Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

Lavoixia macrocarpa revisited


John in Andalucia

Recommended Posts

Those who've known me on the forum for a number of years may recall that Toby at RPS kindly donated a few Lavoixia macrocarpa seeds for me to experiment on with my de-lidding technique back in 2010. Here's where you can follow that journey: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/25249-lavoixia-macrocarpa/#comment-418781

Well, recently Toby was kind enough to repeat the gesture. This time with five seeds. Upon revealing the embryos however, I discovered that only two of them appeared viable, although in all fairness, for this palm 4/10 would be considered more than acceptable. Wouldn't you agree? 

The embryos were smaller than the last time, and subsequently one of them didn't survive. The remaining seed embryo looks healthy and is forming nicely.

To clarify, the only reason I lost the two seedlings that I managed to sprout back in 2010 was because I met my now wife, and went to Peru for nine months taking the germinated seeds in my luggage, whereby I tried to grow them indoors in one of the driest climates on Earth(!) This time, I have the right artificial growing conditions for raising seedlings, where hopefully this little palm can at least stand a chance. Thank you Toby, for providing the excitement and joy that growing palms brings to so many.

If I can grow it, this little gem is going to be offered to Kew Gardens.  

 

20180802_202648.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, for the price of this seed, I will be pissed if only 4/10 are good when they arrive. 

Jason, good luck man. Keep me posted. Matt and I are doing it again too. 

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, humangenomaproject said:

Just ordered some myself. Len graciously sent me his link on marriedtoplants.com which meticulously describes the de-lidding process (not trivial). http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/the-de-lidding-of-clinosperma-macrocarpa-seed/

De-lidding such rare seeds is by no means a trivial task, I agree. Incidentally, the source of this discussion on PalmTalk started with me prodding a coconut with a paper clip(!) If you've never attempted this technique before, I would strongly advise practicing on some less valuable seeds first.

Here's a link to what I believe is the first topic posted in 2009, entitled: 'Tickling the embryo' - which sounded a bit unscientific (I am not a botanist, btw). So I adopted the name 'de-lidding' - a term coined by forum member Trópico (Frank, from Orlando in Florida) in response to my own results at exposing palm seed embryos: 

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/20844-tickling-the-embryo/

I followed this up with a thread called 'Germinating old palm seeds' - where I probably got carried away, but had great results with Lemurophoenix, Corphya and Jubaea, and later Brahea.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/20973-germinating-old-palm-seeds/#comment-349535

 

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, LJG said:

John, for the price of this seed, I will be pissed if only 4/10 are good when they arrive. 

Jason, good luck man. Keep me posted. Matt and I are doing it again too. 

Len, I received undersized seeds, but they were graciously donated, so fortunately no cause for complaint.

4 of the 5 seeds were probably 30-40% smaller than I received the first time around.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, John in Andalucia said:

Len, I received undersized seeds, but they were graciously donated, so fortunately no cause for complaint.

4 of the 5 seeds were probably 30-40% smaller than I received the first time around.

 

Something gifted, you can’t complain. But when you pay a huge expense for seed, it needs to be thoroughly checked before being sold. I’ll find out soon. Fingers crossed.

  • Upvote 3

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool. I’ll watch them grow vicariously. Keep us posted

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Six weeks on from germination.. :asleep:

Here you can see the plumule 'splitting' open the button. The process is very slow, having taken a week to get this far since first emerging.

(The seed anchored down to minimise disturbance!)

 

20180913_112331_HDR.jpg

  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very cool, John.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got my 30 seed. 5 were good. Possibly 7 total. Totally bummed. 

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i thought i had a more recent picture than this (without a dang hose in the background), but the new leaf is an interesting orange hue

F5748CDB-A316-4449-AAF0-E21541A20B58.thu

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's very cool, Knell. I was wondering if there weren't a few good specimens in Hawaii. Did you grow it yourself from seed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, knell said:

@John in Andalucia haha i wish!! this is Jeff/Su Marcus’ work, they have a knack for sprouting the “unsproutable” and bringing holy grail species to seed.

agreed!!!!

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15371295508351948493497.thumb.jpg.2320cb

15371295797832079833265.jpg

  • Upvote 9

San Diego

0.6 Acres of a south facing, gently sloped dirt pile, soon to be impenetrable jungle

East of Mount Soledad, in the biggest cold sink in San Diego County.

Zone 10a (I hope), Sunset 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Previous photos are the end result of Len and my efforts with Lavoixia (round one).  I feel very lucky to have a single plant.  It's been in the ground a couple months now and seems to be thriving so far.  This winter will be the real test.  I really want to thank John for providing inspiration and instructions on the de-lidding process.  Wouldn't have tried it if he hadn't posted about his successes here.

 

matt 

 

  • Upvote 3

San Diego

0.6 Acres of a south facing, gently sloped dirt pile, soon to be impenetrable jungle

East of Mount Soledad, in the biggest cold sink in San Diego County.

Zone 10a (I hope), Sunset 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One more photo with better lighting.

IMG_20180903_101032088.jpg

  • Upvote 7

San Diego

0.6 Acres of a south facing, gently sloped dirt pile, soon to be impenetrable jungle

East of Mount Soledad, in the biggest cold sink in San Diego County.

Zone 10a (I hope), Sunset 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting Matt!, That palm is SO different looking to any other New Caledonia palm from early on that they appear to be worth all the effort! 

Best of luck to everyone else!!

 

 

Zone 10a at best after 2007 AND 2013, on SW facing hill, 1 1/2 miles from coast in Oceanside, CA. 30-98 degrees, and 45-80deg. about 95% of the time.

"The great workman of nature is time."   ,  "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."

-George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon-

I do some experiments and learning in my garden with palms so you don't have to experience the pain! Look at my old threads to find various observations and tips!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I got the seed back in 2012 there was a reason I asked Matt to work with me. He is a skilled grower and while I lost my last one this week, one of us can claim success. Now we are trying again. It’s just 6 short years to get these news ones to Matt’s plant size. :(

  • Upvote 2

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Week 16 in the life of a Lavoixia macrocarpa...

It was at this stage 7 years ago, that I took 2 seedlings to Peru and witnessed their demise. That won't be happening this time around. 

 

20181125_152115.jpg

  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, that's so cool. I'd love to try this species but seeds are too much for my budget. And I fear it won't like my oppressive summers.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, how deep is that container? Make sure it’s deep as these guys have big roots. 

Matt P and I have 9 going, but they are just buttoning. A ways behind yours. Nice work. 

  • Upvote 1

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, LJG said:

John, how deep is that container? Make sure it’s deep as these guys have big roots. 

Matt P and I have 9 going, but they are just buttoning. A ways behind yours. Nice work. 

High praise.. B) Thanks, Len.

Liner's 5.5" deep. I can slip it into a deeper/wider container when it bottoms out, without any trouble. At this stage, I like to see what's going on, plus it saves space. 

Plenty of humidity this time around, the air temperature between 75F and 79F. It's under artificial light (approx. 5500 lux) for 16 hours a day.

Looking forward to seeing yours and Matt's.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

John, that's so cool. I'd love to try this species but seeds are too much for my budget. And I fear it won't like my oppressive summers.

Thanks, Meg. It's even cooler that you've followed my palm endeavours for so long. :D

A financial gamble, that's for sure, but to be the proud owner of a flowering L. macrocarpa? That would be something..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I well remember your efforts with the original seedlings and how scarce this palm is.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Here's a quick update on my C. macrocarpa, still going strong! It got potted up today. ;)

"Three leaves on my Clino, and I'm still rollin' along!"

(10 months)

20190601_094341_HDR.jpg

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wonderful.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

Has there been a more recent update? I'm just going over the palms rps has offered at the past, and get to know these awesome species. I hope you don't mind me commenting on years old topics! 😆

Would love to see how this species is doing for you.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...