Baobab Friday

This is Adansonia digitata. I'm sure you all recognize it by now. You'd see it walking on the street and you'd be like "OMG, you're Adansonia digitata!!!! Can I get a picture?" It has shot up another 2/3 of an inch this week to the towering height of 2 13/16. Inches. Majestic, isn't it?

What you probably don't realize from this photo is that it's sitting right in the picture window. Not "on" as in on a sill, since there is none, but right in the window frame. Because I've been keeping the baobabs inside at night as it's getting colder, and on rainy days, and instead of moving it out this morning to get the sun, I simply set it in the window like that.

As you can imagine, moments after this photo was taken, I knocked it over with my knee while entering from the balcony. It fell right upside down and all the dirt spilled. "Oh no!" I thought, "I've slain my mighty baobab!"

Not even. When I righted the pot, two thirds of the dirt had fallen out, but the baobab was sitting right there, completely unfazed, with all its dirt right in place. Like James Bond, coming through crazy adventures looking fresh out of an Oscar de la Renta ad. Which tells us one important thing: this baobab has a sturdy root system. And another thing I learned while scooping the displaced dirt back into place is that, as I suspected long ago, the other two seeds have vanished. I figured the Magic Fungus must have eaten them. In theory, seeds can lie in soil for months and sprout when the time is right, but in my garden, that doesn't happen. If you don't start growing fast, the fungus eats you. I'm thinking I should get some fungicide for next spring.

Meanwhile, Adansonia za is definitely knocking on heaven's door, and I'm sure the other two seeds are long gone too. So, I just boiled one of the two reserve seeds, and I'm gonna change out the soil in that planter. Maybe I should sterilize some soil, but it's a touchy thing.

Anyway, that's Baobab Friday.