Baobab growing
How-to: grow a baobab on your balcony
Baobab is the common name of a group of trees within the genus Adansonia. They thrive in arid and semiarid savannah environments across parts of Africa, Australia and the Middle East thanks to several physical adaptations, including their water-rich, bottle-shaped trunks and fleshy leaves. Baobabs are rarely cultivated in gardens due to their slow growth and specialised environmental needs, but they are sometimes grown as houseplants. Seed propagation is one way of propagating baobab trees for indoor cultivation, but the seeds have a relatively low viability rate and so several must be sowed at once to ensure a healthy seedling.
Instructions
Place the baobab seeds in a vacuum flask or bowl of hot water and close the top.
The water should be approximately 26.7 degrees Celsius for best results. Soak the seeds for two to four hours. Drain them on a paper towel.Mix 2 parts coarse sand, 1 part small gravel, 1 part perlite and 1 part potting soil to create a good soil mixture for baobab growing. Make sure the perlite and potting soil are evenly distributed throughout the gravel and sand.Fill a 1-gallon container with the sand mixture. Pour 4 cups of water on the sand mixture and allow it to drain for 15 minutes before sowing the baobab seeds.
Press the baobab seeds 1/2-inch below the surface of the sand. Sprinkle a light layer of sand over the top of each seed and do not tamp it or firm it.
Place the baobab seeds on a heat mat near a bright, west or south-facing window to germinate. Keep temperatures surrounding the pots above 23.9 degrees Celsius at all times for the first three weeks.
Apply no more than 1/4-cup of water to the pot per week. Only apply water when the sand mixture feels dry at a depth of 1 1/2 inches.Check for signs of growth after three weeks, but do not be discouraged if the seed fails to sprout by that time since baobabs may take as long as 90 days to germinate.
Transfer the seedlings to permanent pot on your balcony once they reach 6 inches in height.
Now water regularly and wait..your neighbour roses will be soon under the shadow.
— article taken from ehow – original article CLICK HERE —
