Planting mango: planting & growing made easy

The healthy mango can be used for many different recipes. You can plant the mango kernel and grow a mango tree yourself - we will show you more about this here.

There is hardly anyone who likes the flesh of the sweet mango (Mangifera indica) don't like. The fruit does not only taste good in desserts, but also in heartier combinations such as curries or in the famous mango chutney. But with the core of the mango you can also grow your own mango tree very easily. How you can grow a mango, and what to consider when planting and caring for it, can be found in our article.

Can you grow a plant from a mango seed?

Just like from one Avocado seeds an avocado plant, a mango plant can also be grown from a mango seed. Growing a plant out of a mango seed is child's play. This works with the so-called Regrowing-Method. In this way, the core that would otherwise have ended up in the trash becomes a new plant. However, you shouldn't expect to be able to harvest your own mangoes anytime soon. It's just too cold for us and the tropical plants don't produce sweet mangoes. Nevertheless, a stately and beautiful plant can grow from a mango kernel, which adorns the garden in summer and the room all year round.

Planting mango kernels: this is how it works

Choose a mango that is as ripe as possible for planting. It is also advisable to choose an organically grown mango for planting, as conventional mangoes are often treated with growth inhibitors and therefore do not germinate well.

Tip: You can recognize a fully ripe mango by its sweet, aromatic smell. A slightly wrinkled peel and small black dots are also good signs that your mango is ready to be eaten.

Once the right mango has been selected, the first thing to do is to prepare the core for planting. Then it's time to plant. We explain both steps to you in the following section.

Prepare the mango kernel for planting

With our step-by-step instructions you can optimally prepare the mango kernel for planting.

Prepare the mango stone step by step:

1. Carefully cut the mango open until only the core remains
2. Remove all of the pulp
3. Open the cover carefully by levering it open to the side with the tip of a knife
4. In the core lies the actual, kidney-shaped seeds of the mango
5. Mango seeds must not be damaged under any circumstances
6. Wrap the core in a damp kitchen towel and place in a freezer bag
7. Seal the bag and let it rest for 10 days
8. The kitchen towel should always be damp - that is, if necessary. re-moisten
9. After a few days you can see the seedling and the roots pushing out of the core
10. Now the seedling can be planted

Tip: The mango seed should look fresh and whitish-green or brown. If it is gray or shriveled, it can no longer germinate.

Plant the mango kernel in the ground

Before the mango kernel can be planted, however, you should prepare the planter. To do this, create a drainage layer, for example made of expanded clay or pottery shards. This means that the water in the pot can always drain away and there is no waterlogging. Next, mix the substrate. You can find out in which soil the mango feels most comfortable in the section on the substrate. But it is also important to guarantee a good supply of nutrients from the outset. Therefore mix a fertilizer with organic long-term effect in the substrate before planting, which gently and long-term supplies your mango with all the important nutrients. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer has proven itself very well for this.

Now fill the vessel with substrate and insert the core vertically and facing upwards. Sprinkle everything with water and put the pot in Mini greenhouse. There are optimal growing conditions for your mango here. The core can grow well in a bright place, for example on the windowsill and at temperatures between 25 and 30 ° C. Regularly ventilate the mini greenhouse and spray the core with water frequently. Then nothing stands in the way of the successful growth of your mango.

Summary: how do I plant a mango?

• Create a drainage layer
• Substrate with a fertilizer with organic long-term effects - like that Plantura organic universal fertilizer - mix
• Fill the pot with substrate
• Insert the core into the substrate, looking vertically upwards
• Sprinkle with water
• Put in a homemade mini greenhouse
• Place in a bright place
• Allow to germinate at temperatures between 25 and 30 ° C
• Ventilate and humidify regularly

Which location is suitable for the mango plant?

There are three main points to consider when it comes to the ideal location for the mango: It should be light, warm and humid. In their tropical home, the mango is spoiled with warm, sunny weather all year round. You should therefore try to come as close as possible to that at home. Temperatures between 24 and 30 ° C are ideal. Young mango trees are still somewhat sensitive to light and therefore do not like direct sunlight. If your mango tree is bigger, it can safely stand in full sun. So that the tropical fruit feels really comfortable with you, a sufficiently high level of humidity is important in addition to light and warmth.

This is where the mango feels most comfortable:

• Ideal temperatures: 24 - 30 ° C
• Young mango trees: partial shade
• Larger mango trees: Full sun all year round
• High humidity

Which soil is recommended for a mango plant?

Mango trees prefer to put their roots in a permeable, nutrient-rich substrate. It should also be slightly acidic. A mixture of garden soil with a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect - like our Plantura - has proven itself Organic universal fertilizer - and coconut fiber.

This substrate is suitable for the mango:

• Permeable
• Nutrient-rich
• Slightly sour

Tip Repot the mango: After the second year at the latest, it is time to repot the mango plant. A pot is chosen that is only slightly larger than the old planter. The substrate is completely replaced.

Maintaining the mango tree: the best tips

Unfortunately, the mango is not one of the easiest plants to care for and therefore needs regular attention in order to grow well. We therefore give tips on watering, fertilizing, cutting and wintering the exotic plant.

Water the mango tree properly

In mango trees, the water requirement changes with age. In the first three years after planting, the young plants like it when the substrate is always evenly moist. From the third year on, you can let the top layer of substrate dry off before you water again. Since mangoes tend to like acidic substrate, you should make sure that you water with water that is as free of lime as possible. In addition, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs, as this can cause root rot. To do something good for your mango tree, you can spray the leaves of the plant with a spray bottle several times a week.

Summary: how do I water my mango tree properly?

• Young trees: substrate always slightly moist
• From 3 years: Let the top substrate layer dry before watering
• Pour with lime-free water
• Avoid waterlogging
• Spray the leaves with water

Fertilize the mango tree

Mangoes need a lot of nutrients to grow well. However, you should not start fertilizing until three months after planting. Basically, the bigger and older the plant, the more fertilizer it needs. Therefore, the amount of fertilizer increases continuously with age. We recommend a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect, as it is more environmentally friendly and gentler than conventional mineral fertilizers. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer In addition, it releases the nutrients gently and sustainably to the mango plant and only needs to be re-fertilized every two to three months.

How to properly fertilize mango plants at a glance:

• Only fertilize from the third month
• Increase the amount of fertilizer with age
• Fertilize every 2 - 3 months with a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect
• Alternatively, every 2 weeks with liquid fertilizer

Cut the mango tree

In general, no regular pruning is necessary for mangoes. However, mango trees can grow up to 40 meters high in their home. As a houseplant, of course, it never reaches these heights. Nevertheless, the mango can grow into a stately sapling. Therefore, pruning every few years can make sense. The best time to do this is in the winter months. On the other hand, you can easily remove old, dried up or dead parts of the plant all year round.

How to properly cut the mango plant at a glance:

• No regular pruning necessary
• Prune back in winter
• Remove old or dried out parts of the plant all year round

Hibernate the mango tree properly

You may have already guessed it: the tropical mango cannot be overwintered outside here. A mango tree feels very comfortable outside in the summer months. As soon as the temperatures drop below 20 ° C, you should get your mango in the warm. If the tree is in a warm room all year round, the mango does not take a break and is cared for in the same way in winter as it is in summer. However, if the mango moves to a cooler quarter in winter, a few rules must be observed. Even in the cold season, temperatures should never fall below 15 ° C - otherwise the plant will perish. And even in colder temperatures, the mango wants to be as bright as possible. Basically, the warmer it is, the more light the plant needs. In the cold winter quarters you can completely stop the fertilization and only water moderately.

How do I properly overwinter the mango?

• Do not overwinter outside
• Winter in the warm: no rest
• Winter in a cool place: Above 15 ° C
• As bright as possible
• Adjust fertilization, water moderately

tip: Not only mango plants can be grown from a single core using the regrowing method. Instructions for regrowing over 20 types of fruit and vegetables can be found in the book "Regrow your veggies”The Plantura co-founders Felix Lill and Melissa Raupach. The lovingly designed paperback also contains practical tips on care and what to do in the event of a pest infestation.