Palm seed float test

[Walt]

Yesterday I received a small shipment of seven palm species seeds. Today I decided to soak them overnight and then sow them tomorrow in separate pots and/or baggies.

All my seeds were very clean on the seven species I ordered, except some still had some minor fibers still attached.

One species I ordered was Roystonea regia. These seeds (50 count) were very clean. When I placed them in water, all floated -- and this has me concerned. See the below photo.

If anyone can inform me, is this (floating of clean seed) normal for Roystonea regia?

I'm not all that familar with various palm seeds. In the past, I've float tested maybe 10-15 species of seed, and most species didn't float unless they were partially hollow and/or had too much fiber or epicarp and endocarp covering them.

Also, I ordered 50 Archontophoenix alexandrae seeds and 10 of the seeds floated, 40 sank.

What I want to know is if possibly my seeds are old and past the viability point.

I also expect that some seeds (say maybe 10%) of seeds in a batch might not be viable, and I can accept this. However, I don't expect 100% of the seeds in a 50 count batch not to be viable (if in fact this proves to be the case).

And BTW, all my seeds in the other five species of palms sank; however, the species appeared to be more dense and hard, whileRoystonea regia and Archontophoenix alexandrae were not.

Anyone here have experience with subject seeds that can comment on it?

[Ampli]

Hi Walt, the seeds of some palm and cycad species are floaters, it's normally, and one of this palm species is Roystonea Regia;whereas the Archontophoenix seeds aren't floaters, so the floaters seeds maybe not viable.

[Succulentum]

Hey Walt,

why to buy common seeds to a compagny than lots of members can give or sell these seeds in the "palm wanted section"

[Mark Heath]

Hey Walt,

I collected about 200 R.Regia seed a cpl of years ago from a huge Royal in Stuart. When i cleaned them in a bucket they floated as well. I cleaned and sowed and got a 75% germination rate. I soaked mine for two days and kept the medium a little more damp than i usually do w/ other species.

Good luck,

Mark

[Walt]

Hi Walt, the seeds of some palm and cycad species are floaters, it's normally, and one of this palm species is Roystonea Regia;whereas the Archontophoenix seeds aren't floaters, so the floaters seeds maybe not viable.

Thanks for the tip, Ampli. This is the first time I've tried royal palm seeds.

[Walt]

Hey Walt,

why to buy common seeds to a compagny than lots of members can give or sell these seeds in the "palm wanted section"

I bought seeds from that company for convenience matters. I also bought may non palm seeds, too.

[Walt]

Hey Walt,

I collected about 200 R.Regia seed a cpl of years ago from a huge Royal in Stuart. When i cleaned them in a bucket they floated as well. I cleaned and sowed and got a 75% germination rate. I soaked mine for two days and kept the medium a little more damp than i usually do w/ other species.

Good luck,

Mark

Thanks, Mark. If I get 75% germination rate I will be happy. Do you recall how many days, months, etc., it took your roystonea seeds to germinate?

Walt

[Mark Heath]

Hey Walt,

I collected about 200 R.Regia seed a cpl of years ago from a huge Royal in Stuart. When i cleaned them in a bucket they floated as well. I cleaned and sowed and got a 75% germination rate. I soaked mine for two days and kept the medium a little more damp than i usually do w/ other species.

Good luck,

Mark

Thanks, Mark. If I get 75% germination rate I will be happy. Do you recall how many days, months, etc., it took your roystonea seeds to germinate?

Walt

I would say 3 months and the two comunity pots looked like grass. I need to pot them up now seeing they're almost 2ft tall!! You got them at a good time with all the heat we have coming, by fall you will be happy w/ your results.

Mark

[Walt]

Hey Walt,

I collected about 200 R.Regia seed a cpl of years ago from a huge Royal in Stuart. When i cleaned them in a bucket they floated as well. I cleaned and sowed and got a 75% germination rate. I soaked mine for two days and kept the medium a little more damp than i usually do w/ other species.

Good luck,

Mark

Thanks, Mark. If I get 75% germination rate I will be happy. Do you recall how many days, months, etc., it took your roystonea seeds to germinate?

Walt

I would say 3 months and the two comunity pots looked like grass. I need to pot them up now seeing they're almost 2ft tall!! You got them at a good time with all the heat we have coming, by fall you will be happy w/ your results.

Mark

Mark, Three months sound fine. Last November me and a buddy of mine took a trip down to Fairchild. While there I picked up various palm seeds (H. elata, Veitchia, and others) lying on the ground. I sowed them but keep the pots in my garage. Most of them germinated. I now have them in my shade house. I did have them in full sun but I think it was too much for them. I moved them into my shade house a few days ago.

Yes, I planned on sowing my seeds at this time, when nighttime temps stay relatively high. I also want to make some Ficus altissima cuttings from my mother tree. I normally only get a 20% success rate of rooted cuttings. I've never had any luck getting rooted cuttings from Ficus benghalensis (taken from local trees) so I bought some seeds to try.

Walt

[BS Man about Palms]

Walt- How did the floaters fare?

[Walt]

Walt- How did the floaters fare?

I got absolutely no germination from all 50 Roystonea regia seeds. Only 14 of 50 germinated of the Archontophoenix alexandrae seeds.

I also had many other species of palms and plants, nothing germinated. I will never again purchase from seedrack.com.I not only wasted my money, but I also wasted valuable time.

I ordered Roystonea borinquena from a company in Puerto Rico (subsequent to my seedcom order) and got great germination, and also A. cunninghamiana from another source (also subsequent to my seedcom order), also with great germination. My royals are now about 15-18" high, A. cunninghaminas about 6-8" high.