Author Topic: Trading - Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) & Mongongo nut (Schinziophyton rautaneni)  (Read 2209 times)

stuartdaly88

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Marula
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sclerocarya+birrea
I don't think the above taste description gives this fruit justice. I really like it and the tree grows easily taking some cold(if dormant). Very heavy producers in the wild without added fertiliser and fairly drought tolerant. These seeds are from wild plants and about one year old. I have germinated many many Marula without any treatment like scarification and germination of year old seeds is far superior to fresh and I think they can stay viable a very long time but if your germ rates are bad I would be happy to resend in feb when I get fruits again:)
My plants have been happy in large pots but grow a bit slower than in ground. Male and female tree needed but nut really a fruit I would love to spread around cause as wild fruits go it's a gem:)
I have plenty seeds:)

Mongongo nut
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Schinziophyton+rautanenii
I have never tasted it as the seeds were to precious to eat but it was a staple among the koi San people and was featured in lost crops of Africa book. Not super easy to germinate in my experience and scarification is needed (wild fruits go through an elephants belly) male and female needed. It is drought tolerant too. I don't have as much experience with this as Marula and people I sent a different batch to a while back seemed to have better germ rates than me ha ha!
I don't have any seeds but if you are very interested I can possibly get more.

I want to trade for interesting tasty or cool fruits/nuts that will grow in my area. I get some frost but things like avo, dragon fruit, black sapote, jaboticaba, wax jambu, cherrimoya, pitangatuba, Lucuma, citrus, cedar bay cherry etc grow fine.

I'm really looking to trade preferably as post is expensive here but if you want to buy we could make a plan and I will just buy on headwinds or something lol.

I also don't mind if you will only send in a few months I can get Marula seeds all the time and mongongo I can get they are just pricey as a contact has to get them for me:)
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

msk0072

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Hi
How many seeds you have to germinate to get male and female trees and in what age can you distinguish male and famale? Thank you
Mike

shafak

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Mike, this link should pretty much answer your query. 

Hi
How many seeds you have to germinate to get male and female trees and in what age can you distinguish male and famale? Thank you

shafak

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Stuart, I have sent you a PM.  Thank you.

Ansarac

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Stuart, your list is impressive. You own or have access to all of these seeds?

stuartdaly88

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Mike, this link should pretty much answer your query. 

Hi
How many seeds you have to germinate to get male and female trees and in what age can you distinguish male and famale? Thank you
Msk unfortunately I can't verify that info as all I know about it you can read in the thread for yourself:) I have heard from other sources that the ratio favours more females but again that's not first hand knowledge of mine.

My oldest tree is 5 years old and hasn't flowered but. I have overwatered, damaged roots when repotting and stunted it alot before I learnt more about good pot culture ha ha.. it has put on more growth in the past year years than all four years before.

They don't grow naturally in my area as it's only gotten warmer here in the past 20 years or so, we can grow lots of stuff we never could before. It's hasn't blinked at the temps here light frost in winter and up to 35C in summer but could have grown much faster in the lowveld climate I am sure. I can't give much more info than that as I only really encounter wild trees. Usually if land is cleared they leave this tree cause of the fruits but more extensive cultivation than that I havnt seen. Farmers here are very western produce orientated and there is little interest in indigenous fruits sadly.This plant is mainly known for a very tasty cream liqueur called amarula. I'm not sure if the producers farm those trees or not.

They grow starting like 100km north of me in beyond in starting in what is known as the lowveld (I live in the highveld with a much higher altitude bringing colder weather)
The wild ones though makes so many fruits without fertiliser they carpet the floor. I can't wait to see what some thinning and fertiliser will do! I want to grow very many when I get land and select for the best of fruits:)
I also know that one male can pollinate many females, my future plans are to experiment with grafting a male branch on. I also have younger plants I grew two or three in the same pot then braided the stems, hopefully the trunks will mesh and the odds are in favour of one being female.

A cool thing about the seeds is one seed often sprouts two plants but I assume they would then be the same gender so those I separated.

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

stuartdaly88

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Stuart, your list is impressive. You own or have access to all of these seeds?
Unfortunately not I only got obsessed with edible plants like 5/6 years ago. Most of the more interesting stuff are seeds I imported band are yet to fruit but then I was still living with my parents and had much more disposable income, now I am married with a baby on the way so I hope trading can help fuel my addiction ha ha.
I havnt updated that list in a long while though so I'm sure a couple things have died and not been removed or not been added!

Seeds I can get are mostly indigenous to South Africa, stuff I can get in the wild or through friends/contacts
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

msk0072

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Very similar climate here. Thank you for the details
Mike