Are rambutan seeds toxic? Potted planting method and germination time
Rambutan, also known as hairy lychee, is a common tropical fruit in Hainan, Taiwan, China and other places. Its appearance and taste are very similar to lychee, so many people like to eat it. So are rambutan seeds toxic? Can they be grown in pots? How to plant them? How long until they germinate?
Are the seeds toxic?
So far the seeds have not been found to be toxic, but the seed cannot [be eaten]. Therefore, when eating rambutan, people should be a little careful and slowly tear open the flesh to avoid breaking the inner seed as well, which will have a great impact on the taste of the rambutan itself. The originally sweet taste, once mixed with the inner seed, immediately turns bitter.
Whether they can be grown in pots:
Yes, just like lychee, they can be grown in pots and have a certain ornamental value.
Seed planting tips:
1. Select seeds: just as when selecting lychee seeds, remove those that are not plump and have spots, and clean off the flesh on them to avoid the flesh rotting later and breeding bacteria, which would cause planting failure.
2. Wash the seeds: after selecting the seeds, wash them, that is, in clean water, rub and wash the sugar off the seeds by hand. Any flesh remaining on the seeds must be rubbed off, because the remaining flesh and sugar easily attract ants or other underground pests, luring them to gnaw on the seeds and young sprouts. Wash until clean. Generally, change the water and rub-wash 2-3 times.
3. Make a sand bed: build the sand bed on land in front of or behind the house, preferably in a shaded place. Use coarse river sand, because river sand is good for sprouting. The size of the sand bed depends on how many seeds are being germinated. The direction of the seedbed is determined by the terrain, and it is best for it to favor drainage. Where the groundwater level is high, raise high ridges to avoid seed rot. A sand bed 15-20 cm high is enough, because the seed roots are relatively long. A width of 1.2 m is enough, which makes management convenient. Once the sand bed is leveled, the seeds can be sown.
4. Germination: seed germination can be carried out on sunny days and rainy days. Place them on the sand bed with the eye facing down, then press firmly. This makes sprouting easier and faster. Do not overlap them; leave a little spacing between seeds. Sow neatly, and they will sprout neatly too. After sowing, spread a 2 cm thick layer of surface sand on top to retain moisture and increase temperature. Cover the surface sand with a shade net to avoid strong light, which can retain moisture and help the seeds germinate. Water once through the shade net; this watering should soak the sand bed thoroughly. Wait until the moisture is slightly dry, then use an 800-1000 times diluted solution of 80.0% trichlorfon soluble powder to spray the sand bed once, which can kill ants or other underground pests, and can also prevent them from gnawing on and damaging the seeds.
5. Sand bed management: the germination time is roughly 15-20 days. During this period, keep the sand bed moist often; too dry or too wet is not good for germination. On sunny days, water 1-2 times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Being moist is the standard. On rainy days, pay attention to drainage to avoid seed rot. About 5 days after sowing for germination, the embryo begins to stir. After 10 days, some small weeds will appear on the sand bed and need to be pulled out by hand. When the sprouts grow to 5-10 cm, before the first pair of heart leaves opens, promptly prepare a seedling bed and get ready to move the sprouts.