Mango 'Tommy Atkins' (Mangifera indica)

Mango 'Tommy Atkins'
Mangifera indica

Mango seeds that have begun to rot and not usable for growing.

A healthy mango seed in its cradle in the top of a cut-off plastic soft drink bottle. No water yet.. The paper-thin inner covering has been removed. Only do this if it is loose. Take care not to injure the root and sprout embryo at one end of the bottom edge of the seed. Add enough water to cover the very bottom edge of the seed and add more as necessary so that the embryo is always covered. Keep in a warm place (75 degrees), well lit but no direct sunlight and before long the root will sprout and then the stem. As soon as the root approaches the bottom of the container, transplant to a very deep tub or the ground if you live in a frost-free location. The tap root is very delicate and will grow to considerable depth. WalterT. 7-24-04

This message was edited Aug 17, 2004 10:47 AM

I tryed the water technique, but it rotted. Now I see that, quote: "Add enough water to cover the very bottom edge of the seed" The water level I kept it was pretty high. I have to agree with you, tommy atkins is the best tasting mango. The picture is a big mango keitt compared to a penny (on the left) I bought yesterday, unfortunatly today I cut a peice off and it was hard as a carrot.

Hi Dobe: Most mangos in the supermarkets are green and hard as cannonballs. I check a lot of them when I buy and choose the ones that are beginning to soften a little, then keep them in the kitchen on top of the fridge (where it is warm) until they soften even more. The problem is not to let them start to spoil. Even then, the unspoiled part can be delicious and if the seed has not begun to spoil it may sprout OK. It seems to me that the "hot water treatment" that mangos get when they are imported into the US is what damages or kills the embryo, which is on the tip of the seed and therefore close to the skin of the fruit. The heat is pretty high and seems to be the cause of the problem as I have not succeeded in getting good growth for the past several years. The embryo starts to grow and leaves begin to appear but then the plant shrivels and dies. However, I plan to keep trying and sooner or later will get a mango that didn't become overheated. It had better be sooner - I'm pushing 82...
WalterT in San Diego, where it has been warm lately, but not like up in the valley. :-)

Can you tell me what water level should it be at with the water technique using hardware cloth? And is it neccessary to let the pit dry before harvesting the embreyo inside? If so how come?

Hi Dobe: I suggest you reread my previous postings. Let me add that you should dry the husk with the seed inside only enough to be able to handle it while trimming off the upper edge of the husk in order to be able to extract the seed. You can also remove the paper thin covering if it is loose and sometimes the slightly thicker covering from the seed. The seed, shaped like a large lima bean, should be pale yellow and with no brown or dark spots on or near the embryo which is at one end of the seed.
Have your jar with the hardware cloth cradle already prepared so you can put the seed into it without delay after removing it from the husk with the embryo on the lower edge and projecting out past the hardware cloth a ways so the root will not grow through a hole in the edge of the cradle. Immediately add enough water to the jar to just reach the bottom edge of the seed and keep adding water as it evaporates in order to keep the edge of the seed wet.
I have tried 8 mango seeds this year, and all the embryos have turned black (or were already black when removed from the husk) and none of them has grown properly if at all. I ascribe this to the hot water treatment through which all mangos pass on entering the US in order to kill any plant diseases they may be carrying. Since the embryo is at one end of the seed it is near the skin of the fruit and therefore was evidently heated enough to destroy it. Maybe we will have better luck next year, but don't count on it.
I have attached an image of a mango seed that looked good altho deformed on the lower edge. The emnbryo soon turned black and no growth took place.
Keep trying..... WalterT

This message was edited Sep 14, 2004 9:41 AM

Hi Walter, we live in El Cajon, so a little warmer and drier than S.Diego temps....I have just read your very interesting postings...I have just received cocoa, coffee and I have the curry leaf tree on order...
The mango tree we had would not fruit so we took it out, I have several mango seeds that I have planted [ followed Julia Mortons directions]several of them have sprouted.. As we buy organic and a few of them from Mexico, would they still be gassed or sprayed or whatever they normally do with the fruit ??..
I have plannted the seeds of the papaya too, but only the Mexican varieties have sprouted [ not the Hawaiian ones]...
The mango tree you have I am not familiar with but will check on it...[The Great Mango Book..Allen Susser]
So glad I found you have been looking for someone who grew in our area....great info...

Hi Pete: Glad to have you on board. Living in El Cajon I wld think you have some frost in the winter, unless you live up on a south-facing slope. How old was the mango tree that did not bloom. They need to be at least 5 years old and don't forget the fertilizer now and then with a fair amount of deep irrigation from April to November. As for your other questions, I think if you reread all my posts you will find the answers. Nothing wrong with planting mango seeds in the ground as long as you can keep bugs and snails from chewing on them. Did you see the image of coffee flowers and fruit on my site? Once I got coffee from the tree to the cup in a single day! Delicious, but a lot of work. Papaya is a lot more frost sensitive than mango, but the way, so protect the young plants during our cold season. I grew some Hawaiian papaya once, but not Maradol (the Mexican type) yet. Lots of Luck. Walter T.

Hi Walter, yes, I read your post on the coffee, very very informative and I saw some great pics...yes, we do get frost out here..we are in the foothills which is even worse as the frost ''settles''..I know I cannot leave my papaya outside..the frost would really get them...Do you grow Litchee ? our tree [ very healthy] just will not produce, but know there are problems out here with out dryness..am going to try misting next year, and possibly some extra perfumed plants to hopefully attract more bees etc.,
Our mango was about 7 yrs old..I think possibly when I was sick my hubby was not able to look after the tree as much as I did..but it never fruited [ had plenty of blossom on it]..This year I hand pollinated my Cherimoya, after I found out that there are no pollinators here,[ finally got some fruit growing]...the white sapote does real well, but still having problems with my Japanese Persimmons...fruits real well, then drops... I have heard this can happen..first year it fruited well, but not last year or this...
Have you tried noni yet ? I have some seeds, so thought I would give those a try...
Also just got some Pitaya planted..the red variety..sorry thisis all a mouthful...I will check on your threads and find out more about you and what you are growing...cheers. marion