Howdy all,

I've had a good trawl through dejanews and found only one or two references
to Mandrake, mostly from me strangely enough !

However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

Were there any special conditions, any special routines, or any special
soils helpful in getting the seeds to germinate.

I have acquired 10 seeds in total from the one fruit my mandrake produced
and I'd like to make the most of them. I believe it grows mainly in the
South Eastern corner of Europe but am even unsure what weather conditions
they have, will it need chilling, will it need soaking ??? etc

Any help very gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Duncan

There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
That's it.

If I were in your shoes, I'd simply plant the seeds in a pot
filled with reasonably open potting mix. Use a pot that is deeper
than normal for seeds to give growing room for the long taproot.
Cover the seeds with about 1/4" of soil or fine gravel; water
well; and park the thing in a coldframe. (The coldframe serves
more to keep excessive winter wet at bay than anything else.)

Expect some germination next spring, and with delayed germination
of sluggish seeds in later seasons.

Miller in the first edition of his Gardener's Dictionary (1731)
says that the seed should be fresh. You have been warned.

I would plant out the seedlings at the beginning of their second
season of growth, a year after germination. Surround the crown of
the root with fine gravel to keep water away, but even then, be
prepared for the plants to take several years to establish.

The crowns are prone to rotting off and it seems like they have
to rot, callus over, and re-grow several times before they settle
down and faithfully grow well. But once established, they are
steady performers -- not things of beauty, but something well
worth having if one likes unusual and curious plants.

My current mandrake planting is under the eaves of a large
deodar, which gives them some protection from overhead moisture,
but they much prefer a sunny site.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in
message ...
On Wed, 9 Jul 2003 13:52:35 +0100, Druss wrote:

I've had a good trawl through dejanews and found only one or two
references
to Mandrake, mostly from me strangely enough !

However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

Were there any special conditions, any special routines, or any special
soils helpful in getting the seeds to germinate.

I have acquired 10 seeds in total from the one fruit my mandrake
produced
and I'd like to make the most of them. I believe it grows mainly in the
South Eastern corner of Europe but am even unsure what weather
conditions
they have, will it need chilling, will it need soaking ??? etc

Any help very gratefully appreciated.

There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
That's it.

If I were in your shoes, I'd simply plant the seeds in a pot
filled with reasonably open potting mix. Use a pot that is deeper
than normal for seeds to give growing room for the long taproot.
Cover the seeds with about 1/4" of soil or fine gravel; water
well; and park the thing in a coldframe. (The coldframe serves
more to keep excessive winter wet at bay than anything else.)

Expect some germination next spring, and with delayed germination
of sluggish seeds in later seasons.

Miller in the first edition of his Gardener's Dictionary (1731)
says that the seed should be fresh. You have been warned.

I would plant out the seedlings at the beginning of their second
season of growth, a year after germination. Surround the crown of
the root with fine gravel to keep water away, but even then, be
prepared for the plants to take several years to establish.

The crowns are prone to rotting off and it seems like they have
to rot, callus over, and re-grow several times before they settle
down and faithfully grow well. But once established, they are
steady performers -- not things of beauty, but something well
worth having if one likes unusual and curious plants.

My current mandrake planting is under the eaves of a large
deodar, which gives them some protection from overhead moisture,
but they much prefer a sunny site.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Does seem to be a very limited number of people growing Mandrake, but then
as you say it's not the prettiest plant in the world, and its not the most
useful either. The seeds I have are very fresh, as in i dug them out of the
seed pod myself only a couple of days ago. I guess I can try a few in
different pots and different soils. I'll need to protect them from the
slugs, who for some reaason seems to have no problem eating the leaves.

Interesting note about the ortting off and forming a callus. I assume it's
the european mandrka eyou are growing and not the strange American Mandrake
plant which appears to be somewhat different ?

Cheers
Duncan

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:12:32 GMT,
(Rodger Whitlock) wrote:

There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
That's it.

All the others died during repotting?

Thomas Prufer

In article , Thomas Prufer writes:
| On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:12:32 GMT,
| (Rodger Whitlock) wrote:
|
| There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
| That's it.
|
| All the others died during repotting?

If they mistook mandragora for pot, that would explain it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article , Thomas Prufer
writes:
| On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:12:32 GMT,
| (Rodger Whitlock) wrote:
|
| There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
| That's it.
|
| All the others died during repotting?

If they mistook mandragora for pot, that would explain it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Strangely enough when searching on the web, most of the hits were initially
about how to prepare the plant as a drug for halucinagenic! tripping, scary
scary thought what some people will try and do.
Duncan

In article ,
"Druss" writes:
|
| Strangely enough when searching on the web, most of the hits were initially
| about how to prepare the plant as a drug for halucinagenic! tripping, scary
| scary thought what some people will try and do.

I was thinking that breeding a variety could be amusing. Mandragora
officinalis "Cotton Mather" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Druss" wrote in message
...
However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

My kids (Harry Potter fans both) were delighted to find Mandrake growing in
one of the gardens we visited recently. I'm _pretty_ sure (we did a lot of
gardens that week, OK?!) it was the HDRA gardens at Yalding
(http://www.hdra.org.uk/yalding.htm). Might be worth seeing if they have
any tips (other than on how to harvest the root, given that the scream as
they come up is fatal...)

Martin

"Druss" wrote in message
...
However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

My kids (Harry Potter fans both) were delighted to find Mandrake growing in
one of the gardens we visited recently. I'm _pretty_ sure (we did a lot of
gardens that week, OK?!) it was the HDRA gardens at Yalding
(http://www.hdra.org.uk/yalding.htm). Might be worth seeing if they have
any tips (other than on how to harvest the root, given that the scream as
they come up is fatal...)

Martin

Satan's apple , or mandrake, is a relative of the nightshade plant. It's
root grows with 2 finger like appendages that mimic the form of a man's
legs, with the foliage then appearing to be his beard. Attributed with
magical powers, it was said to have grown under gallows, where the blood of
the condemned had dripped. If one was to dig up a mandrake, he would bring a
dog along. The root is said to let out "groans and shrieks" when dug, and if
the digger heard them, he was as good as dead. So, he would bring a dog who
would suffer the wrath of the terrible mandrake in his place. The plant
bears a yellow fruit that both looks and smells like a small apple
("mayapple"), but is highly poisonous. As one site put it "Toxic.
Consumption will cause insanity." Another touts "once known as the most evil
plant in the world"

PS Here in Illinois it's called a "MayApple"
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/n...df/maqbool.pdf

Peg
A Macabre Garden
http://www.dreamwater.com/sancho/macabregarden.html
"Beware when you pull the May Apple out of the ground. An old mountain
superstition once said if a girl pulled the roots of the May Apple out of
the ground, she would become pregnant."

"Druss" wrote in message
...
Howdy all,

I've had a good trawl through dejanews and found only one or two
references
to Mandrake, mostly from me strangely enough !

However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

Were there any special conditions, any special routines, or any special
soils helpful in getting the seeds to germinate.

I have acquired 10 seeds in total from the one fruit my mandrake produced
and I'd like to make the most of them. I believe it grows mainly in the
South Eastern corner of Europe but am even unsure what weather conditions
they have, will it need chilling, will it need soaking ??? etc

Any help very gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Duncan

Satan's apple , or mandrake, is a relative of the nightshade plant. It's
root grows with 2 finger like appendages that mimic the form of a man's
legs, with the foliage then appearing to be his beard. Attributed with
magical powers, it was said to have grown under gallows, where the blood of
the condemned had dripped. If one was to dig up a mandrake, he would bring a
dog along. The root is said to let out "groans and shrieks" when dug, and if
the digger heard them, he was as good as dead. So, he would bring a dog who
would suffer the wrath of the terrible mandrake in his place. The plant
bears a yellow fruit that both looks and smells like a small apple
("mayapple"), but is highly poisonous. As one site put it "Toxic.
Consumption will cause insanity." Another touts "once known as the most evil
plant in the world"

PS Here in Illinois it's called a "MayApple"
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/n...df/maqbool.pdf

Peg
A Macabre Garden
http://www.dreamwater.com/sancho/macabregarden.html
"Beware when you pull the May Apple out of the ground. An old mountain
superstition once said if a girl pulled the roots of the May Apple out of
the ground, she would become pregnant."

"Druss" wrote in message
...
Howdy all,

I've had a good trawl through dejanews and found only one or two
references
to Mandrake, mostly from me strangely enough !

However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

Were there any special conditions, any special routines, or any special
soils helpful in getting the seeds to germinate.

I have acquired 10 seeds in total from the one fruit my mandrake produced
and I'd like to make the most of them. I believe it grows mainly in the
South Eastern corner of Europe but am even unsure what weather conditions
they have, will it need chilling, will it need soaking ??? etc

Any help very gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Duncan

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:15:15 +0100, Druss wrote:

Interesting note about the ortting off and forming a callus. I assume it's
the european mandrka eyou are growing and not the strange American Mandrake
plant which appears to be somewhat different ?

Yep, genu-wine Mandragora officinalis -- though one is different,
has leaves of a grayish-metallic cast. I wish I had a handy
reference to sort out the various names under Mandragora. I think
the single odd plant I have may be the veritable M. officinalis
and the rest (with rumpled green leaves) may be M. vernalis. They
all flower at about the same time.

I don't remember what genus the "American mandrake" is, but it
isn't Mandragora.

--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 10:09:30 +0200, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:12:32 GMT,
(Rodger Whitlock) wrote:

There are exactly two gardeners who grow mandragora, you and me.
That's it.

All the others died during repotting?

Earplugs.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The way I understand what I was reading on the web, the Mayapple is the
American form of Mandrake and not the Mandragora plant as such, this may be
a relative but isn't quite the same plant and has different requirements
etc.

The dog would also usually be starved a bit, and then it would be tied to
the plant, and food left some small distance away, that way as the dog
struggles to get to the food, it pulls the mandrake root out of the ground,
and I've always heard that far from being a fatal shriek, it would drive
whoever pulled it out of the ground mad instead. In this way you'd end up
with lots of mad dogs running around, and when you did you knew that someone
had been playing with Mandrake. This was probably a really convienant excuse
for hunting down witches when rabies came to town.

Duncan

"Peggy" wrote in message
t...
Satan's apple , or mandrake, is a relative of the nightshade plant. It's
root grows with 2 finger like appendages that mimic the form of a man's
legs, with the foliage then appearing to be his beard. Attributed with
magical powers, it was said to have grown under gallows, where the blood
of
the condemned had dripped. If one was to dig up a mandrake, he would bring
a
dog along. The root is said to let out "groans and shrieks" when dug, and
if
the digger heard them, he was as good as dead. So, he would bring a dog
who
would suffer the wrath of the terrible mandrake in his place. The plant
bears a yellow fruit that both looks and smells like a small apple
("mayapple"), but is highly poisonous. As one site put it "Toxic.
Consumption will cause insanity." Another touts "once known as the most
evil
plant in the world"

PS Here in Illinois it's called a "MayApple"
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/n...df/maqbool.pdf

Peg
A Macabre Garden
http://www.dreamwater.com/sancho/macabregarden.html
"Beware when you pull the May Apple out of the ground. An old mountain
superstition once said if a girl pulled the roots of the May Apple out of
the ground, she would become pregnant."

"Druss" wrote in message
...
Howdy all,

I've had a good trawl through dejanews and found only one or two
references
to Mandrake, mostly from me strangely enough !

However I do have one question for anyone who may have successfully
germinated Mandragora seeds;

Were there any special conditions, any special routines, or any special
soils helpful in getting the seeds to germinate.

I have acquired 10 seeds in total from the one fruit my mandrake
produced
and I'd like to make the most of them. I believe it grows mainly in the
South Eastern corner of Europe but am even unsure what weather
conditions
they have, will it need chilling, will it need soaking ??? etc

Any help very gratefully appreciated.

Cheers
Duncan

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Druss" writes:
|
| Strangely enough when searching on the web, most of the hits were
initially
| about how to prepare the plant as a drug for halucinagenic! tripping,
scary
| scary thought what some people will try and do.

I was thinking that breeding a variety could be amusing. Mandragora
officinalis "Cotton Mather" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Okay, I think it's must be the wrong time of the day, my brain cannot
extract the humour from this, please elucidate !, cor big words too. My
brain aches now !
Duncan