A lady who loves to eat mangosteen had asked during a previous agri forum that she intended to plant mangosteen in her spacious backyard. She asked: Which is better, to plant a grafted seedling or a non-grafted one?

Well, there are pros and cons. Some hobbyists go for the grafted mangosteen for their own good reasons. Grafted mangosteen are usually low-growing so it is easier to manage. The owner can do the pruning conveniently Spraying foliar fertilizer is easier And so is harvesting the fruits.

The problem is that some of the grafted mangosteen are stunted and they are usually weak plants. Those that grow to five to six feet tall are good and they will bear a considerable number of fruits, especially if they are adequately fertilized. Grafted trees don’t necessarily bear fruit earlier than the non-grafted ones. However, some do bear fruit earlier than non-grafted seedlings.  Some grafted mangosteen may start bearing fruit four years from planting.

Farmers who grow mangosteen in relatively big areas prefer to plant the non-grafted seedlings. That’s because they grow bigger and produce more branches. Since the fruit is borne at the tip of each branch or branchlet, the non-grafted trees really produce much more fruits.

Meanwhile, mangosteen is one of the recommended fruit trees to grow between coconut trees in a plantation. This could produce additional income to coconut farmers. Mangosteen grows well under partial shade, especially during their juvenile stage. When full grown, they can take full sun.