Author Topic: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven  (Read 942 times)

sapote

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Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« on: September 08, 2022, 03:17:26 PM »
I have been germinating the seeds by placing the washed clean seeds (still in husk) in a plastic lunch box -- layering the seeds on top each other --  sealed with lid, in the old O'Keefe gas oven with a small pilot light. I think it's about 85F with room temp around 75F. But for the last 7 days we had the heatwave and my kitchen has been in the upper 80s and so I think it must be over 90F inside the oven, but the seeds love the heat and sending out roots very quick. (I was concerned about the high temp and moved the box out and on the counter, but the seeds slowed down.)
Every couple days I removed all the seeds, wash them in cold water and checked the condition. Washed the container also to minimize mold and fungus.

We know the mango trees don't like when it's above 90F, but the wet seeds love the 90F environment as I had learned in this experiment. When the roots were about 1" long, I placed the seed on the soil surface (in an empty orange juice or milk paper box filled with soil to the top and have a few drain holes cut out), covered the roots with soil but left the seed uncovered. When the seedlings are about 6", I cut open the bottom and plant the paper box in the soil.

Victoria Ave

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2022, 06:20:24 PM »
I will have to try, I have about 25 NDM seeds wrapped in paper towels in a rubber ware and it is slow going. I’ll try half in the oven with pilot light though it’s been getting damn near 90° in my house

sapote

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2022, 02:56:39 AM »
Here is a sample of my mango sprouts in oven:
Remove the hush off minimize the smelly and fungus that could damage the seeds. It's best to wait for the seedling about 3" tall then plant it in a pot, place in warm shade location. Mango seedling don't like direct strong sunlight.



« Last Edit: October 21, 2022, 02:59:59 AM by sapote »

Samu

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2022, 11:28:58 AM »
Thanks for sharing your creative idea, Sapote!

I also have newly germinated mango seeds in conventional pots currently,
would you recommend to plant these in the ground now (late October)
or later in Spring be better for our SoCal climate?
Sam

Victoria Ave

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2022, 12:16:40 PM »
Thanks for sharing your creative idea, Sapote!

I also have newly germinated mango seeds in conventional pots currently,
would you recommend to plant these in the ground now (late October)
or later in Spring be better for our SoCal climate?


In my personal experience small trees planted in fall have a higher chance of failure. With our cold weather and moist soils over the winter the lil guys are more prone to developing issues with wet feet.

I would put them in the ground in spring and let them develop roots over summer and fall to better handle less than idle conditions.

Vegan Potato Man

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2022, 01:01:47 PM »
We usually use a 27 gallon tote with a heat mat sandwiched between 2 1020 trays. I'd be concerned about the humidity levels in your oven but it looks like its working.

sapote

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2022, 05:24:41 PM »
We usually use a 27 gallon tote with a heat mat sandwiched between 2 1020 trays. I'd be concerned about the humidity levels in your oven but it looks like its working.
The seeds are in very high humidity - inside the food container with sealed cover and a few spoon of water :) These seedlings were in there about 2 weeks.

sapote

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2022, 05:30:39 PM »
I also have newly germinated mango seeds in conventional pots currently,
would you recommend to plant these in the ground now (late October)
or later in Spring be better for our SoCal climate?
It's better to keep them in the pot until the trunk is 6 to 8" tall then plant in the ground shade off the summer sun for high survival. I found out that a healthy mango tree will take a direct rain gutter right on top of it in cold winter, as long as it was not exposed to direct hot sun in the summer. Five of my seedlings were planted on the east side 3 ft from the house and so they were all shaded in hot summer. They are not over 10 ft tall and 5ft wide.

Samu

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2022, 11:21:18 PM »
Thanks Victoria Ave and Sapote, for confirming what I thought I would do with my baby mango seedlings.

Sapote, being just 3 ft on the East side of the house, your seedling trees would only get about half day sun growing up, right? If that is so, I might pull a couple of Hibiscus bushes and replace them with mango seedlings then…
Sam

sapote

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Re: Mango: germinate seed in 90F oven
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2022, 01:05:15 AM »
Thanks Victoria Ave and Sapote, for confirming what I thought I would do with my baby mango seedlings.

Sapote, being just 3 ft on the East side of the house, your seedling trees would only get about half day sun growing up, right? If that is so, I might pull a couple of Hibiscus bushes and replace them with mango seedlings then…
Correct. Young seedlings love to be in morning eastern sun then shaded off after 11am. They will grow much better than those on the south or west side. Once they tall then they will get more sun.