મીઠો સરગવો

• Sow seed directly, in containers, or in a nursery bed with around 50% shade.
• No pre-treatment is needed, seeds sprout readily in 1-2 weeks, and plants are ready to move out within 3 months.
• Fresh seed germinates at about 80%, dropping to 50% after 12 months of storage and to nothing after 2 years, so use seed while it's fresh.
• Note that seed-grown trees produce fruit of unpredictable quality.
• Cuttings: half-ripe wood cuttings root easily and are usually preferred.
• Even large branches, 100-150cm long and up to 4cm thick, root within a few months and can be planted directly as an instant living fence.
• Budding: shield budding works well, and budded trees bear fruit within 6 months and keep producing well for up to 13 years.

• Young leaves and shoots, cooked or raw, carry 7-10% protein along with vitamins, minerals, and the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine, nutrients often in short supply elsewhere in the diet.
• Pods (the drumsticks) go into curries, soups, and pickles, with a taste reminiscent of asparagus when young; immature seeds taste sweet, like peas, while roasted mature seeds taste like peanuts.
• Seed oil, called Ben oil, is a clear, odourless, slow-to-oxidise salad oil similar to olive oil.
• The pungent root is used like horseradish, though excess use can be harmful.
• Nearly every part shows medicinal activity: leaves boost milk flow in nursing mothers, roots treat asthma and inflammatory conditions (though the root contains a nerve-affecting alkaloid and needs care), bark supports digestion, and seeds contain a potent natural antibiotic and fungicide effective against Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

• gujarativishwakosh.org
• efloraofgandhinagar.in
• plantuse.org
• indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in