchase, the seedling could have been damaged by prolonged refrigeration or temperatures that were too low during transport.
The different types of mangoes differ, among other things, in the size, color and taste of the fruit. The plants are not the same either; some of them even have very different needs. Indian mangoes react sensitively to too much water and Philippine mango trees have a particularly high light requirement.
Finding the right mango seed
Unlike other seeds, you won't find mango seeds or kernels in garden centers, seed shops or similar specialist shops, which doesn't make growing them that easy. You need to go to grocery and fruit stores to look for ripe fruits. You can eat these raw as usual or process them into various dishes to reveal the coveted core.
Pull the mango yourself
Only use the core of a ripe fruit. Clean it completely of pulp. Carefully drill out the core on the pointed side with a sharp knife, corkscrew or other pointed tool. Then open the core a small gap. The seedling must not be injured under any circumstances, otherwise it will no longer germinate.
Now put the core upright in a pot with potting soil and spray it with low-lime water. If you don't know the limescale content of your tap water, you can check it with a test strip (€7.00 on Amazon) from the pharmacy or drugstore or you can simply use rainwater.
Then cover the growing pot with foil and keep it bright and warm. Always keep the substrate moist during germination. Alternatively, you can water the sprout for one to two weeks instead of drilling it. However, the water must be changed daily. It takes about three to twelve weeks for germination.
What you should definitely pay attention to:
- Clean the core completely from the pulp
- Carefully drill or water the core
- Do not injure the seedling under any circumstances
- Keep substrate moist during germination
Tips & Tricks
The younger the mango tree is, the more sensitive it reacts to a high lime content in the irrigation water. The simplest alternative is rainwater.