If you like eating cashews, you might think about planting your own tree in your garden. However, the prospects for rich harvests in Germany are rather poor. Cashew trees require a tropical climate all year round to thrive properly.
Is it possible to grow a cashew tree in Germany?
Can you plant and successfully maintain a cashew tree in Germany? In Germany the conditions are unfavorable for cashew trees, which require a tropical climate. However, it is possible to grow in a heated greenhouse with consistently high temperatures and humidity in order to possibly produce fruit.
Cashew trees require a tropical climate
The homeland of the cashew tree is Brazil. Today it is also grown in other tropical countries such as India, Thailand and Africa. In a good climate, the trees reach a height of 15 meters, although they rarely reach the height of the largest cashew tree in the world.
The temperatures prevailing in Germany, especially in winter, are far too low for the tree. There is also a lack of the necessary high humidity.
If you have a heated greenhouse, you can try it there. The cashew tree will not grow very tall, but it is not impossible that it will produce some fruit.
What you need to plant a cashew tree
- Untreated kernels
- Normal garden soil
- Protected location
- Deep, loose soil
Get fresh seeds for sowing
Cashew nuts from the store are not suitable for growing a cashew tree. The kernels are pre-treated because of their slight toxicity and no longer germinate.
You get fresh seeds from the countries of origin. Get multiple cores.
Cashews germinate very irregularly. You therefore need a lot of kernels if you want to grow a cashew tree in Germany.
Sowing cashews
Prepare larger pots with garden soil and insert at least three seeds into the soil per pot.
Keep the pots warm and keep the soil moist. Gardening experts recommend placing the pots in freezer bags.
After germination, place plants outdoors or in the greenhouse.
Protected location
The quality of the soil does not play as important a role as a protected location where the temperatures do not drop below ten degrees.
When planting outdoors, you need to provide good winter protection in winter, which at the same time increases the humidity.
Tips & Tricks
The shell of the cashew fruit contains the toxic oil cardol, which causes severe irritation when it comes into contact with the skin. Therefore, only handle raw fruits with gloves and roast the seeds before eating them.
