Mangosteen (Seedling) Fruit Plant

The mangosteen fruit is highly valued for its juicy, delicate texture and slightly astringent flavour!!

Mangosteen, (Garcinia mangostana), also called purple mangosteen, handsome tropical  tree (family Clusiaceae) native to Southeast Asia and cultivated for its tart-sweet fruit. The mangosteen fruit is highly valued for its juicy, delicate texture and slightly astringent flavour and is commonly eaten fresh, canned, or dried. The plant is used locally in traditional medicine and has been promoted as an alternative cancer treatment, but clinical studies in humans are lacking. Mangosteen is the sweet and tangy fruit grown in various parts of South-East Asia like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. It also happens to be the national fruit of Thailand. Purple in colour, the fruit has a white fleshy pulp, segmented with seeds.  In a varied country like India, the much loved fruit is popular and consumed under the names of Mangustan (Hindi), Kaattampi (Malayalam), Kokam (Marathi), Hannu (Kannada) and Kao (Bengali). The tropical fruit has won the fancy of many chefs and home cooks for its refreshingly tangy flavour, including that of Queen Victoria of Britain. Legend has it that Queen Victoria had kept a reward price of 100 pounds sterling to whosoever would bring her the fresh purple mangosteen.  Mangosteen roots have been traditionally used in different parts of Indonesia for regulating menstrual cycle in women.

MAINTENANCE OF PLANTATION
Maintenance of soil moisture helps optimum growth. Though mangosteen can be grafted, trees obtained from seeds grow more vigorously and give higher yield.

FERTILIZATION
Mangosteen is responsive to fertilizer applications. Soil nutrient sampling or leaf sampling to determine fertilizer requirement is highly recommended. The slow growth of mangosteen can be overcome by a combination of the application of granular fertilizer every two months to the soil around the base of the plants with monthly foliar fertilizer application. A high fertilizer rate during the immature stage in the field can shorten the juvenile period from six to four years. During fruiting, foliar fertilizer may be applied to supplement inorganic fertilizers, to increase the size of the fruits and the total yield

PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL
Few pests have been reported. A leaf-eating caterpillar in India may perhaps be the same as that which attacks new shoots in the Philippines and which has been identified as Orgyra sp. of the tussock moth family, Lymantridae. A small ant, Myrnelachista ramulorum, in Puerto Rico, colonizes the tree, tunnels into the trunk and branches, and damages the new growth. Mites sometimes deface the fruits with small bites and scratches. Fully ripe fruits are attacked by monkeys, bats and rats in Asia. A major physiological problem called “gamboge” is evidenced by the oozing of latex onto the outer surface of the fruits and on the branches during periods of heavy and continuous rains. It does not affect eating quality. Fruit-cracking may occur because of excessive absorption of moisture. In cracked fruits the flesh will be swollen and mushy. Bruising caused by the force of storms may be an important factor in both of these abnormalities. Fruits exposed to strong sun may also exude latex. Mangosteens produced in Honduras often have crystal-like “stones” in the flesh and they may render the fruit completely inedible.

HARVESTING YOUR MANGOSTEEN

When provided with appropriate care and management, mangosteen bears fruit five to six years after field planting. Mangosteen usually flowers only once annually. However, flowering occurs twice annually following a dry period. Fruit set is highly variable. In India, there are two distinct fruiting seasons, one in the monsoon period July – October and another from April – June. Hand picking is desirable to prevent fruit from falling to the ground, damaging the peel. Damage due to impact is one of the most serious problems in mangosteen, reducing fruit quality. If trees are too tall, use a long pole with a hook and a basket to prevent the fruit from falling to the ground.