Have a Hoodia sprout

The plastic bag method is just the best for getting seeds started.

I had a few Hoodia seeds left over from the ones I bought last year, so a few weeks ago I planted all but two in small pots. Nothing has happened with them. A few days ago, I put the last two seeds into a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. In just a couple of days I have roots popping out. So from now on that's how I'm going to propagate everything.

I also have two pomegranate seedlings that I started that way coming up. I got the seeds from some pomegranates I bought at the grocery store. Now I'm waiting for my Ginkgo biloba seeds to sprout. I picked up a bagful of them from a park in downtown Portland, where they have a bunch of beautiful old ginkgo trees growing.

Gac Fruit - Another very nutritious fruit

I bought this little bottle from the health food store. It says it has Gac fruit plus other fruit juices. Now I find that Gac (also called Spiny Gourd or all these names if you are into languages) is another nutrition-laden fruit. If we had all these fruits available fresh, would no one ever get sick? It's scientific name is Momordica Cochinchinensis spreng. Gac is very high in anti-oxidants and lycopene and beta-carotenes. It also has essential oils and Vitamin E like avocado. There are several formulations on the market with canned juices, but I think it would be better for us fresh and/or raw.

It grows as a vine, and I suppose it is a warm climate plant. However, I have been unable to find any seed store that has the seeds. Maybe you can find the fruit at an oriental store that carries fresh fruits and vegetables and get seeds from the fruit. It is also used as a Chinese herb with the name Mu Bie Zi, and you can find whole seeds at Chinese herb stores like here and here and here, although I don't know if any or all would be viable. Disclaimer: I have no relationship to any of these stores.