Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the sumac and poison ivy family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent. Hundreds of cultivated varieties are introduced to other warm regions of the world.
You can start a mango tree by planting the seed from a fruit, but if you want the tree to bear fruit, you should buy a grafted plant instead. The mango fruit you buy in the store is likely from a hybrid, so a plant grown from its seed won't grow "true" and is likely to be sterile (unable to bear fruit). There are many dwarf varieties of mango available that will produce a plant of manageable size rather than the landscape versions that can often reach 60 to 100 feet. Be forewarned, though, that it's difficult to keep an indoor mango plant alive for more than a few years, and it may never mature enough to bear fruit. Mango trees in the outdoor garden or potted on a deck or patio usually fare somewhat better.
After planting a sapling, a plant must be watered every other day for a coming 2 weeks. Once a second flush or set of leaves appear, a watering must be reduced to twice a week. You must decrease a frequency of watering a tree during a winter season and water a mango plant every two weeks.
Mix the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer and water in a watering can. Then simply pour the mix into the soil as if you're watering the plant.
Use sharp pruning shears to remove the sucker branches and the errant branches that are growing in the wrong direction or making it difficult to fertilize the tree. Since lemon cypress has a conical habit, trim the tree as per its natural shape. Trimming should be done every week during the summer.
Keep your tree as warm as possible and always above 50°F. Mango plants cannot tolerate freezing, and even at 40°F, any flowers or fruit will drop. A mango tree can be grown outdoors in very warm climates where the average temperature is 80 to 100°F. If your summers are warm enough, you can put your indoor mango tree outdoors for the season.
