A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Tell me about Astragalus.....

I want to grow astragalus. I have found a couple of sources for the seeds. I pasted them below.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Is it true that when you have a seed that has to be scarified, that it is likely not to be very easy to grow?

I am going to try to find a source for plants, if it doesn't look like I will be able to grow the seeds.

Any and all advice is welcomed.


http://www.groworganic.com/a/item_SNV7004_HorizonHerbsOrganicallyGrownAstr.html

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/OrganicSeeds.htm#List

http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_41/germ_technique.asp
this shows you how to "scarify" the seeds. Astragalus is apparently
one that should be scarified.

SN,

Not nessessarily.....

It just means the plant inside needs a wee~bit of help getting out of it's own seed covering....
(when you plant it and want it to come out)
(*it can get out on it's own with out help,
but may take a lonnnnnnnnnnng time before that happens)

*it's a way of protecting the plant in it's future growth.. it can be grown as a plant and a seed is made and it falls to the ground and each seed opens at it's own rate...

Say for example, 10 seeds fell from one plant..
2 germinated but it was a bad year with too much rain.. and no plant was able to grow..
2 more germinated the following year, but it was also a bad year, too dry..and no plant was able to grow..
2 more maybe the following year grew in the right conditions, and were able to produce seeds...
And then the following year again was a bad year,
there's still maybe 2 or 4 seeds viable from the first plant to possible ensure the plant will survive a few more years to be able to grow and thrive in the wierd and wacky conditions of the world..
Normally the "scarifing process" would be over time the outdoor elements would break down the coating on the outter surface... some break down faster and some are alot slower to ensure later sprouting in the years to come...

Whe you "scarify" a seed covering, you're just helping the seed out faster...

So, just look at the pictures you posted and follow the directions..
Reasonable simple...
And do a few in different ways...
The picture you posted shows you take a knife, other ways are taking a finger nail file, and some may even go as far as a hammer, ever so gently taping the seed so it cracks open on one end, *this can be the most dangerous for the seed itself if you whack the seed inside too!!!
Some seeds can even be just soaked in water for a day or two..

I"ve heard about this one, never grew it so I can't offer much, but it's in the pea/legume family... It's an all around energy, and for the immune system for the herb you can take....

Weezie

Hope this isn't too confusing, I get a little
long winded sometimes

Thank you! That encourages me to give it a try. Someone IRL told me they had never had much luck with plants that they had to scarify.

I want to grow it for the healing properties you described - very good for auto-immune illnesses.

SN,

When you do it,
Do several test ways....

If you get your 10 seeds...
Take the knife, and cut the tips on 2 or 3..

Take a fingernail file to the tips of 2 or 3..

Take a few and put in water..
(do some of those with a couple of tests too,
you can take something called Spray~n~Grow,
and soak it in it over night,
and another with just some plain water...)

Take a hammer to one or two *if you're brave enough*

Good Luck and Please keep us posted!!!
We LOVE or bad

Weezie

P/S What is Just curious??

Oh, IRL is In Real Life...

Sorry, I don't usually use internet abbreviations.

Thanks,

We use a few here,
LOL, (Laughing Out Loud)
IMHO, (I My Humble Opinion)
LMAO, (Laughing My A$$ Off)
ROFLMAO, (Rolling On the Floor Laughing My A$$ Off)

Wasn't sure if it was a title of a nursery
person or something....

Weezie