Red Cotton Tree (Bombax Ceiba) | 10 Seeds | 木棉 | Same Day Dispatch

 Dear ebayers,Please find for sale 10 fresh and pretty rare seeds for Bombax Ceiba better known as the Red Cotton Flowered Tree or in Cantonese æœ¨æ£‰  . Other common names over the world are Kapok Tree, Red Silk Cotton Tree and Silk Cotton tree. I hope to be selling plants I have raised from seed soon.This beautiful tree is best considered half-hardy in the UK. Whilst it can tolerate a few degrees of frost once established, unless you live in the South of England and have a sheltered spot, it is best grown as a large container plant - brought into greenhouse or conservatories in winter or otherwise given protection. Luckily this tree thrives in containers.Bombax ceiba, is  fast-growing with an erect stem that develops buttresses when mature and an umbrella shaped crown. The leaves are bright green, leathery, and rounded. The flowers are cup shaped and red. The fruits are brown oval capsule. Plant parts like flowers, young root, gum, leaves, shoots, and bark have traditional medicine properties and are used as treatment for various conditions and diseases like cholera, fractures, toothache, coughs, urinary problems, influenza, and snake bites among others. The flowers are edible when cooked and are highly valued as a curry vegetable. Young leaves are edible as well and cooked and eaten as vegetable. Moreover, ripe seeds and young roots are roasted. Edible oil can be obtained from the seed, fibre from the inner bark, and gum containing tannins from the bark and sapling root. Seed oil is also used in soap making.PLEASE NOTE: All orders received before 8pm (Mon-Fri) will be dispatched same daySAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY EBAY SHOPINSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME WITH ANY GROWING QUESTIONS.Germination GuideSoak the seeds in glass of tepid water for 12 hours approxPrepare a tray of moist free draining compost mix - ideally a 50/5-0 mix of sieved compost and vermiculiteSow seeds individually 5-10mm deepLoosely cover with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidityKeep in a warm place, ideally 23-25cGermination can be erratic but first seedlings should appear after 2-3 weeksKeep moist - best to place seed tray inside a waterproof container and water from the bottomPrick out seedlings as soon as large enough to handle.Pot on as requiredOlly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:1) Don’t Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!2) Google and YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed. 3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.4) Good compost pays dividends. The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine) 5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk.Overseas OrdersBuyers please note that they are responsible for any local customs duties or other taxes in their local country and should also ensure compliance with an biosecurity regulations.Any problems? Don't rush to review - message us first and we will get it sorted quickly!