Butia Germination Methods

[buffy]

Well, I will try to take pictures of the setup later, but I'll describe them now. I'm using 6.5L tupperware-type containers that are clear plastic. I've drilled a small hole in the side of one of the containers to insert my thermocouple for my heating mat thermostat. I used a grommet and perlite debris to seal the entry hole for the probe. The containers are half-filled with moist perlite. I've place the Butia seeds on the top of the media where I can monitor how wet the seeds are. I have the heating mat/ thermostat combo hooked up to a timer that powers the combination from 7:30am until 5:00pm each day. The thermostat is set to 90F. I've read everybody's recommendations on Butia germination, and this is the best combo I can think of. It should keep humidity near 100% and temps around 90F during the day. Ambient temperatures in the greenhouse bottom out at 72F at night. Any other thoughts?

[Tassie_Troy1971]

In The heat of Texas Buffy they should pop outdoors in the shade in moist community pots during the long warm season !

[TheMadScientist]

The only question I would have after failing 2 years ago with 500-600 seeds not getting even 1.....The Butia Odorata that John (bepah) and myself germinated...we found that cracking the outer shell in a vise and removing the embryo allowed John to get a 19 day germination and 38 day for myself.

[buffy]

In The heat of Texas Buffy they should pop outdoors in the shade in moist community pots during the long warm season !

Funny you mention that. I did exactly that this summer with no luck.

[buffy]

Here we go:

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Awesome set up Cameron - Jonathan who has grown Butia from seed down here said some can take up to 2 yrs or more to germinate .

Troy

[Jonathan]

Try five years - I've got some seeds still germinating from 2008, I get about three seedlings pop up each summer out of a couple of hundred of various species.

My seeds are just in a polytunnel where they get hot days in summer and cool nights, which seems to work as well as any other method I've tried.

Buffy, you're obviously a mad scientist and I wish you well - If you figure out how to get Butia to germinate easily without cracking the seed case let us all know!

I've tried very hot (40C), medium heat, 35C and low heat 25 - 30C and found very little difference, if any. Thats why I went for the fluctuating hot/cool of the polytunnel, as I think it probably imitates nature a bit better, which may be significant for a species that seems not to respond to normal treatment.

The first time I germinated Butia about 15 years ago they all came up very quickly and easily which gave me the false impression that they were easy...since then they've been very stubborn.

I've just ordered some B. archeri seeds, so I'm particularly keen to figure out a more reliable method...definately veering towards seed cracking, which has worked in the past for me with Acrocomia totai.

Good luck,

Jonathan

[buffy]

I've germinated most of the other cold hardy seeds with ease. Butias have killed me. Since I have most of the other cold hardy palms represented in my garden, I'm directing my germination efforts solely to the hard ones. I ordered B. archeri, B lallementii and B. lepidotispatha for my efforts. The little guys in the picture are B. microspadix.

[_Keith]

They are so slow, I am not sure I would bother. But then again, I am probably older than you.

[Kailua_Krish]

Microspadix did not seem to like the Florida weather very much. They germinated ok with bottom heat but over a period of a 4 years they refused to grow past being blades of grass. Slowly they all died during the summers (1 year before last, 2 last year, 2 this year). I tried several different conditions but Im thinking they may just not like the constant humidity. Good luck!

[buffy]

They are so slow, I am not sure I would bother. But then again, I am probably older than you.

I'm fine with slow on these. I've pretty much planted all the big stuff with good spacing. I'm now looking for small stuff to fill in canopy gaps that will still see good light.