Buying Ice Cream Bean Seeds?

[PersephonesChild]

Hadn't ever heard of them until recently, but after seeing it come up so many times in this forum, I looked into Ice Cream Bean trees, and really would like to add it to my collection. I mean, tastes like ice cream, melts like cotton candy...yum. Sadly, none of the specialty grocers in my area seem to sell it, leaving me to resort to purchase online.

Does anyone know if the seeds remain viable long enough for it to be shipped from an online seller, or is it like so many other tropical plants where they loose viability rapidly so seeds must be planted in short order after removal from fruit?

Much as I want to try these, I can't really justify plopping down $40 for a single seedling of something I haven't even tried before. Seeds are sometimes a much better deal for the patient grower, but not if they can't possibly be sprouted.

[CA Hockey]

Buy from oscar at fruitlovers nursery. He's got several different varieties. I have 3 different Inga species growing now, all seeds bought from oscar, all germinated and growing easily and well in socal.

[PersephonesChild]

Buy from oscar at fruitlovers nursery. He's got several different varieties. I have 3 different Inga species growing now, all seeds bought from oscar, all germinated and growing easily and well in socal.

Thanks for the suggestion. Good to know there is a reliable source. 

Of the species you have, which is doing best here in California?

[FV Fruit Freak]

I have one flowering in a 25g pot right now, it’s about 10ft (not for sale) and I have an extra one from the same seeds that’s also about 10ft you can buy for $65, I have no idea what variety it is. PM me if interested, local pickup. Thanks, Nate.
 


This is the one for sale

[monkeyfish]

 one resource to consult about seed storage & viability:

 https://crfg.org/home/library/tidbits/growing-rare-fruit-from-seed/

[pineislander]

I mean, tastes like ice cream, melts like cotton candy...yum. .

Keep an eye on and search the buy and sell forum for keyword inga, even ask for it in a posting. Usually someone wil sell be aware the seeds often are sprouting when you open the pods so be prepared to plant immediately. It may be a bit overhyped but is nevertheless a valuable tree in many ways.

[TomekK]

In my limited experience of buying one seed from FruitLiberty, I had a quick germination. It was also the only thing from that order, which included theobroma and herrania species, that germinated. The other species it seems were killed in shipping, which took longer than usual, probably because of the virus. Plant the seed vertically when the root starts growing.

Tomek

[brian]

I ordered ice cream bean seeds from "some guy in Hawaii" from ebay or etsy.  I think every single one sprouted, they are easy to grow.

[PersephonesChild]

I wound up ordering from Oscar at Fruit Lovers in Hawaii last night.

Is there a recommendation on the soil mix content and/or ratio for germination? I have on hand for mixing soil: composted mulch, peat, perlite, and vermiculite. I usually go for equal parts of each except a bit heavier on the mulch to make a fast-draining moisture-retaining soil when working with large seeds (heavier on vermiculite and peat for little seeds).

Do they get a long taproot requiring a deeper germination container, or is a standard small nursery pot ok? I have a pretty wide variety of containers on hand, but space is sort of premium inside my house right now while my shadehouse is torn up to build new benches.

[Tommyng]

If you were local I’d give you some seedlings.

[brian]

Considering I got 100% germination while barely paying attention to them probably any soil is fine, I use something like a 5:1:1 mulch:perlite:peat mix

Mine are fine in normal nursery pots.  They seemed sensitive to sunburn when I took them out of the greenhouse and put into direct, sun, though, while all my other trees were fine.

[pineislander]

Last year I planted two seeds in each of 120 locations direct seeded in the ground. I watered them by hand a few times while germinating and got over 75% takes. We have a long winter dry season and while they didn't grow much they almost all survived with no care at all and are growing again quickly now. At the same time I planted about a dozen pots in the shade house and gave them ordinary care, those are twice as large. If one had irrigation available and places to plant direct in the ground I would suggest doing so with these, they are very forgiving and might do much better than in pots.