There are two ways to germinate a mango seed, one requires a lot of patience, the other a little skill. For both methods you need a ripe mango, which you should first enjoy.
How do you germinate a mango seed?
To germinate a mango seed, clean it thoroughly and water it for a few days. Plant the core in potting soil and keep the substrate moist. Alternatively, you can carefully remove the germ from the core and insert it directly into the substrate. A temperature of around 25 °C promotes germination.
Then clean the core thoroughly from the remaining pulp and soak it for a few days. The core is then planted in potting soil and germinated after a few weeks. The second method works much faster, in which you carefully open the cleaned core with a sharp knife or corkscrew and remove the germ.
The germ is not watered, but immediately planted flat in substrate. It needs a temperature of around 25 °C to germinate. Place the growing pot in a warm place, for example near the heater, and spray the seedling daily with lime-free water. Rainwater is particularly suitable.
When waterlogged, the sensitive germ rots, but it must be kept constantly moist. Cover the growing pot with clear foil or place a transparent cup over the seedling. Both look like a mini greenhouse.
The most important things in brief:
- only use ripe seeds for germination
- clean the core carefully and thoroughly
- open the core carefully or water it for a few days
- Don't hurt the germ when opening it
- keep the substrate moist during germination
Repotting the young mango tree
If the growing pot becomes too small, the mango tree must be repotted. If possible, this shouldn't happen too early. That's why you should choose a pot as high as possible for germination, because mango trees form long taproots very quickly.
If the young plant has to be repotted and the long root breaks off, the mango tree often dies and all the effort was in vain. Give your mango tree a well-drained soil made from a mixture of equal parts garden soil, compost and coconut fiber. To ensure that excess irrigation water does not accumulate, ensure there is a good drainage layer.
Tips & Tricks
Only use seeds from really ripe fruits. The seed of an unripe mango will not germinate because it is not ripe itself.
