Germination of Voacanga africana & anadenanthera colubrina Q's

[lurker]

If anyone can help me with this i'd appreciate it.

with the anadenanthera colubrina (what a mouthful) i got these off the boards through Torsten and tried the grinding and etc. to no avail, so i thought i'd try and germinate some. put them in a pot and am waiting. also put some in water and placed on a heatmat. these have swollen to big fatty looking things and im wondering if they split open? or am i just dreaming trying to get these things going?

The voacanga i've tried numerous times to get happening and again with the water on the heat mat. this seemed to have some sort of result and twice i've seen 'tails' protuding on two seeds. once i managed to get one out of the water and into a pot but i think i MAY have damaged the seed when doing this. the other one with a tail just seemed to break off when i was swirling the water gently.

Now i kow Torsten will probably say 'course sharp sand' but i've had no luck with that.

The OTHER thing i can't do (not the only other thing) is get peganum harmala to grow.

i've tried plenty and had lots of seedlings but they never progress beyond that stage.

I'd really like to buy an established and healthy plant if i can find one as i can't seem to get the bloody things beyond this point.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Guest Thelema]

hi lurker, you did grind the a columbrina but to no avail? Do you mean you insnufflated it? Did you try smoking it?

I am most interested in yours or anyone elses experience regarding a.columbrina!

[Torsten]

Originally posted by lurker:

put them in a pot and am waiting.

colubrina will germinate in less than 2 weeks or not at all. they generally rot by then.

The voacanga i've tried numerous times to get happening and again with the water on the heat mat. this seemed to have some sort of result and twice i've seen 'tails' protuding on two seeds.

tail = radicle.

don't do them in water. the seed will become too wet and will rot during the germination.

Now i kow Torsten will probably say 'course sharp sand' but i've had no luck with that.

no luck using it or no luck making it??

The OTHER thing i can't do (not the only other thing) is get peganum harmala to grow.

vic is good for this. start in spring and keep in full sun. Don't transplant - sow in final location.

[twee]

I noticed P. harmala is sensitive.

When mine arrived from gomaos they looked healthy and immediately began to die back.

When they look dead I cut them back and they burst back into life with fresh growth from the ground.

I then transplanted 1 into the garden and its starting to go brown at the egdes.

It may be hardy in regards to being tolerant of poor soil and drought but its a sensitive thing in other respects.

[gomaos]

Hi, I was just gonna say re coarse sharp sand...

I've never actually sat down and started straining sand, in fact, I tried once long ago and it seemed to take ages for just a small amount.

I use peat moss for all most all my seeds and it has hardly ever failed me.

I have very good success rate with almost all seeds I try.

Re: Voacanga: I have one plant(tree)growing in midst of all my other stuff that looks very much like the voacanga pictured in Torsten's species data. wish I had a camera so I could post it here.

Oh well one of these days....

[lurker]

thank you all.

i did try smoking a.columbrina. just tasted like shit is all, didn't have the courage to snuff it. i roasted them briefly in a pan over a gas flame and ground them in a mortice and pestle (sp.?) put it in a pipe and lit up. have tried over time to buy a 'freebase' type pipe. any ideas?

just checked and removed them from the water. they're really soft and when squeezed a yellow pus is excreted.

the voacanga is a really hard woody type of seed. even after two weeks in warm water they are still hard.

sorry, i lied about the course sharp sand. i haven't tried it for these, just thought i throw it in. my interpretation of course sharp sand is river/creek sand?

skim the top layer off where the finer particles settle to the bottom of the heap. does that sound like the right type of sand everyone else uses?

the peganum i've tried three times now (fourth lot of seeds just germinating now) the first were the best (about spring ) but as luck had it the tray was in line with sheets on the clothesline and i came home to find them all over the lawn. are they a slow growing plant once the germinate? because i've got the TINIEST seedlings still going that are about three months old. and i consider that i'm not a COMPLETE failure when it comes to the garden.

[Torsten]

Originally posted by lurker:

just checked and removed them from the water. they're really soft and when squeezed a yellow pus is excreted.

dead!

the voacanga is a really hard woody type of seed. even after two weeks in warm water they are still hard.

try a peroxide soak for 12 hours in 3%.

my interpretation of course sharp sand is river/creek sand?

depends on the creek, but yes, this is pretty close.

[t st tantra]

re yopo,smoking gives heavy nausea but a light effect.better with harmala seeds.

some recommend dedicating apipe to this purpose. dont empty the ash from the mesh,just mix the next lot in with it.

effects from one such pipe appear to be increasing.

as reported by local knomes in a nearby fictional locale!

[G Dawg]

I came across a gnome the other day who has tried snuffing Anadenanthera colubrina seeds once they were roasted and ground.

He mentioned it did burn a bit but wasn't unbarable. Dosage was 1/4 seed and no effect noticed, other than extremely runny nose.

Later.