Jubaea

[Tampa Scott]

I was able to get my hands on some Jubaea chilensis seed on my visit to California this week. I know growing this is not going to be easy to grow in FL., but I will give it a try. What is the best method for germination?

[John in Andalucia]

Scott,

I won't say removing the endocarp is best - this is one suggestion I tried. The problem I found, even if you crack them accurately in a vice or with adjustable grips, is that the jagged pieces of the shell can often impact against the endosperm and create tiny nicks - enough to allow fungus to take hold. I lost about 50 seeds doing this, so I won't be doing it again.

On a previous recommendation, I kept them at room temperature in almost dry soil mix. I believe they don't need a lot of moisture to sprout.

[quaman58]

Scott,

I've germinated batches of these twice now. It's been pretty simple: clean off the fruit and bury them about 2" deep in potting soil, and keep moist. Germination time for me seems to run about 30 - 40 days. Heat isn't much of an issue, both times I've obtained the seeds in the fall and kept them outside.

Bret

[MattyB]

I crack the endocarp and they germinate in half the time. Never had any damage to endosperm or fungal issues. I use a vice so that once it cracks there's no more crushing action, unlike if you use pliers or some hand method. I do put them in moist 100% perlite once they're cracked to prevent any fungus. Germination rate should be very close to 100%

[ngiann]

First time i tried was with the cracking endosperm method: seeds had to remain somehow sterile because of fungi.

Second time i had around 50 seeds soaked for extremely prolonged period in water (almost 30 days!): most of the seeds germinated readily with no fungi problems.

[HKO2008]

Scott,

Best guidelines i could find are:

jubaea germination 1

jubaea germination 2

jubaea germination 3

Jubaea can take some time to germinate, so maybe i could add patience to the list.

Germinating Jubaea chilensis (The "Baggy" Method)

One source reports Jubaea chilensis germinated after 3 weeks. All he did was he packed it in a plastic bag with perlite, poked a few holes in the sack and had them virtually fry on his dashboard during the day in about 130 deg F. During the night he took them inside (A/C) about 70 to 80F. And all this every day. - Seems like temperature variation is the key here rather than the level of the average temperature. We try to imitate the natural environment here.

Greetings,

Henri

Edited November 5, 2008 by HKO2008

[Tampa Scott]

Thanks for all the replies ! I will try a few of these suggested methods. Then if I get germination I will worry how to keep it alive here in FL. I am taking it one step at a time.

[surferjr]

I was able to get my hands on some Jubaea chilensis seed on my visit to California this week. I know growing this is not going to be easy to grow in FL., but I will give it a try. What is the best method for germination?

I have so many seeds I'm not going to get in to the work that many do here but the fish coolers as the stablizer with 30/30/30 sand, perlite soil. come back in 6 months and remove seedling...than every 2 months do the same. These thing rot so keep it moist only never water much!!

[chris.oz]

I crack the endocarp and they germinate in half the time. Never had any damage to endosperm or fungal issues. I use a vice so that once it cracks there's no more crushing action, unlike if you use pliers or some hand method. I do put them in moist 100% perlite once they're cracked to prevent any fungus. Germination rate should be very close to 100%

Matty,

I could never understand why anyone would crack the nuts unless to eat them !

If they germinate in half the time and time is an issue, well thats OK, the difference in time wont effect the time to go pinnate or to get to trunking stage tho.

Human time scales are a bit irrelevent with this genus.

Another thing I could never understand was how people ever had any problem with yield. However, I am now accepting of the possibility that some mother palms

produce less viable seed than others . In fact if you find a Jub that gives good germination rates, then stick with that. If you buy from a seed supplier then ist more of a lottery

in terms of seed age and provenance.

So in summary whilst you say its possible to get good results, I just would not be bothered cracking them, but its no big deal really.

[Palm Guy]

No need to crack the endocarp. Just soak for about 3 days and place in peat mix with perlite added for drainage. I used small plastic cups filled with pre-moistened the soil then sealed cups in a plastic bag.

Key is not to over water. Keep the growing medium on the dry side but the humidity from the bag helps. I had even better results with the same mix in a tupperware container.

Room temperature or moderately warm temperatures (75-80F) helps. Germinates sporadically. My first out of 20 germinated after about 2-3 months. Germination is still going after receiving the seed about 8-9 months ago. So far 11 out of 20 germinated from 'old' seed.

-Keeping alive in Florida may be possible although difficult. In general, Florida has higher temperatures than Bermuda but we have similiar rainfall which I think is more important a factor to keeping these guys alive. I kept 6 seedlings outside under 50% shade. The heat of summer (regularly hit 83F-85F but never hit higher than 86F for the entire summer) didn't seem to be a problem but the over head rains seemed to cause rot in about 5 of them - although I do seem to have a problem with disease in the shadehouse so that may be a factor. So far I have 6 left. Good luck to you and let us know they do.

Cheers,

Mike F

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

From the hot, steamy, rainy, North Carolina coast (our summers are very much like Florida). I'm no expert but I have killed hundreds of Jubaea seeds and seedlings and even larger plants. Only the freshest seeds have ever given good results for me. For germination high temps during the day with nights in the 65-76F range works best with moist but well drained mix. NO PEAT! Use lots of Perlite. NO VERMICULITE (this stuff is the worst soil amendmant ever created). Use deep pots. Don't crack the seeds. We just have too many types of rot in our climates as opposed to dry climates. When they sprout, NO RAIN! NO OVERHEAD WATER OF ANY KIND! My seedlings always do well until we get a couple days or more of rain then crown rot sets in and nothing stops it once you break the rule of no overhead water. If you use deep pots they hardly ever need to be watered (within reason). They like it dry. They seem to require regular fungicide application, on the crown, after any extended wetting, until very large (5- 15 gallon? I have not got that far yet but a very few in the southeast have) Shade after the noon hour is helpful at least when young and probably a must for you. Mine actually grow new leaves in the 95 degree humid heat of summer if they are potted only in a very well drained, no peat mix, get only morning sun, very little overhead water, and I apply fungicide every time they get wet for over one day. The few successful southeastern ones grow in hot summer areas but in red clay soil. I should mention that the only ones of mine that have not died have never touched the ground. My growing area is sand and probably surely has nematodes. So the only successful southeastern ones are growing in red clay where supposedly there are no nematodes (I think???). Good luck! I would love to see more Jubaea take hold in the southeast.

Edited November 6, 2008 by Jeff zone 8 N.C.

[Kris]

Some Visuals...

Since iam living in hot tropics(South india),the germination took place in a natural way at room temperature,ranging from 86 to 88 degrees farenheat.No external heat was used at anytime.And the room has a floresent tubelamp for light.And time it took to germinate is around 3 to 4 months.

Love,

Kris