Germinate Terminalia Catappa Seeds - Indian Almond

by Pirranha in Living > Gardening

14706 Views, 0 Favorites, 0 Comments

Germinate Terminalia Catappa Seeds - Indian Almond

2018-04-20 16.25.02.jpg

I thought I would share my progression growing Indian Almond seeds in a climate colder than they normally grow in.
This picture is what I started with.
If you have a one, you will notice one end has a round flat spot that was attached to the tree. That appears to be the end the seed will sprout from so I left that end alone and worked from the end with a sharper point.
Tools I used -
A sharp knife to cut away the outer husk
Something to put pressure on the shell, a vice would be good, I didnt have one available so used some channel lock pliers.
A small flat screwdriver - To pop open the shell without damaging the seed inside.

Cut Away Extra Husk Around Shell

2018-04-20 16.27.03.jpg

I was cutting everything away I could for the first few and decided it was unnecessary.
I started only shaving half down as shown to the hard shell inside.

Put Some Pressure On

2018-04-20 16.28.06.jpg

This is where something for slow even pressure would have been nice like a vice.
I used my pliers to squeeze from the edges, not from the flat sides, until I could see the seam of the shell starting to come apart.

Gently Pry

2018-04-20 16.40.42.jpg
2018-04-20 16.28.54.jpg

I found my screwdriver was not small enough here to start in the crack so used a knife to start carefully, I didnt want the thin knife blade to snap.Then squeeze a little more to open the seam up and get the screwdriver in a bit, without damaging the seed in the middle, then pry the shell open very easily.

Finally the Prize

2018-04-20 16.24.05.jpg
2018-04-20 18.12.07.jpg

You can see the thick shell in this picture and the meat in the middle.
I popped this out easily and rinsed it off as shown in the last picture.
From here I have placed them in a ziploc bag with damp paper towel and placed at room temperature which is about 70 degrees, or a little warmer if you can find a spot.

Now to Plant

2018-05-04 15.54.22.jpg

Everyone has germinated!
These took 2 weeks exactly and have long roots already.