Adansonia & Moringa Failure?

Now these are two plants that I will definitely be trying again.  I think the key to both is warm temperatures.  If anyone has tried growing either Baobab (Adansonia digitata) or Moringa (Moringa stenopetala and Moringa oleifera) and has some tips I would really appreciate it.

The Baobab germinated no problem and grew rapidly to the height they are now in about three weeks.  Then that was it.  They stopped growing and have been exactly the same since August.  They were hit with cold temperatures when the greenhouses froze and now they just look awful.  I think I should get rid of them and try again.  I know they have a dormant cycle but I think it only kicks in when water is withheld.  Any thoughts?

The Moringa grew well but slower than expected.  They continued to grow into the winter but after being hit with the freeze have done nothing.  I was actually sent some more Moringa stenopetala seeds and will start them in the spring.

WWHHHYYYY??!?!?!?!

Laburnum watereri (Golden Chain Tree) Update (189 Days)

Just a quick update of the Laburnum watereri.  They seem to be doing really well.  They're supposedly hardy here but I wanted to play it safe, so I let them grow a bit bigger so I kept them in the greenhouses for their first winter.  You can see some rather sad Baobab in the background.  The one on the left died down so the stem was cut off and a little bit of new growth has been produced.

Moringa & Adansonia digitata (Baobab, 26 Days) Update

I was delighted to go outside yesterday morning and see that two more of my Adansonia digitata (Baobab) seeds had sprouted! I had given up on them germinating but apparently I shouldn't have. The other seeds sprouted about two and a half weeks ago. The largest ones are already about 20cm tall. The picture below shows a side by side comparison of how rapid these plants grow.

The Moringa oleifera has started producing new leaves. These seem to be insect free. I think I dodged the bullet and expect them to make a full recovery. They've lost more than half of their old leaves but I expect rapid growth to resume within a few weeks. I haven't tried any leaves yet but I figure I'll wait until they recover.

The Moringa stenopetala are growing extremely quickly. They sprouted about two weeks ago whereas the oleifera sprouted about a month ago. Even so, some of the stenopetala are actually taller than the largest Moringa oleifera! I'm really glad the stenopetala have not had problems with insects.

Adansonia digitata (Baobab, 23 Days) Seedlings

In total 4/7 of the Adansonia seeds have sprouted. Germination is typically rapid with a good percentage or prolonged with a poor percentage so I'm going to assume no more will sprout. The seedlings have been growing well. I noticed the one that I planted in the deepest pot (25cm depth) is growing the fastest. Their taproots were about 10 - 15cm deep when I transplanted them. They sprouted less than two weeks ago!

They have been growing very well outside. Temperatures range from 14C at night to 32C during the day. Humidity has been quite high and seems to be averaging around 80% but dropping as low as 55%. They receive full sun all day. I put them in a small plastic greenhouse every night. This is more to make sure that they don't get damaged by animals then worry about temperatures being too low. I'm sure they would be fine left out but I'm a little paranoid.

The potting mix is about 1/4 sand, 1/4 clay, 1/4 manure, with the remainder being a mix of potting soil and whatever else I had laying around. I water whenever the surface looks dry. There shouldn't be any problem with rot because the soil is well drained and temperatures are warm.

Germination & Seedling Update

Here are the latest images of the seedlings. I must say that after being away for four days I was extremely underwhelmed with the amount of growth. The newest additions are the Moringa stenopetala. About four or five of the twelve seeds I've planted have started to sprout. Based on the Moringa oleifera sprouting speed I thought most seeds would be up with their first set of leaves. None are standing up yet but the first one should be upright by tomorrow.

I brought some of the Moringa oleifera home to see how it grows outdoors. My major concern is that it will be eaten by one of the many geese that live in the area. I also transplanted three of the Adansonia (Baobab) into new pots. I left the fourth in the original pot with the other three seeds that have yet to germinate. They are now all in full sun in my backyard and I expect relatively rapid growth.

Moringa stenopetala (about 4/12 so far)

Moringa oleifera (I'm concerned about some white patterns on the leaves and will research it after this post)

Adansonia digitata (still 4/7 seeds so far)

Laburnum watereri (only 4/20 seeds so far, there are two different pots)

Hippeastrum

Germination Update

Here are the latest photos of the seeds I've been germinating. It's been warmer and sunnier the last few days and the Ginger and Laburnum have started to sprout. The Baobabs have also done very well and four have now sprouted. I won't be back at the greenhouse until Wednesday next week so I hope to see a lot of new germination and growth.

Adansonia (4 out of 7 spouted so far, 10 Days)

Ginger (nothing for several weeks but I think the warmth of the last few days spurred germination, they're small along the right not the Clivia seed, 23 Days)

Laburnum watereri (3 out of about 20 sprouted so far, this one just sprouted and is in front of the tag, 10 Days)

Baobab Sprouts! (7 Days)

Here's an update on the seedlings. Yesterday there was only one Adansonia digitata (baobab) barely visible near the surface of the soil. Today it has completely sprouted and unfurled its seed leaves and another one has pushed to the surface. That leaves five more. I hope they all sprout, which is a little unrealistic, but only time will tell.

Coffea Arabica (definitely too wet, they look quite odd)



Hippeastrum (not much change)

Moringa oleifera (growing increasingly rapidly, some of the leaves are mishappened)

Adansonia digitata (Baobab), Laburnum watereri, and Mystery Seeds

Today I received my next batch of seeds! I was surprised that they arrived in only about 8 days from Australia. When I order seeds from the United States it usually takes about four weeks to clear the border.

The first set of seeds is Adansonia digitata (African Baobab). Three of the eleven seeds I received clearly would not germinate. This was obvious from visual inspection but I floated the seeds in water and the same three were the only seeds to float. Afterwards I tried ripping open those three seeds with my hands and it was quite easy so I threw them out. For the remainder of the seeds I boiled some water in a kettle and then poured it over them for about 30 seconds in a collander. I then placed them in water to soak overnight and I'll plant them tomorrow. The soil will be about 50% sand as good drainage is essential.

The next seed variety is Laburnum vossii (Laburnum watereri, Goldenchain Tree). I have found a lot of conflicting information on germinating these plants. These seeds are small but have hard coats. They would be very difficult to scarify so I'm going to try soaking them for several days. The adult plant resembles Wisteria but in the form of a tree. It is a very beautiful plant that is covered with yellow flowers throughout late spring and early summer. I'm going to use a general potting mix

The last few seeds are mystery seeds. I think they may be Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm), but they are atleast five years old and may have extremely poor germination. I should be able to identify the actual species when they sprout. I'm going to use a general potting mix with about 1/3 sand.

The seeds soaking (baobab left, mystery centre, laburnum right).