How to Grow Grafted Mangoes

Clean the mango pit free of pulp. Use a paring knife to peel flesh away from the pit and then soak it in water for an hour. Scrub the soft flesh from the pit. Let the pit air dry, then use sandpaper to scratch the pit. Apply a chisel and hammer to the edge of the pit gently to crack the pit open along the side.

Fill a jar with water and put the seed into the jar, allowing it to float on the surface. Keep the jar in a dark place and change the water every other day for two weeks or more. When the seed sprouts, plant it 3 inches deep in potting soil. Water the soil until it is evenly moist. Grow it for six to eight months in a sunny location.

Select a healthy stem on a mature mango tree. The stem should be swelling but not yet sprouting and as thick as the seedling rootstock you grew from the pit. Cut a section at the end of the stem that is 5 to 6 inches long using a very sharp knife that has been previously wiped with alcohol to sterilize it.

Strip the stem of all leaves and cut the end in two sloped cuts that create a point. Cut the top off the seedling 10 inches above the soil and then make a V cut into the wood that mirrors the pointed cut.

Insert the harvested stem into the seedling rootstock. Wrap the union with grafting tape until the entire cut edges are sealed. Place the grafted plant in a moderately lit area where temperatures are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover it with the paper bag to shade it if grown outdoors. Keep the plant moist.

Check the graft in a month and remove the bag and tape when the graft has taken. Place the plant in a sunny location and keep it evenly moist. Pinch off new top growth as it occurs to encourage branching.

Fertilize the plant every three months with fish emulsion diluted in water at the amount recommended on the label. Do not fertilize in winter. Transplant the tree outdoors in early spring when it is two years old into any type of soil, as long as it is well drained and has a pH between 5.5 and 7.5.