Carob / Locust Bean (Ceratonia siliqua)
32 SEK
Unit price perEstimated delivery to you: 06 February to 13 February.
SEEDS (15 pcs/bag)
Common names: Carob, also called St. John's bread
Scientific name: Ceratonia siliqua
Family: Fabaceae
Growth history & uses:
Carob is an evergreen cultivated plant with a long history of various uses. Thousands of years ago, Carob – as the dried bean pods are called – was used as a counterweight when weighing gold and gemstones. The seeds inside the pod always weighed 0.2 grams, and this is where the measure carat comes from.
Carob has also been used as a medicine for coughs and was sold as candy in pharmacies in the past. The pods have a natural sugar content of 30-50%, which is believed to be one of the reasons they were eaten as snacks in the Roman Empire.
A well-known use today is as a substitute for cocoa, in roasted and ground form. Unlike cocoa, carob is free from caffeine and theobromine, among other things.
Another common use today is the so-called locust bean gum extracted from the seeds. Locust bean gum is a thickening agent used in various foods, including ice cream and crème fraîche.
Carob contains many different vitamins, e.g. vitamin A and B2, and has a flavor reminiscent of caramel.
The Carob tree fixes nitrogen absorbed from air pores in the soil via nodules on the roots. This nitrogen is used for the tree's own growth and consequently enriches the rest of the growing site.
Cultivation:
In its natural environment around the Mediterranean, the tree grows 10–15 meters tall and produces pods up to 25 cm long. In Sweden, it is best grown in a pot that is moved outdoors during the summer and overwintered in a cool place. Since the tree can tolerate temperatures down to about -8 ºC before it is damaged, it is theoretically possible to keep it as an outdoor tree in favorable locations in Sweden. But this is an experiment in itself and is recommended to be tested once the tree has grown somewhat.
Otherwise, Carob is drought-tolerant and thrives in well-drained/rocky soil in sunny locations. Avoid moist environments and heavy clay soils. Water when the soil has dried out and add nutrients during the summer months if desired.
Repotting into a larger pot is preferably done before the taproot (the thickest main root) has grown down to the bottom. As with all plants, limited space for taproot growth equals a significant decrease in the growth of the entire plant.
Carob trees growing in their natural environment around the Mediterranean are high-yielding trees that can produce up to 400 kg of bean pods each year.
Sowing:
Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 3 days before sowing. Sow in seed soil. Cover with 2 cm of soil. Keep the sowing moist. Germination time is about 2-5 weeks and the optimal germination temperature is 22-26 ºC.
Features:
Perennial: Perennial
Growing conditions: sun
Height: up to 15 m
Germination time: 2-5 weeks
Subscribe and save 5%!
Carob / Locust Bean (Ceratonia siliqua)
32 SEK
Unit price perOrders received before Sunday morning are packed Sunday to Monday.
See our delivery terms.
Out of stock
Notify me when the product is in stock:
Share
SEEDS (15 pcs/bag)
Common names: Carob, also called St. John's bread
Scientific name: Ceratonia siliqua
Family: Fabaceae
Growth history & uses:
Carob is an evergreen cultivated plant with a long history of various uses. Thousands of years ago, Carob – as the dried bean pods are called – was used as a counterweight when weighing gold and gemstones. The seeds inside the pod always weighed 0.2 grams, and this is where the measure carat comes from.
Carob has also been used as a medicine for coughs and was sold as candy in pharmacies in the past. The pods have a natural sugar content of 30-50%, which is believed to be one of the reasons they were eaten as snacks in the Roman Empire.
A well-known use today is as a substitute for cocoa, in roasted and ground form. Unlike cocoa, carob is free from caffeine and theobromine, among other things.
Another common use today is the so-called locust bean gum extracted from the seeds. Locust bean gum is a thickening agent used in various foods, including ice cream and crème fraîche.
Carob contains many different vitamins, e.g. vitamin A and B2, and has a flavor reminiscent of caramel.
The Carob tree fixes nitrogen absorbed from air pores in the soil via nodules on the roots. This nitrogen is used for the tree's own growth and consequently enriches the rest of the growing site.
Cultivation:
In its natural environment around the Mediterranean, the tree grows 10–15 meters tall and produces pods up to 25 cm long. In Sweden, it is best grown in a pot that is moved outdoors during the summer and overwintered in a cool place. Since the tree can tolerate temperatures down to about -8 ºC before it is damaged, it is theoretically possible to keep it as an outdoor tree in favorable locations in Sweden. But this is an experiment in itself and is recommended to be tested once the tree has grown somewhat.
Otherwise, Carob is drought-tolerant and thrives in well-drained/rocky soil in sunny locations. Avoid moist environments and heavy clay soils. Water when the soil has dried out and add nutrients during the summer months if desired.
Repotting into a larger pot is preferably done before the taproot (the thickest main root) has grown down to the bottom. As with all plants, limited space for taproot growth equals a significant decrease in the growth of the entire plant.
Carob trees growing in their natural environment around the Mediterranean are high-yielding trees that can produce up to 400 kg of bean pods each year.
Sowing:
Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 3 days before sowing. Sow in seed soil. Cover with 2 cm of soil. Keep the sowing moist. Germination time is about 2-5 weeks and the optimal germination temperature is 22-26 ºC.
Features:
Perennial: Perennial
Growing conditions: sun
Height: up to 15 m
Germination time: 2-5 weeks
30 day returns
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.