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

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

#11

Post by _Microft »

bradrn wrote: post #3
gus_massa wrote: post #2

I eat mango (10 per year?), but I never opened the shell of the seed. I thought it was the seed. Does anyone know why the leaves are initially so dark and then become lighter? Is that common in plants?

> Does anyone know why the leaves are initially so dark and then become lighter? Is that common in plants? I’ve noticed the same thing in frangipani. I assume it has something to do with the same amount of chlorophyll being distributed over a greater area, but that’s just a guess. Also note that the leaves don’t just get lighter as they grow: the older ones also start to become dark again as they die.

Here is a guess.

Some nutritients / elements are rare and plants need to manage them carefully. That also means that they need to protect themselves against animals feeding on them. For that, they develop antifeedants [0] for example. Maybe plants develop the structure of leaves and antifeedants first before eventually loading it with chlorophyll [1] for which e.g. magnesium is required (no idea if that counts as rare but it is certainly harder to acquire than hydrogen, oxygen or carbon.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifeedant

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll#Chemical_structure

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

#13

Post by leodriesch »

samwillis wrote: post #10
joshuaissac wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I eat mango (10 per year?), but I never opened the shell of the seed. I thought it was the seed. The seed can be planted with the husk, but removing it speeds up the germination because the embryo can access light and water more easily.

I assume they evolved to have the inedible husk to prevent damage while being eaten and increase the distance from the original tree, effectively delaying germination. (If you can describe evolution as having an intention…)

Isn't there a movie about it, the incredible husk or something? Idk I'm not that into movies

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

#14

Post by smoyer »

gus_massa wrote: post #2

I eat mango (10 per year?), but I never opened the shell of the seed. I thought it was the seed. Does anyone know why the leaves are initially so dark and then become lighter? Is that common in plants?

I've grown avocados and it's a very similar process - the leaves of avocados also start dark and get lighter. Curiously, I had a fairly large inside plant that I set out during nice weather and it got "sunburned".

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

#16

Post by nanna »

leodriesch wrote: post #13
samwillis wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume they evolved to have the inedible husk to prevent damage while being eaten and increase the distance from the original tree, effectively delaying germination. (If you can describe evolution as having an intention…)

Isn't there a movie about it, the incredible husk or something? Idk I'm not that into movies

The incredible hulk?

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

#17

Post by cinntaile »

smoyer wrote: post #14
gus_massa wrote: post #2

I eat mango (10 per year?), but I never opened the shell of the seed. I thought it was the seed. Does anyone know why the leaves are initially so dark and then become lighter? Is that common in plants?

I've grown avocados and it's a very similar process - the leaves of avocados also start dark and get lighter. Curiously, I had a fairly large inside plant that I set out during nice weather and it got "sunburned".

Sunburn is indeed the appropriate term. The plant is not used to the strong solar energy so it gets damaged. Most plants will do just fine if you gradually introduce them to more real sunlight.

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

#18

Post by carapace »

I've been growing plants for the last year and a half or so (covid y'know) and it's really enjoyable and fulfilling, I highly recommend it.

Among other things I've got five little macadamia trees, three Torrey pine trees, two carob trees that just sprouted, and a sequoiadendron giganteum seedling about an inch tall. (It's funny to me that the Giant Sequoia seeds are tiny, smaller than a grain of rice, yet the tree grows to be so huge.)

It's fun and fascinating to watch them sprout and grow.

(FWIW, I really like J.L. Hudson for seeds: https://jlhudsonseeds.net/index.html They have all kinds of plants from all over the world, really good prices and quality, and I like their attitude.)

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