Pritchardia schattaueri germination & other seeds

[Cocos korea]

Hello 

I  received my seeds from RPS on september 1st!

Pritchardia schattaueri

Roystonea dunlapiana

Dypsis ambositrae

and Pandanus odorifer

 

I found out P. schattaueri seeds have really hard shell, Should I crack it open?

 

I am planning to take these steps:

1. soak them in water(already done)

2. dip them in fungicide 

3. put in plastic baggie with sphagnum moss, squized untill no more drops

4. Float the bag on water that is heated by aquarium heater( at 32~35℃)

5. Wait!

 

How do you think about my method?

Actually I had done this to my previous order and I got bad results

I can't think of any problems in my germination method.. so maybe the previous failures are due to Seed problem?

 

 

[Cocos korea]

P. schattaueri seeds

[Al in Kona]

Yes I would advise to crack open the seeds of Pritchardia schattaueri, especially if they are not completely freshly harvested.  That should help with better and quicker germination.  P. schattaueri in habitat grows on private property in south Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.  After MANY years it can grow tall (see photo in habitat).  The other photo is mine in the garden.  

[Cocos korea]

5 minutes ago, Al in Kona said:

Yes I would advise to crack open the seeds of Pritchardia schattaueri, especially if they are not completely freshly harvested.  That should help with better and quicker germination.  

Wow what a nice palm you have in your garden!!

I got my seeds from RPS, so I think they must have went through long trip to come here(maybe not so fresh at this point) 

 

Do you have any tip for opening the shell?

The one in the photo was already slightly cracked so opening it wasn't hard...But the ones that are intact is really hard!

I hit them carefully with hammer several times in different positions(top, bottome, left...) but they didn't open.. ! so I decided not to open them because I was afraid I might crack the real "seed" 

[mike in kurtistown]

Try squeezing them gently with a pair of pliers. The shell will crack, then you can reach into the crack with your fingernail and pry off parts of the outer shell. It doesn't all have to be removed.

 

[Cocos korea]

4 hours ago, mike in kurtistown said:

Try squeezing them gently with a pair of pliers. The shell will crack, then you can reach into the crack with your fingernail and pry off parts of the outer shell. It doesn't all have to be removed.

 

Oh thank you for the tip!

 Before you send me this replie,

I tried hitting with hammer again and voila! only outer shell cracked up nicely and some of them are already germinating

 

By the way, will this wound kill the seed?(second photo)

I tried to get that shell off but only made that wound... 

After few hours the seed show signs for germination but I am worried if that causes death! 

I soaked it with fungicide for treatment