A couple of years ago I got some drift seed from a guy on a beach in Cuba. I hope I tipped him, 'cause they're really pretty neat: Sea heart - Entada gigas, and Hamburger bean- Mucuna urens. They've sprouted and are surviving, but if anyone has an idea what I should feed them, I'd really appreciate a note. Cheers, Carl
I am curious where do you grow them, in containers in the house, or in a heated greenhouse? As for the seeds, yes, they are very pretty.
In the house. Its -30 today. Actually pretty much all my stuff is growing in the house. It would cost twice or more as much to heat a greenhouse here.
Both species are rather not very popular as house plants. Some of the wild species require special soil conditions, as for example presence of certain fungi, or bacteria, they form a symbiotic relationship with, and may not grow outside of their native range. Size off the plant also should be taken into consideration. Seed pods alone of Entada gigas can reach 2 m (almost 7 ft) in length. Trying to grow them as house plants could be a fun and a challenge at the same time. If I were doing that I would plant them in a good, well draining but humus reach, potting soil. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged (the container must have drainage holes). I would water by pouring water into a saucer under the container and allowing the soil to take as much as needed through capillary action. After an hour or so I would discard the excess water. I would not let the soil dry out between waterings. As for fertilizing I would use all purpose liquid plant fertilizer and follow the directions on the label. I use Schultz 10-15-10 liquid plant food for my house plants.
Yep, I googled them. They're for fun. If there's an interesting seed, I'll stick it in dirt or water and see what comes up. My wife says the living room is a jungle anyway. Thanks for the feeding hints. Much appreciated.
