Author Topic: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?  (Read 1930 times)

Weboh

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 115
    • US, FL, St. Petersburg, zone 10a
    • View Profile
How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« on: May 05, 2019, 10:45:32 AM »
A store in Pinellas Park, FL is selling fresh mangosteens (MD Oriental Market. $15 a pound though). I got some and found them delicious. I'd like to plant some of the seeds, but I don't know if it would do any good. Since they're a true tropical plant, there's a very good chance they weren't grown in the US. I know usually produce from outside the US is frozen or irradiated which makes the seeds sterile. Does anyone know if that applies to mangosteens? Or does someone know where these might possibly be grown and whether that applies to that location? Thanks.

fisherking73

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
    • Hollywood (Broward county), Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2019, 11:56:48 AM »
From my understanding out door fruiting in Florida has not happened but some have been able to grow them, if it did fruit hoards from this board would be stalking the grower for tips and seeds lol  I think Fairchild has been successful in their tropical greenhouse, which is more humid than our summers lol  Also where I get my mangosteen at Robert is Here, he told me they are irradiated. Obviously that cant speak for all mangosteen, but he is one of best sources for the fruit down here that I know of.  There is a great article by Carl Campbell on FSHS.org that talks about the difficulties it faces, mainly being drops in temp under 40 degrees. So would need to be protected in our winters, and they have pretty rigid soil requirements.  I am hopefully someone has or will crack the code and share with us lol

shot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 967
    • usa fl bokeelia 10
    • View Profile
« Last Edit: May 05, 2019, 02:28:06 PM by shot »

Coach62

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 518
    • Naples, FL Zone 10a
    • View Profile
    • Naples Home Inspections
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2019, 02:25:05 PM »
 Likely irradiated and will not grow.
www.ableinspector.com

Stop New Yorking my Florida!

Bruce

Weboh

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 115
    • US, FL, St. Petersburg, zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2019, 02:59:07 PM »
Thanks for the advice everyone. I was aware of the temperature requirement and was planning on keeping it indoors for the winter, but I didn't know everything else was so demanding. Since the seeds are probably sterile anyway, I guess it's not worth the effort trying to get these to grow. I'll just have to find some other way to grow mangosteens...

Coach62

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 518
    • Naples, FL Zone 10a
    • View Profile
    • Naples Home Inspections
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2019, 09:27:16 PM »
In its stead I’m currently growing Luc’s Garcinia and achacha. Both are slower growing. I’ll let you know in about 5years.
www.ableinspector.com

Stop New Yorking my Florida!

Bruce

Weboh

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 115
    • US, FL, St. Petersburg, zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2019, 10:09:03 PM »
In its stead I’m currently growing Luc’s Garcinia and achacha. Both are slower growing. I’ll let you know in about 5years.
Assuming there aren't any hurricanes between now and then! ;) According to the thread Shot linked, it appears mangosteens have weak roots on top of all the other barriers to growth they have here. It would be awful to baby the trees all that time and have one storm wipe them out right when you were finally getting fruit... :(

I guess fruit like mangosteens is yet another reason to move to the tropics. If only more of the tropics were developed, stable, and had jobs... :( It's inconceivable that that's the case since pretty much everyone not in the tropics thinks of them as paradise and would like to live there... To go completely off topic, if anyone has a job opportunity in the tropics, preferably growing fruit trees, I'm your man! :)

WGphil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 614
    • Winter Garden Florida 9B
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2019, 08:41:18 AM »
Other mangosteen types work better in Florida

Auchacharu, Lucs garcinia, Imbe and Lemondrop mangosteen will grow up here

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2019, 09:27:37 AM »
I found seeds that sprouted in mangosteens from supermarket fridge shelf.They have bigger and smaller seeds and the bigger ones were allready germinated.I didnt grow them thogh.

Coach62

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 518
    • Naples, FL Zone 10a
    • View Profile
    • Naples Home Inspections
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2019, 09:33:31 AM »
I found seeds that sprouted in mangosteens from supermarket fridge shelf.They have bigger and smaller seeds and the bigger ones were allready germinated.I didnt grow them thogh.

I assume that was in Romania?  US law states they have to be irradiated before importing.  And since they won’t fruit in the US, all are imported. As stated above, there are some garcinia fruits that will grow and taste similar.
www.ableinspector.com

Stop New Yorking my Florida!

Bruce

shot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 967
    • usa fl bokeelia 10
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2019, 09:37:40 AM »
Had Lemondrop mangosteen go through hurricane charley 150mph and just snap the top out of the tree,it came back very well.Their wood is like iron and so is the roots.Even if the tree snaps at the soil the roots will sprout for years after.They are weeds some more sour than others so I removed the sour ones and had to deal with the sprouts for 4 or 5 years.
 Had two large mangosteens the same time in structure,not survive the hurricane made me want to cry.

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: How likely are mangosteen seeds to sprout?
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2019, 09:41:35 AM »
I got them in romania.Id carefully remove at least somme part of the seed coating and look to see if the embrio its green ( somewhat similar to mango seeds).I know they were illegal in USA  and probably thats why people say they are irradiated.