How to Plant a Mango Tree at Home

• Plant the mango seed 1 in (2.5 cm) deep in a container of soil-less potting mix and wait 2-3 weeks for it to sprout. Water it weekly and transfer it to larger pots as needed.
• Select a planting area with well-draining soil that gets 6+ hours of sunlight daily. Plant the young tree in the ground 4-6 months after sowing the seed.
• Dig a hole 3-4 times bigger than the young tree's rootball. Nestle the rootball into the hole, backfill around it, and water it immediately.

Site Selection & Soil Prep

Grow mangoes in warm, humid climates for the best results. Mango trees are tropical plants that thrive best in high heat, and can handle both humid/swampy or arid areas. Most mangoes are grown near the equator, and in the United States they are primarily grown in Florida, California, and Hawaii. Climates with average temperatures of 75–86 °F (24–30 °C) and frost-free winters are perfect for growing mangoes. Mangoes thrive in USDA hardiness zones 10B through 1. Find the hardiness zone map here. Temperatures below 30 °F (−1 °C) damage mango trees, and temps below 40 °F (4 °C) interfere with flowering and fruiting. Mangoes prefer 12 inches (30.5 cm) of rainfall (or less) per year.

Select a roomy planting area that gets 6 hours of sunlight daily. Grow mangoes in large pots or pick a spacious area outside that receives full sun (6 or more hours of light per day). Tree size varies by species, but most mango species get quite large and trees can live 40+ years. Choose a spot 12–15 ft (3.7–4.6 m) away from other trees so the mango has room to thrive. Since they prefer heat and direct sunlight, mangoes don’t grow well indoors (although it's fine to bring potted mango trees inside for the winter).

Pick a planting location with loose, well-draining soil. Mango trees can adapt to most types of soil (including sandy, loamy, etc.) as long as there's good drainage and adequate space for growth. To prepare and loosen up the soil, till it about 3 ft (0.91 m) deep. Check the pH of your soil; mango trees grow best in soil that has a pH of 4.5 – 7 (acidic). Incorporate peat moss into your soil on a yearly basis in order to keep the acidity high. Avoid using chemical fertilizers, salts, boron and, lawn herbicides since mango trees are sensitive to them.

Plant mango trees in late spring or early summer. Wait until the weather is warm and all danger of frost has passed so the mango tree can establish itself in temperate conditions. Planting time may depend on the species, so check online or with your local nursery if you need more specific details. For example, some mango varieties, such as the Beverly and Keitt don’t need to be planted until August/September.

Seed Germination & Seedling Care

Get mango seeds from large, ripe polyembryonic mangoes. Polyembryonic seeds produce clones of the parent tree. If you live in an area that grows mangoes, visit local orchards to select a fruit. If you don’t have access to a healthy mango tree, visit a local grocer or farmer's market to select a fruit. Ask the salesperson for help in choosing a fruit that is polyembryonic. If you don't want to grow from seed, consider buying grafted saplings from a nursery. Mango seeds typically take 8 years to produce fruit. Grafted saplings take 3-5 years to produce fruit. Seed-grown trees tend to be much stronger and hardier, but they may not be as reliable as grafted trees when it comes to fruit-bearing.

Remove the mango's flesh and clean the pit. Eat the mango, or remove all of the existing fruit, until the fibrous pit is exposed. Clean the pit with a scrub brush or steel wool pad to remove the hairs and stubborn flesh clinging to the pit. Be careful not to scrub away at the outer coating of the pit! Only to remove the fruit fibers that are still attached.

Pry the pit open and remove the seed. Let the pit dry out overnight in a cool location. Then, open the pit with a sharp knife, similar to how you'd shuck an oyster. Take care not to cut too deeply since you might damage the enclosed seed (which resembles a large lima bean).

Put the seed 1 in (2.5 cm) deep in a container of potting mix. Use a soil-less potting mix made for citrus plants, cacti, or palms for the best results. Position the seed concave side down and cover it up with soil. Dampen the soil and place the container in a warm, shaded area until the seed sprouts. This process usually takes 2-3 weeks. Keep the soil moist until the seed sprouts. Put the seedling in a warm place that doesn't drop below 60 °F (16 °C) to make sure it keeps growing. The leaves may drop off if the temperature gets lower than that.

Water the seedling 1-3 times per week until it's ready to transplant. Water new seedlings 2-3 times during the first week. After the first week, slow down watering to 1-2 times per week until the seedling is established. As your seedling grows, transfer it to larger pots so it doesn't become root bound. Mango tree seedlings are ready to plant into the ground when they're 4-6 months old. Anytime between 4-18 months is a good time to transplant a young mango tree.

Planting a Young Tree & Harvesting Mangoes

Dig a hole 3-4 times bigger than the mango tree's rootball. You don't need to add compost to the soil, but if your soil lacks nutrients, you can mix compost into the soil (no more than a 50/50 mixture).

Take the sapling out of the container and put the rootball in the hole. The base of the tree/sprout should be level with or slightly above the ground. Fill soil in around the rootball and tamp it slightly to remove any air pockets. Mango trees grow best in loose soil, so avoid applying too much pressure as you refill the hole.

Water the soil around the tree and tree roots. Mango trees don’t need a ton of water, but it's important to water the new tree every other day for the first week. Then, water it only once or twice a week for the first year. If there are 5 or more days of little to no rainfall, water your young mango tree (under 3 years old) once a week until the dry period ends.

Pull weeds around the mango tree regularly. Pull any plants that sprout up near the trunk of the tree as soon as you notice them. Add a layer of mulch around the tree to help trap in moisture and prevent weed growth. Organic mulch is the best option for mango trees.

Fertilize the tree once a month once you notice new growth. Avoid fertilizing the tree immediately after planting it. Once the tree is established and starts growing, fertilize once a month for the first year with a water soluble fertilizer.

Monitor the tree for diseases and treat them immediately. The 2 major disease problems for mango trees are powdery white mildew and anthracnose (which are both fungal diseases). If you see white mildew or black spotted fruit, apply fungicides immediately to control the issue and knock out the fungus as quickly as possible. Mango trees are pretty hardy against pests. Mites and scale insects may attack your mango trees, but they won't affect your harvest unless the tree becomes completely infested.

Prune your tree once a year in the early spring. Annual maintenance pruning provides space for branches to form. Remove any dead or sucker branches growing from the main structural branches. Cut branches 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the trunk if there's too much crowding near the center, typically after the last fruit of the season (in the fall). To limit outward growth, simply cut off branches that are too tall or wide. Be sure to prune off any damaged branches, as well, especially following winter freezes.

Harvest your mangoes 4-5 years after planting the tree. Mango trees self-pollinate (each tree has flowers with male and female parts), so you'll be able to harvest mangoes from a single tree. Harvest mango fruit by hand when it reaches the mature-green stage. Fruits should be hard and green when pick them. Pull or cut each fruit leaving a 1 in (2.5 cm) stalk attached. Because mangoes vary in color, shape, and size from species to species, you can’t tell if the fruit is ripe until you cut it open. When the meat is yellow through to the core, it's ready to eat. If the meat still very white and hard, wait 1-2 weeks to ripen the mango and then check it again.