How to Grow a Mango Plant From Seed (Plus Growing Tips So the Seedling Thrives) Gardening Activities Mindfulness

I try to find ways to garden year-round, even in the fall and winter. Sprouting seeds and kitchen gardening (aka re-growing things like green onions, celery, lettuce and sprouting avocado seeds), are a big interest of mine. There's nothing like seeing a seed sprout or roots develop at the bottom of your celery stalk. When I read a post from a Facebook friend, Laura Spears, I knew I had to share the information and try it myself. Laura successfully sprouted a mango seed!

1. Laura saved the seed from a whole mango that she had used to make a smoothie.
2. She washed the mango seed.
3. Next, she wrapped the clean seed in a wet paper towel and placed it into a clear plastic container with a lid.
4. She coved the container and placed it in her kitchen window where it got sun for about two weeks. She made what was equivalent to a greenhouse for the seed.
5. After two weeks, the mango seed sprouted. She transferred the seedling to a large pot with starter soil.

Intrigued, I researched from the experts how to grow a mango seed:

• Remove the seed from the fruit and clean off all the flesh.

• Let the seed dry for 24 hours, then remove the seed from the husk.

• Wrap the dry seed in a wet paper towel and put into a plastic zipper bag or, as Laura did, a plastic storage container with a lid.

• Once the seed sprouts, unwrap the paper towel and plant it in a pot with good potting soil just deep enough to cover most of the seed without covering the green growth. Keep the soil moist and put it into a warm and sunny spot. If you want your mango plant outside, put it in a location with dappled sun until it really takes off and requires full sun.

Mangos are pretty easy to grow, and growing them from a seed is a wonderful mindfulness activity. They need full sun, at least eight hours per day. If you live in a colder climate, mangos can be grown indoors, but prefer a south-facing window. They may also require artificial light in colder climates. Fertilize the new mango plant with a balanced fertilizer for the first years of growth, then they prefer a fertilizer that's high in potassium and phosphorus. Fertilize in spring and summer.

Laura had written, "It won't fruit, but hopefully will make a nice green indoor plant!" Grown indoors, she's right. Indoor mango plants are unlikely to produce any fruit. The climate in a house is just not right for growing mangos. But if you grow your mango plant outside, you may see fruit. However, it could take up to 10 years or longer until the plant is mature enough to develop a mango we can use in our smoothies and mango salsa.

I know where my next mango seed is going! Straight to the sink to be washed, wrapped and hopefully on its way to sprouting.

Photos courtesy of Laura Spears and Bigstock.

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