We continue monitoring the progress of the seedlings sown approximately a year and a half ago. These young plants have already withstood their first summer, winter, and part of the spring, and are now taking advantage of the current season to continue their vegetative growth, benefiting from the remaining soil moisture.
In this case, we are observing young carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua). The reddish stem visible in the photo represents the most recent growth, which began with the arrival of the first autumn rains. Growth was slow throughout autumn and winter, as is typical for the species under natural conditions, but has picked up pace during the spring months.
Since germination, these seedlings have reached a height of approximately 8 centimeters. They still have around one more month of favorable conditions before the soil dries out with the onset of summer.
After this second summer, we will be in a better position to evaluate their survival rates and growth dynamics—an important step toward understanding their establishment under field conditions.
One of the central questions guiding our work—one for which there is still limited data, especially in Mediterranean ecosystems—is: how long does it take for a carob tree, sown directly in the wild, to reach one or two meters in height? In these conditions, the process is undoubtedly slow, but it is precisely for that reason that continued observation is so essential. We remain committed to learning alongside these plants.
