Chamaedorea metallica, where do we go from here

[PalmWarbler]

This little gem is making progress in the garden and I'd like to save as many seeds as I can from it to expand their presence in the garden. What is the best way to do this on these little palms?

Edited May 19, 2017 by PalmWarbler
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[Tracy]

3 minutes ago, PalmWarbler said:

This little gem is making progress in the garden and I'd like to save as many seeds as I can from it to expand their presence in the garden.

First question is did you pollinate your females with male pollen?  They are one of the dioecious palms, so you have to have both male and female plants.  Someone with experience & or knowledge about your area can answer the question as to whether you will have to hand pollinate or if you have pollinators in the part of SE Florida you live.

[PalmWarbler]

Tracy, I have a few males and a few females (all of which are in similar condition as the photo), however what they do on their own time I don't know. But I'd like to assume they got to know each other :-)

[Steve Mac]

Mate, I would try to identify the males and females definitively,  then, when you identify that the females are ready, (no I can't) cut off a male or two, leave in a paper bag over night, then put the bag and the male flowers over an apparently ready female stalk, and give it a good shake. Well that is how I have done it anyway.

I can't say that I got a lot of seeds but I could not really be sure when the females were ready either, I was probably too late? My experience is that they will not do much on their own time and need a help.

Let us know how you go.

[Patrick]

Read this thread:

Dick Douglas was gracious enough to share just how to do it in this thread. I hope the information will be helpful to you. Take care!

[PalmWarbler]

1 hour ago, Patrick said:

Read this thread:

Dick Douglas was gracious enough to share just how to do it in this thread. I hope the information will be helpful to you. Take care!

Patrick, that's fantastic thank you. Not sure why that didn't come up in my search on C. Metallica?!

That sounds a bit more involved than I have the patience for at this point in my life, and I do like the other suggestions on that thread to keep both sexes together and they'll take care of the rest. I'm hoping for that.

[Pal Meir]

Ch metallica are very easy to pollinate by hand. In the past I had pollinated many pinnate variants; here a pic of the two parents and one child:

[Patrick]

8 minutes ago, Pal Meir said:

Ch metallica are very easy to pollinate by hand. In the past I had pollinated many pinnate variants; here a pic of the two parents and one child:

Look at that! You got all the good palms!

[PalmWarbler]

Thought I'd follow up on this thread to thank forum members for your input. In the end, I did "the big nothing" (which I'm really good at, just ask my wife) and let nature run it's course. I've got 2 palms with seeds on them, and another spike which I believe will start putting seed out shortly. Not exactly earth shattering numbers, but they're seeds and I'm excited nonetheless so I'm calling it a success. Keep in mind these little guys were just planted in early May so maybe a year of stability in the ground will help for future seeding.

Either way, fun to see them seed and I'll try to plant them when they're ready.

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by PalmWarbler

[realarch]

Thanks Patrick for the previous link. Interesting stuff.

Tim

 

[Gonzer]

Tom, I've gotten seeds off of my numerous plants through the years with many offspring planted throughout the garden. Like your plant, I only get 1,2,or 3 seeds but all are 100% viable. Congrads on your success.

 

[PalmWarbler]

4 hours ago, Gonzer said:

Tom, I've gotten seeds off of my numerous plants through the years with many offspring planted throughout the garden. Like your plant, I only get 1,2,or 3 seeds but all are 100% viable. Congrads on your success.

 

Thank you for that info, great to know. Looking forward to planting them!

 

[Jeff_Cabinda]

On Fri May 19 2017 13:41:39 GMT+0100, PalmWarbler said:

This little gem is making progress in the garden and I'd like to save as many seeds as I can from it to expand their presence in the garden. What is the best way to do this on these little palms?

Amazing to see roots formation above ground level. You could even clone it?????

[Dave-Vero]

In southeast Florida, provide some shade and keep other plants from totally taking over the area.  They will proliferate.  It's a bit like ignoring Aspidistra plants.

 

[PalmWarbler]

On 9/30/2017, 1:10:18, Jeff_Cabinda said:

Amazing to see roots formation above ground level. You could even clone it?????

Not sure about the cloning but yes that's one interesting trunk!

[PalmWarbler]

For the trunk addicts

[The Germinator]

On 5/19/2017, 9:56:43, PalmWarbler said:

Patrick, that's fantastic thank you. Not sure why that didn't come up in my search on C. Metallica?!

That sounds a bit more involved than I have the patience for at this point in my life, and I do like the other suggestions on that thread to keep both sexes together and they'll take care of the rest. I'm hoping for that.

Just bag and tag per mil-std 130.... Just kidding, with the supply you have you do not need to get all scientific. Clean seeds, soak in diluted clorox put in a zip lock with 50/50 mix of peat and pearl. You do not have to worry about attrition since you now have a never-ending  supply.

[Gonzer]

On ‎10‎/‎2‎/‎2017‎ ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎02‎, PalmWarbler said:

For the trunk addicts

  That's what Rancho Soledad Nursery's used to be like 

[Connudatus]

How do I know when they are ripe to pick? I've got a much of these palms and love them, but have never had them set berries. I'd love to try germinating them. Any suggestions would be super helpful.

[Steve Mac]

Hi Mate, welcome to the forum.

They are not ready. they need to go black then ripe.

I have also had one seed that never ripened, after removing and planting a dozen other black seeds from the same stalk, the last one stayed green with no seed inside.

[Fusca]

I've seen the seeds turn black as if they were ready to go but still no embryo inside.   I think they needed some help pollinating.  It happens to some couples.

[Connudatus]

Thank you both! I'll wait for it to go black before I harvest. Any germination tips?

[Steve Mac]

Just clean off all of the flesh and you should be good.

Oh and go to the palms in pots threads and read up on potting mixes.

[Silas_Sancona]

15 hours ago, Connudatus said:

Thank you both! I'll wait for it to go black before I harvest. Any germination tips?

As steve mentions.. clean off all the flesh once ripe ( if they don't slip out of it.. Mine always did ) then plant.. I used a standard potting mix myself and had 100% germination..  Thinking it took about 2-3 months fr them to come up, and post germination development was fairly rapid..  This was in spring/summer, in FL. however. ...so it may take longer this time of year, even when using a heat mat..  Regardless, very easy.. Good luck, and update later..

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

On 5/19/2017 at 3:53 PM, Pal Meir said:

Ch metallica are very easy to pollinate by hand. In the past I had pollinated many pinnate variants; here a pic of the two parents and one child:

Id still love to find a pinnate version of this palm like yours!  High on my wish list! 

[Frond-friend42]

Yes. Those are some wicked houseplants. I bought some seed of these and I think I have botched the germination procedure resulting in putrefaction and...DEATH