Zomble, I'm glad that the thread can help you out! Yes, the Araucaria araucana are Monkey Puzzle trees.

I just used my hands to sandpaper all of the seeds. Although I ended up with a few scrapes, I think this was the fastest way! 😆

I'll post another update within a few days.

My T. "Nova" have now also started to germinate!

Excellent!

Haven't even heard of Nova trachies.
Will be fun to watch as they develop...what are their particular traits?

Barb

Barb, "Novas" are basically green princeps! I'm sure Jim could also provide some insight here 😆

Methinks the most recent thoughts on 'Nova' were that they are simply T. princeps x T. fortunei...

Germination update:

Really impressed with this six-inch longleaf on the Chamaerops humilis seedling.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772557768/" title="DSC04740 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04740"></a>

Next pic: A bit of curly leaf showing on the 2 little Waggies

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772603984/" title="DSC04741 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04741"></a>

Next 2 pics, Not many Princeps germinated, but I only wanted a few anyway 😉

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772557756/" title="DSC04739 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04739"></a>

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772557740/" title="DSC04738 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04738"></a>

Not like the thousand or so that Cameron germinated! 😉
Barb

Great pics, Barb!

For the princeps you've got me beat! I haven't had any germinate yet 😆

Barb 1, Cameron 876 😆 😆

I'm still stunned by that 6-inch long first leaf on the C.humilis from seeds from John.

Yet on my 4 year old plant, the frond leaf is only about 4 inches long. 😕

Hey, did you notice we're at 28 pages on Cameron's great topic???? 😀
Barb

A few more to add to the list: I've now also germinated Annona cherimola (Cherimoya fruit), Passiflora ligularia (Granadilla), Poncirus/Citrus trifoliata, and Zizyphus jujuba (Jujube). I'll post some new pics soon 😆

OK, Cameron 976 ! 😛

Nice dude!

Cant wait to see the pics! trifoliata looks bad ass even with 3 leaves! Mines next to my Phyllostacys and russian olive. Cant wait for pics!

My incarnata seeds finally sprouted! Cant wait to try this baby here 😈

Canadianplant, that's great!! I know that passiflora seeds are really hard to sprout. I'm ordering a couple of P. incarnata online. Have you ever tried the fruit? I've had P. edulis and P. ligularia. P. ligularia tastes like skittles 😆

I havnt eaten it yet ( or passion fruit in general, just the juice), but i was told its sort of like a weitrd mango apple taste, but slightly bitter?

A few tricks ive read up...

Citrus juice - Soak the passiflora seeds in orange juice for 2 days at high temps. The fermentation seems to help ( or extremely fresh seed). Incarnata seeds are harvested from half rotting ( super ripe) fruit, the citric acid helps replicate the rotting fruit....

Heat - Ive never tried this, but lighting a 15cm, quick burning fire on the soil above you rseeds apperantly helps, but so does bottom heat ( youve got that down pat). Temps in the high 20C seem to really get them sprouting ( my friend had his on a heating pad, 4 days later they all popped up)

Well draining soil - In my experience, they rot if the soil is too wet ( usualy cerulea does this, i havnt had these sprout in 5 tries).

Stratification - Incarnata/cerulea need to be stratified for 90 days. My advice is after they are soaked and sown, put them on some bottom heat. If that doesnt work after say, 2 months, throw em in the dridge for 90 days, and try again. The seed can stay viable for a few years, and c an take 100 days to sprout. These seem to require more patience them palm seed.

One way i think you should try ( since incarnata is 90% sure to be hardy there), in the fall, after soaking them, sow them directly in the ground where you want them. In groups or 5 or 6 ( a low germination ratio apperantly), after your winter, they should come up around april or may ( depending on temps in spring)

The good thing is, all passiflora can benefit from soaking on orange juice ( in my experience, and a few other people had the same results).

Let us know how it goes dude!

Barb, "Novas" are basically green princeps! I'm sure Jim could also provide some insight here 😆

Nobody knows for sure what Nova is,I have believed for a while they are
some kind of PrincepsxFortunei cross but there is very little(if any) evidence for this
except that they grow very close together. 😉

They are said to be the fastest growing Trachy and have a very stretched out growth,generally.

Heres a shot of one from the National Trachy collection U.K.
Funny,they have a small Princeps in front of it.

While were at it.....
Heres my favorite(all time)picture of Princeps-from Garry at coldplant.com

Cherish those Princeps seedlings Barb( don't over water them,
they have a tendency to damp off),they may end up being your
favorite palm.
In about the third year(with some heat)they should begin to put
out their character leaves.

Thanks for the UK pic, Jim.
Wow, that Nova is one stretched out Trachy, such a thin stalk and petioles.
It'd be destroyed in any wind IMO.

I'm with you...Princeps wins hands down for appearance.
And wouldn't crumble in a storm.

Thanks for the Princeps seedling watering tip...will do.
I've got 'em in very fast draining gritty soilmix, water comes out the bottom as fast as I add it.
So far, they don't seem to mind full sun.

Everything else seems to be sunburnt to rat-poop this year 😕

Barb