Log in

View Full Version : Do Ambarella (June plum) seeds have to be fresh to germinate?


jsvand5
03-08-2009, 09:11 PM
I am thinking of picking up a few seeds from ebay, but I have had issues in the past getting seeds that were very old and dried out on ebay from various sellers. All claiming the seeds are freshly collected of course. Just wondering if it really matters with Ambarella's. Thanks for any info.

chong
03-08-2009, 11:52 PM
Yes, the Ambarella, Spondias Cytherea or Spondias Dulcis, seeds are short lived. I have ordered literally hundreds of seeds from various sources from Belize, the Philippines, even Florida. They all arrived looking like miniature tumbleweeds. Best bet is for you to get the fruit, eat the pulp, then plant the seed immediately. Or, you can buy a plant from Logee's.

They are a mango relative that normally fruits in 9 months from seedling, under ideal conditions.

chong
03-08-2009, 11:57 PM
Here's a link to Logee's Ambarella:
Logee's Greenhouse-Spondias dulcis "June Plum" (http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1654-2)

jsvand5
03-09-2009, 12:00 AM
Thanks for the info. I have seen the plants for sale at Logee's, but it just seems like a waste to me to pay so much with shipping for a plant that can fruit in under a year from seed.

chong
03-09-2009, 12:42 AM
Thanks for the info. I have seen the plants for sale at Logee's, but it just seems like a waste to me to pay so much with shipping for a plant that can fruit in under a year from seed.

Yes that's exactly the way I felt before I actually ordered from Logee's. But after buying seeds from various sources, including foreign countries, and spending over the cost of 5 of those seedling from Logee's, I decided to buy from them. Seeds from foreign sources are required to be free of pulp and dried. That's exactly the way they arrived from Belize (eBay - They have 2 kinds the tall and the dwarf), Thailand, and the Philippines. Like I said, they were a small dried up tumbleweed with no cotyledon inside the nut shell.

You also need to have an Import Permit from the USDA. It is free, but if you order any more than 50 seeds in a packet, they will require you to have your shipper a Phytosanitary Certificate from the foreign Country.

If you want to take your chances, here are a couple that I've not been able to order from because they have not responded to my inquiry regarding the freshness of their seeds. The other 90% that you will find on the net, I probably ordered from them already, and they sent me the "tumbleweeds". If I can find the picture of those seeds/"tumbleweeds", I will post them here.

GreenDealer Exotic Seeds of Fruit and Nut Plants with photographs (http://www.greendealer-exotic-seeds.com/seeds/FruitNuts.html)

SPONDIAS CYTHEREA - GOLDEN APPLE. (http://www.tropilab.com/goldenapple.html)

Like I said, your best bet, if you don't want to buy the plant, is to buy a fruit from someone who has the tree. That way, you are assured of the freshness.

jsvand5
03-09-2009, 10:48 PM
I was able to find some seeds from Bryan at montoso gardens in Puerto Rico. I have ordered from him in the past and he always sends fresh seeds right out of the fruit. Hopefully they are not too tough to germinate.

chong
03-09-2009, 11:23 PM
I was able to find some seeds from Bryan at montoso gardens in Puerto Rico. I have ordered from him in the past and he always sends fresh seeds right out of the fruit. Hopefully they are not too tough to germinate.

So, is Brian back from CA? I was ordering Ambarella from him last year but he was in Davis, CA. He said that he emailed his brother in PR, but the brother said there was none available, which was odd because I thought that they were available all year. Anyway, let us know what shape the seeds are in when you get them. They usually germinate in 2 to 4 weeks, if they are viable.

jsvand5
03-09-2009, 11:30 PM
I have had a few times that shipping took a little while from Montoso, but I have always had at least 80% germination from his seeds. Hopefully the good track record continues. He said he had fruit ripening for the next few weeks so they should be pretty fresh.

chong
03-10-2009, 01:45 AM
You should ask him if he could send you the fruits instead, as long as you're willing to pay for the shipping which shouldn't be much. But I can tell you that if you get them more than 3 or 4 days after the pulp is removed, they will be goners.

Here are some descriptions regarding the seeds:
Common Plum from Trinidad & Tobago - Tropical Fruits Forum - GardenWeb (http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropicalfruits/msg1219252520872.html)
Jamaican Otaheite Apple — Jamaica & Jamaican Food (http://www.getjamaica.com/Jamaican%20Food%20-%20Jamaican%20Otaheite%20Apple.asp)
SPONDIAS CYTHEREA - GOLDEN APPLE. (http://www.tropilab.com/goldenapple.html)
PlantFiles: Detailed information on Ambarella, Otaheite Apple, Golden Apple, Wi-Tree, Jewish Plum Spondias dulcis (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59318/)

jsvand5
03-10-2009, 09:20 AM
That's probably a good idea.