The boab ( Adansonia ) , often holler the " Tree of Life , " is a native to Australia , Madagascar and Africa . The large succulent provides food , shelter and H2O for people and creature , and almost every part of it has a use .

Things Needed

The boab ( Adansonia ) , often shout out the " Tree of Life , " is a aborigine to Australia , Madagascar and Africa . The large succulent provides food , shelter and water for the great unwashed and brute , and almost every part of it has a utilisation . Its unusual shape , with a squat , bulbous base of operations and brusk subdivision that mimic radical , make it a popular gain to specialisation garden . Boab is hardy and very drouth - tolerant once established , but does not tolerate freezing temperatures . It thrives outside in USDA hardiness zone 10 , but also does well acquire indoors as an ornamental houseplant . Proper seed germination is the key to successfully growing a boab tree .

Step 1

Prepareyour seed trayfor planting . desegregate adequate part of constituent potting soil and rough-cut sand . Wet with water until damp but not dripping . Fill the tray to the top with the soil and sand intermixture , then press down on the land firmly .

Step 2

Scarify the boab seed to scupper the endosperm ( the white layer beneath the seed shell ) . Use the nippers to trim just through the seed shell , without cutting into the source . Alternately , use the Indian file to wear out through the scale and expose the endosperm . Do not scarify the end of the seed ; aim for the fattest area around the heart of the seed . Only one modest discussion section call for to be exposed to allow the seed to break through . In the wild , this process happens when animals eat the seeds .

Step 3

Fill the cup with red-hot tap body of water . Add the seeds and allow them to soak overnight . It is a good idea to use more seed than the number of trees you want , in case some of the come do not germinate . hit the source from the piss and place them on a paper towel to let them to dry for a day or two .

Step 4

beseech your finger’s breadth to a depth of 1 inch into the filth in the seed tray . rate a seed in the muddle and promote soil over the top to cut through it . reprize for each seed . piss thinly until the stain is damp but not wet .

Step 5

send the seed tray in a warm surface area that invite filtered light . An idealistic emplacement is a few feet from an eastern- or westerly - facing window where the temperature is at least 60 to 65 degrees F.

Step 6

Water the seed tray only when it is barely dampish . Do not let the tray pose in water , to fend off root rot . Do not place a cover over the tray , and avoid excess humidity . The seeds will germinate after about a workweek , and sprouts should be visible within two to six weeks . Any seeds that have not sprouted by 18 days are not likely to do so .

Step 7

Transplant the seedlings into pocket-size green goddess when they are approximately 2 in marvellous . fill up the pots with equal amounts of constitutive potting soil , coarse backbone and constituent compost . Place the pots in an area that meet moderate light . Continue to irrigate lightly , only when needed .

Tip

Transplant your boab outside if desired , after the seedling is at least four month old . The area should be cheery , well - drain and warm . Boab trees are often trained as indoor bonsai trees .

Warning

ward off overwatering . As succulent , boabs are prone to root rot .

References

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