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I've planted the seeds from grocery store mangoes for fun too and yes, they all turn out to very different. some grew to 3 feet in no time at all while others never made it above a foot before I let it die over winter. Some varieties even sprout two separate trunks from the same seed.

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Growing smaller mango trees could be the key to producing more fruit in the orchard.

At least that's what Ken Rayner, a mango rootstock breeder from Katherine in the Northern Territory, seems to think. In his orchard there are normal trees, small trees and even dwarf trees.

"(Dwarf trees) probably only reach a maximum height of seven or eight feet. A small variety usually reaches around about three to three and a half metres."

About 20 years ago Ken Rayner gave up bridge building and started breeding rootstock for mango trees.

"I've gotta do something in my old age. I'm a bridge builder by profession but always had a keen interest in plant life and so I took it up... as an interest.

'And I was told by a professional that rootstocks for mangoes didn't matter so I thought well that can't be right, so here I am."

Now somewhat a specialist in the business of downsizing mango trees, he says there are benefits that come with the tree getting smaller.

"They are much easier to handle, easier to prune, easier to pick. They can be planted closer together, which can give you an increase of possibly one third on tree numbers in the hectare, which would increase productivity over the fruiting season."

Although the tree is smaller, Mr Rayner says the fruit is usually the same size as a normal mango.

"Some small trees do produce small fruit naturally, but that's usually in the breeding. If you're using rootstock that dwarfs the tree the fruit size of the small fruiting variety is usually the same as the tree grows normally."

There's even a chance that more mangoes can come out of an orchard of smaller tree varieties.

"In some cases if the tree is pruned and kept in check to a reasonable workable height, you could probably get an increase of production from your smaller trees on account of the closer plantings," says Mr Rayner.

Mr Rayner relies entirely on hand pollination for his work. Despite the tedious nature of the method, he says it helps with select breeding of mango trees.

"You can cross the two trees that you think are most suitable for your purposes. Whereas if you leave the bees (to) do it, they might bring pollen in from the property next door, or the tree up the road somewhere, and (that) doesn't give you any reliable crosses at all."

Magnifiers and tweezers are used to perform the delicate work of hand pollination.

"You've gotta have a steady hand, you can't drink the night before... a good steady hand and a good eye."

And it's by no means a fast process, with the fruit of Mr Rayner's labour not seen for several years.

"It takes anywhere from 100 to 150 days, from pollination to harvesting the ripe fruit.

'By May/June next year you can usually plant your seedlings out and that can take anywhere from three to eight years for those trees to produce fruit to see what the results are."

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