How to Grow Soap Nuts
Soap nuts come from the Chinese soapberry tree. The actual soap nut is a piece of fruit that falls from the soapberry tree once it has dried out. Laundry soap, bar soap and shampoos can all be made from the soap nut. Soap nuts can be found on the ground near soapberry trees or ordered through specialty companies. To use soap nuts in your washing machine, place a few nuts in a linen bag and toss in with your dirty clothes. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Soap nut seed
- Hammer
- Water
- Bowl
- Tin foil
- Potting soil
- Deep planting pot
- Trowel
Instructions
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1
Pull the husk from the soap nut seed. The seed is hard and brownish in color.
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2
Soften the soap nut seed by hitting it with a hammer. Use medium force when hitting the seed. You don't want to destroy it, you want to soften it.
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3
Bring your water to a boil. The amount of water you use will depend on the number of seeds you will be planting.
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4
Pour the boiling water into the bowl and allow to sit for five minutes. Add the seeds and cover with a lid. If the bowl does not have a lid, cover with tin foil. If you are soaking only a few seeds, you can use a thermos. Leave for 24 hours.
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5
Fill your pot with potting soil and dig a one inch hole with your trowel.
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6
Place your soap nut seed into the hole and cover with soil. Water the soap nut regularly so the soil stays damp. When the soap nut tree becomes too large for its pot, transfer it to a larger one. The soap nut tree can grow as high as 225 feet. You will eventually need to plant the soap nut tree into the ground.
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Pick the soap nuts off the ground when the tree begins to shed its fruit. This could take as long as ten years.
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Tips & Warnings
Only plant one soap nut seed per pot.
