How to Germinate Banisteriopsis Caapi Seeds

Banisteriopsis caapi is a perennial vine native to the Amazon rainforest known for its role in South American ayahuasca ceremonies. These spiritual ceremonies have gone on for hundreds of years in the Amazonian Basin and still exist today to some degree. Today, banisteriopsis caapi is one of the most sought after plants by collectors of entheogenic plants. Its allure is fueled not just by a fascination to grow a plant, but to cultivate a powerful symbol, to possess something that harnesses the spirit of an ancient tradition and the mysticism of the rainforest.

In the recent decade, cuttings of banisteriopsis caapi have become somewhat readily available from specialty plant vendors. They can be grown indoors or out, and the right environment can allow established caapi vines to grow a foot per week. But for many growers the real experience, the real sense of accomplishment, involves creating a plant from scratch. Germination of banisteriopsis caapi is something that should be on every serious growers to-do list, but that only a small percent get to succeed in.

The real limitation, and what many new growers are not aware of, is that banisteriopsis caapi seeds have a low germination rate, which decreases to none in just a few months. By February I would expect the caapi seeds to be non-viable. Vendors who sell seed year-round are feeding on this naivety, and so it may seem to many growers that germination of banisteriopsis caapi is difficult or that it requires some special trick. The real trick is getting fresh seed. Banisteriopsis caapi seed harvest generally occurs in October or November. It can range a bit depending on yearly climate. It is wisest to plan your growing around those months to ensure you start with good seed, and it is worth paying more money for fresh seed. Since you are growing in the fall, it is likely that you will need to use grow lights, although nothing fancy is required. We typically arrange ahead of time for our caapi seeds to be shipped as soon as they are harvested. The freshest banisteriopsis caapi seeds are still green, although brown seeds will still germinate. In fact, even green seeds will turn brown in between planting and germination.

Once you have obtained your fresh banisteriopsis seed, it is time for sowing. Prepare a well-draining soil mixture. We have had success germinating banisteriopsis caapi with several different soil compositions, but we recommend using potting soil mixed with about 25% perlite. Avoid using seed starting mixes or soils heavy in peat because you want something richer that would resemble forest soil. In forests, the rainforest especially, there is vast supply of plant material to enrich the soil. As mentioned before, it is also important to have a well-draining soil because banisteriopsis caapi seeds are somewhat prone to fungus attacks. By removing excess moisture, it reduces that risk. Fungus attacks that do occur can be treated with chamomile tea, or you may even choose to use it to water your plants initially. Chamomile has natural antifungal properties. It is a good choice because it is organic.

We like to start many of our seeds in aluminum baking trays. Banisteriopsis caapi is no different. We like aluminum trays because they allow us to plant a good amount of seeds in one container, but any pot will do. Banisteriopsis caapi seeds resemble maple tree seeds both in texture and because they have a wing. Attached to one end of the wing is the actual seed. Side-by-side, the heads of the two seed types are obviously different. Even if the wing is bent or broken, it should not affect your ability to germinate banisteriopsis caapi seeds. It is this seed end that you want to press into the soil, leaving the wing in the air. There is no need to bury the seed too deeply. Just the thickness of the seed head itself is a perfect depth.

Once we have planted all our banisteriopsis caapi seeds in that way, we usually cover our tray with clear plastic wrap. Do not keep the wrap on tightly because restricting airflow is a bad way to avoid fungus. We have had success germinating banisteriopsis caapi with or without plastic over the top, but the plastic allows for better moisture control. You want to maintain constant moisture while germinating banisteriopsis caapi seeds, but you should be ready to remove the plastic any time the soil starts to look wet. As the moisture evaporates from the soil and condenses on the plastic, it rains back down into the soil. This can cause too much moisture to gather at the surface, which you want to avoid. By removing the plastic before the water builds up, you can dry the soil out before it affects the seeds. It should be about two weeks before you see anything. Be patient, and do not give up. You may get new banisteriopsis caapi seeds germinating days or weeks after your initial sprouts. Our picture shows young banisteriopsis caapi sprouts from a November 2009 planting (with anadenanthera colubrina in the far right).






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Germination of Cacti Such as San Pedro Cactus, Peruvian Torch and Other Spiny Friends

You see them in your office or local hardware store, maybe even your local Mexican restaurant. But many people never stop to think that cacti actually start out as seeds. I mean it makes sense being a plant and all. But I get the same reaction all the time when I tell people I sell cacti seeds. "Cacti grow from seeds?!?"

The reality is that cacti do grow from seeds, and anyone can grow them. It's not that difficult and is more than rewarding in the end. I warn you though, the hobby of cacti growing and collecting can be nothing short of addicting, and there is a growing community of cacti growers, particularly the Sacred species, which includes San Pedro Cactus, Peruvian Torch, Dona Ana, certain Ariocarpus species and even Peyote, which is illegal in the United States but it extremely coveted and legal to grow elsewhere around the world.

With a growing interest in starting cacti from seed, I see many people asking about how to begin. This method will not work for every species of cactus, but is ideal for those of the trichocereus, carnegiea, astrophytum, obregonia, lophophora and ariocarpus genus. It will work for other cacti seeds as well. The first consideration to make is soil mix. While you can make your own cactus soil mixtures, this is not really worth it for the new grower. Unless your making a large volume of soil mix, it will be more expensive to buy the multiple materials needed when you could easily buy a commercial cactus potting mix. When it comes to commercial cactus soil, I prefer Shultz's and am not a fan of Miracle Grow. If it is the only option, it will serve the purpose. Some growers will add perlite (up to 50%), which is a white, porous volcanic glass that is used for drainage. Its nooks and crannies provide an enormous amount of surface area to hold water without letting the soil get soggy. If I am going to add perlite, I find that it is beneficial to use a mixture such as this for the bottom layer. For the top layer, strain out the larger debris so you end up with only the finer particles.

Your next consideration is the pot. This is not a hard choice. I prefer small Chinese soup containers and other take-out containers. Fill your pot with either cactus soil or the soil/perlite mix so that you leave at least an inch of room left. Use a mister to moisten your soil without it getting soggy. Put about half an inch of the finer (strained) soil above that. The finer layer serves to keep the seeds from landing on any debris that they will have a hard time anchoring their root into. Then mist the top layer before you add your cacti seeds. While the seeds of astrophytum are a little larger, those of trichocereus, ariocarpus and especially obregonia are particularly small. When you look at a san pedro cactus or a peruvian torch, you wouldn't expect that they come from such small seeds. Misting before applying the seeds keeps them from being sprayed away so that they become unevenly distributed. After misting, take your seeds and press them into the surface of the soil. You can crowd them because you will be able to separate them later. Do not cover them at all with soil because cactus seeds need light to germinate.

Cover the whole container with clear plastic wrap. If using a take-out container, you can simply keep the lid on loosely so that air will still get in. Keep your soil temperature at about 70-75 degrees F and provide window light until the seeds sprout. Eventually you can put them under fluorescent lights. The seedlings will not have to be transplanted for at least six months.

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Germination of Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa/ Chocolate)

Theobroma Cacao, the Aztec's Food of the Gods, is one of the trickier plants to grow. Cacao plants are quite rare in the United States, and viable seeds are even rarer. This is because the seeds have an extremely short viability. Only seeds obtained in the fruit or those that have been recently removed are suitable for growing. Dried cocoa beans are often sold for edible and aromatic applications, but do not be fooled into thinking you will be able to grow these. More importantly, beware of vendors selling these seeds for growing. If the beans are dry when you get them, they are no good.



The above picture shows two ripe Theobroma Cacao seed pods that we at World Seed Supply have been working with. The fruit on the right was opened first in the condition it appears while the one on the left a was allowed to ripen to a similar color before opening. The majority of the seeds in that first fruit were actually germinating right in the pod when it was opened. It is important to slice around the perimeter of the fruit so that you do not damage the cocoa seeds in the center. It is a good idea to squeeze the slices cacao pod to break it fully apart rather than slicing too deep. Once you have the two halves, you will seed a conglomeration of about 15-20 cocoa beans stuck together with each individual seed coated by a white fruity material. This material is the second factor that makes growing cacao tricky.


The white fleshy material on the outside of the cacao seeds is problematic because it is tough to remove and is an ideal place to harbor molds and disease that could harm the seed during germination. Although a bit unorthodox, we began the process by chewing and sucking off as much of the cacao fruit as possible. This decision was made only with the knowledge that the fruit is edible, and it proved to be quite tasty. Afterwards, a very sharp kitchen knife was used to shave off more of the remaining substance without damaging the brown seed coat. While one seed was being worked on, the other seeds were left soaking in water to keep from drying out and to keep any of the reminaing fruit material workable. After the shaving, the seeds were rubbed extensively with a dry towel until they were relatively clean. Needless to say, this was quite a chore for 15-20 seeds at a time. Fortunately, the fruits were done on different days.


Once the seeds were cleaned, we placed them in a bed of moist spagnum moss. This is the long-fiber kind sold in craft stores and used for hanging baskets. This should not be confused with peat moss that is used as a soil component. As we said, most of the seeds in the first cacao fruit were germinated already. Some of them were already into the advanced stages of germination. A few of these ones were put right into jiffy mix with spagnum moss around the top to keep the seed head from drying out. Over the next week or so, those in the bed were gradually moved into the same conditions. As the second fruit was opened, they took the place of those seeds in the spagnum bed. It should be noted that the seeds were monitored for mold. It seemed that a bluish green mold was active, but they were rinsed with a mild peroxide solution as needed.



Eventually, all of the cocoa seeds were transplanted into the jiffy mix with 100% germination (minus one healthy seedling that was dropped). The seedlings were then placed next to a simple incandescent bulb. In the week or so following transplantation, the ring of spagnum moss around the seed head was kept moist until the seed head grew tall enough to rise above it. At this point, the seed head was misted occasionally. As you can see, theobroma cacao leaves are now beginning to emerge!

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