Welwitchia mirabilis seed

Weird, peculiar, wonderful, strange, bizarre, fascinating, and of course, unique, are the kind of words that are used to describe the welwitschia. It is one of the few things on Earth that can truly claim to be one of a kind. There really is nothing like it.

Seed should be sown during the warmer months, spring or summer. In habitat the seeds are dispersed in spring, but have to wait for rain to fall before they germinate. It is best to sow seed into a large, deep (at least 30 cm, preferably more) container or into an open bed where the plant is intended to remain, because the taproot grows quite fast in the initial stages. If using a container, remember to place a layer of gravel or rocks at the bottom to ensure good drainage. The soil must be sandy and well-drained, e.g. 2 parts sand : 1 part loam : 1 part compost (leaf mould) with ample bonemeal, well mixed and sterilized. Moisten the soil thoroughly before sowing. If using a container, sow two or three seeds per container, near the centre. If more than one germinates, it can be transplanted in its first month, or left to form interesting graft complexes with its sibling. If you have an open bed, scatter them evenly over the surface. Place the seed on top of the soil and just cover it with a layer of sand. Water well and keep in a warm sunny situation. It is important to add a mild fungicide, like Captan, to the water during the first year as it will prevent fungal attack. Keep the soil moist until the seeds have germinated.

The placement of the ungerminated and germinating seedlings is also important. Choose a well-aerated, warm atmosphere, preferably in filtered sunlight. The plants are very sensitive to sudden changes in light intensity. Never move a plant from a shady situation to full sun, the leaves will burn and the plant may never recover and die. So when moving your plant, make sure that you gradually harden it off to brighter light. Welwitschias in containers can be grown in glasshouses, window sills, verandahs (stoeps) or outdoors in areas with rainfall of below 500 mm per annum. In higher rainfall areas, it may be quite happy on a slope. Also, we do not know its frost tolerance. Just because its habitat is frost-free today, does not mean that it did not have to contend with a colder climate during its evolutionary history.

Germination should occur from 7 days to a few months after sowing. The first sign is the cracking of the soil and the appearance of the two cotyledons, initially pink in colour, becoming green. Initial growth is very rapid, particularly the growth of the taproot. It is essential that seedlings in a shallow tray be planted out as soon as the cotyledons appear. Take care when transplanting, if the root tip is damaged or broken, the seedling will die. Keep the seedlings well watered during the first season. The warmer the temperature, the faster they will grow. At Kirstenbosch, the temperature in the Welwitschia House varies between 20 and 40 degrees C in summer and growth is good - 20-30 mm high in three weeks with a taproot 50-70 mm long. It is better to give too much water than too little, but remember the fungicide.

Seedlings should be watered regularly, at least once a week at first, and later watering can be reduced to once every two weeks. The amount of water also depends on the climate, cooler climates requiring less watering than hot dry ones. During the natural resting period in winter, watering should be reduced, and increased again in late spring when the weather warms up again.