Germinate Howea Forsteriana

[Cristóbal]

I just get many seeds of the Howea Forsteriana what is best way of germinate them ? Some are green some brown which probaly have more chance? I take off the shell or leave it ?

[Jeff Searle]

First I assume, is the green seed probably are not quite mature yet and probably will not germinate. Then clean the fruit or pulp off the others, and plant just below the soil line in a small pot. Keep the soil moist and in the shade. It's that easy.

  Jeff

[chris.oz]

Howea need moisture warmth and patience more than anything else.  If the seed has any yellow colour on it,  it has a good chance of  germinating.  

Probably the easiest way IMO is to select a part of the garden where its warm, but the soil never dries out.  Then cover the seed with about 1/2" of soil and sit back and wait.    You can also use another method where you put the seeds into a bag and let them rot for 6 months,  then community pot them.   Its a long process,  but  in the end letting nature take its course is the easiest.   100% germination is hard to achieve.

The germinated seeds transplant very very easily anywhere between an  eophyl and a 1 ft high seedling.

[palmazon]

OK - time to revive this perennial subject... Yesterday, I was discussing Howea f. seed ripeness with ElHoagie who boiled it down thus "Yellow's the new red." Apparently, we both read the same thing here, but being a little advanced in years beyond Jack, I was having difficulty determining what's yellow (or you can call it wishful thinking). Would the right hand group qualify?

[chris.oz]

IMO a good proportion of those on the right will germinate,  some of those in the middle and few of the ones on the left.

I have germinated 100s like  the ones on the right.  

One of the New Zealand guys on the old board who has germinated 10000s of them indicated that seeds with some yellow on them will germinate,  but seeds that have gone red are probably past it.

The fruit has a resious coating that is the very devil to get off and water doesnt want to penetrate.  Once again the new Zealand guys suggested the method of "rotting" the seeds in  a bag.  I tried it.  Believe it or not,  the seeds still germinate after the resinous coat is broken down by this stinky rotting process.

The method suggested by others on this board seems the best to me,  just plant them where the soil is warm and damp all year round and be patient,  because germination is sporadic.

Finally,  I have found that once you can get them to germinate,  they are the toughest little seedlings you can get as long as there is some moisture in the soil.   The one drawback.   So so slow.

I have about 100 under 50% shade cloth in an open position and they are growing much faster than all the others under the trees in my garden.  They love water.

[Cristóbal]

Most the seeds i have i get from the ground they are brown like the seeds in left side of foto. Is it more better to get them from the palm before they fall to the ground ? I can get many. Also i try to germinate them in side not out side.

[chris.oz]

(Cristóbal @ Nov. 23 2006,18:07)

QUOTE

Most the seeds i have i get from the ground they are brown like the seeds in left side of foto. Is it more better to get them from the palm before they fall to the ground ? I can get many. Also i try to germinate them in side not out side.

On Lord Howe Island they climb the trees to get the seed.  That way they get a better rate of germination.

Harvest  only the ones which have gone yellow.

[Patrick In MN]

Are there any different recommedations for germinating the Howea belmoreana?  I just got my first Forsteiana to germinate last week

[beliz1985]

What do you think about these?

[GottmitAlex]

You're not the only one wishing for an answer from Cristóbal. I guess he's in hibernation. 

But what I do know about Kentia palms, they are sloooow growers, hence their high prices at the stores once they're juveniles...