Malabar Chestnut (Saba nut)

[starling1]

Anyone know much about sun tolerance and growing methods? Bought a good sized tree this week, about 1m.

[BMc]

General rule seems to be to cover the roots with dirt and watch it grow.
There are a few on the high path at the BG that fruit their heads off. High path is up on the hill so they don't get too much water. Fine with sun. 2m tall one on the farm got squashed by a hoop pine a few months back.

[starling1]

General rule seems to be to cover the roots with dirt and watch it grow.
There are a few on the high path at the BG that fruit their heads off. High path is up on the hill so they don't get too much water. Fine with sun. 2m tall one on the farm got squashed by a hoop pine a few months back.

was it bearing at that size? Ive not tried the nuts before, hope they're worth it as I'm rapidly approaching my limit with trees.

[BMc]

Not at 2m. They get that size quickly. Seems to fruit around the 3m mark from what I've seen - when the trunk fills out a bit. There is supposedly some deal with toxicity with the nuts. Carcinogenic fatty acids or something. They taste pretty good and are nice trees. I wouldn't eat too many though, personally. I might have to go and pick some more up around Feb. the ones in the gardens have big pods.

[fruitlovers]

Coomonly grown on a piece of lava rock here and sold in gift shops. That will tell you something about how hardy they are. Never heard anything about any toxicity in the nuts. I believe that is wrong, at least for Pachira glabra. Maybe you're talking about a different species? Glabra is quite tasty with a little stir frying or roasting. Can also be eaten raw as a sprouted seed.

[BMc]

Studies from the mid to late 80s found 'possibly carcinogenic cyclopropenic fatty acids' in P. insignis. I'm unsure if any further studies were done, but FOA and other publications have quoted those studies in the past. I still eat them, Im just not likely to make it a staple of my diet given the very high oil levels and the studies.

[starling1]

Studies from the mid to late 80s found 'possibly carcinogenic cyclopropenic fatty acids' in P. insignis. I'm unsure if any further studies were done, but FOA and other publications have quoted those studies in the past. I still eat them, Im just not likely to make it a staple of my diet given the very high oil levels and the studies.

Yeah, I came across that article too but couldn't find any additional info. I'll probably still grow it but like you I'll eat in moderation.

Have two gigantic macadamias on the property but I CBF cracking them most of the time these days. Cockatoos make short work of them through.

[fruitlovers]

Studies from the mid to late 80s found 'possibly carcinogenic cyclopropenic fatty acids' in P. insignis. I'm unsure if any further studies were done, but FOA and other publications have quoted those studies in the past. I still eat them, Im just not likely to make it a staple of my diet given the very high oil levels and the studies.

Ok, but Pachira insignis is not usually called either malabar chestnut, or saba nut. Those names usually refer to either Pachira glabra or aquatica. But there is a whole lot of confusion in the names of this genus.

[gunnar429]

Coomonly grown on a piece of lava rock here and sold in gift shops. That will tell you something about how hardy they are. Never heard anything about any toxicity in the nuts. I believe that is wrong, at least for Pachira glabra. Maybe you're talking about a different species? Glabra is quite tasty with a little stir frying or roasting. Can also be eaten raw as a sprouted seed.

Are these nuts a hassle to fight off the squirrels, such as macadamia?  I have a tree and would like at least 1 nut tree in the yard, but not if it means the real-estate will only go towards feeding my local fauna.

[treefrog]

here's the solution for squirrel (tree rat) problems:

https://worldwidejanitor.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=775&cpath=161_166&gclid=CPWH1qWvjsICFZAF7AodWjAAGA&zenid=bbd1eb6bd91e27f838106c13b723f27d

this is what the pecan orchards around here use.  the price quoted in the link is a mail-order price.  our local feed store has it for much less.