Brahea armata from seeds

[353]

Hi all! This is my first post here. I have always wanted to plant a palm in my yard in hopes one day it will grow into a nice beautiful happy palm tree. Upon doing extensive Google searches on the subject of which palms look the prettiest and which ones would do best for my zone, 8B (which I ALSO looked up through Google searches), I kept running into threads from this site, so I decided to join!

I've decided to go with the Brahea armata species. The blue fronds are really attractive to me, along with the long draping flowers it grows, along with an edible fruit. (Anyone ever tried it? Is it sweet or sour?) At first, I searched local nurseries around my area for smaller B. armata plants, but the only one I found was a 6' tall one going for !!!$2,000!!! That's when I decided that I wanted to order seeds online and grow them myself. This is not an immediate landscaping need and I think it would be more satisfying to me to raise a plant from start to finish. I ordered 10 seeds from www.tradewindsfruit.com after looking at nothing but positive reviews for their site.

I found some germination tips on this breed of palm online. Before I get started (I haven't even stuck them in water yet) I wanted to run what I found by you guys first since y'all are the experts. Check it out:


1. Scrub brown fiber down to creamy white seed. Keep note of where the crown is. (I don't know what part of the seed is the crown. Is it the nipple looking thing, or is it the other side of that?)

2. Soak in lukewarm water 3-4 days changing water daily. (I was going to use bottled water as opposed to tap water at room temperature to do this. Wise choice?)

3. Mix John Innes #2 & Vermiculite, sterilized. (Should this be a 50/50 mix of the two? Also, I could not find any retailers that sold John Innes #2, but it is a potting compost that contains: 7 loam, 3 peat and 2 sand. Any suggestions as to what can I can substitute if I can't find any John Innes #2?)

4. Fill a 4" pot 1/2 with mix (above). Place seed crown side up, pressed lightly into surface, filling the rest to the top with sterilized vermiculite.

5. Cover with half clear plastic bottle & water when surface begins to dry.

So what do y'all think about all that? I want what's best for the Brahea armatas.

[gyuseppe]

Brahea armata has usually long germination times, in a year !

better to buy a seedling

[chris.oz]

Great choice. IMO

Germination is not difficult.

Very slow when young [ from seed ]. Accelerate when 10-15 years old.

Do you have that much patience ?

Growing from seed is very rewarding, but not with this palm.

I suggest you buy one at least 2-3 ft high and plant it in the open,

with as much sun was it will take.

This is mine. planted 3 years ago, was about 2 ft high. Now its 450 mm in diameter at the base

and grows 10-15 leaves a year.

[tank]

Find 3 or 5 gal plant to go along with your seedlings.

[aztropic]

Another thing to consider...This species definitely sets back with any root disturbance;no matter how careful you are. 5 year old trees;same seed batch - at 1 gallon size,I transplanted a couple dozen into 2 gallon pots.Left the couple smallest in the ground which are now 15 gallon size compared to the potted ones which are still 2 gallon size.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[DoomsDave]

353!

wELCOME!

You have come to the right place.

B. armatas are easy, but slow from seed. A nice, five-gallon sized plant is at least five years away. I strongly concur with the advice to get plants as well as planting seeds, so you'll at least have some right away.

They also like dry conditions which Houston isn't, but they should grow well anyway if given good drainage. If you need to you can plant them on sandy mounds. They HATE wet feet, be warned.

Plant the seeds in a community pot that's deep, at least 6 to 8 inches. In a shallow pot, the roots tangle when they hit bottom, and that's a pain, because when you try to untangle them, they break, which sets them back badly.

Also, they have large root systems. Little blade o'grass new seedlings may have semi-carrots for roots by the time the leaves appear above ground.

Separate them early, and give each plant its own pot. Then, keep them in full sun and water and wait. (And wait . . . .)

If conditions are right, they're tough as nails. I'm not sure how they'll handle a 100-year freeze, but I know they take temps into the low 20s F easily.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Jaydeebee]

If you decide to do thislease note that it takes a lot of patience.I did the same alittle over three years ago and i don't think i want to try it again.My Brahea are all of 1 ft. tall as of now and i give them full sun every day.

the beauty of these palms is the reason that i wanted to grow them from seed.Anyway good luck to you

[353]

Hey y'all, thanks for the welcomes and advice!

I understand this is a very slow growing species, but it's okay with me. The way I see it, time moves by SOOOO fast. I need something to slow it down; enter the Mexican Blue Palm! I MIGHT scoop up a seedling or small plant along the way if I find one at a local nursery and I feel as though I just can't pass it up. But it's kind of perfect for me though because I know I never want kids--ever, and this is kind of like something that grows up and develops over a long period of time, like a child. I know it'll be very rewarding to see it grow into a nice full size palm a few decades from now when I'm old and seasoned. (I'm 26 now.)

As for my seeds' actual progress, I started soaking the seeds (10 total) in bottled water (a little bird told me to avoid tap) in a bowl 24 hours ago from the time you see on this post. I'm going to leave them in water for two more days, changing the water now, and again tomorrow night.

[Gbarce]

Yup they do take a long time to sprout (over a year for me) but I did notice that they seem to sprout when they are "heated up".

I was almost about to give up on my seeds and placed my germination box out in full sun out of frustration and after a month I noticed roots crawling on the floor of the plastic box.

I didn't take temperature readings but I am in the tropics and I placed the Brahea seed box in the side of our house that gets morning to about 1:00 pm sun exposure.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Great choice. IMO

Germination is not difficult.

Very slow when young [ from seed ]. Accelerate when 10-15 years old.

Do you have that much patience ?

Growing from seed is very rewarding, but not with this palm.

I suggest you buy one at least 2-3 ft high and plant it in the open,

with as much sun was it will take.

This is mine. planted 3 years ago, was about 2 ft high. Now its 450 mm in diameter at the base

and grows 10-15 leaves a year.

Chris that one is stunning !

[Jason Baker Portugal]

I believe they will grow very fast in Houston because the temps are pretty high most of the year and also there is some moisture. I am sure that your cold will do them no harm so in about 10 years time they should be chugging along just fine. Have fun with them.

Jason

[chris.oz]

Great choice. IMO

Germination is not difficult.

Very slow when young [ from seed ]. Accelerate when 10-15 years old.

Do you have that much patience ?

Growing from seed is very rewarding, but not with this palm.

I suggest you buy one at least 2-3 ft high and plant it in the open,

with as much sun was it will take.

This is mine. planted 3 years ago, was about 2 ft high. Now its 450 mm in diameter at the base

and grows 10-15 leaves a year.

Chris that one is stunning !

Thanks. Pride and Joy. Its a myth killer. Its my fastest growing palm !!!

Grows 10-15 leaves a year. My Howeas average 1-3

Note its in a planter box in full sun ???

[tank]

B. armata are easy to sprout, but are tough to keep alive past the seedling stage in humid areas. There is an old thread by a fellow who hasn't posted here in awhile who grows palms around Brownsville Texas, I believe. Had some useful info on how to keep them from damping off. In my experience, they did the best in a well drained media, with the first couple of inches of media (from the top) being pure perlite or rock. I killed the first 50 or so I sprouted in a normal, relatively free draining mix. I tried again with about 80 seedlings and only 10 survived and these were the ones that I did the top layer of perlite. Rats and/or squirrels really seem to enjoy eating these seedlings, so after a feast, I was left with one seedling. Here it is at my old house in Gainesville, Fl about 6 years later from seed.

Luckily, the folks that bought my old house are friends, so visiting my (technically "their") plants is not a problem.

[Jason Baker Portugal]

Why don´t you try brahea clara? It is beautifull and supposedly faster growing. Jason

[353]

Okay, my next step, which shall take place by the end of the 29th is to put all 10 seeds in a mix of cactus mix and perlite, in their own plastic pots of course. Should I sterilize the cactus mix, or is that really necessary? If I have to sterilize it, the only way I can think of doing this based on various methods I've researched online is by microwaving. Will this make the whole house smell awful and render the microwave unusable afterwards?

[aztropic]

You can microwave the wet cactus mix in each pot but it probably isn't necessary.(it won't stink up the house or damage the oven) Don't forget to keep the soil from completely drying out after you've planted the seeds.Still would be much easier to start with a 5 gallon plant since they are slow growers.(buy some time) Here,5 gallon size is $20 and is commonly available.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[tank]

You should do a search on the forum for germination recommendations/tips. I'm lazy so usually I just give the seeds a 10% bleach solution soak and then a quick dip in a fungicide solution then sow directly into the medium. B. armata are not difficult seeds to sprout.

[velutina]

i threw a handful of Brahea armata seeds into my yard. The next year, I had a bunch of seedlings everywhere. They put out 1-2 leaves that year. Very slow growing. I planted a 5 gallon size at the same time as I did a 1 gallon W. robusta. The B. armata is about 1-2' while the W. robusta is 5-6'

[353]

UPDATE: After soaking my seeds for 5 days and changing the water everyday, (I sure hope that wasn't too long of a soak. Seeds did not show signs of rotting and were very hard.) I planted my 10 seeds in 10 separate pots in a cactus mix mixed with vermiculite.

Here's where I need the experienced minds:

Do I need to cover the pots with a plastic cup?

Do I need to keep the soil saturated at all times, or should I let the soil get pretty nice and dry between waterings? I've heard two different things on this.

By the way, I was able to scoop up a very small Brahea armata along with a Livistona nitida, Brahea sp. Super Silver, and a Sabal x texensis. They are all pretty small, but the largest is the Sabal x texensis. It resides in a 15 gal. pot. The Livistona is in a deep 6in. pot. The Braheas are in about a 5 in. pot. Got them from Tejas Tropicals in Cleveland, TX, and boy do they have a WIDE array of palms to select from! I was very pleased with my purchases. These palms now have a loving home and will be looked after with love care and knowledge.

Edited June 1, 2011 by 353

[Sutter Bob]

I don't know if this applies or not but I germinated a handful of Brahea clara seeds outdoors in full sun here watering once a day and letting the surface of the soil dry out between waterings.

Our humidity tends to be low here. These palms (at least armata and clara) seem well suited to the climate of the Sacramento Valley.

[KPL]

Neal, Welcome to Palmtalk!!!!!!

You are at the right place. What a beautiful and interesting first post. You're on your way!!!!!

As you can see, the help and advice is right here for you!!!

KPL

[Sabal Steve]

I am planning and growing blue Hesper palms from seed in a plastic ziplock germination bag with a 50/50 Sand \peat moss mix. Will that keep it too damp? I'm germinating 65 seeds and don't want to take up too much space with individual pots. Any thoughts on the germination bag technique or how to improve it?

Thanks!

[Josh76]

I think that'll be fine Steve. I've had good germination with 100% peat moss which was quite damp.

[sarasota alex]

I think that'll be fine Steve. I've had good germination with 100% peat moss which was quite damp.

Second that. I have had nearly 100% rate with B. armata and B. edulis germination in sphagnum moss. I keep them moist and keep the bags outside in a shade house. Once we get into the summer heat they all start to sprout. And they are never more than 4-6 months from the tree.

[Sabal Steve]

Thanks guys!

[_Keith]

Brahea armata has usually long germination times, in a year !

better to buy a seedling

Find 3 or 5 gal plant to go along with your seedlings.

I was going to say, I hope you are a young man.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

FYI brahea armata stay viable for a very long time. A friend of mine collected seeds from a beautiful white brahea armata in the central Valley years ago. He lost the seeds and found them again six years later. Almost all of them germinated. Brahea are generally easy to sprout.

[paulgila]

i agree,they germinate easily & didnt take too long to become little blue single-leafers,only a few months.

[SoulofthePlace]

Brahea armata has usually long germination times, in a year !

better to buy a seedling

I bought almost 600 seeds and now about 15 seeds germinated after 3 months so far.

Edited October 12, 2013 by SoulofthePlace

[SoulofthePlace]

Correction: 21 germinated after 2 months, not 3 months.

[Al in Kona]

UPDATE: After soaking my seeds for 5 days and changing the water everyday, (I sure hope that wasn't too long of a soak. Seeds did not show signs of rotting and were very hard.) I planted my 10 seeds in 10 separate pots in a cactus mix mixed with vermiculite.

Here's where I need the experienced minds:

Do I need to cover the pots with a plastic cup?

Do I need to keep the soil saturated at all times, or should I let the soil get pretty nice and dry between waterings? I've heard two different things on this.

By the way, I was able to scoop up a very small Brahea armata along with a Livistona nitida, Brahea sp. Super Silver, and a Sabal x texensis. They are all pretty small, but the largest is the Sabal x texensis. It resides in a 15 gal. pot. The Livistona is in a deep 6in. pot. The Braheas are in about a 5 in. pot. Got them from Tejas Tropicals in Cleveland, TX, and boy do they have a WIDE array of palms to select from! I was very pleased with my purchases. These palms now have a loving home and will be looked after with love care and knowledge.

I think in time you'll be glad you did find a plant of Brahea armata as they are such slow growers and from seed, years will go by before your plant gets the size of the one you just purchased. Like all palms there is genetic variability therefore, on B. armata some will have leaves more intensely silver than others, altho' almost all will be nice. When we moved to our present property 20 years ago I planted a husky 1-gallon size Brahea armata simply because I like this palm a lot. Here in the tropics (even tho' we are on the dry side of the island - but with relatively high humidity) it has grown super slow and I consider it a "dwarf" here! Reports are that the form called Brahea clara seems to do much better in a more tropical climate. I acquired a very small 1-gallon size plant of it several years ago and it seems to be growing quite well.

I see you also got a plant of Brahea 'super silver'. I have one of those also and find it to do quite well here but again a very slow grower. I planted it out as a strap leaf seedling and now is at least 1 meter (over 3ft.) tall and as wide. The petioles are free of thorns or hooks, an added advantage in my opinion. I'm glad to have this one in the garden.

Brahea moorei is another Brahea I have growing in the garden. Another slow grower. Mine was planted as a tiny strap leaf seedling directly into the ground and now is about 40cm (about 16") tall with palmate leaves. Time will tell if it thrives here or not but so far it seems ok.

[Jos Mannaart]

Any pictures from Brahea armata 7 years later?

[Pal Meir]

3 hours ago, Jos Mannaart said:

Any pictures from Brahea armata 7 years later?

Not 7 years, but 3-times 7 = 21 (!) years later:

[aztropic]

On 5/25/2011 at 1:27 PM, aztropic said:

Another thing to consider...This species definitely sets back with any root disturbance;no matter how careful you are. 5 year old trees;same seed batch - at 1 gallon size,I transplanted a couple dozen into 2 gallon pots.Left the couple smallest in the ground which are now 15 gallon size compared to the potted ones which are still 2 gallon size.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

An updated picture of the never disturbed tree planted from seed.Trunk is now 3 ft tall with fronds 10 ft above ground.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

Base of the trunk is about 18 inches wide.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Jos Mannaart]

On 1/20/2019 at 5:56 PM, Pal Meir said:

Not 7 years, but 3-times 7 = 21 (!) years later:

21 years later? 

 

thanks for posting

Congrats Pal for your patience. She or he looks surely nice but i did not know this is some undercover bonsai species :-(

Have 2 leaves seedlings now and need to repot, so better make it quick

[Totoburton]

Wow - Just germinated 3 seeds of Brahea using exposing embryo method - only planted 3 days ago In heated propagator after two days I water - can’t believe the have germinated already when I read it may take 12 months plus .