After eating or cutting away the fruit of the Mango, the seed must be scraped clean of most of the fibrous material clinging to it. Dry the seed thoroughly. The Mango seed is large and flat and looks a bit like a taco. One edge of the seed will be slightly rounded, the other edge will be a bit sharper. Being very careful, use a sharp knife to cut away enough of this sharp edge to expose a bit of the interior of the seed. Partially pry open the seed shell to expose the plant embryo but leave it intact. Place the seed, cut side up, in a small container of water and place it in a warm sunny location such as a kitchen window. Change the water every 2 or 3 days and in a few weeks the plant will start to grow. When the plant is well established and has about 6 leaves it is time to plant it in potting soil. Regardless of the time of year that I have tried to propagate from mango seed, only about half of the sprouts have survived. One of the problems has been moving the seed from water to soil too soon. The sprout really has to be well established before planting it into moist potting soil. The temperature should remain above 72°F. Propagating this plant may be easier during summer months when heat is free. Another problem may be that many mangoes are picked before they are ripe and the seeds have not fully developed.

The Mango plant can reach the size of a large tree outdoors in tropical climates. Its growth can be restricted somewhat by growing it in a pot indoors during the winter months. It is a very handsome plant with long blade-shaped shiny green leaves. During winter months void placing it near areas such as next to an outside door where cold drafts are likely. The fruit of one variety of Mango is more oblong and golden yellow in color. The other variety is less oblong and has a skin that is green to yellow with about half of the fruit being red on one side. These are the common varieties found most frequently in the U.S.A. All varieties can be propagated in the same way.

Unlike the Mango which only has one seed per fruit, the Papaya has hundreds of pea-sized seeds inside and are very easy to scoop out and dry. My experience with Papaya has proven that the cost of keeping the temperature high enough for the seeds to sprout in winter months was not practical in my climate zone (6). Seeds just would not germinate during December, January or February. When I planted the dried seeds in early spring, they took 2 months to sprout. When I planted the seeds in mid June outdoors, they sprouted in 2 weeks. Growers may want to take advantage of the free summer heat and the Papaya seeds will come to life much faster.

In all cases use a rich potting soil especially prepared for growing from seed.

In the tropics, Papaya fruit can grow as large as water melons. There are several species of Papaya, but the smaller variety that are more common in American supermarkets will produce trees with beautiful deeply incised leaves. Some of the varieties that produce the larger fruit have leaves that are shaped somewhat more like a maple leaf. The plant will produce a tall bare trunk with the clusters of leaves at the top, similar to a palm but with more compact maple-like leaves.

Papaya is one of the nicest things that you can put into your stomach. It can soothe an upset stomach when eaten as a solid or when taken as a juice. Its enzyme can digest 35 times its weight in lean meat making it an excellent meat tenderizer. Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin A.

Guava that I have experience with has been from 2 different types: Pineapple Guava which is the genus Feijoa, and Strawberry Guava, the genus Psidium. The seeds of the Strawberry Guava are about 1/8 in. in size and the Pineapple Guava seeds are less than half that size, (very tiny).

Dry the seeds thoroughly and plant 1/2 in. deep in sand and sawdust for the Pineapple Guava and in any potting soil for the Strawberry Guava. Propagate both varieties outside during summer months in bright but diffused sunlight. Drench with water, then do not water again until top 1/4 inch of soil is dry. The Pineapple Guava should germinate in 3 to 5 weeks. The Strawberry Guava, with harder seed casing, may take much longer to sprout.

Transplant into larger pots after sprouts have fully developed into sturdy young plants. Grow outdoors in summer, but bring indoors for the winter in cold climate zones where freezing will occur. Avoid indoor locations where drafts are likely.