Winter Seedlings

15 years ago

Whats everybody got going on this winter?

Wintertime is the best time for me to germinate palm seeds.

Experimenting with wet foam as a medium for germinating palm seeds seems to be working so far,here take a look,Fox tail palm seed,popped after 3 months in a 32oz,cup thru 5 inches of wet foam and the roots continue about another 3inches further!

More pics of seedlings growing this winter,some have really grown since popping in june,here are some washy's Robusta's And filferias,and then some Travelers palms.

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BTW these are all growing in the attic of my greenhouse.

Here's some bamboo palm seedlings.

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Foxtail palms

These seeds took so long to germinate,I gave up on them forgot what they were,so I threw them in the compost pile, mid summer they germinated,and had to pick them out and pot up,so 2 yrs and not a clue what they are!!LOL

Parlor palms 3 yrs from seed.

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More seeds waiting to pop,on heating mats,are syagrus cornota,King palms,and many others.

More foxtails starting to pop.

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Comments (15)

protempsfish
15 years ago
Nicely done! I have some King palm seeds that I planted in baggies approx a month and a half ago. Kings are starting to sprout. Also planted dwarf fishtails (Wallichia densiflora), solitary fishtails (Caryota urens)and some acai seeds. Just planted those a couple of weeks ago. I agree, the winter time is the best time to plant seeds!
andyandy
15 years ago
great Job, I have 3 texas Sabals sitting in my bedroom window that germinated back in August. They are doinf quite well and are pushing up their 2nd leaves. My bottls that germianted last winter are in the same spot and doing well. It ranges from about 61-65 but they get all day sun (such as it is in November) but seem to love it.
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dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
PTF,what are using for a medium if anything at all in plastic baggies?

Andy how long did it take for your bottles to pop?

Took 6 mths for my Buccaneer palms to germinate.
I notice usually I get 20% germination out of every 100 seeds
or less.
I have some seeds almost a year come January 1st still haven't popped,these being liculala Orb.and Neoveitchia storckii and Dypsis orange crush.I believe by now that they won't germinate at all,probably throw them in the compost pile,then maybe they will pop!
Don
topher2006
15 years ago
Don wow that wet foam is a great idea ! I have sunshine palm seed and pindo seed in baggies waiting patiently.
dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
Yep that's what I thought,holds moisture better than soil,heats up and holds the heat better when on a heating mat,and it's sterile and clean,no bugs,holds the roots better when transplanting,I've used it before with propagating cuttings worked great at that too!
Another great thing you can see the roost before you see the seed pot,and you know in advance the seed is getting ready to pop!
Don
katrina1
15 years ago
Don, great results. Now I really can tell you must know pretty much what you are talking about most times when you give advice to others on this web site.

What is the mixture you are using in the potting soil of those those palms in your second and and third photos?
dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
Actually lot of trail by error!!!LOL
I mix a lot of this myself,Bagged cow manure,thats been composted with a lot of peat and coarse sand,and fine pearlite if I can find it,usually a 30/30/30 mix of all of them combined.
About once a month I mix a little liquid iron in with the watering,really seems to keep everything green and lush!
protempsfish
15 years ago
I am using 1 part peat moss, one part vermeculite and one part perlite. When moistening the mixture, I always add 'damp off' to the water as it prevents any fungus or mould. Havent lost any seedings by doing this!
andyandy
15 years ago
My bottles germinated in about a month. They were over a heat mat so they were constantly in the 80s.
dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
PTF,what is damp off,and where did you buy it?
Andy in a month must have really been some fresh seeds.
What kind of heat mat did you use,mine only heats up to 78*
Greenhouse gets to about 85 to 90* then will drop down to 65* at night,outside temp about 30*
protempsfish
15 years ago
Damp off comes in a small yellow bottle and can be bought at most local Home Depots/Lowes. It is a fungicide for seedlings. Works great!
dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks,
Hadn't seen it before but wasn't looking for it either,but will now,I always seem to lose a couple seedlings,and don't know why,maybe this will help.
protempsfish
15 years ago
MY APOLOGIES! The product is actually called 'NO DAMP' and is a fungicide for seedlings.
dbrya1
Original Author
15 years ago
Will look for that,this weekend when I make a trip to Lowes!
Now do you use it when you watering just the seeds before they pop,or after they pop as well?
protempsfish
15 years ago
I suppose you could use this after they have sprouted. I transplant them into a rciher soil mixture (1/3 perlite, 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost top soil). I honestly think that you can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting seedlings. Better to be safet than sorry!