How are flamboyant seeds sown?

The flamboyant produces many seeds

The flamboyant is a tree of tropical origin that has fallen in love with millions of people around the world. Although unfortunately it is in danger of extinction in its place of origin (Madagascar), it is unlikely, if not impossible, that we stop enjoying its beauty in other parts of the globe. This is due in part to its beauty, but also to the many seeds it produces and how easy it is to get them to germinate.

In addition, there is a trick to get them to do it in a very short time. Do you want to know how to sow flamboyant seeds putting it into practice? So let's go to it.

Prepare everything you will need

Flamboyan seeds are brown

Image – Wikimedia/G.Mannaerts

Before starting, it is very important to prepare everything that is going to be used. To plant flamboyant, you need:

  • A glass
  • Water
  • small strainer
  • Sandpaper
  • Seedbed: be it a forest tray, pots, milk or yogurt containers, etc.
  • Specific land for seedbeds, such as that of Flower
  • Multipurpose fungicide that you can buy here, or alternatively powdered copper
  • And heat, so it is preferable to sow them in spring or summer

You have it all? So now you can get to work.

Planting flamboyant seeds step by step

Flamboyan seeds are sown in spring

Image – Flickr/Scott Zone

The seeds of flamboyant they are covered by a very thin but also very hard transparent layer: it only breaks when there is a significant thermal contrast and only if they are wet. In their natural habitat they do not have too many problems germinating, but if you are not in Madagascar and you want all (or almost all) to sprout and in a short time, we recommend you follow this step by step:

Sand the seeds down a bit

We have to break that film cover, and for that, we are going to sand the seeds a little. I insist, a little. We will take one, and we will sand the tip until we see that it changes color.

Normally, and depending on the force that we apply, three or four passes will suffice. We have to be very careful with this, because if we sand more than necessary we will damage them and they will not germinate.

Heat water in the microwave

The next step is fill a glass with a little water, and put it in the microwave for a few seconds, until the liquid is very hot. It should not boil, but we should notice that it almost burns us when we touch the glass.

Then, we put the seeds in a strainer, and this inside the glass for a second, no more. Then, we will introduce the seeds in another glass with water, but this must be at room temperature. We will leave them there for about 12-24 hours.

Sow the seeds in the seedbed

After that time, it is time to sow the seeds. I like to do it in a forest seed tray, as it takes up little space, but you can use pots, milk or yogurt containers if you prefer. Yes indeed, it is very important that they are cleaned if they have been used before, since otherwise there could be spores of fungi, viruses and/or bacteria, which would pose a danger to future flamboyant seedlings.

Fill the seedbed with substrate, and then water it until the water runs out of the drainage holes. Next, place two seeds in each pot or alveolus, and cover them with a thin layer of substrate, enough so that they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

apply fungicide

In order to keep them protected from fungi, which are microorganisms that can kill them if measures are not taken in time, it is best to treat them with spray fungicide, or alternatively powdered copper.

If you opt for the first, you have to moisten the seedbed well, and if on the contrary you use copper, you have to add it as if you were adding salt to the salad. Repeat the treatment every 15 days, from now until the plants are one year old.

Aftercare

The leaves of the flamboyant are green

Image - Wikimedia / Krzysztof Golik

We already have the flamboyant seeds planted, and now what? Well, now it's time to be patient. For them to germinate, something they will do after 2 to 4 weeks, they need high temperatures (at least 20ºC). In addition, it is very important that the seedbed is placed in a sunny place for the plants to grow normally.

In addition, we will have to water from time to time, throwing the water on the groundnever to plants. We will do it when we see that the land is almost dry, that is, more or less three or four times a week during the summer, and once or twice a week when the temperatures are lower.

Flowers
Related article:
The first year of life of a Flamboyant

When the cotyledons fall off, that is, the first two undivided leaflets that sprout when they germinate, we can start to pay them with a liquid fertilizer or fertilizer, like guano or universal, following the instructions specified on the packaging by the manufacturer. And as soon as the roots come out of the drainage holes, we will plant them in larger pots with universal potting soil.

If you live in an area where there are frosts, do not hesitate to protect your trees indoors as soon as temperatures drop below 10ºC. Take them to a room where there is a lot of light, and put them away from drafts.

Where to buy flamboyant seeds?

From here you can get seeds at a good price. Do not miss them:

Enjoy your flamboyant.


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