How to Germinate Chilean Mesquite
- 1). Wait until the seedpods fall to the ground before collecting them. Give the pods a shake. If the seeds rattle inside, they are ready for harvest. Break open the seedpods and separate the seeds from the chaff.
- 2). Scarify the Chilean mesquite seeds with a small, sharp knife or baby nail clippers to slice a small portion from the outer seed coat. Don't cut too deeply, just enough to allow moisture to penetrate the seed coat. Another way to stratify the seeds is pouring boiling water into a thermos, adding the seeds and allowing them to soak in the sealed thermos for six hours.
- 3). Push the seeds 1/4-inch deep into a mixture of equal parts of moist sand and moist vermiculite in a planting pot.
- 4). Place the pot on a heat mat set to 90 degrees F. Germination times vary depending upon conditions, but expect them to sprout from within six hours to three weeks.
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