Mango trees grow in warm climate; the trees can grow to a heigth of 35-40m and a diameter of 20m. The leaves are evergreen 15-35 cm long, and 6-16 cm wide; when the leaves are young they are pinkish, rapidly changing to a dark, glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The small and white flowers with five petals are produced in terminal panicles 10-40 cm long. There are over 500 known varieties of mangoes, most ripening in summer, while some even have double crops. The fruits take 4 to 5 months to ripen.
The ripe fruit varies according to cultivar in size, shape, color, sweetness, and eating quality. Depending on cultivar, fruits are variously yellow, orange, red, or green.The fruit has a single flat, pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, and does not separate easily from the pulp.
Mango trees grow readily from seeds, with germination success highest when seeds are obtained from mature fruits. Some varieties do not come true to the parent, but most of the Thai varieties like Nam Dok Mai grow true to the parent tree
Mango seeds don't survive refrigeration and drying out - you need to use a seed from a fresh ripe fruit. To start your new Mango Tree quick you will need to open the pit along the edge and use the plain seed (look at the pictures above). Now place the seed on a damp paper towel, cover with a second damp paper towel and put the towel sandwich into a ziplock bag. Close the bag with some air inside and place it in a warm place. The seed are should germinate and sprout within a weeks. Look inside the bag from time to time to check for mold .
One weeks after placing the seed into the ziplock bag the seed should have sprouted. A root is protruding from the seed as shown in the picture.
Remove the germinated Mango Seed from the paper towel and plant them about 0.5cm deep into 20cm pots or suitable plastic bags filled with a good potting mix. Put the pots in a shaded area with no direct sunlight and keep the soil moist.
At 6 month of age the Mango Tree is about 100 to 120 cm high. It should be transplanted to the soil or a very large container now. Regular watering is needed for about two to four weeks after ocasionally watering is enough. The top shoot should be pinched off now to encourage the seedling to develop branches