Hi Frank, Sorry to hear your seeds arrived infected with mould. I would not use vermiculite as it tends to get a bit soggy after a while, and also sticks to seeds restricting the airflow and oxygen. Once you have soaked your seeds in a fungicide solution, make sure itÂs not too strong as this can inhibit germination. I donÂt know what affect sulphur has on them, as I only used a copper based one. Make sure the seed is dry looking when you put it in a large zipper bag with some perlite (not too much), and make sure the seeds can move above without getting stuck to the perlite, and make sure they donÂt look wet and shiny. If they sick, itÂs probably too wet, and you may invite rot or asphyxiation. Ensure the bag is 95% air, and 5% perlite and seeds, and refresh the air each day by simply blowing into it. Quality food zipper bags (the ones with the reseal strip) are best as they can be inflated like a small pillow with air, and sealed airtight, and you can see whatÂs going on inside. As for germination times, the first ones of mine germinated within a few days, and all within three weeks (about 40 seeds). I took out the germinated ones immediately, before they differentiated and formed a shoot and root, (as they form a small nodule first at the side of the seed, then decide where up and down are, and then divide into a shoot and roots, so be careful you donÂt sow the germinated ones too late or you may plant them upside down!). I planted them up in a perlite/loam mix, with little water, they were sealed and so the humidity kept them going for a while. Make sure you do not over water, as this species is quite fussy and temperamental, and can rot off or suffocate if the roots do not get enough oxygen and airflow. Once the seeds have soaked, they will not need any more water and cannot absorb anymore until they start growing. As long as the air is humid they will be fine, and wonÂt dry out, they do not need to be wet, or in wet perlite, but just a little moist perlite and free flowing, not sticking together. The only thing I can think of is make sure they are not cooked at high temperatures. They will easily geminate at 20-27°C, and keep the air fresh each day in the bag. ThatÂs about it Frank. If some of your new seeds have mould on them, this may not be a bad omen, as it is sometimes just the residue of the seedÂs flesh that has not been cleaned off properly, and not internal rot. Make sure you wipe off all the mycelium (white/grey cobweb filaments) and give a good soak in a fungicide mix for a few hours before sowing, and make sure all your bags, perlite, and water are all clean and hygienic, and you should have too many seedlings to know what to do with in a few weeks! At least when you have lots of plants, you can experiment with all sorts of growing methods, and tolerances. Good luck! Neil

Thanks I will give the link a try I am in the Orkney Islands Scotland and have Cords growing no problem so thought I would try some palms.

Cabbage Palm Tree? You mean Cabbage TREE? The use of the word palm for the cordylines is a misnomer. They are not palms at all. In fact, they are pretty confusing taxonomically confusing. Some places you will find them placed in the Agavaceae family, and others you will find them places in the Dracaenaceae family, and even further sometimes you will find them place in an 'expanded' family called Asparagaceae. Ive always mostly seen it placed in the Agavaceae family myself. So its definately NOT a palm. I thought this was about Cabbage Palmettos! LOL! Anyway, I actually LOVE these plants, and they are commonly sold as Dracena "Spikes" here in the states. I have seen many specimens well over 3' tall and with a trunk here, espeically if they are kept in doors or sheltered through winter from hard freezes. A quick google search turned up a few things. "Propagation Seed - pre-soak for about 10 minutes in warm water and sow in late winter to early spring in a warm greenhouse[78, 164]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 25°c[164]. There is usually a good percentage germination[78]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts and give the plants some protection in their first winter outdoors[K]. Stem cuttings - cut off the main stem just below the head and then saw off 5cm thick blocks of stem and place them 3cm deep in pure peat in a heated frame. Keep them moist until they are rooting well, then pot them up into individual pots. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Suckers. These are best removed in early spring and planted out in situ. Protect the division from wind and cold weather and do not allow the soil to become dry until the plant is established. Divisions can also be potted up and grown on until established, planting them out in the summer." This is from the website Plants For A Future.org Plants For A Future dot ORG Also, you may want to read this page listed below Hope that helps! ~ NPG Here is a link that might be useful: The Royal Society of New Zeland

By the way, mine are seed grown and haven't yet put on stems below the leaves. Both have multiplied their heads and are not quite as attractive as when they had single stems - what they really need is a good fire through them. Alternatively cutting way back, but I reckon fire is better, it's more natural for them. Also, a purchased 'bush' collected specimen (anything up to $200 plus) by a licensed collector, can take up to 2 years to die: they can be transplanted but care needs to be taken to disturb the roots as little as possible. B.