Editing Ricinodendron heudelotii (section)

== Propagation ==

Untreated seeds germinate poorly: in one Cameroon trial they gave no germination at all, the stones are hard and slow to break down, and Cameroon farmers seldom plant the tree because establishment from seed is difficult.<sup>[[#cite_note-8|[8]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup> Hand scarification of the stony endocarp gave about 62% germination in that trial, sulphuric-acid soaking only 0-15%, and hot-water treatment killed embryos or gave essentially no germination.<sup>[[#cite_note-8|[8]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-9|[9]]]</sup> Soaking in plain water is gentler: in an Ivorian nursery trial, a 72-hour soak worked best for sowing in plastic bags and a 96-hour soak best on plank ridges, with germination delays of 12-21 days in bags and 19-29 days on ridges.<sup>[[#cite_note-9|[9]]]</sup> A Ghana trial found that burning about 5 kg of dry grass on the seeds raised germination to 69%, and up to 79% for seed from a favored source; that report recommends soaking seed about 21 days in water and then burning 5 kg of grass at 15% moisture content on the seeds, and another account gives the best medium as a 1:3 mixture of river sand and forest soil.<sup id="cite_ref-11">[[#cite_note-11|[11]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Seeds are liable to insect attack in storage; mixing in ash before cool, dry storage reduces damage.<sup>[[#cite_note-7|[7]]]</sup> Seedlings give no clue to sex, so a nursery batch cannot be preselected for fruiting females.<sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-6|[6]]]</sup>

Vegetative routes are used because seed germination and seedling sex are unreliable; the PROTA monograph lists leafy stem cuttings, layering and side grafting.<sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> Leafy cuttings in non-mist propagators can exceed 80% rooting: take young, vertical, non-woody shoots, cut them to 3-5 cm keeping one node with two leaves and about 8 cm2 of leaf, set them in a sawdust medium, and rooting begins after about two weeks; rooting hormone increases root number.<sup>[[#cite_note-6|[6]]]</sup> In open-field trials without such protection, sprouting from 30 cm cuttings 2-4 cm thick was only 4-17%, with no significant difference between vertical and slanting orientation.<sup>[[#cite_note-8|[8]]]</sup>

For field establishment, plants are set in cleared sites at about 10 m spacing after at least six months under shade and a minimal height of 20-30 cm; a palm-frond shade fence for the first two weeks, abundant watering, mulching and weeding while young help the transplant establish.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>