Any Way To Get Sabal minor Seeds Refusing to Germinate to Germinate?

[PalmTreeDude]

I have four Sabal minor 'Arkansas' seeds that are refusing to germinate. I got five seeds from ebay of Sabal minor 'Arkansas' and one germinated using the baggy method. After a while of the other not germinating I then put the four remaining into a pot on my deck. Nothing. So now I want to give it one last try, I may use my hearing mat but most of the times I do not get good results with it. I am assuming it is because I have it on all the time instead of having it on during the day and off at night. Has anyone ever gotten any seeds that refused to germinate to germinate? The seeds are still hard and do not float. 

Edited September 9, 2018 by PalmTreeDude

[kinzyjr]

Throw them on the ground under a tree so they are easy to find...  come back in a year or two?

[Turtlesteve]

I would treat them as viable until they rot.  My kids got some Sabal minor "louisiana" seeds mixed into a batch of potting soil almost 2 years ago and I'm still pulling sprouts out of everything.

Steve

[John in Andalucia]

Did you ever consider de-lidding? The embryo pore on those seeds is clearly visible in the photo. Worth a shot, as it will at least show you the condition of the embryo. Try it with one seed! You should get a reaction within a couple of days.

Follow this link to find out more:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/57431-lavoixia-macrocarpa-revisited/&do=findComment&comment=859377

[dalmatiansoap]

Just refrigerate them for some time. 50-60 days do a trick for me :)

[PalmTreeDude]

1 hour ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Just refrigerate them for some time. 50-60 days do a trick for me :)

I read somewhere (it was either here on palmtalk or another forum) where someone took some Sabal minor seeds and stuck them in the refrigerator for just a week and they grew after. I might end up doing that because if I put them in longer I always end up forgetting them in there. 

 

3 hours ago, John in Andalucia said:

Did you ever consider de-lidding? The embryo pore on those seeds is clearly visible in the photo. Worth a shot, as it will at least show you the condition of the embryo. Try it with one seed! You should get a reaction within a couple of days.

Follow this link to find out more:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/57431-lavoixia-macrocarpa-revisited/&do=findComment&comment=859377

I might try this, thanks for the suggestion! 

On 9/9/2018, 5:54:50, Turtlesteve said:

I would treat them as viable until they rot.  My kids got some Sabal minor "louisiana" seeds mixed into a batch of potting soil almost 2 years ago and I'm still pulling sprouts out of everything.

Steve

I always treat seeds that are hard and that sink as viable! 

 

On 9/9/2018, 4:34:03, kinzyjr said:

Throw them on the ground under a tree so they are easy to find...  come back in a year or two?

I would do this if I had more, but I don't want to lose them! 

[PalmatierMeg]

They like lots and lots of heat. Put their pot in blazing sun for as long as you can. Or put them on a heat mat. At room temperature they might take until next spring to germinate.

[PalmTreeDude]

I will use a heat mat. I soaked the skids overnight and two are all bumpy now, but still hard. Does anyone know if this means they are bad?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Those are duds. Fresh seeds germinate,  old ones don't.  Get fresh seed next time and you'll get plants.  

[dalmatiansoap]

Few years after refrigeration :)

[PalmTreeDude]

On 9/21/2018, 2:06:44, dalmatiansoap said:

Few years after refrigeration :)

Five years?! That thing is big! Nice job growing it! Does it seed? My ultimate goal one day is to have seedling Sabal minor so I can grow more! 

[Laaz]

Lmao! No you don't. They sprout in every crack & crevice. I try & cut the seed stalks off before they flower or I have hundreds of seedlings sprouting everywhere.

[dalmatiansoap]

38 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Five years?! That thing is big! Nice job growing it! Does it seed? My ultimate goal one day is to have seedling Sabal minor so I can grow more!

Few years, not five but not many more. This one is specialy fast, one next to it is 50% smaller. Same soil, same water regime, same age....who knows

[Pal Meir]

On 12.9.2018, 22:06:19, PalmTreeDude said:

I read somewhere (it was either here on palmtalk or another forum) where someone took some Sabal minor seeds and stuck them in the refrigerator for just a week and they grew after. I might end up doing that because if I put them in longer I always end up forgetting them in there.

I posted a couple of years ago these remarks:

Perhaps this experience I had with Sabal minor seeds may be helpful: In September 2002 I ordered from RPS two portions of Sabal minor var louisiana and got 26 seeds. I soaked them for 1 day and used then the baggy method with Kokohum (coir). Within 10 weeks only 4/26 had germinated. Frustrated I put the remaining 22 seeds into the refrigerator and left them there for 5 weeks at ca. 5°C. Afterwards I soaked them in hot water and placed them again in Kokohum. Within only 1 week all remaining 22 seeds had sprouted.

[Fusca]

On 9/23/2018, 5:41:33, Pal Meir said:

I posted a couple of years ago these remarks:

Perhaps this experience I had with Sabal minor seeds may be helpful: In September 2002 I ordered from RPS two portions of Sabal minor var louisiana and got 26 seeds. I soaked them for 1 day and used then the baggy method with Kokohum (coir). Within 10 weeks only 4/26 had germinated. Frustrated I put the remaining 22 seeds into the refrigerator and left them there for 5 weeks at ca. 5°C. Afterwards I soaked them in hot water and placed them again in Kokohum. Within only 1 week all remaining 22 seeds had sprouted.

I had a similar experience this spring with Sabal minor and Rhapidophyllum hystrix seeds.  After 4 months of nothing I put both baggies in the refrigerator for 4-5 weeks and just put the baggies back in my garage.  Got Sabal minor sprouts in just over a week but still waiting on the Rhapidophyllum hystrix.  The reason I did this was due to some posts regarding the Rhapidophyllum hystrix, but figured the Sabal minor might want to chill out as well!  I read today that this cold stratification is advisable for Sabal mexicana as well, but I've not had any trouble germinating these.

Jon

[sashaeffer]

On 9/23/2018 at 5:41 AM, Pal Meir said:

I posted a couple of years ago these remarks:

Perhaps this experience I had with Sabal minor seeds may be helpful: In September 2002 I ordered from RPS two portions of Sabal minor var louisiana and got 26 seeds. I soaked them for 1 day and used then the baggy method with Kokohum (coir). Within 10 weeks only 4/26 had germinated. Frustrated I put the remaining 22 seeds into the refrigerator and left them there for 5 weeks at ca. 5°C. Afterwards I soaked them in hot water and placed them again in Kokohum. Within only 1 week all remaining 22 seeds had sprouted.

So would he be beneficial to maybe cold stratify all palm seeds as a germination tool?

[CodyORB]

On 9/12/2018 at 4:06 PM, PalmTreeDude said:

I read somewhere (it was either here on palmtalk or another forum) where someone took some Sabal minor seeds and stuck them in the refrigerator for just a week and they grew after. I might end up doing that because if I put them in longer I always end up forgetting them in there. 

 

I might try this, thanks for the suggestion! 

I always treat seeds that are hard and that sink as viable! 

 

I would do this if I had more, but I don't want to lose them! 

This is how I got my Butia Odorata seedlings going after 2 weeks in the fridge. For 4-5 months before putting them in the fridge they wouldn't budge on a heating pad.