Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

youtube.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 219 posts

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#61

Post by culi »

SamBam wrote: post #46
akudha wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a general rule, fruits and vegetables don’t taste good in the U.S, compared to countries like India. They last much longer here though. I don’t know the reason, but I can speculate - too many chemicals probably? Every time I am in India, I pig out. Yet, I rarely put on weight. I eat way less (like 50% less) in the U.S, and put on weight easily unless I am super careful. This is not to say all foods are awesome in…

The main difference is fruits and vegetables in the US are bred for storage and transport, and not for flavor. This is starting to swing back, with people appreciating flavor, but this will require people to accept that there are seasons to fruits and vegetables, which is hard when you're used to year-round supply. But if you want a tomato in January or an apple in June, those just aren't going to taste as good.

> The main difference is fruits and vegetables in the US are bred for storage and transport, and not for flavor.

I've heard this take a lot, but I really think it has a lot more to do with how we treat our soils. American agriculture is obsessed with sterile soils. But the MAJORITY of plants in the wild get the MAJORITY of their nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi. Something which is not present in sterilized soil.

They are quite fragile too. Not only are they killed by pesticides/fungicides, but even artificial fertilizers hurt them because plants rely on lack of phosphorus for them to start the signaling process to hook up with the fungi. Artificial phosphorus is much less bioavailable to plants, but its presence is enough to make them not start that complicated chemical dance

The mineral content of our vegetables has declined by over 90% since 1914.[0] I'd find it hard to believe this lack of nutrient doesn't also have a massive impact on flavor profiles

[0] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-an...

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#62

Post by VBprogrammer »

gumby wrote: post #47
Ozzie_osman wrote: post #34

I grew up in Egypt, my dad is from a town on the Suez Canal called Ismailia, famous for its mangoes. We would wait the whole year for mango season (August/September). As kids, our clothes would all get mango stains. Our parents would make us take our shirts off before we eat them to avoid that. I moved to the US, and I haven't had a good mango here. When friends visit Egypt, I tell them to get mangoes (in season, aro…

A lot of tropical fruit is uninteresting in the USA: bananas, pineapple, mangoes etc have little flavor and typically one variety is available at most. I sometimes have 50 year old memories in dreams of eating fresh fruit and they are so different in form and flavor I wonder if they are hallucinations. But as you point out, they require a climate unavailable on the continent so have to be harvested unripe and transpo…

> I should be amazed they exist at all.

Exactly this. Go back a century and the idea of eating exotic fruits like these was the only available to the wealthiest.

It's a shame in a way that bananas and the like have become ubiquitous, to the detriment of fruits which were locally available.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#63

Post by perfectstorm »

akudha wrote: post #45
lotsofpulp wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever since I ate mangos in India during mango season (I was there in May/June), I have not been able to enjoy a mango in the US. Especially this variety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gir_Kesar I feel like I should be able to smell it from across the room, and there should be no fibers. I have had really good mangos in Kenya/Zimbabwe/Zambia too though.

As a general rule, fruits and vegetables don’t taste good in the U.S, compared to countries like India. They last much longer here though. I don’t know the reason, but I can speculate - too many chemicals probably? Every time I am in India, I pig out. Yet, I rarely put on weight. I eat way less (like 50% less) in the U.S, and put on weight easily unless I am super careful. This is not to say all foods are awesome in…

I'm glad i'm not the only person who noticed the weight gain aspect and i have similar stories. I would eat three full meals a day whenever I go to India but I rarely gain any weight. I can't imagine what sort of weight gain I would get if i eat three similar meals here in the U.S.

When it's mango season in India you could smell from nearby areas (with right wind conditions). The mangoes you get at grocery stores in US has no smell and oftentimes taste plain/lifeless.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#64

Post by edge17 »

SamBam wrote: post #46
akudha wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a general rule, fruits and vegetables don’t taste good in the U.S, compared to countries like India. They last much longer here though. I don’t know the reason, but I can speculate - too many chemicals probably? Every time I am in India, I pig out. Yet, I rarely put on weight. I eat way less (like 50% less) in the U.S, and put on weight easily unless I am super careful. This is not to say all foods are awesome in…

The main difference is fruits and vegetables in the US are bred for storage and transport, and not for flavor. This is starting to swing back, with people appreciating flavor, but this will require people to accept that there are seasons to fruits and vegetables, which is hard when you're used to year-round supply. But if you want a tomato in January or an apple in June, those just aren't going to taste as good.

For mangos the varieties that dominate in the US are the ones grown by the mexican and south american producers. They actively lobby to keep out other producer, and they can't just change what they grow overnight (nor does it benefit them since they already control the US market).

US food inspectors are required in places like India and Asia, but if enough inspectors aren't hired then you can't expect the exports to grow in a meaningful way. As you can imagine incumbent mango producers in the US don't want more inspectors in these countries. It's basically a cartel.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#65

Post by culi »

andrew_ wrote: post #8

For growing mango from seed, or really anything from seed, you cannot beat a small plastic container (like what cottage cheese, sour cream, or green yogurt might come in) filled halfway with coconut coir. It's absolutely the best medium for germinating seed. Fill halfway with coir and water once a week. Coconut coir keeps water evenly distributed and I've never had a seed or seedling mold over using it. I personally…

Peat moss is a good alternative as well and has most of the same properties you pointed out

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#66

Post by jitendrac »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #36
Ozzie_osman wrote: post #34

I grew up in Egypt, my dad is from a town on the Suez Canal called Ismailia, famous for its mangoes. We would wait the whole year for mango season (August/September). As kids, our clothes would all get mango stains. Our parents would make us take our shirts off before we eat them to avoid that. I moved to the US, and I haven't had a good mango here. When friends visit Egypt, I tell them to get mangoes (in season, aro…

Ever since I ate mangos in India during mango season (I was there in May/June), I have not been able to enjoy a mango in the US. Especially this variety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gir_Kesar I feel like I should be able to smell it from across the room, and there should be no fibers. I have had really good mangos in Kenya/Zimbabwe/Zambia too though.

That's my favorite, And our family eats them in season every year. To get the real test of the kesar mangoes, you must get them when they are still green, and ripe them at home.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#67

Post by awb »

Ozzie_osman wrote: post #34

I grew up in Egypt, my dad is from a town on the Suez Canal called Ismailia, famous for its mangoes. We would wait the whole year for mango season (August/September). As kids, our clothes would all get mango stains. Our parents would make us take our shirts off before we eat them to avoid that. I moved to the US, and I haven't had a good mango here. When friends visit Egypt, I tell them to get mangoes (in season, aro…

I’ve never had an Egyptian mango so I can’t compare but mangoes grow quite well in Hawaii and taste great to me.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#68

Post by moeris »

Ozzie_osman wrote: post #39
atulatul wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably tropical weather is needed. In mango season (March-July), I feel blessed to be in India. Many varieties, my favorite being Alphonso: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonso_(mango)

We have Alphonso in Egypt, too! Though I prefer Eweis which is much sweeter. I've heard most of the mango strains in Egypt originated in India and spread there during British rule.

In fact, we have Alphonso mangoes in the US on a seasonal basis. Add others have pointed out, they're likely not as good due to shipping constraints.

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#69

Post by joak »

bradrn wrote: post #5

Amazing video! I recently found some ginkgo seeds and have also been trying to make them grow. Some had naturally germinated, so I tried to replicate the conditions where I found those ones (covered with ~1cm of soil, in a shady spot, receiving some rain), but no luck as of now. Perhaps I should try soaking some in water in a closed container as shown in the video. (Assuming it is water, of course; a clear liquid cou…

Ginkgos are peculiar plants, with ovules and spermatozoids. I don't know if the term "seed" applies well. You need an (fertilized) egg to grow the plant.

https://kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/ovule.htm

Re: Growing a mango tree from seed – one year time lapse [video]

#70

Post by tehwebguy »

Ozzie_osman wrote: post #34

I grew up in Egypt, my dad is from a town on the Suez Canal called Ismailia, famous for its mangoes. We would wait the whole year for mango season (August/September). As kids, our clothes would all get mango stains. Our parents would make us take our shirts off before we eat them to avoid that. I moved to the US, and I haven't had a good mango here. When friends visit Egypt, I tell them to get mangoes (in season, aro…

Have you visited Miami in season? I avoided them sue to allergies in the family but we had a few mango trees in our yard which would produce mangos so large they would fall off the tree and burst when they hit the ground.
Post reply on HN