Seeds in soil

This afternoon I have been planting tree seeds! As I mentioned, the seeds are very hard and woody, so their dormancy had to be broken. This can be done by soaking in hot water, nicking the seed coating, or using acid (to mimic a passage through an animal's intestinal tract). With acid seeming a bit much, and the ready availability of a kettle on hand, I went for the soaking option. I've soaked three batches of the seeds for three different lengths of time; one that I put to soak yesterday, one this morning, and one just before sowing, so about 24 hours, 5 hours, and 15 minutes. I marked each batch, and I've marked up each pot, so I'll be able to see which are more successful.

I commandeered the kitchen floor, put a layer of old paper down, and got on with the business of sowing seeds. First things first was to mix my soil and sharp sand to make sure that the seeds are in a soil that drains well. I decided to use small pots, rather than a seeds tray, as these are dryland plants and so might need more space for roots to grow down, rather than across. I've put 5 seeds in per pot, covered them over, and given them a soak. I've also borrowed a propagator, so they are now settled in that on one of our sunny windowsills, and hopefully will get enough warmth with the wonderful rise in temperatures we've seen in the past couple of weeks.

I'm feeling a little bit apprehensive now, mixed with excitement. I really hope to get at least a few of each, Baobab and Neem, germinated, and will be so disappointed if nothing happens! I've sown thirty seeds in total, fifteen of each, so it's fingers crossed for the next few weeks!

The seeds are in the building

The seeds have arrived! I have a bag of Neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds , and a bag of the Baobab (Adansonia digitata) seeds I was hoping for. There are plenty of both to give them a good chance of germinating and growing on. The Baobab seeds look a little bit like beans, and the Neem seeds look very woody, so it's no suprise they're going to need a bit of soaking.

Michael Arbonnier's book on the Trees, shrubs and lianas of West African dry zones says that both trees grow on any type of soil. Given that 'dry' is the main characteristic though, I've bought compost (no mean feat in city centre Bristol) and will be adding grit or sharp sand to create a more free draining mix.

So next week I will finally be planting the seeds, and I'm looking forward to it - it feels like a long time since the idea was sown. Let's hope no-one makes a mistake and tries eating them in the mean time!