Salak (Snakeskin) fruit

Sam

• 4 min read

In this experiment, I am attempting to grow Salak which is a tropical palm native to Indonesia. In 2022 I took a trip to Indonesia and was able to try this fruit and really liked it. When I came back to the states, I was unable to find anywhere to buy them and I looked everywhere. I asked fruit vendors at various markets, looked for places to buy online, etc. So it appears that I will just have to grow them myself (or try to at least).

I have ordered some seeds from Amazon as well as some from Ebay. I talked with the Ebay seller in an attempt to figure out what the gender of the seeds is but they said that they just get a mix so hopefully I will get some male and some female that survive since both are needed for fruit production and both seeds look exactly the same. The only way to tell is after a couple years when the trees have flowers. You can find more information on this blog post.

Resources

Notes

  • As temperatures begin to drop in the fall (below 60°F or 15.5°C), prepare to bring the salak plant indoors.
  • Supplement natural light with grow lights if necessary to ensure the plant gets about 12-14 hours of light per day.
  • Maintain indoor temperatures between 70-85°F (21-29°C) during the day and not below 60°F (15.5°C) at night.
  • Use a humidifier to keep the humidity levels high, ideally around 70-90%, which is crucial for tropical plants like salak.
  • Water the plant regularly to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Consistent moisture is key (2-3 times a week).
  • In spring, once nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 60°F (15.5°C), you can gradually move the plant back outside.
  • Acclimate the plant to outdoor conditions slowly by placing it outside for a few hours each day over a week or two before leaving it out full-time.

9/7/2024 - A second set of leaves has popped out so I think things are going well. It has leaned over more which makes me think it is not getting enough light so I got the grow light set up and running on a schedule.

8/17/2024 - The plant is still doing well but it's outgrowing the jar. I have moved it to the greenhouse outside. I'm planning to keep a close watch over it for the next few days to see how it does in this new environment. Inside the temperature was much more consistent which may be a problem.

I have also noticed that the leaves have curled up a bit and seem almost bent. I'm not sure if this was due to it hitting the edge of the jar or something else but I plan to keep a close eye on it.

8/9/2024 - Wow this guy has really been growing fast! This is about two weeks after the last photo was taken.

7/26/2024 - One has been growing extremely well while the rest of them have basically stopped growing. I moved the one into a larger pot and put a glass jar over it to keep the humidity in.

6/20/2024 - I have been struggling to balance keeping the seeds in a humid environment with mold growth. The more I keep the lid on, the better the humidity is but more mold starts to grow. So I have been trying to remove the lid for a couple hours each day to let things air out. I think this is only a temporary issue as once I move them to the greenhouse outside, the fan will help circulate the air.

6/7/2024 - I received the second order of seeds (from Amazon) and they look... bad. They are extremely dried out to the point where I don't know if they will be able to grow. Since the others are doing so well, I will not be planting these or at least not yet.

6/4/2024 - Today the Ebay order arrived and the seeds looked to be in good shape. I only ordered 10 seeds but found 11 in the box which was a nice surprise. I planted them in some small starting cups and put them into a seed starter tray with the lid to keep the humidity in. I also bought a heating mat with a temperature probe and have set it to 75°F.