How to Grow a Rudraksha Tree !! :-)

[Guest guest]

Hi Everybody!

 

I just received this wonderful e-mail from

Sadhaka Haranandinatha, who lives at Kauai Aadheenam, the Hawaiian

Ashram that has the Rudraksha trees.

 

He gives very precise instructions on growing trees from planting

beads ! :-)

 

Just had to share this with everyone!

So when do we have the Rudraksha Bead Societies Club Field Trip to

Kauai to get "hands on experience???" :-)

 

Namaste and Good Luck future Rudraksha Farmers !! :-)

Kanti

Om Namah Shivaya

 

 

Dear Kanti

Namaste,

 

Don't give up on the rudraksha beads that you have planted in

pots.

We have lots of experience with growing trees from seed.

Just keep the potting mix watered at regular intervals. Moist but not

waterlogged.

 

You will find that it may take up to a year to sprout!

Five months would be average.

 

As you know, each "face" of the rudraksha bead contains a

rudraksha

seed inside.

They look a bit like pine nuts, only smaller, darker and slightly

curved. So each bead will

usually have 5 seeds inside.

The possibility of at least one of the seeds in each bead sprouting

is quite high

unless, of course, the beads have been boiled in the cleaning process.

(For cleaning we use a pressure washer on the beads after they have

been

drilled and stung on a wire.)

 

An alternative method for sprouting is to put down a square yard of

plastic

sheeting in a warm shady place that won't get walked on (Indoors

In winter or outdoors in the spring.)

Put down an inch of sand on the plastic. Sprinkle the rudraksha

beads on the sand and then cover them with a layer of sand at least

1/2 inch deep.

Keep the sand moist. Once a sprouted "tree" is about 3

inches tall

you can gently lift it (and the bead from which it is sprouting) out

of the sand by lifting

on the stem below the leaves.

The roots will not be injured in this process as the sand will give

way

quite easily as the seeding is lifted.

Then you can re-pot this little seeding in a half gallon pot. (Larger

pots

would be better )

It will take a couple of years for the seedlings to reach a hardy

planting stage .

Of course, if one is planting the seedlings in the snow free lower

tier of the USA. (Southern California, Gulf Coast, Florida, Puerto

Rico or Hawaii) they will do quite well if planted when only 8 inches

high.

 

For the first couple of years watch that the roots don't get root

bound in too small of a pot.

Be aware that the trees will recover though if they do get rootbound.

They are really hardy once they get to be about 2 feet tall.

They will even rebound if you "forget" to water them and all

the

leaves dry up and fall off.

 

As for planting the trees. Make sure you have a 30 by 30 foot square

plot dedicated to the tree.

When it is mature it will be 30 to 60 feet tall and the roots will

form a buttress like function.

They will be lifted out of the ground around the base of the tree. If

the soil is poor or there are

many trees planted close together this buttressing effect will

prevent a lawn mower from being used under the tree.

 

The trees have an unusual way of dropping its lower branches after

all the leaves on the branch have turned bright red.

So there is a bit of "yard care" maintenance involved.

 

This may be more than you want to know about sprouting rudrashas!

 

Good luck!!

 

As for the idea of the monastery getting involved with distributing

seedings

one of our senior swamis is communicating with Dharma Deva about this.

 

Aum Namasivaya,

Sadhaka Haranandinatha

[Glennjf]

Here in Australia there are relatives to the Rudraksha Tree, for example Elaeocarpus grandis which is commonly known in these parts as Blue Quandong or Blue Fig. It is a rainforest tree that I have personally grown from seed and planted out for the purpose of rainforest reafforestation.

This tree grows like and mimics almost identically the Rudraksha tree (Elaeocarpus ganitrus).

 

I have germinated seeds of the Australian tree many times and was taught early on that to get better germination results there was a simple trick that anyone could master.

Seedpods contains a number of seeds. each seed needs to break free of the seedpod to contact earth to successfully germinate, however, as the seedpods are very hard many seeds simply do not manage the necessary step.

To manually help the process along, place a seed on a hard surface, take a 3 inch steel nail and place the pointed tip into the large hole of the seed and with a hammer give the nail a sharp tap. Strike it hard enough to fracture the seedpod but not enough to cause the seedpod to fly apart in separate pieces. This "cracking" of the seedpod will grant the seeds inside the chance they need to get to the soil. If you look at the cracked seedpod you should be able to spot the various sees still within. After the cracking is done simply plant the seed as suggested previously and in no time you will have seedlings pushing up into the sunlight. Prick out individual seedlings and repot them, again,as per previous instructions.

[methebest]

Where can I find Rudraksh seeds to pot. I also would like to know is there a difference seed for different mukhi of rudraksh? or same tree can have various mukhi rudraksh? How do i know what is a good quality seed or not? Please let me know.

[Guest nikunj]

can i plant a rudraksha tree in my house is it good or bad for me.

[Guest Koshy]

Hi there

I am having a Rudraksha tree in my home garden.3 years old tree is now 30ft in size.

Can you advise me what fertilizer I can use. I live in south central part of Kerala India.

My tree growth seems fine and as I read in other sites the leaves are not getting red but yellowish and falling.

 

How can I identify my tree is verity.How long it will take to bear fruits.

Plsa advise and your support highly apreciated.

Thanks

Koshy.