Hello,
I'm new to this forum. My name is Gary, and I am from England, UK. I like to grow subtropical and tropical edibles and ethnobotanicals as unconventional containerised houseplants/indoor plants. Many of my plants have aromatic foliage; I like to put my chemistry knowledge to practical use by extracting the essential oils and other useful phytochemicals from plant material.
Until I can afford a spacious heated greenhouse, my growing space is confined to within my home, with the aid of supplementary lighting during the shorter days of autumn and winter, and a large clear polythene plastic walk-in growhouse (to maintain a humid microclimate around the plants).
I grow all of my plants from seed, as I personally regard buying young or pre-germinated plants as 'cheating'! I am currently growing various species of citrus (Nagami kumquat, Marsh grapefruit, Meyer lemon, kaffir lime and clementine), soursop, red- and white-fleshed dragonfruit, Hass avoacdo, pineapple, lychee, carambola, passiflora ligularis, sapodilla (manilkara zapota), turmeric, patchouli (p.cablin) and damiana (the last 3 are obviously herb species).
Obviously, the fruit tree species will never reach tree-like proportions indoors, so branch and root pruning is a must (think 'semi-bonsai'). If they ever bear fruit in containers, then it's a bonus, but I am growing these plants purely for pleasure. If only I was lucky enough to live in the Tropics!
I would like to procure fresh and viable seeds of the following:
1.Miracle fruit
2.Allspice (pimenta dioica)
3.Cassia cinnamon
4.Coffee (coffea arabica, canephora, liberica, etc)
5.Canistel (egg fruit)
6.Soursop/guanabana
7.Cacoa or other theobroma sp., such as cupuassu (I know that it is possible to grow cacoa indoors; take a look at Ray's 'Voodoo Garden' Youtube video:
Look what's growing! Cacoa features at 24.10)
Do all of these species grow well in large containers, with regular root and branch pruning?
Having failed to germinate kaffir lime, soursop and coffee seeds purchased from UK-based horticultural suppliers (most of which are on Ebay), I have vowed to obtain the freshest seed possible, preferably directly from the source or country of origin. Whenever I sow fresh, viable seeds immediately after removal from the fruit, I nearly always get a 90-100% germination rate, no matter what the species.
Conversely, when I purchase dried, dessicated (most likely non-viable) seeds from horticultural suppliers, the resultant % germination is a big fat ZERO! Much to my frustration, every seed becomes discoloured and mushy. Eventually, a furry 'jacket' of grey mould covers the entire batch of expired seeds. Pre-treatment with hydrogen peroxide (to kill fungal spores and bacteria) makes no difference. I start all my seeds in moist perlite, which is a sterile, inorganic growing media.
I would be very happy grower if fellow forum members can direct me towards a source of the seeds listed above. To ensure seed viability, I need the freshest seed possible, preferably direct from the source or country of origin. Dried or dessicated seeds, or seeds that have been stored for many weeks prior to purchase, simply don't work for me.
Gary