Tamarind seeds can be grown into potted plants - the kind that cost fifty cents a bag when you were a kid.
Tamarind, also known as the common tamarind, makes a small-scale farmer's mouth water at the mention of it, because I'm from the north and ate that dried tamarind at fifty cents a bag as a kid, and sprinkling on some white sugar made the taste much better. Tamarind is the fruit borne on trees found in the south and is rarely seen in the north, though these days northern supermarkets carry tamarind too.
Tamarind's growing habits
Tamarind grows mainly in the southern regions of China - Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places. From this we can see that tamarind likes regions that are warm all year round, with the most suitable growing temperature being around 25°C. It is a tree that can grow to over ten meters tall, and its wood is hard, making it very popular. It tolerates drought, while too much rain easily affects fruiting, and the soil needs to be acidic sandy soil.
Planting tamarind
If you are in the north, tamarind can be grown as a potted plant for its foliage. If you are in the south and the climate is very suitable, you might even get to eat tamarind you grew yourself.
Seeds: Tamarind seeds are very easy to get. Buy some dried tamarind at the supermarket, eat the flesh, and keep the clean seeds. You will find that tamarind seeds are very thick, so you can rub them on the ground to make the outer skin thinner. Then put the tamarind seeds in clean water and soak them for three to five days, changing the water during this time. You will find that the tamarind seeds slowly swell up, and at this point you can peel off the tamarind's outer coat. Once the tamarind has small sprouts emerging, it can be planted.
Planting: Planting tamarind is relatively easy. If you are in the north, just find a small flower pot, because tamarind can hardly grow into a big tree in the north. As for soil, leaf mold will do; you can use leaf mold mixed with some sandy soil. Planting about 5 seeds in one flower pot is enough.
After planting, water thoroughly, and generally within about a week small seedlings will grow out.
Daily care
Light: Tamarind is fairly sun-loving, so be sure to let the tamarind tree get plenty of sun.
Water: Tamarind is fairly drought-tolerant, so there is no need to water too frequently; just water when the potting soil becomes dry. Water thoroughly each time, and avoid water accumulating in the pot.
Fertilizer: Potted tamarind is fairly small and does not need much fertilizer; applying decomposed cake fertilizer once a month is enough.