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Hey guys and gals, I was wondering what methods of germinating seeds have worked for you. I am trying the ziploc container with seed starting mix. Also trying ziploc containers with damp paper towel. I have tried the ziploc bag method once before with no luck, but it may have been the seeds. Let me know which of these methods work for you, or are there other methods that have worked for you. thanks
Keith

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Hey Keith,
Congrats! You're on your way.


The ONLY way I've ever had success was to soak palm seeds for 2 to 5 days in warm water on a germinating mat, changing water daily and adding a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then half-pressed onto soil in tall styrofoam coffee cups with saran wrap or a clear plastic cup inverted to keep humidity in.
But I do remove lids/saran wrap for a half hour every day to try to discourage mold.

Baggies bombed for me, tried them with cycads and palms.

Never tried it, but paper towels seem a good idea.
Now comes the tricky part...to get those curly VERY TENDER roots into a soil mix without snapping 'em.

Barb

First I soak seeds for few days in warm water, then give'em a quick shower in a bleach solution and rinse thoroughly.
Then I usually put seeds in a sealed, thin container used for storing food, and place it on a radiator. Used paper towel method once for germinating R. hystrix, and it worked.

I soak my seeds for about 3-4 days in warm water on a germinating mat with a cap full of 3% peroxide and then transfer them into a zip log bag with soil on a germinating mat until they pop I usually check 1 or 2 times a week. I just had fantastic sucess with Agave Americana and Travellers Palm and Christmas Palm using this method.

I found this method doesn't work well for Bamboo or Bamboo Palms for some reason.

I'm unsure about Banana's I haven't has any of my Musa Basjoo pop yet its been about 5 weeks I'm not sure if it was bad seed and it was only a very small amount of seed as well. I just transferred my Pink Velvet Banana into the soil last night hoping I see something within a few weeks.

The paper towel method just makes my seeds a moldy mess....

I used a large beer cooler and placed a heating pad/thermostat inside with maintained the temp at 90F. I used SP. peat moss which was moist (not wet) and zip lock baggies. I got great results for Sabals, Needle palms and Butias. The peat moss should be soaked in water...........like an hour or more........then take the moss out with your hands and squeeze very hard until all the water out.

I soaked my seeds for 2 days in warm water at room temperature, except for the royal palm which I soaked for 5 days, changing the water daily. I did not add any peroxide or rinse with bleach., which may be a mistake.

With the paper towel method I dampened paper towel, folded in half, then put the seeds in bottom half and covered with the other half of paper towel. I then put the lid on and marked type of seed and date started. Some people said that you should spray paper towel or seeds with a fungicide to keep from molding. I have not done this yet, but as you can see my photo above there is mildew on the date palm seeds. Also once sprouted how long do you normally keep in container?

With the other method I used a seed starting mix from HD , put this mix and extra perolite in a large container, added water till it was just moist but not dripping wet. I then put this mixture in ziploc containers and pressed the seeds in 3/4 of the way. Then covered and labeled. I then Put all these container in a cupboard above fridge which is about 25 C. There is no light in this cupboard. removed twice a week and check for sprouting and moisture. What will happen to the sprouted seeds with no light?
I have also no luck germinating musa basjoo seeds, I tried the baggie method, never had one germinate.

One more question what type of soil do you plant these sprouted seeds into? thanks
Keith

Hi Keith,

you'll be fine checking 1x to 2x a week for sprouted seeds. The roots form first then the leaves. Once the leaf is showing you'll want to give it decent light or it will get very 'leggy' and weak.

plant the seedlings in a well draining soil with a good amount of organic material. Standard potting soil is fine. Just make sure the bottom of the containers can drain and never leave the bottom of the container standing in water.

Hey Tim I like the beer cooler idea. It keeps a small area warm with plenty of room for seed baggies or containers. This allows you to keep more seeds warm than just putting the baggies on the heating pad. It probably uses far less energy as well. But...... where do you put the beer?

"I'm unsure about Banana's I haven't has any of my Musa Basjoo pop yet its been about 5 weeks "

Hey teebee I tried musa basjoo once in baggie and had no luck either. so for now I just cut off pups.

I did not add any peroxide or rinse with bleach., which may be a mistake.

Not too late now, Keith.
And keep at.
Add 4 or 5 drops 3% hydrogen peroxide (OTC any drugstore...dirt cheap) to your mister/sprayer.
I use mister 2x day to add moisture to seed; I never use a watering can because that's more water than is needed at this stage.
Too much water contributes to seed rot.

where do you put the beer

I'm always surprised just how much bottom heat is needed for warm-loving palm seeds...nannorrhops, braheas, copernicias etc, (all the tropicals).
Takes a lot of heat to get the seeds to 90 - 100 F.

Whereas for cool-hardy palms like trachies, needles, or any high-mountain seeds etc., they can often be left OFF the heat mat after they sprout.

Wish I could ramp up the temp on my germinating mat...always feels coolish, especially after seeds have been misted.

What seeds did you order, Keith?

Barb

Keith, if you are as forgetful as I am, you'll avoid the baggie or container method

These sealed environments are fantastic if you can remember to air them out every few days, but can be prone to mold if you forget. A water-bleach solution can definitely help though.

Thanks for the comments guys. Barb I ordered:

Adonidia merrillii (Christmas palm)
Dioon edule ( Mexican Cycad)
Dypsis decaryi (Triangle palm)
Dypsis lutescens (Butterfly palm)
Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (Spindle palm)
Phoenix canariensis (Canary island date palm)
Ravenala madagascariensis ( Traveller's palm)
Roystonea regia ( Cuban royal palm)
Trachycarpus fortunei ( Windmill palm)
Trachycarpus takil ( Kumaon palm)

I got about ten of each and planted half using paper towel and the other half in starter mix.

Also Cameron so far I check the seeds to often but after awhile the novelty might wear off!
Also Barb I will check seeds tomorrow and mist with peroxide mix.

the temp controller I used was this..........perhaps you can still purchase it.......I think I got mine in 2000 so it's probably changed a bit but works well. PS............got a 2nd fridge for BEER.

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... C67364.jpg>

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 73166F.jpg>

I got the heat strip here.........get the 10" wide one....I got the 10" x 24" long.

http://www.alligatoralley.com/mailorder.html

Adonidia merrillii (Christmas palm)
Dioon edule ( Mexican Cycad)
Dypsis decaryi (Triangle palm)
Dypsis lutescens (Butterfly palm)
Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (Spindle palm)
Phoenix canariensis (Canary island date palm)
Ravenala madagascariensis ( Traveller's palm)
Roystonea regia ( Cuban royal palm)
Trachycarpus fortunei ( Windmill palm)
Trachycarpus takil ( Kumaon palm)

Great choices, Keith.
100 seeds...you'll be ordering tree pots from Stuewe's, no doubt.
And if you do, you'll need a bale of soil.
Let me know if you want Sunshine Soil Mix #4 with aggregate...I can get you one at wholesale (about $26).

Tim, neat idea...so that raises the temp of the germinating mats?
Or what does the mat look like for that thingy?
I recall Cameron last year had plastic-looking "heat strips" (for lack of the correct term)...

Barb

I keep 2 days in warm wather,after that i put pmdrlitdm and vermiculite in a zip bag,sprayed with wather and insert the seed.Temperatures-minimum 20 degress celsius,maximum 32 celsius.

Hi Barb,

the heating strip looks like this........from the site I purchased it (alligator alley.com)

<img src=http://www.alligatoralley.com/imageCJ0.JPG>

I place the heating strip inside a large cooler with the seeds. I close the cooler top. The termostat maintains the cooler temp at 85-90F. Palm seeds sprout great.

I can place the cooler anywhere in the house/garage and the 90F is easy to maintain since it's warming a small space.

Great product Tim.
I think that's what Cameron used.

Barb

I should probabbly use a heating mat next time I start some seeds. I have just cleaned and planted seeds and hoped for the best which does not seem to go so well. I have had problems with seedlings getting infected with damping off right after germinating after waiting 15 months .

Has anybody used peat pellets for a small amount of seed, or is this too expensive or does not work?
Keith

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Was just experimenting with them.
3 Jubaea germinated.

I'm not using pellets this year, but I'm also not away for long periods of time.
So able to mist them 2 x / day.

Barb

Hello . I went and bought a heat pad today . will compare results to seeds above fridge ( no extra heat) I will put about 15 varieties of palm, cycad, yucca, agave and magentis grass ( coming).
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Keith,

Germinating mats are a good idea.
Bottom heat always speeds up palm seeds, which can be a very long process with some.

Gotta ask: what's the "hybrid palm" species/variety?

Barb

Thanks Barb the hybrid is a Hybrid Trachycarpus fortunei x wagnerianus palm. I got about 200 seeds started them feb 1

Hybrid Trachycarpus fortunei x wagnerianus

Cool, look forward to seeing which traits are dominant.
That's always so interesting.

I use warm misting water, a few squirts on each seed/day because even with a germinating mat, the soil around the seed never really feels warm.
Your soil mix looks like good quality potting soil for flowers, etc.
A few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the misting bottle will keep fungus away if you overwater.

The lid should also be off for a while each day.

Look forward to seeing 'em all, Keith.

Barb