How to grow a mango tree from seed and how to care for it

If you love gardening, you definitely love experimenting with new plants. Whether it’s exotic flowers or climbing plants for example, every gardener should try new things. Today, we are going to talk about a plant, which most people don’t even think of when they think of their garden. Today, however, we are here to tell you that is is absolutely possible to have this plant right in your backyard. In this article we are going to discuss how to grow a mango tree from seed. What’s more, we are going to provide a step by step tutorial on how to cultivate and plant the seed. We are also going to give you advice on how to care for this exotic plant and eat fresh mangoes at will.

It may be hard to believe, but you can actually grow mangoes right in your backyard

How to grow a mango tree from seed – option #1

We all love eating mangoes, right? Well, do you know that after you ate a mango, you can actually cultivate its seed and plant it? Well, we are here to tell you that you absolutely can. Just follow these next steps and you will be able to grow an exotic mango tree in your own garden.

1. Separate the husk in the middle of the mango.
2. Open the hard shell carefully with a knife to take out the seed that’s on the inside. Do this carefully so as not to damage the seed.
3. Remove the brown skin of the seed carefully and wash it well with water.
4. Fill a plastic container with coconut fiber (coir) and place the seed on it. Sprinkle with water and close the container. Let the container sit in shade.
5. Keep sprinkling with water once every few days when you notice that the coir is dry. Don’t overwater it!
6. You will soon notice roots starting to come out of the seed. In 10 days there should even be a little stem.
7. Plant the seed in a pot filled with potting mix with the stem showing above the soil. Leave the pot under direct sunlight and watch it grow.

Once you eat the mango, just separate the husk in the middle

Carefully take out the seed

Clean its brown skin

Wash it well with water

Place in a plastic container filled with coconut fiber

In 10 days roots and a stem should start forming

Once the root and stem are big enough, it is time to plant it in a pot filled with potting mix

How to grow mango from seed – option#2

There is another way to cultivate a mango seed. If you don’t have access to coconut fiber, here is another solution:

1. Once you eat the mango and are left with the husk, open the husk carefully with a knife to extract the seed.
2. Clean the seed well.
3. Place a paper towel on a dry surface, which gets a lot of direct sunlight and place the seed on the paper towel. Let it sit for about 3 weeks.
4. Once the seed is dry, carefully crack open the seed slightly. Be very careful not to separate the two halves. Let it sit for additional week.
5. Place the seed into a container filled with potting mix. Make sure the belly button of the seed faces down.
6. Keep watering every day and watch your mango tree grow.

You will be ready to eat delicious mangoes from your own garden

Growing a mango tree from seed – option #3

Here is your third option on how to cultivate the seed. This option takes a bit less time, however, there is the possibility of the seed developing mold, so you have to be a bit more careful.

1. Take out the seed from the husk carefully.
2. Then, using a knife, make a small cut on the seed. You can even try breaking the skin of the seed with sand paper. However, be careful so as not to damage it too much.
3. Fill a jar with water and soak the seed inside for 24 hours. Leave the jar some place warm, such as inside a cupboard.
4. Wet a few paper towels and wrap the seed in them. Place them in a plastic bag with one of its corners cut off.
5. Keep the seed in the wet paper towels and plastic bag form about 2 weeks, sprinkling it with water as you notice it starts drying.
6. Once the seed starts to sprout, remove it from the plastic bag and paper towels and plant it into a pot, filled with potting mix.

This is a beautiful process to witness

How to care for a mango tree?

In general, a mango tree isn’t very difficult to look after. What’s more, it can be planted in a pot, as well as in your garden. The only thing you need to keep in mind is what the weather is like where you live. If it is sunny and warm all year long, then you can plant it in your garden. If you have snowy winters however, it is best to plant it in a pot, which you can take inside once the weather gets colder.

The most important thing a mango tree needs is sunlight and lots of it. Also, the tree can grow quite large, so make sure wherever you plant it, it will have enough space to grow. Water it once you notice the soil is dry. It takes about 2-3 years for the tree to start bearing fruits. If you have planted it in a pot, as it grows, you might need to replant it in a bigger one. On the other hand, you can prune it, so it stays small.

Mango trees aren’t very difficult to look after

And they can give you delicious fruits

Make sure the mangoes are ripe before you pick them

As soon as you see this red color, that means the fruits are ripe