How to plant and grow mango?
As a rule, lovers of the exotic grow mangoes as an ornamental plant. This is due to the fact that mango tree in a pot rarely blooms, especially since it bears fruit.Nevertheless, the mango can plant and grow each, for this only a bone from the acquired fruit is needed.
Features of the plant
Mango tree is the national symbol of India. This plant belongs to the Sumach family, which is common in the humid tropical forest in southern India. The tree can reach forty five meters.
A ripe mango fruit weighs about two kilograms. Mangoes are characterized by a pleasant taste, a fibrous structure, a rather dense shell and bright orange flesh.
Today, mango trees are common in the north and south of America, in some parts of Africa and Asia. A major breakthrough was the production of a cold-resistant variety, which makes it possible to grow a mango tree even in cold climates.
In the process of flowering on the plant appear fragrant flowers of a delicate pinkish hue.
The fact that the mango tree at home is growing rapidly becomes a real problem for the home gardener. However, systematic pruning helps to make the plant more accurate and compact.
Breeders have developed a mango tree variety, a feature of which is low growth. But to get a short tree you will need to purchase a special seedling, the usual seed from the mango fruit will not work.
Given the necessary climatic conditions, the probability of growing a mango tree in the open field is extremely high. But severe winters, characteristic of the territory of Russia, can significantly complicate the process. If desired, this plant can germinate in the apartment, but you must create certain conditions. A large amount of light and moisture will be required.
Immediately it should be noted that trying to grow a fruiting mango at home is an extremely laborious and thankless task. Getting a bountiful harvest is an unattainable task, and besides, the taste of the grown fruit will be very different from that acquired in the store.
The fact is that the taste characteristics of a seedling do not depend on its “parent”. The limited conditions for proper development, the emergence of a seed from a hybrid tree, the expectation of the appearance of fruits reaches about five years - all these factors have a direct effect on the taste and growth of the mango tree.
Landing
First of all, you must purchase a mango fruit and find a seed or bone in it. It is advisable to choose the most mellow, soft and fragrant. Then, slowly, it is necessary to separate the flesh from the bone. Using a kitchen knife, carefully cut the bone shell, thereby making the sprout available for germination. Thus, the probability of seed germination increases. If the bone has already been split, it is necessary to plant immediately, since after twenty-four hours the seed becomes unusable.
It happens that a bone in an overripe mango cracks, its upper part with a sprout grows into the flesh. It is necessary to remember this when separating the bone from the pulp, it is not necessary to cut the sprout.
When deciding not to cut the bone, it is advisable to place it for two days in a weakly concentrated infusion of potassium permanganate. This will disinfect the seed. In extreme cases, the viability of the mango seed can be maintained by placing it in the refrigerator, wrapped in a plastic bag.
The condensate produced inside allows the bone to remain “alive” for another fourteen days. Before planting a mango seed in the ground, it is necessary to prepare it.
This will require a pot of medium size with fairly strong walls and a bottom with holes to remove excess moisture.
The roots of the mango tree during the growth punch the bottom of the pot, and therefore the bottom should be tight and reliable. It is recommended to choose a pot made of natural raw materials - wooden or ceramic, allowing the plant to breathe. It is desirable to cover the bottom with a layer of pebbles or expanded clay. Then the ground is poured into the pot.
It is advisable to buy a specialized, designed for fruit tree soil with a neutral level of acidity.
Then it is necessary to disinfect the soil. The narrow end of the stone is stuck in the ground, while the upper part should remain on the surface. The pot is covered with a plastic bag and cleaned in the warmest part of the apartment or house. Seed germinates from seven to twenty days.
Care
Waiting for the first flowering of a mango tree will require a lot of patience and time, since the flowers appear no earlier than six years after the seedling is planted. Do not forget that the mango requires certain climatic conditions, and therefore it is not necessary to hope that the plant will begin to bear fruit.
There is always a feeling of joy when magnificent mango flowers first appear. Inflorescences of a reddish and yellowish shade will become an ornament for any interior. You should be prepared for the fact that the plant will have to pay attention daily, creating favorable conditions for its growth and development. At home, the tree reaches two meters in length.
So, first of all, a lot of lighting is required for the proper development of the plant. Mango is a tropical plant that needs hot and humid climates. In this regard, it is recommended to put a pot with germinating seed in the most lighted area of the apartment. In the summer, the plant is placed on the windowsill on the sunny side. If desired, you can purchase a specialized source of artificial light, which will increase the chances of seed germination in a healthy tree.
To activate mango growth, it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime of twenty-five degrees above zero. Temperature is amenable to adjustment with a special lamp. Care should be taken to ensure that the temperature does not become less than fifteen degrees, since such a temperature regime can kill a weak tree, therefore leaving the plant on the window sill in the winter time out of hindsight.
In the process of growing a healthy plant reaches two meters in length. So that the tree does not grow, it is desirable to form a crown. To do this, pinch a young tree at a height that is preferable.
The best time for crown formation is autumn or winter. In the cold season, the mango begins to grow more slowly. If the tree bears fruit, then it is necessary to cut only sluggish or dry branches, as the fruits grow at the end of the branch. Cutting sites are recommended to be treated with garden warrior, which speeds up wound healing and prevents infectious diseases from developing.
Watering
Watering a germinating seedling in the first year should be done every day. The soil in the pot should be constantly wet. As soon as the sprout adapts and takes root, watering can be done once every 2-3 days. A good practice for the dynamic development of a mango tree is leaf spraying with a spray bottle. This helps to keep the leaves clean, preventing the development of fungal deposits.
Spraying is also an excellent imitation of the mango’s natural environment, as air humidity in India reaches seventy percent. You can perform this procedure 3-4 times.
Top dressing
Fertilize the plant will require abundant and regular. In the spring and summer period, it is recommended to carry out soil dressing once every seven days. In autumn and winter, fertilizing mangoes is recommended once every thirty days.
An organic fertilizer containing nitrogen is suitable for mango wood. In this matter, it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions, since ignoring them can cause irreparable damage to the plant.
To get the infusion of weeds, it is necessary to dilute the fertilizer in slightly heated water, calculated to one to ten, respectively. The use of wood ash will help the soil get the necessary portion of nitrogen.
It should be added to the soil carefully - two hundred grams per square meter of soil. If you wish to transplant the grown plant into a deeper pot, it is recommended to add compost to the soil. For a container with a volume of two liters, you will need one tablespoon of compost. Every horticulturist knows about the high efficiency of ammonium nitrate, thanks to her, it is easier for a plant to produce protein, which allows it to grow and grow faster. Use ammonium nitrate must be strictly in accordance with the instructions.
Diseases and pests
In addition to incorrect care, the growth of the mango tree can prevent various kinds of diseases. One of the most dangerous are diseases called anthracnose and powdery mildew. Their appearance is due to the habitat habitat of mango (the presence of a high level of humidity and temperature) and the lack of elements such as potassium and phosphorus in the soil.
Anthracnose visually difficult to identify, but possible. On the leaves of the plant you can notice the appearance of spots of a reddish hue, which over time increase in size.
These spots are a signal of the disease and the imminent death of a tree. Only the patient florist is able to defeat the disease by performing the following actions:
- mango must be protected from other indoor plants;
- should get rid of infected leaves;
- need to restrict access to water;
- rinse the entire root system in potassium permanganate;
- with a dynamically developing disease, it is recommended to use Fitosporin, Fundazol and Skor;
- if the tree has died, it is advisable to burn it to protect other plants from the disease.
When powdery mildew on the leaves of the plant there is a "powder" mold. With surgical intervention mango can be saved. To do this, mix one liter of boiling water with one gram of regular soap and five grams of soda. With the help of a spray bottle, it is worth spraying the leaves with the resulting solution. The interval between use should be 5-6 days.
Disease is not the only threat to mango. Juicy dense leaflets characteristic of this plant - this is a real treat for thrips and spider mites. These pests can often be seen on exotic plants in the tropics. A spider mite is especially dangerous in the spring, while thrips are a constant threat. To protect the mango from ticks, you can use a citrus peel or soap.
It is necessary to spray the leaves of the plant with a solution obtained from soap chips and water several times a day.
An insecticidal chemical will help eliminate thrips. It is impossible to notice them with the naked eye, and their reproduction occurs rather quickly. It is recommended to isolate the mango from other indoor plants at the time of treatment. Spraying is carried out once every seven days for two months.
You can learn more about planting and growing mangoes in the next video.