A soapnut tree?

angelatgraceland · 17 January 2007 at 3:21AM

I have just got some soapnuts and it was suggested thaat if I had one with a seed in it that I plant it? Would it grow and produce soapnuts? Anybody actualy tried this? As they originate in India I don't know whether to bother trying or not.

Penelope_Penguin · 17 January 2007 at 8:21AM

Hi, found this. No idea if your seed will germinate, but as the tree's quite attractive, you could try planting one, and see. You won't lose much.

Let us know how you get on.

Penny. x

wizzkid_3 · 17 January 2007 at 10:29AM

Wonder how long it would take to become frutiful?

wizzkid_3 · 17 January 2007 at 10:36AM

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/soap.php just found this link, someone says near the bottom of the page that it might be possible to use conkers chopped up in the same way as soapnuts! Only chucked a huge box of them 2 weeks ago!

queenpig · 18 January 2007 at 12:29PM

wizzkid wrote:

Wonder how long it would take to become frutiful?

I think I read its about 7-8 years.

Seakay · 18 January 2007 at 1:47PM

wizzkid wrote:

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/soap.php just found this link, someone says near the bottom of the page that it might be possible to use conkers chopped up in the same way as soapnuts! Only chucked a huge box of them 2 weeks ago!

Found this in Wikipedia:
In the past, Horse-chestnut seeds were used in France and Switzerland for whitening hemp, flax, silk and wool. They contain a soapy juice, fit for washing of linens and stuffs, for milling of caps and stockings, etc., and for fulling of cloth. For this, 20 horse-chestnut seeds were sufficient for six litres of water. They were peeled, then rasped or dried, and ground in a malt or other mill. The water must be soft, either rain or river water, for hard well water will not do. The nuts are then steeped in cold water, which soon becomes frothy, as with soap, and then turns white as milk. It must be stirred well at first, and then, after standing to settle, strained or poured off clear. Linen washed in this liquid, and afterwards rinsed in clear running water, takes on an agreeable light sky-blue colour. It takes spots out of both linen and woollen, and never damages or injures the cloth.

adouglasmhor · 18 January 2007 at 2:20PM

Horse chestnut leaves are full of saponins as well, you can mash them up and soak overnight to wash your hair and face or just mash up a load of them to wash yourself in (Ray Mears showed me this). Horse Chestnut leaves are bad for making leaf mold as they are so soapy.

black-saturn · 18 January 2007 at 2:32PM

I gave up on the soapnuts and went back to washing powder.

angelatgraceland · 21 January 2007 at 3:33AM

Takes too long to grow I think-prpbably move house before then! I just noticed that Lakeland are now selling soapnuts. Why did you give up on the black-saturn?

soapnutter · 21 January 2007 at 4:31PM

I have 2 small trees, but I'm not sure they survived the winter. They certainly lost all their leaves. I'm waiting to see if they recover when spring gets here. Considering they need freezing to germinate I think they should be fine.

They take 9 years or more to produce their first harvest, get to 15 feet tall (or more) and I have no idea what the effect will be on the UK ecosystem if we all grow sapindus trees in our gardens!

But it's fun though and the trees are lovely.

soapnutter · 21 January 2007 at 4:33PM

black-saturn wrote:

I gave up on the soapnuts and went back to washing powder.

Soap nuts aren't brilliant for whites. They contain no bleaching agents or optical brighteners. So now and then I use some powder (ecover usually) to spruce the white and pale stuff up a bit.

Or I go visit my Mum and use hers.....

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

A soapnut tree?

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