Toss Seeds Out Your Car Window To Satisfy Your Inner Litterbug

The one thing we can all agree on is that we’re always excited for fruit season.

Though usually that happens in the middle of the year, demand for them have pushed for these fruits to be available almost year-round.

A viral message has once-again started to make its round on social media groups requesting Malaysians to keep their seeds from these fruits.

Soon the season of fruits like mango, durians, rambutans, langsat, duku, mangosteen, jack fruit, etc will be here.

My request to all of us is to NOT throw the seeds in your rubbish bin, but INSTEAD to wash them, dry them (in the sun) and pack it in newspaper and keep it in your car. Whenever you go out and find an open barren land while travelling, be it on a village road, on an empty motorway, throw these seeds. They will germinate easily in the the coming monsoon.

If with this simple act, we can contribute even a single tree each season to our world, our mission of greening this world would be successful.

The Thai government has been promoting this to all its citizen over the last few years.

Many of their other districts officers have been driving this campaign aggressively which has been very successful. The number of fruit trees in the wild have multiplied many times over particularly in the Northern districts of Thailand.

Let us Malaysian also join the Thais in this brilliant initiative to spread abundance in nature and in this simple yet effective way and contribute back to our next generations.

A circulated message shared on social media groups

It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Eat all the fruits you want, toss the seeds, and wait for new trees to shoot up.

But would it really work?

The main problem with the idea is that not all barren and empty lands are suitable places for plants to germinate. Different seeds have different needs for germination.

The actual success rate of this is very low, with just a 5% germination chance into a sapling from a thrown seed.

Baida Hercus, president of Free Tree Society Malaysia

The most common problem is the poor condition of where they are thrown. Unsuitable conditions such as poor soil nutrients, overcrowding of plants, no water or shade on hot days, or even not enough sunlight would hinder any sort of possible growth.

If thrown hastily by the roadside, grass cutters may simply mow them down as well.

Instead, it’s best to plant the seeds into pots (with identification) and look after them during the rainy season so that they can quickly take root and stabilize itself for any dry periods.

By doing so, the plants’ success rate will jump up to 60%!

Does that mean I shouldn’t throw them out on empty land?

I wouldn’t say don’t: you can, but if you throw out 20 seeds, only 1 might survive. So you would have to throw more.

Baida Hercus, president of Free Tree Society

The other seeds would fail to germinate and turn to rot anyway, so the best way to ensure that the seeds actual turn into trees are to plant them within the week.

Of course, if you’re not looking to grow a very tall durian tree in your house, you can always give the saplings up for adoption, or even donate the seeds that you’ve collected!

However, if you truly are too busy to find time to care for the seeds, take a chance and toss the seeds wherever you go, as nature intended. Just as long as the seeds aren’t being discarded in a landfill.

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