Germinating African Seeds: Mongongo, Marula, Harpephyllum, Adansonia, Ximenia

[Caesar]

Stuart's package came in today, and I'm giddy as a school boy! Or at least I was for ten minutes, until germination panic set in. Some of these seem hard to germinate, and I wanna make the most of my seeds, especially with the dioecious ones. Chemical measures aren't an option (jobless college student with no consistent cash flow; what little cash I get usually goes into acquiring seeds); I do have a small bag of smoked vermiculite, but I'm not sure that'd help. What sort of techniques can I use to increase successful germination and shorten germination times? Ximenia seems easy (please correct if wrong), Harpephyllum worries me (I once tried the related Lannea microcarpa and failed miserably), and I know Adansonia responds well to soaking (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=18001.msg243407#msg243407). Marula and Mongongo worry me the most, as they have thick outer coats and long germination times (I failed to germinate Macadamia for the same reason, though admittedly I used no special treatment there).

I've read that Marula has an operculum that can be removed, but I've not been able to identify it in my seeds, which seem superficially smooth. I've read that they do well with stratification. I'm thinking of sticking them in the fridge with some slightly moist media for three months, then soaking them for a week with water changes to see if it helps. Is that a good idea? What else could I do with them?

And then there's the Mongongo Nut... a thick-shelled member of an already finicky-seeded family. Would any kind of stratification help? How about soaking? How could I carry out scarification? I have sandpaper on hand. I need ideas for this one ASAP.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[akanonui]

Harpephyllum should be easy enough. I soak them for at least a day in warm water and then plant them. Marula is I have heard more tricky, here is a video I found explaining the native method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp2nFmrT_XA

[cmichael258]

I scuffed my Marula with sandpaper and soaked them for 24 hours. After that, I planted them in potting mix and made sure
to keep it moist. The seeds sprouted in about 3 weeks.

[Daintree]

My Marula sprouted in less than a WEEK. You have to find the little "eyes", and carefully pry them out without damaging the layer of skin underneath.  I get them started by putting the tip of my pocketknife in the edge of the eye and prying up.  Once you get the hang of it, it is real easy.  Each seed will make as many plants as there are eyes.  There has got to be a YouTube video out there somewhere on it. The eyes are hard to see at first, jus little dents.

On the baobab, scrape the seed with sand paper and then soak until it swells up.  If it doesn't swell in a day, sand it again and soak for another day. All mine sprouted SUPER fast.

[akanonui]

My Marula sprouted in less than a WEEK. You have to find the little "eyes", and carefully pry them out without damaging the layer of skin underneath.  I get them started by putting the tip of my pocketknife in the edge of the eye and prying up.  Once you get the hang of it, it is real easy.  Each seed will make as many plants as there are eyes.  There has got to be a YouTube video out there somewhere on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp2nFmrT_XA here it is lol

[tropicbreeze]

I find Adansonia very easy, A. gregorii only taking a few weeks with no preparations before hand or special methods. I even germinated seeds I'd had in a pod laying around for about 6 years. Those also germinated in a few weeks just planted in ordinary potting mix.

[Caesar]

Thanks all. Good to know at least two of 'em are simple. With the Baobab, I have enough seeds to try both the sandpaper & soak method, and the extended soak method, so I'll give 'em both a go. With the Marula, I've found the "eyes" on a couple of seeds, but most of them have no visible sutures nor textural discrepancies, so if I can't find their eyes, I'll try the video's method, or the sandpaper method. Meanwhile, I'll try to find the eyes on as many as possible to pry 'em out with the knife.

As for the Mongongo... for the love of fruit, somebody help! What can I try to help this one germinate? I need as many as possible, 'cause I don't know if they have typical 50:50 gender ratios, or if like Pourouma they're skewed in either direction. The more trees I can hatch out, the better. Any methods? Scarification maybe? How would I go about it? I need the juicy details.

[greenman62]

i had tried Macadamia and gave up
good thing i had re-used the soil. the seed was still there and germinated several months later.

i had planted 7 Baobob seeds a few years ago, all came up in weeks, i had 3 seeds left and planted them last summer, all 3 sprouted, i must have had the seeds 3 years, and who knows how old they were when i got them.
i did nothing at all to any of them, just put them in the soil and add water... the last time i did the Baobob, i did add worm castings to the soil though. i actually did a test with papaya seeds, planting with and without worm castings. All seedlings grew larger, stronger and faster though germination rates were the same.

[akanonui]

When in doubt, I always soak in warm water for a day or two, especially if it is a big seed with a hard shell. I don't know of any other method for the mongongo, just soak in warm water, maybe scratch or scrape some of the shell off, rhen plant. It should eventually come up as a lot of dry land African plants are very opportunistic like the baobab.

[Tropheus76]

I have done a lot of African seeds, mostly from Silverhill. I found that African seeds in potting soil are faaaar more successful than South American or Asian seeds. Once germinated most of them are slow growers though. I think African trees are just plain tough trees vs SA and Asian trees which grow from ideal environments to begin with..

[stuartdaly88]

I have done a lot of African seeds, mostly from Silverhill. I found that African seeds in potting soil are faaaar more successful than South American or Asian seeds. Once germinated most of them are slow growers though. I think African trees are just plain tough trees vs SA and Asian trees which grow from ideal environments to begin with..

Also most are orthodox with long lifespans I have had seeds sprout up to 2 years after planted for some species while its siblings took a month!

[Caesar]

i had tried Macadamia and gave up
good thing i had re-used the soil. the seed was still there and germinated several months later.

i had planted 7 Baobob seeds a few years ago, all came up in weeks, i had 3 seeds left and planted them last summer, all 3 sprouted, i must have had the seeds 3 years, and who knows how old they were when i got them.
i did nothing at all to any of them, just put them in the soil and add water... the last time i did the Baobob, i did add worm castings to the soil though. i actually did a test with papaya seeds, planting with and without worm castings. All seedlings grew larger, stronger and faster though germination rates were the same.

Well, I'll dig mine up and replant them, then. Should I give them some sort of soak?

When in doubt, I always soak in warm water for a day or two, especially if it is a big seed with a hard shell. I don't know of any other method for the mongongo, just soak in warm water, maybe scratch or scrape some of the shell off, rhen plant. It should eventually come up as a lot of dry land African plants are very opportunistic like the baobab.

I'm gonna soak everything! I hope I don't drown any in the process. No lungs, but they do respire... do seed drown easily?

I have done a lot of African seeds, mostly from Silverhill. I found that African seeds in potting soil are faaaar more successful than South American or Asian seeds. Once germinated most of them are slow growers though. I think African trees are just plain tough trees vs SA and Asian trees which grow from ideal environments to begin with..

Excellent! My panic is gone, now. So I'll just treat 'em normally for the most part, and I can expect germination sooner or later... I'm kind-of regretting throwing out those old Gnetum seeds. D'oh!

I've heard of Silverhill, and I've been tempted to order from them once or twice. I have my eye on Parinari curatellifolia. Do you have good experiences with them?

Also most are orthodox with long lifespans I have had seeds sprout up to 2 years after planted for some species while its siblings took a month!

Then it's a matter of patience... I was afraid of that. On the plus side, if I dig up any old African seeds in my pots, I'll have incentive to put 'em back in, since they're likely to be alive. Higher long-term success, hopefully.

[akanonui]

Since you are in PR, you could even get some of the plants like Anonidium mannii, Cola pachycarpa, Annona senegalensis, Saba senegalensis, etc to sprout and grow well outdoors. If I were in you situation Anonidium mannii and Cola pachycarpa would be planted out IMMEDIATELY, as they are such cool plants and would thrive in your climate.

[nullzero]

For the Mongongo use a small hack saw and clamp down the nut cut around and remove outer shell. Secondary shell requires to be removed as well be more gently and use hack saw to remove as well after reclamp. Or use sand paper to create small hole.

Then soak in water for 24hr or so.

[stuartdaly88]

For the Mongongo use a small hack saw and clamp down the nut cut around and remove outer shell. Secondary shell requires to be removed as well be more gently and use hack saw to remove as well after reclamp. Or use sand paper to create small hole.

Then soak in water for 24hr or so.

The shell is very very thick so I think this method sounds good:)

[Caesar]

Well, I'm feeling like a total Noob.

I took a hacksaw to a Mongongo and a Marula. I lost my patience with the Mongongo (not only was it tedious, but I had no idea if I was making progress or if I was damaging the kernel). I ended up taking a hammer to it and killed it.    I still have 19 more, but the loss still hurts. On the plus side, I did find out what it tastes like: Hazelnut. It was good! I hope the other 19 germinate. I lost my patience with the Marula for similar reasons (though I didn't crack it open with a hammer). In the end, I decided on giving them the extended soak method, two weeks with twice daily water changes (is that too long for the Marula?). I'm soaking the Harpephyllum and Ximenia for one day, then they're going in pots.

Here's some pics of the Mongongos (I forgot to take one of the Kernel):


As far as Scarification goes, I'm a failure. Hopefully the soak method will do its thing and get me a good germination rate, eventually.

Since you are in PR, you could even get some of the plants like Anonidium mannii, Cola pachycarpa, Annona senegalensis, Saba senegalensis, etc to sprout and grow well outdoors. If I were in you situation Anonidium mannii and Cola pachycarpa would be planted out IMMEDIATELY, as they are such cool plants and would thrive in your climate.

Didn't even know about C. pachycarpa or S. senegalensis, so thanks for that tip!    I don't actually have any land... I live in the suburbs, which is why I'm overcrowding everything that goes in the ground. Hopefully I'll get a few tens of acres once I'm done studying, and my parents can care for the ones I've left behind. I do have some extra space out back, due to being on top of a hill, but you can bet that's gonna be overcrowded too. I've already planted Durian, Achachairu, Sweet Madroño and Pedalai there, and I have a Lychee, Marang, Custard Apple, Sugar Apple, Cashew, and Barbados Cherry slated to be planted there, along with a Langsat, a pair of Bunya Nuts, a Mangosteen and Mexican Garcinia. I had also intended on acquiring a few more Myrtles, Garcinias, Nuts and Baccaureas. But first, I must get rid of the Guinea Grass and a few other obstacles, and that's easier said than done for the moment. Baby steps.

[akanonui]

Cola pachycarpa is a very interesting plant. It has nuts that once chewed will keep you awake for a while as they are a stimulant. The flesh of that Kola is also edible, with a pleasant sweet taste. Saba senegalensis has a spicy sweet taste, and is a relative of the Gardenia, so it stays relatively small and has pretty, nice smelling, white flowers. Anonidium mannii is still my dream plant and I would probably be putting one somewhere along with Kesusu(prainea limpato), kokum(Garcinia indica), cherapu(Garcinia prainiana), and a few other plants. But that's just me, I'm not trying to tell you what to plant. If I ever get land in a tropical area you can bet your life I'll be over crowding it with tropicals from all around the world, especially Borneo, Africa, and the Amazon.

[Caesar]

Cola pachycarpa is a very interesting plant. It has nuts that once chewed will keep you awake for a while as they are a stimulant. The flesh of that Kola is also edible, with a pleasant sweet taste. Saba senegalensis has a spicy sweet taste, and is a relative of the Gardenia, so it stays relatively small and has pretty, nice smelling, white flowers. Anonidium mannii is still my dream plant and I would probably be putting one somewhere along with Kesusu(prainea limpato), kokum(Garcinia indica), cherapu(Garcinia prainiana), and a few other plants. But that's just me, I'm not trying to tell you what to plant. If I ever get land in a tropical area you can bet your life I'll be over crowding it with tropicals from all around the world, especially Borneo, Africa, and the Amazon.

Trust me, every plant you've mentioned thus far is on my radar, especially the new ones. It's not really a matter of if, but when. With limited resources, I have to prioritize and choose what to plant now and what to plant later. The good thing about still having empty space though is that the decisions aren't made in stone, and I'm still trying to decide what goes where, which ones to keep in a pot, and which new ones to acquire first. There's also my grandparent's yard, so I'm not completely spaceless. But to fit everything I want, I have to overpack them.

Does C. pachycarpa have a lot of pulp or only a little? Is it like Cacao in that respect, or more like a Longan? And can you swallow the seed, or just chew?

I almost bought A. mannii seeds once, but didn't go through with it. I had heard it was very variable, and I really wanted a confirmed good quality specimen. But I imagine the seeds being sent over are from the good ones, so I think I might go through with it somewhat soon.

From the Amazon, I have an order pending from Vitor. Naucleopsis ulei (said to be the best fruit he's tasted, and that's saying something given what he's tasted), Micropholis sp. and Rubus ulmifolius. He's loaded with species that are high on my wish list, but until I get a job and a good cash flow, I gotta keep my orders small and few... sparse.    I hope they clear up the shipping issues in Brazil soon. I gotta get my hands on those species!

[akanonui]

Cola pachycarpa is a very interesting plant. It has nuts that once chewed will keep you awake for a while as they are a stimulant. The flesh of that Kola is also edible, with a pleasant sweet taste. Saba senegalensis has a spicy sweet taste, and is a relative of the Gardenia, so it stays relatively small and has pretty, nice smelling, white flowers. Anonidium mannii is still my dream plant and I would probably be putting one somewhere along with Kesusu(prainea limpato), kokum(Garcinia indica), cherapu(Garcinia prainiana), and a few other plants. But that's just me, I'm not trying to tell you what to plant. If I ever get land in a tropical area you can bet your life I'll be over crowding it with tropicals from all around the world, especially Borneo, Africa, and the Amazon.

Trust me, every plant you've mentioned thus far is on my radar, especially the new ones. It's not really a matter of if, but when. With limited resources, I have to prioritize and choose what to plant now and what to plant later. The good thing about still having empty space though is that the decisions aren't made in stone, and I'm still trying to decide what goes where, which ones to keep in a pot, and which new ones to acquire first. There's also my grandparent's yard, so I'm not completely spaceless. But to fit everything I want, I have to overpack them.

Does C. pachycarpa have a lot of pulp or only a little? Is it like Cacao in that respect, or more like a Longan? And can you swallow the seed, or just chew?

I almost bought A. mannii seeds once, but didn't go through with it. I had heard it was very variable, and I really wanted a confirmed good quality specimen. But I imagine the seeds being sent over are from the good ones, so I think I might go through with it somewhat soon.

From the Amazon, I have an order pending from Vitor. Naucleopsis ulei (said to be the best fruit he's tasted, and that's saying something given what he's tasted), Micropholis sp. and Rubus ulmifolius. He's loaded with species that are high on my wish list, but until I get a job and a good cash flow, I gotta keep my orders small and few... sparse.    I hope they clear up the shipping issues in Brazil soon. I gotta get my hands on those species!

I see what you're saying. And as for the Cola pachycarpa, the flesh is thin, but it has flesh surrounding each seed. I wouldn't eat too many seeds at once, it might cause heart issues since they have soo much caffeine

[stuartdaly88]

Well, I'm feeling like a total Noob.

I took a hacksaw to a Mongongo and a Marula. I lost my patience with the Mongongo (not only was it tedious, but I had no idea if I was making progress or if I was damaging the kernel). I ended up taking a hammer to it and killed it.    I still have 19 more, but the loss still hurts. On the plus side, I did find out what it tastes like: Hazelnut. It was good! I hope the other 19 germinate. I lost my patience with the Marula for similar reasons (though I didn't crack it open with a hammer). In the end, I decided on giving them the extended soak method, two weeks with twice daily water changes (is that too long for the Marula?). I'm soaking the Harpephyllum and Ximenia for one day, then they're going in pots.

Here's some pics of the Mongongos (I forgot to take one of the Kernel):


As far as Scarification goes, I'm a failure. Hopefully the soak method will do its thing and get me a good germination rate, eventually.

Since you are in PR, you could even get some of the plants like Anonidium mannii, Cola pachycarpa, Annona senegalensis, Saba senegalensis, etc to sprout and grow well outdoors. If I were in you situation Anonidium mannii and Cola pachycarpa would be planted out IMMEDIATELY, as they are such cool plants and would thrive in your climate.

Didn't even know about C. pachycarpa or S. senegalensis, so thanks for that tip!    I don't actually have any land... I live in the suburbs, which is why I'm overcrowding everything that goes in the ground. Hopefully I'll get a few tens of acres once I'm done studying, and my parents can care for the ones I've left behind. I do have some extra space out back, due to being on top of a hill, but you can bet that's gonna be overcrowded too. I've already planted Durian, Achachairu, Sweet Madroño and Pedalai there, and I have a Lychee, Marang, Custard Apple, Sugar Apple, Cashew, and Barbados Cherry slated to be planted there, along with a Langsat, a pair of Bunya Nuts, a Mangosteen and Mexican Garcinia. I had also intended on acquiring a few more Myrtles, Garcinias, Nuts and Baccaureas. But first, I must get rid of the Guinea Grass and a few other obstacles, and that's easier said than done for the moment. Baby steps.

Dude Marula has always had almost 100% germination for me just popped in the soil no fuss:)
Time varies alot though!

[Caesar]

I soaked the Ximenia and Harpephyllum for a day and put 'em in pots. The Marula was soaked a day longer, and now they're planted too. I was thinking of letting the Mongongo soak a few more days, but I'm worried it might be bad for the seeds. The Baobabs are going for the full two weeks.

While I was at it, I soaked and planted several different species of Passiflora, but I'm not sure how good germination will be. They weren't fresh.

The side yard was finished last week, and the trees have been soaking up all the extra rain and putting out new growth. Everything's going well so far.

[Stan]

Well, I'm feeling like a total Noob.

I took a hacksaw to a Mongongo and a Marula. I lost my patience with the Mongongo (not only was it tedious, but I had no idea if I was making progress or if I was damaging the kernel). I ended up taking a hammer to it and killed it.    I still have 19 more, but the loss still hurts. On the plus side, I did find out what it tastes like: Hazelnut. It was good! I hope the other 19 germinate. I lost my patience with the Marula for similar reasons (though I didn't crack it open with a hammer). In the end, I decided on giving them the extended soak method, two weeks with twice daily water changes (is that too long for the Marula?). I'm soaking the Harpephyllum and Ximenia for one day, then they're going in pots.

Here's some pics of the Mongongos (I forgot to take one of the Kernel):


As far as Scarification goes, I'm a failure. Hopefully the soak method will do its thing and get me a good germination rate, eventually.

Since you are in PR, you could even get some of the plants like Anonidium mannii, Cola pachycarpa, Annona senegalensis, Saba senegalensis, etc to sprout and grow well outdoors. If I were in you situation Anonidium mannii and Cola pachycarpa would be planted out IMMEDIATELY, as they are such cool plants and would thrive in your climate.

Didn't even know about C. pachycarpa or S. senegalensis, so thanks for that tip!    I don't actually have any land... I live in the suburbs, which is why I'm overcrowding everything that goes in the ground. Hopefully I'll get a few tens of acres once I'm done studying, and my parents can care for the ones I've left behind. I do have some extra space out back, due to being on top of a hill, but you can bet that's gonna be overcrowded too. I've already planted Durian, Achachairu, Sweet Madroño and Pedalai there, and I have a Lychee, Marang, Custard Apple, Sugar Apple, Cashew, and Barbados Cherry slated to be planted there, along with a Langsat, a pair of Bunya Nuts, a Mangosteen and Mexican Garcinia. I had also intended on acquiring a few more Myrtles, Garcinias, Nuts and Baccaureas. But first, I must get rid of the Guinea Grass and a few other obstacles, and that's easier said than done for the moment. Baby steps.

Dude Marula has always had almost 100% germination for me just popped in the soil no fuss:)
Time varies alot though!

For scaryfing,Try something like a bolt cutter with those big seeds. I had seeds of the "Fern Tree"  Schizolobium that were like mahogany guitar picks. Planted straight out? No germination. Once I took them out of the pot a month later and cut a sliver off with wire cutters,re planted and 2 days later they sprouted!

[nullzero]

Problem with bolt cutters is the crushing force is going to crush the seed. The mongongo nut is firmly snug against the outer layers of shell, so intense pressure will go right into the nut.

[Stan]

Its tricky..but if you can have something blocking it from one side..the big maw of the cutters could nick it. Try a vise and hacksaw/sharp wood chisel. Nicking makes a difference to some seeds.
There is also the BOILING HOT water dip..not too long. Sort of a Goldilocks trick. I haven't tried that one.

I did start South African Restio seeds that were supposed to need "smoke" to germinate. I had no problems with ordinary tap water. I would think anything the size of those above seeds or a pinecone might be more intensive.

[akanonui]

I thought Mongongo was the tree that has seed coasts so think they only sprout after annual fires burn the shells...Maybe it's another plant but I know it's from Southern Africa and the shell has evolved to be so thick and hard it can withstand wildfires without harm.