Mango is an exotic plant of the Sumakhov family, its homeland is the tropical forests of India. This unpretentious stunted tree, at home reaches a height of up to 1.5 meters. In open ground under suitable climatic conditions it can grow up to 50 meters.
The color of greens is pleasant, rich green on the front side and paler on the back. Young leaves have a pinkish color, which makes the tree even more attractive. The mango fruit weighs from 250 g to 1 kg. The fruit is saturated with vitamins and minerals, a record holder for the content of folic acid, magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, E.
If you want to grow mangoes from seed, it is important to create optimal conditions, which we will write about below.
How to grow mangoes at home?
The desire to grow mangoes limits gardeners to planting material. Only the bone is available. But this is enough to get an original exotic tree into your home collection.
Fruit selection
The main condition is the correct selection of a fruit with a bone, from which you can grow a quality plant. It must satisfy the following parameters:
- be bright, tight, not damaged;
- not have slippery or sagging skin;
- smell of resin, especially the tail;
- the core should easily move away from the bone.
Material preparation and fit
The stone is cleaned very carefully so that it does not rot due to the remaining pulp. For overripe fruits, it can be cracked. In this case, you need to be especially careful so that the sprout that has already appeared does not get damaged. The best time to plant mangoes in any way is the beginning of summer. Methods:
- Take a whole bone and dip it with its pointed end down, about ¾, into the ground (for flowering indoor plants or for succulents, mixed with small fractions of stones, expanded clay). Create a kind of mini-greenhouse over it, for example, a cropped plastic bottle. Place the container in a room with high humidity. Water regularly at room temperature. This method has a drawback: because of the hard shell, the sprout can hatch only after a month or more.
- You can speed up the process by slightly opening the bone with the knife from the sharp end and soaking it in warm water for 24 hours. Then you need to hermetically pack it in a plastic bag, pouring a little water there. Lay on a plate (or any flat surface) that will give access to heat, but will not allow burns, and place on the battery. When the core is fully opened, exposing the germ of the sprout with a spine, open the bag and constantly add water to maintain moisture. You can not overfill, otherwise the germ will rot. When greenery is transplanted into the ground.
- If the shell is too hard and when the seeds are opened, the germ can be damaged, put the latter in slightly warm water, and then place it on a sunny window. After changing the water every two days. And when the bone softens, try to open it.
- With easy opening, you can carefully remove the core, wrap it with a napkin moistened with warm water and in this form deepen it into the soil. Just like when planting a normal bone, leaving a blunt end at the top.
- You can remove the core and, wrapping it in a damp cloth, place in a warm place on a saucer with water, constantly monitoring its level. After the appearance of the sprout, plant it in light soil to a depth of 2-3 centimeters. Maintain soil moisture by regularly watering the planted sprout.
Home Care
Caring for a mango tree is pretty simple.
Location
The plant is photophilous, so it must be placed in a well-lit place. With insufficient light, mangoes will be more prone to disease and pest attacks.
Pot selection, soil
The plant has a powerful root system, so you need to choose a large deep tank with a fairly strong bottom. This will not allow the roots to pierce it. The pot is needed from natural material so that the soil and roots can breathe, and the mango itself can evaporate unnecessary moisture.
The drainage layer (expanded clay) should occupy at least a third of the tank, so that during intensive irrigation to prevent rotting of the soil.
Better rooting and optimal plant growth is possible in a warm and humid microclimate.
Planting a bone, sprout or young plant should be done in light soil, with a medium-acid reaction. You can take the finished mixture for cacti, adding a little sand to it. Or prepare it yourself: mix sheet, soddy earth in equal proportions with sand (only river or lake). The latter can be replaced with coconut flakes, with sphagnum, vesiculitis.
Watering and humidity
Watering should be regular, soil moisture should be maintained at a sufficient level. But without flooding the earth, as rot may appear. Spraying should be carried out as accurately as possible, since excess moisture on the leaves can trigger the development of fungal diseases and mold.
To maintain soil acidity that is comfortable for wood, a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar should be added to the water when watering.
To ensure the necessary humidity, you can put coconut fiber or expanded clay in the pan of the pot. Companion plants will also help maintain moisture - located nearby they will create greater humidity in the room.
When watering, you need to add Epin, Ammonium nitrate, Ammonium sulfate, Potassium humate, about 1-2 times a month.
Top dressing
You need to make them regularly, but no frills, as this can cause salinization of the soil - which will negatively affect the growth rate.
Top dressing can be as follows:
- In the spring, before the tree blooms, add vermicompost (you can replace it with fertilizer for any citrus and palm trees) - the nitrogen content stimulates the growth of green biomass;
- After flowering, it is best to use organics - an infusion of manure, nettle leaves, dandelions. If it is not possible to replace it with any fertilizer suitable for citrus trees.
Transfer
If initially the sprout was planted in a small pot, then the first transplant is best done no earlier than a year later. The plant does not tolerate it very well and can respond by dropping leaves or even death.
The best option is to immediately choose a pot of optimal size in which the mango can grow for several years.
Mango crown formation
During growth, it is worth pinching the top regularly, forming side shoots and a fluffy tree shape.
Mango pruning is simply necessary - it will limit the growth of its crown, to form the correct shape.
Cut is worth deformed branches directed down and knocked out of the total specified tree size. You need to trim almost from the growth point, leaving the stumps 2-3 mm, extending from the main trunk. The tree tolerates formation well, but it is better to do this in the autumn after harvest (if the tree is fruitful).
Security
Growing mangoes in an apartment is harmless enough; a tree is not an allergen.
Mr. Summer resident: is it possible to get mangoes at home
A planted plant from a seed will never bloom and bear fruit, especially if the seed is taken from varietal mangoes bought at a store, and not from a wild plant. You can get a fruitful plant by vaccinating. If possible, this can be done in specialized nurseries:
- Vaccination by budding. For inoculation, cut a kidney with a piece of bark from a fruiting tree. The knife must be sterile and sharp to avoid unnecessary injury to the plant. On their tree, make an incision in shape resembling the letter T, gently bend the edges of the cortex and insert the cut kidney. Carefully wind it up and wait for it to take root.
- Vaccination with a handle. In this way, the top of the shoot can be grafted up to 15 cm long. The top of the lead and the cuttings are cut at an angle, combined and securely fastened so that splicing occurs. It is better to wind up with a grafting tape, but you can use electrical tape, a plaster or a piece of adhesive tape.
From the moment of grafting to the first flowering, about 2 years pass.
If this happens, then after 100 days, juicy ripe fruits will appear, ready for harvest. But it is worth remembering that a tree that is ready for flowering and fruiting must be regularly nourished and fed.
