Growing your own Mango Tree from a seed...

I ventured on a project this summer that I thought I would share with everyone who loves Mangoes. I cannot imagine too many people who do not enjoy this tropical fruit. For Goans this is part of our upbringing and our nostalgia no matter what part of the world we reside in.
Fortunately in Ontario (Canada) we get imported mangoes from all over the world, but the yearning to see a mango tree in our yards is still a fantasy.  Well maybe not - we can grow a potted mango tree and keep it indoors in the winter. While the tree might not fruit, having this plant in my house has been a great addition to the Curry leaf tree that grows in my home and the turmeric plant I grew last year.
For those of you who would like to grow a mango from seed I have documented the process.  This is a great project to share with small children.

All you need to do is to eat and enjoy a fresh mango, but keep the seed for growing.  Of course this is after you have sucked and licked off every juicy bit of the mango pulp from the seed- you know exactly what I mean!!

Using a knife scrape off all the pulp from the seed so it is not slippery.  ( Friday July 21, 2017)

Now take a sharp knife and very gently split the outer seed on one side.  Make sure you do not damage any thing inside the seed by using the knife to only split the outer shell. Inside lies the precious embryo from which the tree will grow. Remove it gently and place it on a paper towel.

Place the embryo on a paper towel.

Fold the towel gently around the embryo as shown.

Now using a spray bottle of water ..soak the paper towel.

Put the wet package in a sandwich bag and seal it

Leave it under your kitchen counter in a safe dark spot for 1 week.  At this point it will have started germinating.  Open the paper towel and get your pot ready. ( Friday July 27, 2017)

Make a little depression in the center of your pot.  General purpose potting soil is fine to use.

Now gently lay the mango in the depression on its side as shown.

Cover gently with soil only until it is not visible. Note: You do not need to bury the seed deeply.

Water the soil well.

Now take some plastic wrap and cover the pot.

Secure the pot with an elastic band to give it a greenhouse effect. Leave it in a well lit, warm area.

This is the growth above the soil on Tuesday, August 8, 2017.  This is 12 days later.

The Mango tree on August 18, 2017. 10 Days later.