Germinating Rudraksha seeds

[Guest guest]

Namaste Janak:

Thank you for your enquiry.

Quite a number of us explored the possibilities of growing rudraksha earlier

in the summer and were in contact with the Hawaiian ashram hoping to get

seedlings.

 

A great deal of research was done by many group members and a couple of us

were in direct communication with members of the ashram community.

 

Below I am reposting the response that Sadhaka Haranandinatha sent to me

that has a tremendous amount of information of growing rudraksha trees from

rudraksha beads

 

Most of your questions should be answered in that. You may also want to look

in our Message Archives:

Messages #155 -180 has most of the information, but please look before and

after those postings.

 

You may also want to contact the Hawaii ashram direct:

Sadhaka Haranandinatha is the monk who wrote me from the Hawaii ashram. His

email address is:

hara.

 

It takes a few days to get a response.

 

Good Luck.

Kanti

**************************

>From Sadhaka Haranandinatha:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a message dated 9/16/2002 1:09:55 AM Central Daylight Time,

no_reply writes:

 

 

> I am a new member to this club and have been referred to you by the

> Rudra-centre.

> I am seeking as much detailed info. on the best process to germinate

> Rudraksha seeds & or beads.

> I just returned from a vacation on the island of Kauai; where I was

> able to hand pick several Rudraksha beeds from the sacred forest the

> monks of the Hindu temple have there.

> Now that I am back in the states, I am very interested in attemting

> to grow tress from these seeds, if conditions are correct.

> If anyone in the group has any experience or knowledge of this

> process, your input would be deeply appreciated.

> Namaste;

> Janak

>