There are more up to date sights discussing mango seed planting and germination. I've never soaked the seeds in water, especially for 5 days. A good potting soil will be okay. May add a little more peat/perlite/pine bark fines to lower the PH a bit. Plant the seed with the "hump" just exposed. Bottom heat will definitely be a plus. Put in a sunny window for now.

Thanks so much. The paper towel sounds interesting. But now that's it's, Day 6, it's probably too late to root using paper?

Ohio, I followed instructions via a plant book called Starting from Scratch. That's how seeds ended up in water.

Thanks again..Toni

Have you been changing the water Daily?

Nelson. Oh yes, anytime I root cuttings in water, daily change is essential.
A few times, with cut flowers, (don't care for cut flowers) even though I removed bottom leaves, when I missed a day the water turned funky and the odor awful.

BTW, I removed both pits, placed one in a plastic bag, another in a shallow pot with drainage, set the potted pit in a heated tray, under a dome for humidity. The bag is separate. Too much humidity might cause mold.

My son has an iguana, so he purchased another mango. When the pit is available, instead of placing in water like the book advises, it's going directly in soil.
Odds of mango seed germination is low, so the more the merrier. lol.
Thanks for all the help, guys..We'll see which sprout and/or which don't. I'm hoping they all do. I don't care which method works, as long as at least one does. Toni

The first time I tried to germinate the mango seeds I put them in Cold water for 24hrs change the water about 3 times then put all three in a damp paper towel and in a zip lock back all three germinated that way. I also put them straight from the mango and did the baggie method all germinated in about the same time 7-10 days. I have noticed thought that once it starts to grow roots and I put it in soil it really takes off. The only reason I Didnt put in soil first was because both ends of the seeds looked the same had no ideal wich side to bury I even have one thats sprouted two little seedlings will try to take pics and post it. Oh all the ones I germinated were Ataulfo's.

Last year I literally threw in 5-6 mango seeds in my Cannes corner. All of them germinated in about two weeks.

Nelson, what does the cold water do?

Mdox, what is a Cannes corner? lol..Toni

>>Mdox, what is a Cannes corner?

I have put a bunch of Canna Indica plants in a corner and generally I sow anything tropical there as well. I have put two mango seeds last week, will let you know if I can get it to germinate.

Can anyone please tell me, If a mango fruit was refrigerated for a few days before eaten will the seed be useless ? Also when soaking the seed in water, if the seed splits in two is it game over ? Even though there is a tiny little nub of a sprout at the end, like you see in a peanut when you split it in two ..... ?
Jewelyn

I just sprouted a refrigerated mango seed. It took 10-14 days in the paper towel and plastic bag. I planted it in a 6 inch pot this morning, watered with lukewarm water and put another plastic bag over the pot. I am hoping it continues to grow!

Been hiding in the bushes; can I come out now and join the fun.

Squirrels often eat my mangos, all but the seeds, and they fall to the ground in shrubs where I miss seeing them, and germinate. I've had many of them come up; in fact had fruit on one of them that I just left where it grew for the first time last year. I did nothing with them. They just did their own thing.

Darn Squirrels..lol..I started an Avacado from a pit..It germinated then grew about 2' tall..spring came, outside it went..
The squirrels not only ate the foliage and stems but the pit too..I thought avacado pits were toxic???
I've grown 'cados many time, some germinated others didn't..the 'cado the squirrels devoured was the prettiest, healthiest and longest-lived.
Now when my latest 'cado is summered outside, it's placed in front, behind a plant, against the house..the bad thing is, because it's behind a larger plant, it doesn't get adequate sunlight.

I still want to try germinating a Mango..Has anyone here been successful? Especially those who live in cold areas, where plants are indoors during winter..

There's many other store-bought fruit that can be started as houseplants..Sugar cane is one..I once bought a cane, followed directions to a T, but nothing happened..lol
Beans work, too.
Yams/sweet potatoes are pretty, but those sold here are sprayed with a retardant..the spray prevents them from sprouting eyes. All After a certain amount of time they rot.

Some seeds need a chilling period before sprouting. I have beans but they're in the fridge..wonder if the cold would prevent them from sprouting..Toni

PS..anyone have pics of Mangos?

TO PLANT MANGO SEEDS:

The seed of a mango looks like a giant lima bean with the consistency and color of an avocado seed.

1. Remove the husk covering the seed. Carefully cut a very thin sliver of husk on the edge (the thin side, not the broad side of the husk) of the mango husk (seed, pit, etc.). Be careful not to cut too deeply, otherwise you will cut into the seed.

2. Once the thin sliver is cut of the husk, look for the space between the husk and the actual seed. Always being Careful not to cut the seed, use a knife or pliers to take apart the husk.

3. With a thin-nose pliers, hold the edge of the husk at the cutting and pull apart the husk carefully enough not to damage the seed and to expose the seed. Sometimes, the seeds will show a small root, cotyledons might be green with chlorophyl--already developing.

4. Plant the seed, keep soil warm and moist, just as suggested for any seed or cutting.

5. Depending on how far along germinating the seed is, the plant will come up.

Just be careful not to cut yourself, if you have not let the husk dry, use paper towels to get a good hold of the husk while trying to cut the thin sliver of husk to remove pit from inside husk.

hopefulauthor, I have 2 ft seedlings of Kent and Keitt mangoes that I sprouted. I broke open the husk like the previous poster says and then wrapped the kernel in a moist paper towel and put it in a ziploc bag, left the bag open and placed it on my kitchen window sill. Within 5 days I got tap roots and then I changed the paper towel and re-wrapped it, moistened it and left it inside the open ziploc bag for a week more. Both developed 5-6 leaves. I then potted them up in potting soil mixed with perlite. I put the kernel horizontal with the root pointing down when planting. That is it. I have pictures, I will post them later.
I just got a bunch of Ataulfo and Champagne mangoes - these are polyembryonic and come true from seed. After we eat them this weekend, I am going to sprout the seeds.
BTW/ in cold climates if you are leaving the plant outside or in your garage with protection, seedlings are better - because my grafted mango froze until the graft a few years back leaving me with a useless rootstock. But the seedling manila mango that a neighbor got from Laverne nursery grew back from the stump and is doing well.
I love to sprout mango seeds and my little son and I watch the "baby trees" growing all the time. might even try my hand at grafting if i get too many baby trees this year.

on June 10th of this year I put three mango seeds that came from ripe mangoes sold in a Mexican grocery store nearby where my boyfriend lives. I removed the lima bean seeds from the husk, and placed them in a ziplock baggie with a damp paper towel. I left them at his place to go my cousins wedding, when we came back I took a look at the seeds which had roots growing. at that point I placed them in a self watering container that only had paper towels in it, and let them grow! Yesterday I took this picture of one of the seeds before planting it, two of the seeds were like this, the third had three roots growing from it which I also planted.
(I'm thinking one seed will produce more than one seedling)

{{gwi:1308020}}

did somebody ask for pics of mangos?

this is a Jamaican favorite named Julie after St. Julian, its a natural dwarf growing to about 8 feet

Ice Cream mango, introduced by Maurice Kong from Tobago, also Dwarf

Alampur Baneshan from Andrah Pradesh, North India,

Alphonso most popular market variety in India

Nam Doc Mai from Thailand introduced 1973 by the USDA

Tong Dam - (black gold) Thailand in 1973 by Dr. Robert J. Knight RFC Miami

Po Pyu Kalay - Myanmar (Burma)

Chouanon - Thailand

Rosigold, Florida cultuivar, Dwarf

Carrie, Florida cultivar

St Maui, dont know too much about it recently picked it up

i have a few more too i cant find pictures of at the moment, my complete grow list is on my page if you click on my screenname

not sure if you are aware or not, but the mango seed you planted WILL NOT fruit t to type, meaning its fruit will probably be less desirable, stringy, turpentine flavor, or may not fruit at all

all my trees are grafted, meaning a scion branch of a known variety was fused to an already existing rooted tree. this is the only way to guarantee a known variety from mangos that are monoembryonic. mangos that are monoembryonic are indian types, round, red, orange.

Asian mangos like the phillipine in my picture are polyembryonic meaning they will have multiple sprouts, the survivng one is usually true to type. they are usually green or yellow and long, kidney shaped.

sounds like you are just trying to grow a tree though and dont really anticipate fruit. if you go into the tropical fruit forum you will find people like ch3rri growing potted dwarf mango trees and winterizing them indoors without a greenhouse.

the mango you buy in your store is a Tommy Atkins and is not worth the $1 you pay for them here, they really have no flavor

Champagne mango, (these are the type you want to plant the seed from)

Glenn and Phillipine mangos

That's greats really good info. Going to try my mango seeds today, THANK YOU. I have purple plum tree's that bloom every year but plums fall off before they mature. Can anyone help with this problem?