- Mango tree at home: secrets of growing.
- Transplanting sprouted mango seeds.
- What does a seeded mango look like a couple of weeks after transplanting?
- Video and photos after a month: development of a mango tree.
- Caring for indoor mango.
Many of us are familiar with this tropical fruit. To date, of all the fruits that I have tried, mango, in my opinion, occupies a leading position. And since I eat it quite often, I have already learned to choose only ripe and sweet fruits. And so, once again, when I had a huge seed left in my hands, I suddenly wanted to try to germinate it and see what would come of it.
A ripe mango seed has a very high germination rate, about 70%. However, I’ll say right away that even if your mango grows well, you shouldn’t expect fruit from it - since only grafted specimens bloom and bear fruit. Therefore, if you want to achieve fruiting for your plant, then it is better for you to buy ready-made, grafted mango shoots, or to plant mangoes at home. If you, like me, are simply interested in the process itself, then you can continue reading this article.
To germinate a mango seed, you do not need any special skills or time. Everything is very simple, so this experiment can be done together with your child.
Mango tree at home: secrets of growing.
To sprout a mango seed, prepare:
- Soil (universal for seedlings), you can even use ordinary soil from the garden.
- Plastic cup (preferably transparent)
- Plastic bag.
That's the whole set. Everything is to a minimum, wouldn’t you agree? Now I’ll tell you about the “tricks” that you need to know before planting mangoes.
Only fresh mango seeds are suitable for planting.
From my own experience, I will say that only a fresh mango seed is suitable for planting ; if it has been lying around for the second or third day and is almost dry, it is better to take a new one, because the germination of a dried seed is reduced to a minimum.
Carefully open the seed so as not to damage the inner seed.
The hardest part about sprouting a mango seed is carefully opening it so as not to damage the inner seed . If you do everything correctly, your probability of seed germination will greatly increase by 2 times.
Important! Keep in mind that if even a child can handle planting a mango seed, then open the seed exclusively on your own using any sharp object.
I do this with a knife. After opening the seed, follow the instructions : Pour the prepared soil into a plastic cup.
- Pour the prepared soil into a plastic cup so that the volume of soil is slightly more than half a cup.
- Make a hole in the middle of the soil and stick a mango seed there, concave side down, so that 2/3 of the seed is buried in the ground.
- Water the soil well (but do not flood it!) and put a plastic bag on the glass, make a greenhouse.
- Make a hole in the greenhouse for ventilation.
- Place in a warm place and forget about it for 18-20 days.
When, 18 days later, I approached the greenhouse, I saw that through the holes made, the sprout had already broken through 10 centimeters!
Important! When putting on a plastic bag, do not stretch it, leave a reserve for the future sprout.
And on the other side, the root has already wrapped itself around a circle at the bottom and closed. In addition, when I removed the greenhouse, the leaves on the sprout began to wither, spraying did not help, so it was decided: firstly, to transplant the sprout into a deeper pot, and secondly, to cover it with the greenhouse again until larger and stronger leaves appeared.
How to choose a mango for planting
Choose ripe, juicy fruit, which should be very fragrant and slightly soft. Don't go by color because different varieties vary significantly. It’s better to pay attention to the presence of dark spots - this is a sure sign that you need to take it!
Overripe mangoes are also suitable for planting, although you will not be able to eat the pulp. To the touch, such fruit is strongly pressed, it has an unpleasant smell and taste. If no ripe fruits are found in the vicinity, you can buy green ones and put them in paper to ripen for a couple of days in a dark place.
Photo: m.aksam.com.tr
Transplanting sprouted mango seeds.
The transplant was carried out as follows:
- Carefully took the sprout out of the pot and knocked off the excess soil from the roots. It was very interesting to look at this sprout; it stood on the roots like a figurine, and in general it looked like an alien creature.
- I added some coarse expanded clay to the bottom of the pot for drainage, sprinkled it with a mixture of earth and sand (3:1) and placed the “figurine” there.
- I sprinkled it with earth on all sides, not deepening the bone itself too much, about 1/3.
- Covered it with a cut bottle to create a greenhouse. Sometimes I unscrewed the cap of the bottle to air it out. You don’t have to make a greenhouse, so as not to adapt the sprout later to the unfavorable factors of the room or street.
The upper leaves still withered, but the side leaves began to grow very actively. In any case, this is all very funny, so I will grow a mango tree as long as it is able to stay indoors.
How to replant and shape a mango
The six-month-old mango has already grown and grown enough to be transplanted into a larger pot. You still need good drainage and the same universal soil. Carefully remove the root system with a lump of earth, place it in a new pot and add fresh soil to the sides.
In the future, the mango does not require replanting on a schedule, but make sure that the roots fit in the pot. If they begin to peek through the drainage holes or the tree’s growth suddenly slows down, it’s time to change the flowerpot.
Mango grows quickly and stretches upward, so it definitely needs formative pruning. To make mango branch and grow side branches, pinch the tops of young shoots. If it has already grown more than a meter, do seasonal decorative pruning to keep the crown beautiful and tidy.
Photo: build-together.ru
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Caring for indoor mango.
Based on my experience, I made appropriate conclusions about caring for indoor mangoes. Here are the main points:
- Despite all the logic of the situation, as practice has shown, mangoes do not like direct sunlight, so they stand on my shelf on the side of the south-eastern window, where the sun is only in the morning and evening hours.
- Watering is moderate, it is necessary to let the soil dry out. I even forgot to water the mango once, and it did not react negatively to the short-term drought.
- I don’t spray it, but once a week I wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
In general, during its growth, mango has almost never been capricious, and it grows with me on a par with the unpretentious chlorophytum.
How to plant mango
Simply stick the mango seed and root three-quarters vertically into the ground. If there is a sprout, lay it horizontally, sprinkle it with a little soil and water it well. For the first time, cover the seedling with glass, film or a transparent plastic bottle.
Place the flowerpot on a southern windowsill; the more natural light, the better. Briefly ventilate the seedling every 2-3 days so that it does not start to rot. The shelter can be removed after 2-3 weeks, when the mango has more or less taken root and begins to sprout little by little.
Do not remove the improvised greenhouse abruptly, because the mango needs acclimatization. First, make small holes in it or leave gaps. Daily increase the size of these gaps and the duration of ventilation, and after 3-4 days remove the protection completely.
Photo: fb.ru
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What does a mango need?
Hot India is considered the birthplace of this fruit, so it grows reluctantly in our latitudes. Humidity and high air temperatures typical of the tropics are what is needed to grow mangoes.
The plant has deep roots, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a full-fledged tree that will produce a harvest. However, if it is possible to obtain a dwarf mango, fruiting can be achieved. The taste of such fruits will be far from the “original” ones, but what an exciting prospect - your own mango harvest!
The fruit cannot stand the lack of light, so it will have to allocate the most illuminated place in the apartment. It is necessary to avoid drafts, which can destroy the plant. The soil must be constantly moistened, but without fanaticism, mangoes will not grow in a “swamp”.
In general, the “pet” is quite whimsical and requires tireless care, but this does not mean that it cannot be “tamed”. Follow the instructions, and in a few years your home will be decorated with its magnificent pink inflorescences, which you previously only saw in photos.
Is it possible to get fruits at home?
With proper care, an ungrafted tree can bloom in 6 or more years. The grafted plant blooms for 2 years, most often in early spring.
The fruits ripen 3-3.5 months, and sometimes 6 months after the flowers wither. The taste qualities of the parent tree may not be transferred, since at home it is very difficult to provide the plant with the necessary microclimate.
Mangoes grown from seeds most often serve decorative purposes. In order for the plant to bloom and most likely bear fruit, grafting is required.
It is carried out in the second year of the tree’s life, when the mango’s trunk reaches the diameter of a pencil. The best time for vaccination is mid to late summer.
To do this, take a bud from a fruiting mango, which is cut off with a sterile knife along with a piece of bark and wood. On a tree grown from seed, a T-shaped cut is made in the lower part of the trunk, the bark is bent back and a bud is placed there. The grafting site is wrapped with tape or tape.
The grafted tree is covered with a bag, with holes made in it for ventilation, and transferred to a bright and warm place.
Leaves and shoots below the grafting site are removed when it is clear that the grafting has been successful.
You can also graft mangifera with cuttings. In this case, the top of the tree and the base of the cutting are cut at the same angle, the cuts are aligned and fixed with electrical tape, tape or grafting tape. The cutting can also be inserted into the split.
After successful grafting, the mango bears fruit within 2 years. If flowering begins earlier, the buds are removed, since early fruiting weakens the tree and has a bad effect on further harvests.
Planting stages
What do you need to know before planting mangoes?
Initially, it is important to choose the right pot for growing the plant. It is important to remember that during the growth process the tree’s root system will develop and grow rapidly.
It will take up a lot of space, so a small pot will not work. And frequent transplants will very quickly lead to disease and death of the tree.
We choose only high and large containers for planting.
It doesn't matter what material it is made of. It can be ordinary plastic, as well as clay. You need to take care of the holes for excess water.
Basic steps for planting a tree:
- You need to put a special drainage at the bottom of the container. Ordinary expanded clay will do, you can use pieces from pottery, as well as small pebbles. It is worth knowing that the layer thickness should be at least 4-5 cm. Only in this way will the plant be reliably protected from rotting and the mango roots will be able to fully receive oxygen.
- The pot is filled with black soil only two-thirds of the total height. It is important that the soil has only a neutral PH level. Such land can always be purchased in specialized stores. After all, moisture can stagnate in the soil from the garden, because of this it will not be able to fully transmit oxygen.
- You need to make a small depression in the center of the container and plant a sprouted mango seed in it. Planted only with the root down. After this, black soil is poured on top and watering begins.
Experts recommend using Epin fertilizer after planting. It saturates the tree root with nutrients, promoting active growth.
Important! During planting, you need to leave a small part of the mango seed on the surface.
As soon as the mango sprouts, the polyethylene is immediately removed. There is no need to rush to replant the plant. After all, he needs to get stronger first.
The development process of mango from seed is going well
Also, do not place the pot on the windowsill. It must be protected from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the tree is doomed to death.
It is worth knowing that mango is a poisonous crop.
Therefore, it is important to be careful in your actions. For example, protect babies from mango leaves. It is strictly forbidden to taste them.
Plant diseases and treatment methods
At home, mango can suffer from fungal and bacterial diseases, and can also be affected by pests. In addition to watering and fertilizing, the plant needs one more type of care - protection from infections and harmful insects.
Bacteriosis
The disease manifests itself in darkening and wrinkling of the edges of the foliage. They darken, but remain on the shoots and do not fall off. Prevention of bacteriosis should begin with treating the seeds in a solution of any antibacterial drug. If the disease appears, you need to cut off all the affected parts, including healthy tissue, treat the sections with a solution of copper sulfate, and spray the entire plant with Trichodermin. Water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a month.
Anthracnose
The pathogen penetrates tissue through minor damage. Signs of the disease - brick-colored spots with a yellow rim form on the leaves, brown sores appear on the shoots, which gradually turn brown. If the humidity is low, the surface of the stains cracks; if it is high, it begins to turn black and rot.
To prevent the development of anthracnose, mangoes are sprayed with Fitosporin or Trichodermin once a month. The ground is sprinkled with ash or crushed activated carbon. Synthetic fungicides are used to treat fungus.
Spider mites
The pest appears on the tree at high humidity and temperature. The main method of control is spraying with acaricides. It may be necessary to perform the treatment 2 or 3 times with an interval of 1-1.5 weeks.
Preparing the seed for germination
You need to cut the pulp from the selected fruit with a knife, and then try to clean the stone from its remnants with your hands as best as possible. Unremoved fruit pulp in a humid environment can rot and destroy the shoot.
The mango seed is quite large and oblong. Initially, it is difficult to determine where it is “top” and where it is “bottom”, so before planting it in the soil it needs to be germinated.
If the seed is not opened, it is worth helping it with this, thus not only clearing the way for the future sprout, but also reducing the time for seed germination. Take a sharp knife and cut the hard shell.
If the fruit was ripe, the seed will be quite easy to peel completely. There may be several seeds, so for further germination, select only those that look healthy. Usually, a seed contains healthy seeds (smooth and white) and diseased ones (brown and as if wrinkled).
If you have difficulty removing the shell, there is no need to insist - the sprout will still appear, it will just take a little longer.
Dwarf tree varieties
If you do not want to grow mango seeds yourself, then the nursery sells a prepared plant. In this option, you can definitely purchase a miniature type of tree.
The main advantage is the small height. Its roots will be fully prepared for further development. Often these plant varieties are preferred to be grown in the popular bonsai style.
It is worth noting that it is the dwarf varieties that are prone to fruiting.
Many people believe that mangoes can cause an allergic reaction. But actually it is not. Even allergy sufferers can contain it.
It is necessary to trim branches only with special gloves. This way, your hands will be well protected from leaf juices. After all, they can cause a rash.
Feel free to use mangoes as decoration for your home, cottage, or apartment.
