Re:: [CH] Tamarind
Bob Batson (bob@sky.net)
Tue, 26 Jan 1999 16:26:40 -0600 (CST)
On Sun, 24 Jan 1999, Peter Moss <pmoss@yoda.alt.za> wrote:
> Anyone know anything about the growth habits of this plant?
> How long does it take to produce fruit? I know this gets to be
> quite a big tree 20..24M and is evergreen but would like to know
> how messy it is so I can figure where to plant it. Does it shed
> it leaves at all? I don't think fallen fruit is going to be a
> problem ;-) That is if I can get to them before the damn
> monkeys.
You should check the homepage for NewCROPS at
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/
Using their search engine called CropINDEX, I found the following
information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TAMARIND
B/W sketch
Tamarindus indica L.
Leguminosae (Fabaceae)
Common Names: Tamarind, Tamarindo, Tamarin, Sampalok.
Distant affinity: Carob (Ceratonia siliqua).
Origin: The tamarind is native to tropical Africa and grows wild
throughout the Sudan. It was introduced into India so long ago, it has
often been reported as indigenous there also. It is extensively
cultivated in tropical areas of the world. Sometime during the
sixteenth century, it was introduced into America and today is widely
grown in Mexico.
Adaptation: The tamarind is well adapted to semiarid tropical
conditions, although it does well in many humid tropical areas of the
world with seasonally high rainfall. Young trees are very susceptible
to frost, but mature trees will withstand brief periods of 28° F
without serious injury. A tamarind tree in the Quail Botanical Gardens
in San Diego County flowers, but rarely sets fruit, possibly because
of the cool coastal climate. Dry weather is important during the
period of fruit development. The tree is too large to be grown in a
container for any length of time.
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit: Tamarinds are slow-growing, long-lived, evergreen trees
that under optimum conditions can grow 80 feet high with a spread of
20 to 35 ft., in its native eastern Africa and Asia. However, in
Southern California it seldom reaches more than 15 to 25 ft. in
height.
Foliage: The bright green, pinnate foliage is dense and feathery in
appearance, making an attractive shade tree with an open branch
structure. The leaves are normally evergreen but may be shed briefly
in very dry areas during the hot season. There are usually as many as
10 to 20 nearly sessile 1/2 - 1 inch, pale green leaflets per leaf.
The leaflets close up at night.
B/W sketch
Flowers: The inconspicuous, inch-wide, five-petalled flowers are borne
in small racemes and are yellow with orange or red streaks. The flower
buds are pink due to the outer color of the 4 sepals which are shed
when the flower opens.
Fruit: The 3 - 8 inch long, brown, irregularly curved pods are borne
in abundance along the new branches. As the pods mature, they fill out
somewhat and the juicy, acidulous pulp turns brown or reddish-brown.
When fully ripe, the shells are brittle and easily broken. The pulp
dehydrates to a sticky paste enclosed by a few coarse stands of fiber.
The pods may contain from 1 to 12 large, flat, glossy brown, obovate
seeds embedded in the brown, edible pulp. The pulp has a pleasing
sweet/sour flavor and is high in both acid and sugar. It is also rich
in vitamin B and high in calcium. There are wide differences in fruit
size and flavor in seedling trees. Indian types have longer pods with
6 - 12 seeds, while the West Indian types have shorter pods containing
only 3 - 6 seeds. Most tamarinds in the Americas are of the shorter
type.
CULTURE
Location: The tamarind ultimately becomes a fairly large tree, so this
should be kept in mind when planting out the tree. It should be
planted in full sun and is highly wind-resistant with strong, supple
branches. The tree generally forms a beautiful spreading crown that
casts a light shade.
Soils Tamarinds tolerate a great diversity of soil types but do best
in deep, well drained soils which are slightly acid. Trees will not
tolerate cold, wet soils but are tolerant of salt spray and can be
planted fairly near the seashore.
Irrigation: The tamarind is adapted to semiarid regions of the tropics
and can withstand drought conditions quite well. Young trees require
adequate soil moisture until they become established, but mature trees
do quite well without supplemental irrigation. Avoid over-watering
which results in soggy soils.
Fertilization: The tamarind is not very demanding in its nutritional
requirements. Young trees should be fertilized every 2 - 3 months with
a 6-6-3 NPK or similar analysis fertilizer. Apply 1/4 lb. and
gradually increase to about 1/2 lb. Thereafter, young trees should
receive 1/2 lb. per application, per year of tree age, 3 - 4 times a
year. Bearing trees can be fertilized with 8-3-9 NPK or similar
analysis, at rates of about 1/2 lb. per application per year of tree
age. Microelements, particularly iron may be required for trees in
alkaline soils.
Pruning: Young trees are pruned to allow three to five well spaced
branches to develop into the main scaffold structure of the tree.
Maintenance pruning only is required after that to remove dead or
damaged wood.
Propagation: Rootstocks are propagated from seed, which germinate
within a week. Seeds retain their viability for several months if kept
dry. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep in containers filled with a UC soilless
type potting media. They should be selected from trees of good
production and quality. Even so, seedlings will be variable in quality
and slow to bear. Veneer grafting, shield (T or inverted T) budding
and air layering may be used to propagate desirable selections. Such
trees will usually fruit within 3 - 4 years if provided optimum
growing conditions. Seedlings should begin to produce fruit in 6 - 8
years, while vegetatively propagated trees will normally bear in half
that time.
Young trees should be planted in holes larger than necessary to
accommodate the root system. They should be planted slightly higher
than existing ground level to allow for subsequent settling of the
soil and a water basin should be built around each tree to assure
adequate moisture for young trees. Spacing of trees is normally 20 to
25 ft. in commercial orchards. However, solitary trees planted in
Southern California rarely exceed 15 feet in diameter.
Pests and Diseases: In California tamarinds are generally free of
pests and diseases, although ants will sometimes spread black and
olive scales. In India there are are a host of pests that attack the
tree, including mealybugs, caterpillars, aphids, white flies, thrips
and a variety of scales. Various weevils and borers can also infest
the ripening pods or stored fruits.
Harvest: Tamarind fruits mature in late spring to early summer. They
may be left on the tree for as long as 6 months after maturity so that
the moisture content will be reduced to 20% or lower. Fruits for
immediate processing are often harvested by pulling the pod away from
the stalk. Mature trees are capable of producing 350 lb. of fruit a
year. Ripe fruit in humid climates is readily attacked by beetles and
fungi, so mature fruit should be harvested and stored under
refrigeration.
Tamarinds may be eaten fresh, but they area most commonly used with
sugar and water in the American tropics to prepare a cooling drink.
The pulp is used to flavor preserves and chutney, to make meat sauces
ant to pickle fish. Candy can be made by mixing the pulp with dry
sugar and molding it into desired shapes.
CULTIVARS
There are selected cultivars which have sweeter pulp. One in Thailand
is Makham Waan and the USDA's subtropical horticulture research unit
in Miami, Florida has one called Manila Sweet. None are presently
available in Southern California.
FURTHER READING
* Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources
Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 115-121.
* Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner
Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 432-436.
See Index of CRFG Publications, 1969 - 1989 and annual indexes of
Fruit Gardener for additional articles on the tamarind.
====================================================================
Bob Batson L 39 12 14 N 94 33 16 W
bob@sky.net Kansas City
TCS - Mystic Fire Priest USDA zone 5b
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Under the most controlled conditions, the experimental apparatus will
do exactly as it pleases.