Mandragora OFFICINARUM

Sowing and germination

Mandrake seeds are small, kidney-shaped, germination is low and uneven. Before sowing, they are soaked for 24-48 hours in warm water or in a solution of a growth stimulator: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin or Zircon with a change of water. Stratification is required: swollen seeds are kept in damp sand at 3-5°C for 4-8 weeks. Sowing is carried out in the fall or early spring after stratification, in deep pots with a loose permeable substrate, to a depth of about 1 cm. The sowing is moistened with a spray bottle, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a greenhouse and germinated at a temperature of 15-20°C. Germination is long and extended: the first shoots appear after 4-8 weeks, individual seeds can linger for several months, so the crops are not thrown away ahead of time. The crops are ventilated daily and condensation is removed.