How to Cultivate Tamarind Trees

Admin | Posted on 22 June 2023 |

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tropical tree that grows widely in Southeast Asia. This tree is quite long-lived, with an average age of over 100 years. The tamarind tree produces a fruit that is used as a spice in Indonesian cuisine.

Mature trees have rough bark and the wood is very strong and flexible. Tamarind wood is traditionally used to make benches, tables, ladders, tool handles, railings, posts and bird footing in the cage. Wild chirping birds or cage birds like to stand on the tamarind tree to sharpen their claws and beaks on the rough bark of the tamarind tree.

Apart from fruit and wood, tamarind is also grown as a hedge, ornamental, and bonsai tree. Small seeds or large trees are sold in nurseries.

For those of you planning to grow tamarind trees, here is a guide from bonsai-passion.co.uk.

First of all, you must know that this tree can only be propagated in two ways, namely by seeds and by grafting. Growing from seed is very easy and the success rate is high. Fresh seeds can be sown directly in the soil and buried up to 2 cm deep. At the same time, the grafting method rarely interests farmers because it is quite long and has a low success rate. Grafting a tamarind tree is the same as grafting other trees, just waiting for the roots to grow until they are ready to cut from the mother tree takes 5 months.

Both methods can be adapted to your needs, whether you want to grow large quantities (recommended from seed) or just want to have some big size rods (recommended grafting).

How To Cultivate Tamarind Trees From Seeds

1. Take ripe fruit from under the mother tree, then clean the seeds from the flesh by washing them.

2. Plant tamarind seeds in seedling pots or polybags. It is best to use fertile, sandy soil.

3. The seeds will germinate within one to two weeks, then allow them to germinate for three months if you plan to move them to a larger location or direct them into the ground.

How To Cultivate Tamarind Trees From Grafts

1. Find a healthy tamarind tree that is at least five years old.

2. Choose a trunk or branch with a diameter of at least 2 cm and peel the skin into circles 5 cm long. Let it stand for a few hours until the sap dries from the peeled stem.

3. When the sap has dried and the color of the stem turns brown, graft it with fertile, pest-free soil. Make a hole in the plastic graft and water it once a day.

4. Wait more than three months, check to see if roots are starting to show.

If the roots are visible and brown or black, the graft can be cut. However, if the roots don’t appear or are still white, you’ll have to wait a few more months.

5. After cutting the grafts from the mother tree, do not open the soil layer. Soak the grafts in a bucket of water for 6-12 hours before transplanting them into the ground.

Tamarind is quite a difficult tree to propagate, and even a grafts requires special care to avoid stress and death.

After soaking, remove and plant in well-draining soil, be sure to mix in soil and sand to encourage better growth. Place the newly planted tree in a place protected from direct sunlight for at least a week. After a week and the trees look healthy, place them in the sun for a full day as tamarind trees are quite thirsty for sunlight.