How to Grow Mango Seeds

I love to grow plants at my apartment and at the centre. Here is some advice on how to grow Mango Seeds.

1. Remove the Husk/Seed from the Mango

2. Clean and Dry the Husk

Next you want to gently scrub off the pulp/stringy bits of mango fruit from the husk. The purpose of this step is simply to help the husk dry faster and make it easier to cut open. You can hold the husk under tap water and use a soft scrub brush to push the pulp off. Or, very carefully scrape it off with a small knife, always aiming away from yourself! When the husk is fairly pulp-free, dry it off with a towel and set it somewhere to further dry for a day or two (not much more).

3. Remove Seed from Husk

You want to cut the edges of the husk so you can pry it open without damaging the seed inside. I use good scissors that can cut thick things like leather (not your fabric or paper scissors or you’ll wreck them) and trim away the edges. You could also put the husk in a vice and use a fine wood saw to trim off the edges. Then, peel back the husk and see what’s inside. Gently remove the seed from the husk and take off any loose paper-like layers around it but don’t force or peel anything.

4. Sprout Seed

Wrap your mango seed with the damp cloth and place it in the plastic bag. If you are sprouting several seeds, put one on the damp towel, fold over, add another, fold over and so on. I keep them apart with a layer of towel to prevent any roots from growing together or becoming entangled. Place the bag in a dark kitchen cupboard. You can also put it in a warm spot, which is always good to speed up germination, but be sure the towel does not dry out. Set a timer on your phone to check on it every 3 days. Take photos each time to keep track of changes.

5. Check for Sprouting

At this point you can see how the red sprout is also growing roots, and there is another sprout on top. This took 5 weeks to grow.

That new sprout on top (right) is pale in color because it is growing without light. It will turn green when exposed to sunlight.

Now it’s time to plant the seed in potting mix.

6. Plant the Sprouted Mango Seed

Fill the pot with potting mix (suitable for houseplants) leaving two inches below lip of pot. Water the potting mix thoroughly, let it settle, top it up to same level (2-inches below lip) and set sprouted seed on top. Cover seed in an inch of potting mix, water it and top it up. You want to end up with about an inch of space between top of potting mix and lip of the pot for easy watering without overflowing.

7. Grow Your Plant

Place your plant in a sunny location but not in direct, hot sun where it could dry out. Keep soil moist but not damp.