Exotic seeds

I love dabbling with seeds and pots!
I have a number of annuals sown and some perennials, but the most closely observed seed pots on my warmest window sill now are two tropical beauties, Musa nagensium and tetrapanax papyrifera. These seeds I got from Chiltern seeds. I hope the make it, germinating in Europe must be a shivery business for them!
I also have a number of seedlings of Carica papaya, the seeds of wich came from a ripe fruit I bought at the supermarket. They took their time germinating (2 months) but then they suddenly all popped up and jumped to it with a will.

Anyone else is dreaming of the tropics?

 

Hi Ivory, hope your musa and tetrapanax make it, I've always prferred growing from seed if possible, its more interesting and you have more of a sence of achievement, when the the plant flowers or just reaches maturity.

I have a couple of star fruit plants that I grew from seed this year, not hoping to get fruit, just an experiment.
I also grew some papaya seed a few years ago, overwintering is a problem, but if you can, they make a fantastic foliage plant the following year.

 

Do you think the papaya can simply stay in the house in winter? I have huge windows, lots of light, and the house is not terribly hot in winter say 15-18°C. The papaya was really a lucky accident. I ate the fruit and automatically dumped the seed in some pot. But I have seen the grown plant in pictures,and yes I think the palmate leaves are very nice!

 

I managed to get mine through in a heated conservatory. Absolute min 10C and then only for an hour or so, at least 20C during the day.
As you say light is the big problem, we dont get enough in the winter, plus the bugs tend to move in.
But you have nothing to lose, and as I say, I thought it was woth it.
Going into another year was not feasable to me, it got too big.

 

Jeee, if mine becomes as beautiful as that it will break my heart to give it up! :-( I just grow so attached to things I grow from seed. That banana looks really handsome too!

 

That was summer 2003, one of our hot ones, we dont get them any more:D

 

Im trying a suposedly hardy papaya from seed this year. We shall see whether it lives up to its claims.

 

I wish you luck Gaz,
Is it solo something or other?

 

Wow, I will want to know how it goes!

Still nothing from my seeds, but my tiny papayas seem to be fine. How about the star fruit plants?

 

Its not a good picture of the star fruit as it was taken when the light was fading and the leaves were going to sleep.
It reacts in a similar way to mimosa pudica when touched during daylight hours, it drops down its leaflets, although the change does not appear to be as rapid as it is with the mimosa

 

That is so curious. I had no idea what the plant looked like.Thanks!

PS Planting a mango seed today... they grow to huge trees in their warm climate. But a little pot plant wd be more than enough forme.They are said to be very fragrant,even the plant as such,not just the fruit.

 

Well my mango is planted.Followed some advice I found on the net (my first mango experiment was a failure,so I thought that advice was needed). I cracked the hard shell, extracted the big big big bean inside and planted in moist compost. You can also germinate it in water, apparently, a bit like hyacinths half in half out of the water.
We shall see.

 

Never tried a mango.
Might give it a go sometime.

Good luck and lets see how you get on with it.

Just out of interest, I wonder if the bean is edible

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_mango_seeds_edible

I lovr google!

 

Hi Pete, ill check the name when I get home tonight, the seeds were from Chilterns.