Tropical mango is a delicious and fragrant exotic fruit, which has recently become familiar to the inhabitants of our country, who have never been to Asia. Despite this, he quickly gained popularity and many housewives liked his taste. Depending on the variety, the fruits taste like a combination of juicy carrots and tender peach, fragrant strawberries and sugar pineapple. And the refined and refined smell of pine needles only emphasizes the pleasant taste.
Perhaps you, while peeling an orange fruit, thought: “Is it possible to grow a mango from a stone at home?” Experienced flower growers will confidently answer in the affirmative to this question. True, it will take a lot of time and patience to realize this dream. But if you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, your efforts will be rewarded - a mango tree grown from a stone will become a great decoration for your home.
Mango in vivo
Before talking about how to grow a mango at home, you need to know a little about this plant. It belongs to the genus Mango of the Anacardiaceae family. An exotic fruit from India, from where the mango tree spread to the countries of East and South Asia, East Africa and the state of California.
A very heat-loving plant categorically does not accept lower temperatures and dies already at +5 °C. This is a beautiful plant with spreading branches and large green leaves. Under natural conditions, the mango tree grows up to 20 meters in height. The crown is wide and rounded. The root system is powerful, well developed - the roots go five or more meters into the soil, which provides the plant with constant access to nutrients and moisture.
During flowering, tree branches are covered with numerous delicate flowers. Then their place is taken by filamentous panicles, from which several fruits grow. Mango is a real long-liver in the plant world. The plant grows and bears fruit for 300 years!
Mango in Russia
In our country, it is impossible to grow mangoes in the open field - the climate and weather conditions are too harsh for a tropical plant. However, amateur flower growers manage to grow this crop at home and even get a harvest.
In room conditions, the tree grows small - no more than two meters in height. Therefore, the answer to the question: “Is it possible to grow mangoes at home?” - is obvious, but you need to know how to do it correctly. But we will talk about this a little later.
Mango leaves are narrow and long, lanceolate. Their front side is painted in rich green color and has a glossy surface. The back side is lighter and matte. Young leaves cast a yellowish, pinkish or reddish color. The juice of the leaves is poisonous. Often it causes an allergy, which is accompanied by reddening of the skin and a rash. Therefore, all work with the plant is carried out with gloves.
Mango blossoms in early spring. Inflorescences are numerous small pinkish, yellowish or pale red flowers that form panicles or brushes up to 40 cm long. It takes up to 6 months for the fruit to ripen. Their appearance depends on the variety. There are small mangoes, which are a little larger than plums, and giant fruits weighing more than 2 kg.
The skin can be colored in various colors - from lime and greenish to reddish brown and dark scarlet. The skin is matte, dense, smooth to the touch with a thin layer of wax coating. When pressed, it is served in ripe fruits, but does not penetrate deeply. The pulp is saffron, bright, very juicy and sweet, with a spicy aroma with hints of lemon, pine needles and roses.
The mango pit is a large seed. It is ribbed and hard to the touch.
Composition
Mango has a rich composition of nutrients:
- vitamins B, A, C, D, E;
- amino acids essential for the body;
- carotenoids;
- minerals (phosphorus, calcium, iron);
- glucose, sucrose, m altose and other sugars.
In some countries, mango fruits are used as a diuretic and laxative, they are eaten to improve blood clotting, with acute dermatitis.
It is no coincidence that we dwelled in such detail on the description of the plant and its fruits. You need to know this if you are interested in how to grow a mango at home from a purchased fruit. Only with this knowledge, you will be able to choose a quality and ripe fruit suitable for growing a tree at home.
Features of growing mangoes
We have already figured out that you can grow mangoes at home. It remains to find out how to do it right. There are two ways to grow this exotic tree at home. The first, and it is also the simplest, is the purchase of a finished seedling in the nursery. In this case, the acquired plant is transplanted into the soil and the necessary conditions are created.
But as you know, true lovers of indoor plants do not look for easy ways. That is why it is important for them to know how to grow mangoes from seeds at home. In this case, you need to buy a quality fruit in the store. Its color alone does not determine its ripeness. The even green color of the peel often hides a well-ripened fruit. Press lightly on the fruit - firmness, but without excessive hardness or deformation - is the most important indicator of ripeness.
Carefully inspect the fruit - the skin should be intact, shiny, without spots. Ripe fruit has a pleasant aroma. If you smell a faint smell of alcohol, this is an overripe fruit, in which fermentation has already begun.
Pulp of ripewhen peeling, the mango easily separates from the large stone covered with fruit fibers.
Seed preparation
To grow a mango from a seed at home (we posted the photo below), you need to remove the seed from the fruit, and this is not always possible. Cut the fruit in half and remove the pulp with a knife. Then rinse thoroughly under running water. Often, gardeners are interested in how to quickly grow a mango at home from a purchased fruit. To do this, it is necessary to free the seeds from the hard peel. Using a knife, very carefully open the stone and remove its contents, resembling large beans in appearance and shape.
If the shell is too hard, do not try to break it or break it - you may injure the sprouts. Put such a bone in a transparent container for several weeks and fill it with water. Place the stubborn bone in a bowl on the southern windowsill and do not forget to change the water every few days.
As soon as the seed swells, you will open it from the side without going there and take out the seed. Treat it immediately with a fungicide to kill fungal spores. Do not forget that a young seed, devoid of a protective shell, can become an easy prey for mold and other parasites.
Wrap the seed in a cotton damp cloth. It should not be too wet to prevent rotting. Create a mini-greenhouse for him: place the wet material in a tight plastic bag and pack it all in a food-grade plastic container with a lid, which must be placed in a darkplace for sprouting. Check the humidity daily and ventilate the planting material.
An alternative to this method of seed germination is a food container with moistened sawdust. After three weeks, when the first embryos appear, you can transplant the seed into a pot.
Landing
How to grow mangoes from "beans" at home and what kind of soil does the plant need? Some flower growers immediately plant a seed or seed in the soil, having previously treated it with growth stimulants. Others consider this method not the most effective. The fact is that the stone preserves and protects the seeds that give life to a new plant. New conditions may not suit her. Therefore, there is no guarantee that a new plant will start growing immediately planted in the soil.
Put drainage (expanded clay) on the bottom of the pot with a layer of 5 cm, which will provide breathing to the roots and protect the future tree from rotting and stagnant water. Fill the pot 2/3 full with substrate. Make a small indentation in it and plant the seed in the ground with the germ down.
If the seed does not germinate after sprouting, or if you prefer to plant the seed without prior preparation, place it with the flat side down. Immediately after planting, the seed should be sprayed with a spray bottle and covered with a domed lid, a tall transparent container, part of a plastic bottle.
Regularly inspect the seedling, water and ventilate the air in the container to avoid rotting and death of the plant. Place the container in a well-lit, warm place, but at the same time protect it fromdirect sunlight. Excess sun for a developing mango is no less dangerous than excess moisture. If you did everything right, there is hope that you can grow a mango at home - in three weeks you will see its first sprout. After that, the greenhouse protection can be removed.
Plant care
Many flower growers give up the idea of growing this exotic tree because of its demanding content. Is it possible to grow a mango at home, neglecting the rules for caring for it? Of course not. In addition, they are not as complex as it might seem at first glance. Timely watering, access to light, top dressing and timely transplants are all that a plant urgently needs.
Lighting
Mango feels quite comfortable at a window that faces southeast or south. If you purchased a tree from a nursery or store, do not rush to transplant it immediately. Give him 2-3 weeks to adjust to the new environment. Don't be afraid to leave the plant on a lighted windowsill. Shaded areas of the apartment should be avoided - the tree will begin to shed its leaves and may even die.
To extend daylight hours in winter to the required 12 hours, use additional lighting.
Temperature conditions
How to grow mango at home he althy and beautiful, given the fact that this culture is extremely negative about any climate change? The optimum temperature for this plant ranges from + 21 … + 26 ° C. Therefore, it is not recommended to take it out into the garden or onto the balcony, even in the summer. Sudden change in temperatureair, wind, sudden rain are dangerous for this plant.
What should the soil be like?
When wondering how to grow mangoes in a pot at home, novice houseplant lovers often do not pay due attention to the quality of the soil. Indeed, in this regard, the plant is not too demanding, but it is desirable that the soil mixture be loose and light.
The only condition that must be observed when choosing a soil is its acidity. The soil must be acidic. Suitable for plants and a special composition designed for gardenias, azaleas, hydrangeas. If it is not possible to purchase it, add peat to the universal soil, a little citric acid or apple cider vinegar (a few drops) to the water for irrigation.
Experienced flower growers prepare the soil on their own. It will include peat chips, garden soil and river sand in a ratio of 1:2:1. Sand can be replaced with baking powder - vermiculite, perlite, coconut fiber, dried sphagnum moss.
Capacity selection
We have already said that under natural growing conditions, mango has a developed root system that goes five meters or more deep into the soil. In this regard, the question arises: “How to grow mangoes at home, taking into account these features?”
A mature plant will need a fairly large pot, perhaps a tub. It is advisable to choose a ceramic container or a wooden one - these natural materials pass air better. Give preference to pots with a thick bottom, otherwise powerful rootsthe plants will just pierce it.
Air humidity and watering
The plant does not tolerate dry soil, so the tree should be watered at least twice every seven days. Do not overdo it with moisture - an excess of moisture for a plant is as destructive as drought. For irrigation, use settled or purified water at room temperature.
Poorly tolerates tree and dry air. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically moisten the leaves of the plant using a spray bottle. The optimal humidity level is around 80%.
Feeding
Experienced flower growers who know how to grow mango at home recommend feeding it regularly. In this case, you also need to know the measure. Excess fertilizer in the soil can cause salinization, which inhibits the development of the plant. Both mineral and organic supplements are used.
Before flowering in spring, mangoes are watered with a solution of complex fertilizer for palm trees, citrus fruits or biohumus, which contain nitrogen, which stimulates the formation of green mass. After flowering is completed, organic matter is used. Suitable infusion of bird droppings, manure, dandelion leaves or nettles. Stop all feeding in the middle of autumn.
Pruning and crown shaping
Under natural conditions, the mango rushes up, and houseplants strive to match it. If your plans do not include arranging a greenhouse in the house, special attention should be paid to caring for the crown.
After the eighth leaf appears on the seedling, pinch the top. When the tree reaches heightone and a half meters, proceed to the formation of the crown. This usually happens one year after planting the seed. Pruning is carried out in the spring, leaving five powerful branches. Slices should be treated with garden pitch.
Plant transplant
It is only natural that mangoes are initially planted in a small container - a tiny plant feels quite comfortable in a flowerpot. Do not rush to transplant it into a larger pot immediately after the sprouts appear. Such a procedure will be required only a year after landing. Mango is too sensitive to any changes, so you should not stress him unnecessarily.
A tree that has reached the age of five is transplanted much less frequently - once every three years.
Fruiting
Even with proper care of the tree, proper watering, lighting and fertilization with useful substances, it is extremely difficult to grow fruits at home.
Experienced flower growers achieve fruiting of indoor mangoes quite simply by grafting onto it a bud of a fruiting specimen taken from a nursery. Two years after grafting, the tree begins to bloom, and then the first sweet and fragrant fruits appear.
