hi jamie, sorry for the long wait, that is often the case with mandrake, I waited 12 months for my first sprout. I think it would be better to use a fast draining mix. one looks to the native substrate and finds a rocky, sandy, alkaline soil. That is the same kind of soil that one uses for planting the seeds. See “Growing Plant Medicine” for great recipes on making your own fast-draining mix. richo

Hi Lynne, Thanks for writing. My main observation is that Mandrakes are happier outdoors than in, as long as the zone and planting conditions are amenable, that is. I never had much luck bringing them to fruition in pots although over the years i’ve had a few. I think putting them in very large containers and surrounding by large stones is one approach that works, although that will make it impossible for you to carry them outside. Indoor plants. Right. Sometimes if you plant them in a very coarse mix and train a t-5 light on them from about a foot away and water them daily they can go into a fast growth phase. Set your lights to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. Read “Growing Plant Medicine” Vol 1 for much more info on successful indoor growing of medicinals and more info on mandrakes specifically. richo

I so appreciated what you said about consciousness in raising mandrakes, as well as harboring fond, nurturing wishes that they do well. I live in a condominium, so they will probably always be indoors and potted. I’m planning for large pots, so that they can go deep and spread out, however they wish, and I can give them full sun, which is very warm here, near the south coast of Texas. When they are older, I can take the pots outside during the day, assuming I can lift them. Any other hints for happy mandrakes indoors?

Hi Justin,
As long as the pots are left indoors, the plants will never grow as happily as if they were out in nature. One caveat is if your winters are too cold, they might not make it. Check the zone requirements on our website at strictly medicinal seeds or in my new book “Growing Plant Medicine” on page 152. After growing them in pots for a couple of years, consider planting them outdoors. Or at least keep the potted plants outdoors to give them more freedom. Usually works best to transplant while aerial and with leaves–works less well to transplant dormant roots–counterintuitive–works best to transplant between years 2 and 3. The value of having them outdoors is that they will fruit more reliably.
Richo