El baobab it is one of the most amazing trees that exist. Its thick trunk stores a large amount of water, a liquid that will keep it alive in the hottest and driest weeks of the year. Perhaps for this reason it is one of the most demanded plants by collectors of succulents and the like, and its beauty is impressive.
But everything that is beautiful is difficult. Unless we live in a tropical climate, it will be very difficult for us to see it grow and develop normally. Now, this does not have to worry us since we can have it as an indoor plant. Do you want to know how to grow baobab? Do not hesitate to continue reading.
In order to have a baobab at home, the first thing we have to do is acquire seeds during springEither early or mid-season. Why? Because being a tropical plant, the sooner we sow it, the longer it can grow before autumn-winter arrives. Because, As soon as you buy it, you have to keep it in hot water (about 38º-40ºC) for a dayfor example, in a thermal bottle.
The next day, we have to scrape a bit with sandpaper (two or three passes will be enough, until we see that it changes color) and later sow it in a pot with substrate that has excellent drainageThe following mixture is especially recommended: 50% pumice + 50% black peat. It must be covered by the earth, since if it is exposed to the sun directly it will not germinate.
Now we place the pot in full sun and keep it watered. Of course, do not overdo it with watering because otherwise the seeds would rot. Ideally, water so that the soil is always moist but not soggy. A) Yes, after about 4 months we will be able to see how it germinates. When it finally occurs, it is highly advisable to treat the seedling with a spray fungicide, to prevent fungi from damaging it.
During the first year we have to leave it in that pot so that its roots are strengthened, but from the second we can move it to a larger one or to the garden, as long as we live in an area where frosts do not occur.
Good planting!
