Baobabs

Jow

I am going to start from seed some Baobabs this spring. I have got as much info as I can find however it is not much, does anyone have any tips or advice?

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clrosner

The following information is from Duncan Wiles of South Africa:

Please note: info between “{ are my remarks}”.

Are you ready for this A Baobab seedling phase is considered from germination to 15 years! Buttress phrase: year 60 to 70 years. Bottle phase until 200 to 300 years. Aged phase: 500 to 800 years. The trunk slowly thickens to a giant girth; the heavy branches droop and get longer to form a widely spreading crown. The lower branches break from time to time and some of the trunks become hollow. Most Baobab trees die off between 500 and 800 years of age.

Place the seeds in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to soften the shell (a process which takes place in an Elephant’s stomach in nature) Allow water to cool and then plant the seeds.

After the seed germinates: The seedling should be planted into a large container. Drainage is of cardinal importance and therefore the soil should be very sandy. The little plant can remain in this container throughout (the African Winter {our Summer})!

The Soil mix for a growing Baobab: 3 parts rotted compost; 2 parts sand; a part Loam, bonemeal, superphosphate. {the last two items there is no amount given}.

Sunshine:
Baobab prefer 100% sunlight from October to April {Southern Hemisphere} They will suffer if grown in the shade.

Water:
Absolutely no water must be given to the tree during its dormant period in the winter months or it will rot and die.{When the seedling loses it leaves. This would be our Summer, but, I think the seedling will take on our seasons}. Baobab bonsai must be protected from unexpected rain in winter {?} and it is advisable to keep the plant inside during these months*. Before storing your Bonsai inside for the winter, make sure that the soil has been completely dried out.

{* I have a friend in South Africa who keeps her Baobab on her dining room table during the dormant period.}

At the end of the winter, the Baobab can be taken from the growing pot and the roots pruned. Baobabs make a few root bulbs (or potatoes), which have to be cut away to plant the tree into a Bonsai pot. The amount of roots are cut away depend upon the size of the pot that the tree is to be planted into. Plant the tree in dry soil.

The transplanted tree must stand in the sun and must not have water or rain for two weeks. Make a plastic umbrella to protect the tree. (Do not encapsulate the tree in plastic it or it will rot) As soon as the tree begins to bud, controlled watering can begin.


Feeding:
The tree can be fed freely. Give regular fertilizer – preferably sea-weed extract in the composition of 3-1-5. {for me I will look for some kind of fertilizer close to the numbers}

Baobabs can be kept in the same container for four seasons to aid the formation of dense growth. Each time the roots are pruned, the growth is retarded because the bulb/potato roots are cut away. {This is confusing to me, since this seems to mean that you can remove and cut the roots each year for four years?}

Pruning:
The tree may be pruned throughout the summer provided it is needed. It is not necessary to apply sealants to the cuts.

{He does mention rubbing “Blue death”
On to the raw cuts of the roots when pruning. I assume any sealant would work}.

Branches must be wired during the growing phrase, other wise they will grow straight. Because the branches are soft it is advisable to protect them with raffia to avoid wire damage. Weights hanging on the branches or pull down guides can be used to train the branches.

{On A PERSONAL NOTE: I planted five seeds on December 22, 2000, which broke the surface of the soil (which was coarse builders sand) on February 14, 2001.

I separated them into two new training bulb pots still in their coarse sand. I moved them slowly out into the sun over the course of two weeks, but they still showed signs of sun burn, so I moved them back into my Green House.
I placed both plants on a propagation mat indoors next to a Western exposure window and then a screened window in April 2001.

On July 15, 2001 the Baobab had reached a height of 19 inches with the trunk at the soil level of half an inch.

On August 27th, a third Baobab seedling broke the surface and on September 13th, a fourth seedling has popped its leaves through the soil surface. }

Three of the four seedlings died over the winter in dormancy.

__________________
Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]:
www.carlrosner.com

clrosner

The above information was written during the winter of 2001.
Today my single Baobab is still flourishing, but it seems to be on South Africa time.
I have no idea why, but it is in my tree house, and is doing well.
When I brought it out of dormancy in the spring of 2003 it sat for over three months with nothing more than the hint of green leaves peaking out of the branches and trunks.
I move it into my tree house (green house) in July 2003, when it should have been happy with the summer sun, but it did nothing until September, when it suddenly leafed out.
It is now in full leaf, and I have not tried to style it, since it will be a seedling for the next 12 years. That will mean that when I am 86 years old I will decide to style it!

Attached Images

baobab 120803 aa.jpg (39.0 KB, 271 views)

__________________
Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]:
www.carlrosner.com

Jow

wow!

thanks for all the info it is substantially more than I had gathered on my own. I am 22 years old and and if i start the seedlings soon i should have a somewhat decent tree to take with me to the nursing home. I've been in bonsai for a couple years and i think having a seedling around the house for awhile wouldn't be the worst so I'm going to give it a go

Jow

That is a nice little tree, if one of mine makes it and looks like that for awhile it wouldn't be the worst thing. Everyone in bonsai preaches patience and i guess this will be the ultimate test

Jow

Here's a question: should i wait to plant the seeds until fall since the trees think they are in africa or should i plant in spring and try to aclimate them to our seasons right away. Or maybe i'll do half and half and see what works

clrosner

I would certainly plant a seed or two now, and then plant the balance in spirng. Maybe you will come up with the reason why mine thinks it is in South Africa.

I didn't give you any measurements of my Baobab, but at the soil level it is 3/4 of an inch and stands just about 15 inches.

If you go to:<http://bmee.net/rosner> you will see a painting I did of a Baobab owned by Duncan Wiles and was raffled off at their Convention last year.

__________________
Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]:
www.carlrosner.com

Jow

Carl,

Did you say that all you used for soil was coarse builders sand and nothing else. At this time of year it might be hard to find all the different things that most people have suggested for potting soil. I am right next door to you in Philadelphia and most gardenshops and the like won't be open until early spring. Oh well i'll have to shop around and try to come up with something suitable as my seeds arrived yesterday and I am definatly planting 2 or 3 of them this week.

clrosner

Yep, I did use builder's sand, the coarsest I could find.

I also use vermiculite for most seeds

__________________
Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7
arteacher3725@yahoo.com

CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]:
www.carlrosner.com