Mango trees are still classified as rare here. Special providers on the Internet usually sell grafted young plants from mango trees. They are not cheap and often do not survive transport. If you have a little patience, you can also grow a mango tree from a seed yourself, which is not difficult. However, it can take a long time to bloom, 10 years or more is not uncommon.
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Which fruit is suitable?
Since conventional mango fruits are often treated with anti-sprouting agents, organic products are best suited for plant breeding. The fruit should be very ripe. The more ripe the mango fruit, the more time the kernel, i.e. the seed, had to develop. Therefore, do not put the first fruit you come across in the shopping basket, but rather keep an eye out for ripe fruit. Sometimes overripe fruits can even be found, which are already showing the first signs of brown discoloration. Since they are difficult to sell in this condition, they may even be offered cheaper. However, they are ideal for sowing.
Ripe mango – as will be continued – pull the mango tree
Late spring or early summer is ideal for germination, as the necessary warmth and most of the light for the tender shoots are available at this time of the year. In addition, the plant will be much more robust by next winter.
- Carefully remove the pulp from the mango core.
- Remove residues from the pulp with the brush.
- If a few fibers remain, that’s not a problem.
- The core should now be allowed to dry for a day or two, then it is less slippery and feels better in the hand.
- From now on it gets a little tricky: You don’t need the entire core, but only what is inside, the seeds.
- In the optimal case, the core has already opened a little.
- Cut open the core with a sharp knife from the pointed, soft side and split with your fingers if possible.
- Be careful not to injure your fingers or the semen!
- Expose the seed inside.
- If there is a skin covering the seed, carefully peel it off.
- Injured seeds no longer germinate.
- Pour potting soil into a flower pot.
- Cultivation soil is nice and loose and grainy, so it is ideal for the tender germs.
- Only press the soil loosely, do not compact it too much.
- Press a hollow in the middle with your finger, about 3 cm deep.
- Lay the core in flat and cover with soil.
- The mango seeds need it moist, but not wet, to germinate.
- Water carefully, preferably with a spray bottle.
- To simulate tropical conditions, cover the pot with a plastic hood or bag and place it in a uniformly warm place.
- The optimal germination temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees.
- Ventilate regularly or pierce holes in the film, if necessary pour in a little more.
- The seeds will begin to germinate after about two weeks, but it can take a little longer.
- When the new mango plant has grown a few centimeters, the foil can be removed.
Location and care
For healthy growth, the mango plant needs nutrient-rich, air and water-permeable soil. A mixture of humus or peat in combination with sandy loam is advantageous. Mango trees form tap roots deep into the earth, so the pot should be as tall as possible. Always create a drainage made of pebbles or expanded clay in the lower area of the pot so that no waterlogging can occur. Mango trees grow very large and very old. However, although they grow up quickly, they do not have many leaves in the first few years. This is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for despair. Anyone who grows a mango tree needs a lot of patience.
- Keep young plants slightly moist, never wet. Large plants like it drier then.
- Always allow the soil to dry first before watering it again, preferably checking with your finger.
- Water regularly with low-lime water, as a rule: the more leaves, the more water.
- For optimal development, the mango plant needs temperatures between around 24-28 degrees in spring and summer.
- These conditions are best achieved in a greenhouse or conservatory.
- Alternatively, the plant can also be placed outdoors in a sheltered place.
- At lunchtime, a little shade should first protect the mango plant from excessive sunlight.
Fertilize the mango tree
The fertilization takes place from March to a maximum of September about every two to three weeks. Organic liquid fertilizers or mineral fertilizers from the trade can be used. In general, fertilizers that are directly available for the plant are suitable for container plants: mineral or liquid fertilizer variants. The use of biological fertilizers made from animal or vegetable materials is difficult due to a lack of space. In addition, the microorganisms required to break down the compost or manure are not present in sufficient numbers in the potting soil. However, these microorganisms are urgently needed to make the necessary nutrients available to the plant.
Wintering is not that difficult at all
The mango plant is an evergreen tree that keeps its lanceolate, glossy leaves on the branches all year round. It originally comes from tropical regions. It is at home in areas where there is never any frost. Cold winters are alien to her, she has not developed a protective mechanism against it, such as shutting down the metabolism and shedding the leaves. Therefore, the plants do not survive overwintering outdoors.
- Young plants can easily be overwintered in the room at around 15 to 20 degrees, provided there is enough light.
- Mango trees like high humidity, but can also cope with dry air.
- Larger mango plants are not as sensitive to cold as one might initially assume.
- Surprisingly, even young plants can tolerate short-term temperatures around freezing point if it is warm enough during the day.
- If the days are still warm in autumn, the bucket can remain outside until the first severe night frosts in October, provided it is protected.
- For large potted plants, a light, frost-free room is sufficient for overwintering.
- However, it should not fall below about 5-10 degrees permanently. Short-term temperatures of up to three degrees are usually harmless.
- As a rule of thumb, the warmer the room, the brighter it has to be.
- The warmer the wintering place, the more it has to be watered.
Repot
The young plant can remain in the same pot for the first two years. After this time, the first repotting is on the program, because the older mango plant needs a different substrate to grow and thrive. Clay pots are more difficult to transport, but offer the plant stability. In addition, they can absorb excess water and salts from the soil. In addition to peat, compost or humus, clay must also be added to the earth. The pot should stand on a flat saucer; tall saucers store too much water. So-called feet made of clay are excellent against waterlogging when you are outdoors.
- Choose a tall pot shape.
- Insert drainage made of granules in the lower part of the pot.
- Put a little fresh earth in the pot and press down lightly.
- Remove the plant from the old pot and carefully peel off the existing soil, but without damaging the roots.
- Place the root ball in the middle of the new pot.
- Fill in the fresh soil at the edge with both hands and press it down with your fingers.
- Pour lightly.
- Another repotting is only necessary after two or three years, but at the latest when roots protrude from the pot hole.
Plant Doctor – Pests and Diseases
In general, the mango tree is a fairly robust plant that seldom becomes ill with good care. Many pests mainly attack the fruit, which is a rarity in potted plants in our latitudes.
- If the tree does not want to grow properly, an aluminum sulfate solution can help.
- Aluminum sulfate is available in drug stores or pharmacies.
- Dissolve a maximum of five grams in one liter of water and water the plant with it. Repeat this procedure only once or twice a year.
- If the leaves tend to form brown, sharply defined spots, this is a sign of sunburn. The plant is too sunny: relocating or shading at lunchtime can help.
- Of the pests that target shoots and foliage, the most common is the spider mite.
- The infestation can be recognized by black or withered shoots.
- Spider mites love dry air, so increasing the humidity can help.
- If there is no noticeable improvement, chemical agents must be used to combat the pests.
To cut
As a rule, mango trees do not require any time-consuming pruning or shaping. By nature, the crowns grow well branched. However, the plants grow significantly larger in nature than in pots, so it can sometimes take a while for a branch to branch out. However, it is entirely possible to encourage the plant to branch out at an early stage and take on a bushy appearance.
- Branches that are too long and unbranched should be pruned for better growth.
- If a shoot has to be pruned, this is ideally done during hibernation.
- To do this, depending on the size of the plant and the position of the shoot, cut the shoot with sharp secateurs after the second or third leaf attachment on the stem.
- It is best to prune the shoots that have become too long while they are green and do not wait for the branch to become lignified.
- Normally, two new shoots then form just below the interface.
- If the plant continues to grow only with long single shoots, which rarely happens, the procedure can be repeated as often as desired in longer periods of time.
- Cut dry parts of the plant back into green wooden parts.
Conclusion
Despite its tropical origin, the mango tree is surprisingly resilient in our latitudes. The hope of a high-yielding harvest is only fulfilled outdoors. Potted plants sometimes bloom, but then don’t produce any fruit. In winter they like to be frost-free and bright. All in all, looking after the mango tree is not a lot of work. Those who water their crops with water with little lime content, fertilize them regularly in summer and offer them clay-rich soil and plenty of sunshine will enjoy them for a long time, because mango trees get very old. However, a lot of space should be planned from the start. Although the mango trees do not grow to a height of 40 meters in pots as they do in nature, they can also reach a stately 2-3 meters height in the apartment and on the terrace.