Rotting palm seed

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Molly

Rotting palm seed

Post by Molly »

Great website.. and love your garden. It looks huge and so well stocked with unusual plants.

I have tried growing palms from seed several times but they always seem to rot. I must be doing something wrong if they even sprout in the garden in Kent. Any advice ?

Mol
turtile

Post by turtile »

What type of palm are you trying to germinate?

If its trachycarpus -
Soak them in water for 3 days w/ fungicide (sulpher or copper) and any type of insecticide.
Then get a mixture of 50% perlite & 50% peat and make it moist not wet
Add the seeds and seal the bag- most will germinate in 1-3 months
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Dave Brown
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Rotting palm seed

Post by Dave Brown »

Hi Mol,

You haven't given very much information, but generally palm seed, as fat based, needs to be fresh. The older the seed the less viable they are. Just about all seed need moisture, air and the correct temperature range to germinate.

I soak in water with cheshunt compound (copper bssed fungicide) but check that the type of plant is not poisened by copper first.

Don't use UK multipurpose compost for palm seed sowing. It is just too stodgy, stays too wet, and doesn't allow enough air to get to the seed. Even if the seed does germinate, it stands a good chance of rotting. I use coarse sphlagnum moss peat which is dampened and them squeezed in a clenched fist to get excess water out. Place in a plastic bag and add the seed.

Keep at the correct temperature for the type of palm (many tropical palms need 30C) Trachycarpus, and Date palms 20 to 25C.

Check regularly, and remove any germinated seed to a commercial compost with added perlite. Don't leave in the sphlagnum peat once germinated as it has no nutrients.

Regards
Dave
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Dave Brown
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Post by Dave Brown »

Hi Mol,

The last 2 or 3 posts were lost when our web server disk went down. I think you said you'd had problems with Phoenix rupicola - the Cliff Date, Ensete Banana and something else. Rotted in the airing cupboard.

If you can, please resubmit your post. Thanks Dave
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sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

Hi i can't seem to get my palm seeds to germinate! i am trying to grow Washingtonia Robusta. I am using professional compost, and has a locked in water system to keep it moist not waterlogged. its used for seeds, cuttings and all the rest of the features compost brings. the compost is made by levington's. I soked my seeds in warm water for 48 hours and then put them into my electric propagator but they just don't seem to take off. i open my vents every 5 days for humidity control. Can anybody suggest what i am doing wrong? I really want to grow one of these. I would just buy one but the funds are running a bit low at present.

Any information would be a big help. :happy:
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redsquirrel
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Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by redsquirrel »

washies are real easy to germinate,i would suggest duff seeds??
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sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

the seeds i have are meant to be fresh? i have even thought about chipping the seed?
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redsquirrel
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Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by redsquirrel »

if you are going to akamba i will bring you a few 1 leaf filiferas icon_thumleft
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

sadly not this year :( i am hoping to go the next event though.
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Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by redsquirrel »

i dont know why yours wont pop if they are fresh.i had some through from an eps member,put them in moist compost in the bag and put in the airing cupboard.approx 22 to 30c in there. had 100% success within a fortnight icon_scratch
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

may be its my propagator that isn't having much of an effect i may try the method you used and hope i have the same success rate.
Vic

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by Vic »

sanatic1234 wrote:the seeds i have are meant to be fresh? i have even thought about chipping the seed?

Washingtonia seeds have a very long viability and can germinate a few years after collection so freshness should not be an issue. As Mr Squirrel said they are very easy non fussy germinators, so something is not right.

I do remember my first batch of w.robusta seeds i bought from RPS many years ago did not germinate either so its possible you do have a duff batch. Maybe too moist? They also do not require additional heat to germinate, room temperature is fine and they seem to pop like cress.
sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

Thankyou for that info vic. I always thought that heat played a major part with it being tropical. How wrong was i! I must have a duff batch then? i will have to order some more. i use compost for the sowing and it has a waterlock system where it stays moist and has no need for watering do you think this could be playing a major part for non germination
Vic

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by Vic »

In my experience too damp/wet is bad for germinating alot of sp's of palm, recently i was having trouble sprouting brahea armata using the baggie method, i accidentally left the bag open in the prop for a couple of days which significantly dried the perlite/vermiculite medium they were in, and a few days later several had germinated, coincidence? maybe.
sanatic1234

Re: Rotting palm seed

Post by sanatic1234 »

Hmm? that is very interesting. I suppose i can try this method and see what happens i can only gain have nothing to lose really as i haven't had any success yet. :lol:
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