Bismarckia nobilis seeds

[williamsnook1]

Hello, new to the forum and a bit overwelmed.

I started collecting seeds from several palms in my area. Attempting to germinate them with fair success (thanks to the info in this forum). I have used the float test for all my seeds to determine viability. But I have a question, is it fool proof for all species?

The reason I ask is because I collected about 50 seeds from a Bismarckia nobilis last weekend. I cleaned one seed and tried the foat test. It did not sink. I then started putting the uncleaned seeds in a bucket. Over half floated while the other half sunk. I have yet to clean any other seeds until I get more info.. Is the float test a good indicator for the Bismarckia nobilis? Also some of my seeds still have a firm greem skin, while others have become pruple, thus more easy to remove.

Should I wait until the skin is easier to remove before attempting to germinate, or does it matter.

I would appreciate any info on this and a good germination technique for the Bismarckia nobilis. I can't hardly wait to get these seeds going.

Thanks for any help

[chris.oz]

Well I have germinated Bismarckia floaters .... I found them easy to germinate. All the ones I germinated came from the ground and were not green. The epicarp had rotted away. The floaters may sink after a 2-3 day soak.

Perhaps your question should be will any green palm seeds germinate ?

[RainForestt Robert]

Sometimes uncleaned seeds will float. Once cleaned they may sink!

Robert

[williamsnook1]

I appreciate the info. I was able to find some other info on this seed. Still searching for good germination technice (other than baggie) method for the Bismarckia nobilis.

[chris.oz]

I appreciate the info. I was able to find some other info on this seed. Still searching for good germination technice (other than baggie) method for the Bismarckia nobilis.

These will germinte easily in bag or tupperware container [ my preference ] these are remote germinators and they are very fragile at the early stage. The first petiole goes deep, maybe 6"to 12" before the plumule leaf pushes up to the surface.

Immediately after the seed germinates you should plant in a tall pot. If you dont the shoot will hit the bottom of the pot and spiral around , mabe even come out one of the holes at the bottom.

Germination is not the problem with Bismarckia, its what you do after that. Maybe consider germination and planting out in the desired location

[Tala]

William,

I replied to your mssg. Yes uncleaned seed w/ the fruit still on can float; if cleaned seed floats thats not good, you want it to sink. If it has been dry for a bit you can soak them for a few days. If they haven't sunk after 48 hrs they're prob. no good. In the mssg I said you need heat, and lots of it. I put mine in all day full sun, they germinate and grow on from there, never any shade. Also small or rather shallow pots are a hindrance, best to use liners, these double the size of a 1g in hgt. Lets the hypocotyl sink down enough to anchor them. They are a Borassoid palm, so you can "raise them up" ala germinated Bo seed but its really not necessary. Roots are extremely brittle, I wait until after they form 2 or 3 strap leaves to move into 3g size pots for the next yr or so's growth.

[Jeff Searle]

Here in my nursery in south Florida, I have germinated and grown thousands of these. I start off with clean seeds and plant them directly into their own cone pot. One seed per pot.It's about 4" square at the top and approx. 14" tall. That way they have plenty of depth to send their roots down. I would not start these in a bag. Total disaster.

Jeff

[williamsnook1]

Hey guys, thanks for all the info. I can't wait to get these going. Got to get some tall containers and I am off and running. I really appreciate the tips.

Thanks, William

[John in Andalucia]

Hi William,

Here´s a shot of my first ever batch of B. nobilis. For pots I used some old drainpipe cut into 18" lengths. The seeds were germinated in large plastic boxes and checked daily. Once they germinate you really only have 4 or 5 days before the sinker root becomes precariously long. After two or three days, and with an inch and a half of sinker root they are best potted up, so I agree, the baggie method is asking for trouble. FYI, I planted some in 13" deep grow bags when I ran out of drainpipe, and the sinker root bottomed out with a little "pigs tail" twist at the end, so it´s no surprise that Jeff´s 14" cones are spot on!

[williamsnook1]

Hi William,

Here´s a shot of my first ever batch of B. nobilis. For pots I used some old drainpipe cut into 18" lengths. The seeds were germinated in large plastic boxes and checked daily. Once they germinate you really only have 4 or 5 days before the sinker root becomes precariously long. After two or three days, and with an inch and a half of sinker root they are best potted up, so I agree, the baggie method is asking for trouble. FYI, I planted some in 13" deep grow bags when I ran out of drainpipe, and the sinker root bottomed out with a little "pigs tail" twist at the end, so it´s no surprise that Jeff´s 14" cones are spot on!

Your organization looks great. I like the set-up in the pic. Where these seeds germinated from the start in these tubes or did I understand you germinated them in a bad first. Sorry if I seem a little confused. I wold like to start them in tubes, so I do not have to touch them. Your set-up seems impressive yet easy to copy. Also, at what point did you transfer them to pots, and what size pot did you transfer them to.

Thanks so much for the info, William

[williamsnook1]

Hi William,

Here´s a shot of my first ever batch of B. nobilis. For pots I used some old drainpipe cut into 18" lengths. The seeds were germinated in large plastic boxes and checked daily. Once they germinate you really only have 4 or 5 days before the sinker root becomes precariously long. After two or three days, and with an inch and a half of sinker root they are best potted up, so I agree, the baggie method is asking for trouble. FYI, I planted some in 13" deep grow bags when I ran out of drainpipe, and the sinker root bottomed out with a little "pigs tail" twist at the end, so it´s no surprise that Jeff´s 14" cones are spot on!

Your organization looks great. I like the set-up in the pic. Where these seeds germinated from the start in these tubes or did I understand you germinated them in a bad first. Sorry if I seem a little confused. I wold like to start them in tubes, so I do not have to touch them. Your set-up seems impressive yet easy to copy. Also, at what point did you transfer them to pots, and what size pot did you transfer them to.

Thanks so much for the info, William

[John in Andalucia]

William,

My Bismarkia seeds were germinated on a bed of soil, in a plastic box. I germinated 93 out of 100 seeds, and each tube in the picture holds about 2 gallons of soil. To me, it´s a waste of time, space and materials to sow directly in pots when you are growing commercially. They were tranferred to the tubes you see in the picture when the emerging root was about an inch-and-a-half long. They will stay in these tubes at least until next summer.

[williamsnook1]

William,

My Bismarkia seeds were germinated on a bed of soil, in a plastic box. I germinated 93 out of 100 seeds, and each tube in the picture holds about 2 gallons of soil. To me, it´s a waste of time, space and materials to sow directly in pots when you are growing commercially. They were tranferred to the tubes you see in the picture when the emerging root was about an inch-and-a-half long. They will stay in these tubes at least until next summer.

Thanks, I got it now. Will execute this in a few days. Thanks for the help.

William

[Marcial]

Hi William,

Here´s a shot of my first ever batch of B. nobilis. For pots I used some old drainpipe cut into 18" lengths. The seeds were germinated in large plastic boxes and checked daily. Once they germinate you really only have 4 or 5 days before the sinker root becomes precariously long. After two or three days, and with an inch and a half of sinker root they are best potted up, so I agree, the baggie method is asking for trouble. FYI, I planted some in 13" deep grow bags when I ran out of drainpipe, and the sinker root bottomed out with a little "pigs tail" twist at the end, so it´s no surprise that Jeff´s 14" cones are spot on!

I understand the setup of the old drainage pipes and I think it is great idea. I hope this is not a dumb question, but how do you get the palm out of the drainage pipe? Do you just push the palm out from one end or tap the pipe until the soil is loose?

Thanks.

[Jonathan]

I was wondering the same thing.....John?

Did you slit one side open and tape it back together or something cunning?

Cheers,

Jonathan

[John in Andalucia]

It isn't so difficult. I allowed the soil to dry out to half the depth. I potted one up recently, by inverting the pipe to remove the loose soil, dug two or three inches of the wet dirt from the other end, and it slid out easily. They're all two-strap-leafers now. When you expose the pale cream stem of these Bismarkias to full sun, they turn a beautiful glossy red colour.

[SoulofthePlace]

Here's what you need to germinate Bismarckia nobilis: TP818 or taller: http://www.stuewe.com/products/treepots.php - they also got slender tall pots up to 30" tall. If you are in South Carolina, we can bundle our orders together to saver on delivery charges.

[Sabal Steve]

So I have a community pot of Bismarkias, but the first one came up green.  I was assuming that maybe it would turn silver later, but then a silver one came up from a different seed...  So, it seems that a silver Bismarkia could produce silver or green seedlings?

 

[s9601694]

So I have a community pot of Bismarkias, but the first one came up green.  I was assuming that maybe it would turn silver later, but then a silver one came up from a different seed...  So, it seems that a silver Bismarkia could produce silver or green seedlings?

 

I'm no expert but apart from the color that doesn't really look like a bismarckia. Mine have longer, more slender and rigged leaves. 

[Sabal Steve]

So I have a community pot of Bismarkias, but the first one came up green.  I was assuming that maybe it would turn silver later, but then a silver one came up from a different seed...  So, it seems that a silver Bismarkia could produce silver or green seedlings?

 

I'm no expert but apart from the color that doesn't really look like a bismarckia. Mine have longer, more slender and rigged leaves. 

Thanks for the thoughts, I'm no expert either.

 

I've grown a bunch of Sabals, and I reuse soil, so it could be one of those, but they grow much slower for me at a seedling stage.  I was wondering if it was something different too, but the leaf profile seems to look simiar on the silver shoot beneath.  Maybe there will be a seed attached still when I repot the seedlings.

[Stelios]

The seeds from RPS still germinate. I put them in the pots outside in filter sun with native soil from my yard. When I tried to germinate them in the plastic containers or the baggie they started to have mold and I didn't want to risk loosing them. Bismarckia sends really deep roots quickly. In the photos this one doesn't have a leaf yet and the root is at the bottom of the pot. Many times I use these empty bottles of water for the seedlings, but for the Bismarckia is still not deep enough. I will put it on top of another pot with soil to let the roots grow a bit deeper. I tried to be very careful cutting the bottom because one mistake means death.

[Pal Meir]

I found on a French website (http://palmae.free.fr/newsletter/news3.htm) photos which show how deep the extremely long cotyledonary sheath of a small seedling can extend. And only below this sheath (green) the radicle and roots can start growing.

[Josh-O]

most growers use rose pots when they are potted as seedlings including myself. small pots can stunt their growth rate if left in them for to long.

[Pal Meir]

And here from the site http://blackwalnut.npust.edu.tw/archives/996 bàwáng yēzidi yòumiáo:

[john_tas]

On 9/2/2008, 9:30:24, chris.oz said:

Well I have germinated Bismarckia floaters .... I found them easy to germinate. All the ones I germinated came from the ground and were not green. The epicarp had rotted away. The floaters may sink after a 2-3 day soak.

 

Perhaps your question should be will any green palm seeds germinate ?

Chris,

Have you had any success outside with bismarkia in melbourne?

[chris.oz]

They grow quite well in parts of Melbourne but must be planted as larger potted specimens planted in good microclimates,  they will go silver,  but not ghost white silver..

Check street view: 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.9671862,145.0197973,3a,75y,201.91h,76.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD8y4DJaJXw9TMThrS2D5lw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

A better palm for Melbourne,  which can be slow but in my case was fast is the Brahea armata I planted.  facing north

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.9838689,145.0268617,3a,75y,150.66h,84.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSQIX8AYxwHvY-_zy5QoSJw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There is a good specimen acing east at Princes bridge Melbourne ,  which is a very sheltered and hot microclimate

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37.8197437,144.9687999,3a,75y,242.6h,93.4t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5cYQSHJDDKcyDkrZOILcng!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D5cYQSHJDDKcyDkrZOILcng%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D336.80316%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

[Padraic]

This is 3 years old thread. How was those Bismarckia Nobilis Palm coming from those seeds?

My Bismarckia Nobilis seeds just germinated in the Arizona 100+ F days in a plastic container. Took 4 months, the weather was not hot enough for the most part. My seeds came from eBay or similar. The root is an inch long and curl. I put the first one in a 12" vertical drain pipe. I have a few questions and appreciated any help.

In the pipe, do you expose the seed or below soil mix? How much moisture does it need in the drain tube after the moist covered plastic container? Do I water it every day but with the bottom drain open? I try to keep it in the same environment as in the plastic box. If that is the case, heat and moisture would still need?

[aztropic]

Yes,water it everyday until November,then once a week until March,then step it up again.If you only have a few seeds,it would be easier and safer to just plant the sprout directly in a 5 gallon nursery pot.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[CTho]

aztropic, how old is that one?

[Padraic]

aztropic, thanks for the advice. I will set up a drip on it then. How long will the first leave show up if all is good? 

[aztropic]

7 hours ago, CTho said:

aztropic, how old is that one?

2 years old.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

5 hours ago, Padraic said:

aztropic, thanks for the advice. I will set up a drip on it then. How long will the first leave show up if all is good? 

3 weeks.Be patient.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Ozzello]

Anyone sprouted and planted directly in 7g pots? I have about 2000 to do, and want to skip as many step ups as possible.

[mydateplams]

I would not do 2000 seeds in pots I would do a community tray or bucket in smaller batches and monitor them. That's a lot of work if they are no good and do not germinate plus takes up a lot of space.

I'm doing 500 seeds now out of 1000 and this is how I'mm doin g it.

Have heat mats with temp controllers.  As I start to find radicles I will remove and pot them. They seem to start popping like popcorn if you have one doing it many more are soon to follow.

I have had really good success doing this with Medjool seeds and have 500 two year old's in one gallon pots.

Edited December 29, 2020 by mydateplams
add pic

[gil escobar]

Hi there!.,

Have 8 specimens fully grown in central florida in proximity to gulf. They look beautiful. Put down about tons of seeds every year. Would loke to germinate or use the seeds for something as otherwise a pain lo clean. I pile them up and place around trunks. Never have experienced one to germinate on its own! With that many adult plants close to each other, odds are, there may be some males and females to do the trick? How do I make sure the seeds are fertile to be planted?

[happypalms]

Hi there to clean seeds I use a small power jet wash I place seeds in between two nursery trays and blast away the flesh