Planting a mango seed to grow a mango yourself is not too complicated. Nevertheless, it is unfortunately not always possible, because there are a few things to consider and you should work carefully.

Where do you get a mango seed from?

You can easily get a mango seed from a mango that you eat or use in the kitchen. The riper the mango, the easier it will be for the pit to germinate. In addition, the core can be removed from the fruit much more easily and completely freed from the pulp.

Mangoes that you can buy in the supermarket are often treated with a germ inhibitor. It is difficult or impossible to grow mangoes from the seeds of these fruits. It is therefore better to use mango pits from the fruit trade or from proven organic cultivation.

How do you treat the mango stone?

First, the core must be completely cleaned of pulp. You can use a root brush for this. Soak the cleaned core in water for a week or two. This water must be changed daily. Then put the core in potting soil.

An alternative to soaking the core is to carefully open it. To do this, use a pointed knife, corkscrew or other pointed tool to poke a hole at the top of the mango stone. Pry up this hole a little so that there is a small gap. The seedling inside must not be injured under any circumstances, this could prevent germination!

Proper planting

Place a few pieces of pottery shards or larger stones in a larger flower pot so that the water can drain off easily later. Then fill the pot with potting soil, coconut fibers or a mixture of peat and sand to about 3 cm below the edge of the pot.

To kill any pests or fungal spores that may be present, you can heat the slightly damp substrate to at least 160 °C for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven or in the microwave. Coconut fibers do not need this treatment.

Stick the mango stone upright in the prepared flower pot, leaving the top 2 to 3 cm sticking out. If the seedling has completely detached itself from the shell, lay it flat on the substrate and cover it with a thin layer of soil.

The germination

Spray the substrate regularly with water to keep it moist and cover with foil. This keeps the humidity high. Place the seed pot in a bright, warm place, because the seedling needs temperatures of 25 to 30 °C. After about four to ten weeks, the core will germinate.

The essentials in brief:

  • as ripe a mango as possible
  • Open the core carefully
  • Germination temperature 25 - 30 °C
  • high humidity

tips and tricks

The riper the mango, the better the core will germinate.

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Trees