1 Bael fruitboom bosanjer - Aegle marmelos

Beschrijving

Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bael, also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a rare species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal as a naturalized species.

Bael fruit

There is also another species called wood apple, the Limonia acidissima. Wood apple and bael Fruit both come from the same plant family, Rutaceae.

In different parts of Southeast Asia, the two fruits differently known as wood apple, bale fruit, bell, and elephant apple. However, both have different textures, fragrances, and flavors.

Bael fruits are spherical and have rough baseball dimensions. Fruits start with gray-green color and turn pale yellow. When split, the fruit has a pale orange pulp separated by a thick, dark orange wall.

Some people can’t stand the smell of fruit.

Rich in vitamin C, the fruits can be eaten either fresh from trees or after being dried and produced into candy, toffee, pulp powder or nectar. If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade.

It can be made into sharbat, also called as Bela pana, a beverage. Bela Pana made in Odisha has fresh cheese, milk, water, fruit pulp, sugar, crushed black pepper, and ice.

Bæl pana, a drink made of the pulp with water, sugar, and citron juice, is mixed, left to stand a few hours, strained, and put on ice.

If the fruit is to be dried, it is usually sliced and sun-dried. The hard leathery slices are then immersed in water. The leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens.

Bael fruits are of dietary use and the fruit pulp is used to prepare delicacies like murabba, puddings and juices.

Other uses

The leaves, bark, roots, fruits, and seeds are used for constipation, diarrhea, diabetes, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Bael is considered one of the sacred trees of Hindus. Scriptures reveres this plant as the residence of goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity and are considered an incarnation of goddess Sati

Bael trees can be usually seen near the Hindu temples and their home gardens.It is believed that Hindu deity Lord Shiva is fond of bael trees and its leaves and fruit still play a main role in his worship.

In the traditional practice of the Hindu and Buddhist religions by people of the Newar culture of Nepal, the bael tree is part of a fertility ritual for girls known as the Bel Bibaaha.

Girls are “married” to the bael fruit; as long as the fruit is kept safe and never cracks, the girl can never become widowed, even if her human husband dies.

This is a ritual that guarantees the high status of widows in the Newar community compared to other women in Nepal.

How to take care of a bael tree

Zoals de curryblad boomDe bael komt oorspronkelijk uit een warm klimaat en is niet winterhard in bijna alle delen van Europa. Als je hem het hele jaar door wilt houden, moet hij binnenshuis als kamerboom dienen als de temperaturen 's nachts het vriespunt bereiken.

Alleen volwassen bomen kunnen een paar graden onder nul aan.

Hij moet veel zonlicht krijgen. Zodra de winter voorbij is en het 's nachts niet meer vriest, kan de boom buiten op een zonnige plek worden gezet.

This tree does very well in dry conditions and it even likes it, so it will not really need the use of a humidity tray when it’s inside the house in the winter.

Propagatie

The bael tree can be propagated through its seeds, veneer grafting, shield budding, and air layering.

Verzending

To ensure that it’s delivered in perfect condition, your bael tree will be shipped in custom plant mail-order cardboard packaging.

Vragen en antwoorden

1. Do I need to re pot the young tree when it arrives?
   Antwoord: na een paar weken acclimatiseren kun je hem tijdens het groeiseizoen (mei-september) overpotten naar een grotere pot.
2. What soil do I use for my bael tree?
   Antwoord: de boom verdraagt een grote verscheidenheid aan grondsoorten. Je kunt elke gewone potgrond van goede kwaliteit gebruiken.
3. Wordt kunstmest aanbevolen?
   Antwoord: ze hebben geen meststoffen nodig om te gedijen, maar in het groeiseizoen zullen ze het beter doen als ze bemest worden. Als je ervoor kiest om een meststof te gebruiken, raden we je aan om een vloeibare meststof te gebruiken.
4. Do I need to prune my bael tree?
   Als je hem in een pot in huis houdt, moet je hem inderdaad snoeien om hem hanteerbaar te houden. Snoei alleen in het groeiseizoen.