Growing tropical fruits?

[Kyle Barker]

Anyoen have any experience with growing any non-citrus/banana tropical fruits? I have managed to sprout a papaya, and trying to get some mangos to go. Any care tips would be great. Or if you know anywhere that i can buy well started trees.

Thanks,
Kyle

[doenoe]

i got 2 avocado trees growing in my room now. Just took the pit and put them 2/3 in the soil. Plastic bag over the top and wait. After a few weeks one broke open and started growing. The other one popped 2 weeks after the first one. they are about 50 cm now :D
Gonna try a mango some time soon too. Just love to see the plants grow.
Good luck with your plants

[Kyle Barker]

Ya i did avacado a while back. they have really cool foliage. Now that you brought it up i think i may start a few of those as well :) They look awsome in day gecko cages.

kyle

[jncoclub]

CAREFUL WITH MANGOS!! …Only if you are susceptible to poison ivy and poison oak type plants.
This is kind of embarrassing. As a kid I was prone to getting poison ivy and such; well that just happens when you are a kid who grows up with a forest behind their house. But this morning I had to go to the dermatologist for a nasty rash. I was told that the oils in mango and on mango skin are of a similar make up as poison ivy/etc. So I have now learned a valuable lesson- no eating poison ivy and no more mango!!

[Kyle Barker]

Thanks man, i definatly dont react to them. I practicaly live off them right now. But thanx for the warning.

[AnOle]

SO what ur saying is u can buy these fruits at ur local grocery store take out the pits and grow them??
Brad,

[Kyle Barker]

Yes. Most of mine went bad.

[doenoe]

My 2 avocado plants are still growing like a charm. Getting a little bit bigger everyday. And i took mine from work (supermarket), doesnt really matter where you get them from, as long as the pit or seed is intact, you can grow it, i think

[Kyle Barker]

Ya, sorry i meant the mango. The pit goes mouldy really easily. i have 2 plants from 18 pits.

[doenoe]

For what i have heard, its best to let the pit dry in the sun or something at first. And wash it too. The you need to break open the pit. You stick a knife in the pit, just a few mm and then make a rotating movement until it cracks open. Because the mango was plucked when it wasnt ripe yet, the embryo hasnt got the strength to do that itself. Then place the pit in some soil and put a plastic back over it. Put it somewhere where its warm, but in the shade. After 3 weeks or so some leaves will apear, then you can take the plastic of. The little plant can then get used to more sunlight. It will get a large roots system (?) so you will need a big pot or something, to plant it in.

I just loooooooooove the internet :D

[Kyle Barker]

Funny you mention that, that is how i did it with the last 2 pits i had and they were the only ones to grow. The rest i left in their "case", and they tried to but died and went all black.