sabal palmetto seedling needs

[Honez]

Good Evening,

I have about 70 sabal palmetto seeds germinating.  I am wondering if anyone knows what the light, water, and fertilizer requirements are for these.  I can't seem to find anything for young plants.  I am assuming not to fertilize the first few months.  Water once the soil is dry.  Do they get full sun or should they be in the shade?  How old do they need to be so I can fertilize and put into full sun?

[floridaPalmMan]

I also have a batch of sabal palmetto seedlings and looking for the same advice.

My plan until then is to treat them like the sylvestris seedlings I grew last year.

Under a 60% shade cloth, planted in miracle grow palm & cactus potting soil with some added perlite.

They were in a shared pot for the first 4-5 months and I just recently transplanted them into their own pots.

After 4-5 months of being in an individual pot, sprinkle some palmgain into the pot, 300 watt full spectrum grow light in the winter months in green house, and repot in the spring.

Once 1+ year old and repotted into larger pots, put them in a partial sun spot of the yard (along with squirrel repellent) with 3-6 hours of direct sunlight.

I'd love to have someone with more experience chime in on whether or not that sounds like a good plan!

 

[Honez]

Wow Thanks so much!  So leaving them out in winter doesn't help them adapt or anything to the cold?  I figured they need to experience the seasons.  I have no clue though.  I wish I could find palmgain.  I have jobes and it seems to work but it doesn't have manganese.  I did get some of the carls pool or whatever palm fertilizer you put in water.  Hesitant to use it on anything though.  I have about 70-80 of the seeds growing roots now.  Trying to plan ahead for them.  Thank you for your response and the info!

[PalmatierMeg]

Sabals want sun, heat and regular water. Give them those and they will grow for you. They are tough palms.

[JLM]

For my seedlings that are approaching a year old, i have left them in full blasting sun and the heat as soon as they germinated and they have done beautifully. Just keep them watered well and they love you for it. I have sprinkled some slow release fertilizer in their pots, not sure if this will do anything, but they are doing pretty good without the fertilizer. They might get planted this summer once they are over a year old.

[floridaPalmMan]

55 minutes ago, Honez said:

I wish I could find palmgain. 

Here's my source. Free shipping too

https://www.domyown.com/palmgain-8212-plus-minors-p-8290.html

[Aleks]

My sabal Palmetto hatched in 8-12 days, but 1 month has already passed and the spear is not yet there.  They are still slowly growing roots.  Very slow.

[PalmatierMeg]

They are remote germinators and send down a deep radicle before they send up a first leaf. Sabals want lots of heat and sun.

[teddytn]

On 5/4/2021 at 8:21 PM, Honez said:

Good Evening,

I have about 70 sabal palmetto seeds germinating.  I am wondering if anyone knows what the light, water, and fertilizer requirements are for these.  I can't seem to find anything for young plants.  I am assuming not to fertilize the first few months.  Water once the soil is dry.  Do they get full sun or should they be in the shade?  How old do they need to be so I can fertilize and put into full sun?

All have given good advice, but do not let them dry out completely when young. The soil mix needs to be fast draining so they don’t rot, but need to be moist when that young at all times. I have 30 or so seedlings going, and lost 4 because they dried out. Turned into a brown crispy blade of grass lol. Until they get their second leaf consistent moisture a long with being warm is most important 

[Honez]

Good Evening,

I have about 40 Sabals that have germinated out of the 77 planted.  I still have more germinating in the seed bed.  The ones that are germinated have been put into their own pots and getting bigger.  I have noticed a lot of them however are getting brown spots or streaks in them.  Is this to much sun or water?  Or is it an insect or fungus or something?  Thank you for your help.

[Honez]

More information on the seedlings that are out.  They are on my patio and get a days worth of direct sun.  They have gotten rain every other day almost.  Soil stays moist from the rain.  The soil is Fox farms Ocean forest with a lot of perlite added, and about a tsp of jobes palm fertilizer.  I have also treated them once about a month ago with liquid kelp.  Just trying to see if anyone might know whats going on so I can save these seedlings.

[Dartolution]

On 7/15/2021 at 7:17 PM, Honez said:

Good Evening,

I have about 40 Sabals that have germinated out of the 77 planted.  I still have more germinating in the seed bed.  The ones that are germinated have been put into their own pots and getting bigger.  I have noticed a lot of them however are getting brown spots or streaks in them.  Is this to much sun or water?  Or is it an insect or fungus or something?  Thank you for your help.

@Honez Based on your location, and mine (central/south alabama) that is definitely caterpillar damage. Bud worms, cut worms, and caterpillars are terrible right now. 

If you look closely on the backside of the leaf you may see a little squiggly worm. 

I spray mine with Spinosad or BT (whichever I have) to help stop them from doing anymore damage. 

 

I have palmetto, "blackburniana", and causiarum seedlings right now, about half of which have some level of worm damage. 

Good news is, its an easy fix and shouldn't cause any serious harm. 

 

Get some Spinosad! 

[Honez]

Yea I have since found a ton of them around there.  Weird they don't seem to be eating my other palms, only these seedlings.  Will the regular insecticide/fungicide at a big box store work?  I think what I have is the garden safe fungicide 3.  Also odd how they got there with all of the diatomaceous earth I have down.  I will look up spinosad.  Thank you!