African Fig Tree / Ficus carica- Seeds

Item Name: African Fig Tree

Quantity: 50 bulk seeds / per pack

HEALTH BENEFITS
Minerals in figs provide health benefits. Calcium helps you maintain bone density, and potassium helps you control blood pressure. Manganese helps you maintain a healthy metabolism, contributes to bone development and helps to heal wounds. Like most fruits and vegetables, figs also contain substances known as antioxidants, which help remove disease-causing free radicals from your body. Using figs in cooking adds a natural sweetness to your meals, without the extra calories from refined sugars or the chemicals of artificial sweeteners.

How to Grow?
1. Soak three figs in a bowl of fresh water for 2 to 3 days. When soft, break open the figs with your fingers to expose the pulp and seeds. Pour fresh water in the bowl and add the figs to it for an additional 2 days.

2. Remove pulp and seeds that float to the top of the bowl and discard, since viable seeds sink to the bottom. Pour excess water from the bowl in a strainer and spread viable seeds on a dry paper towel until slightly dry.

3. Mix equal parts perlite, peat moss and crushed volcanic rock to create an organic, well-draining growing medium for the seeds. Pour the medium into a 6-inch growing tray until 1/2-inch below the edge. Use a tray with drainage holes through its base. Wet the growing medium until excess water seeps out through the drainage holes.

4. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the top of the growing medium on the tray, or mix with 1/2 cup of fine horticultural sand before spreading. Lightly cover the seeds with the ground medium and mist with a spray bottle to help the seeds settle in place.

5. Place the tray in a warm spot with direct sunlight exposure for 6 to 8 hours. Alternatively, set the tray on a heat mat at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the growing medium regularly to keep the growing mix from drying until the seeds germinate, which usually takes 10 days to 3 weeks.

6. Transplant the seedlings outdoors when the danger of the last spring frost has passed, or to 5-gallon containers when they develop their second true sets of leaves. Provide the seedlings well-draining, nutrient-rich soil to help growth and development.

Tips & Warnings
Avoid overwatering the growing medium, as it rots the seeds and impedes germination.