Baobab Digitata

[Javbe]

Hey guys, I just got some Baobab seeds.. I want to grow them as an indoor bonsai. My question is "will the baobab still go dormat in a consistent environment?" They seem to be a picky plant, I feel like I might be over my head on this one.

[djlen]

I've got one and have no intention of letting it go dormant. It seems to slow down a bit as the seasons change, but never goes dormant.
BTW, I've had no trouble at all growing this tree under 4' fluorescent shop lights. It does need to be allowed to go fairly dry between waterings though.

[Javbe]

Do you think I will need fluorescent lights for it to grow? and thanks for the info

[a0c8c]

If grown indoors you definately need artificial lighting, very rarely do trees do well without supplemental lighting. Oh, and you should always let the tree go dormant, otherwise you'll cut it's lifespan drastically. Just like plants need sleep at night, trees need a dormancy period.

[bonsaiboy]

Baobabs need at least 1000 lumens of light to thrive. Make sure you grow it were it gets plenty of light.

[djlen]

Hey guys, I just got some Baobab seeds.. I want to grow them as an indoor bonsai. My question is "will the baobab still go dormat in a consistent environment?" They seem to be a picky plant, I feel like I might be over my head on this one.

Baobabs go dormant in the dry season in their home environment. This means that it will go dormant, over time if you don't water it.
When young their trunk is not developed enough to support dormancy so I would suggest not letting it go dry for at least 2 or 3 years. I will wait even longer with mine, until I feel it's able to handle a 3 month rest.
I'm still learning about this tree but this is the plan currently.

[Marsman]

Reading this thread, I almost went and bought some Baobab seeds myself. Was on the website and had them in my checkout cart. But, I couldn't pull the trigger. Someday...

[evandavis]

I have several baobabs (digitata, Gegorii, and Grandidieri) that are all just little seedlings. I am in Ohio and keeping them as house plants. One of them was dormant when I bought it and I began to water it regularly in the Spring once the weather was warm enough to bring it out doors. The others arrived with leaves in tact. The one that was dormant initially leafed out gradually and grew a bit, and is now dormant again. The others still have their leaves. My question is; should I force the leafed ones in to dormancy? All of these are in a North-facing window and receiving a small amount of supplemental light. The room gets as cool as, maybe 55 degrees F at night and gets up to 70 during the day with the help of an electric radiator. It just seems cruel to deprive them of water and light while they still have foliage. Also; when should I begin to water them again to bring them out of dormancy? If dormant; should they have ZERO water, or just very little?

[djlen]

Everything I've read about this plants suggests that it's not a good idea to force dormancy until the tree is mature enough to handle the lack of water.
This means, IMO, waiting for the trunk to develop enough so that it can hold moisture to see it through that period.
Most of the stories I've read about where people have forced dormancy early have resulted in the loss of the tree. I will be waiting at least a few seasons to let the tree, and it's trunk develop before I let it go completely dormant.
Until then I will be using my wife's 'cool room' for mine during the winter to let it rest a bit but not entirely 'water-less'.

[artisanoo]

I don't know much about baobabs, but I am just curious - if young trees couldnt handle dormancy, how would they grow in nature?

[Rosaelyn]

I was very curious as to what a Baobab tree looked like, and came upon a fascinating site through my Google search. The Baobab is "Most Magnificent Tree" Number One!

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/21/10- ... the-world/