Wee Little Baobab Embryos
General Germination Guide
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Store in a cool, dry area. Most baobab seeds have a thick, strong outer layer and can remain dormant for years.
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Best to germinate outdoors in the late spring/early summer. Year round germination indoors is always an option, as well.
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Soak your seeds in warm water for 24-72 hours prior to planting. Check every day for softened coats - if they are soft and swollen, they’re ready to plant.
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Plant your seeds in a light soil that will not saturate. I recommend a mix of 50% cactus potting soil, 25% coco-coir or sand, and 25% crushed pumice, perlite, or pea pebbles.
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Plant your seeds about 1 inch from the surface, and avoid packing your soil too tight. They need to stretch and breathe.
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Keep your seeds warm (75 F +) and moist until they germinate. Depending on the species, this can take 1 week to 1 month. If a seed wasn't soaked well enough before sowing, it may remain viable but dormant in the soil, so check to make sure.
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Watch out for pests - baby baobabs are a delicious treat for just about any living creature.
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Your seedling can be transplanted in about a month. Baobabs hate the cold and they love the heat and sun. Avoid any hint of frost, and try to protect young trees from strong wind. They require very little fertilization, though they’re adaptable to more tropical environments as well.
Tips for Germinating Specific Seeds
Adansonia Digitata
Digitata seeds are best germinated by soaking in warm water for 24-36 hours and then sowed about 1 inch deep in consistently damp (but not saturated) soil. These seeds are common and typically have a great germination rate, though some seeds will take longer than others to pop up.
Adansonia Gregorii
Gregorii seeds are easier to germinate than many of their cousins. They have a water permeable coat that will swell with just a soak in warm water for a couple of days. It usually takes a couple of weeks for them to pop up and they remain quite small for the first growth cycle, focusing a lot on building a large taproot.
Adansonia Madagascariensis
Madagascariensis seeds have a relatively high germination rate. Under the perfect conditions (AKA heat and moisture), they will germinate rapidly. You can knick the seed coat after soaking if you want to speed up germination, but I recommend patience as the seedlings typically grow much more hearty without interference.
Adansonia Za
Zaha Baobabs are close cousins to the Madagascariensis baobabs and generally germinate rather easily. The dried fruit coating the seeds can be easily removed after soaking, though there is no need. After sowing, water twice a day. They typically take 1 or 2 weeks to germinate.
Adansonia Suarezensis
Suarezensis seeds are more than double the size of their cousins, and are notoriously prone to rot while germinating. I recommend soaking them for no more than 24 hours and planting them in 100% clean sand and transfer to soil quickly after initial germination. Let the seed dry out a bit with the sand before re-watering. You can also add a tablespoon of colloidal silver to the soaking water, which will help kill bacteria without harming the plant.
