Cassia tora (Senna tora), commonly known as sickle senna, is a legume species native to Central America with medicinal value in traditional Asian medicine. The species produces hard-coated seeds with physical dormancy requiring pre-treatment to achieve reliable germination. With proper scarification and moisture management, seeds typically germinate within 6-20 days at warm temperatures.
Before sowing
Hard-coated seeds with physical dormancy require scarification treatment; hot water treatment at 50°C achieves 44.54% germination
Sowing
What to expect
Tips
Always scarify seeds mechanically (with sandpaper) or via hot water treatment before sowing; mechanical scarification followed by 24-hour cold water soaking yields the best results (76.88% germination). Maintain warm temperatures (18-23°C) in a warm greenhouse environment. Seeds have long viability (up to 20 years in soil) but fresh seeds germinate more reliably. Avoid overwatering during germination; keep substrate consistently moist but not waterlogged. Treat as a warm-season annual or container plant in cool climates.
Sources: Pant & Chauhan (2013), PFAF Plant Database, Scientific Reports journal, Tropical Plants Database
