Patience has paid off. First germination! !!

One of a hundred seeds has germinated.

I am unsure of the next step. Any help it) appreciated.

Thanks.

This is it. Does it look like fungus? I want to make sure I get this right.

Sorry the photos did not upload before. Turns out there are 3 bismarckia silver !! and 1 blue latin palm !!

Congrats. I'll be following this thread closely. Im a rookie propogator too. Got one dictyocaryum lamarckium popped at the same stage

Patience has paid off. First germination! !!

One of a hundred seeds has germinated.

I am unsure of the next step. Any help it) appreciated.

Thanks.

Pot them up! The Bismarckia first, as those tap roots will grow quickly, and you don't want it more than a couple of inches (which will take less than a week) otherwise you risk snapping them off. Use tall pots, and remember that Bismarckia are remote germinators. The stem base will form at least 8 inches below soil level when the seed is set half in the soil (tap root pointing straight down). Use a light mix to get the first leaf up and then "re-pot" in the same container taking care not to damage the roots. Bismarckia are sensitive like that. I say "re-pot" but in fact you just want to slide it up until the stem base is at soil level. This will give you another year's growing space, then after 18 months pot up into something bigger.

The same goes for the Latania, although they only bury themselves a few inches down, and most of the root growth is lateral, so choose a fatter pot over tall and skinny. I've grown them in cell pots before and the lateral growth has hit the sides and grown upwards. If that happens when the stem is still buried it's a pain, as the roots are brittle.

For kicks I planted a Bismarckia in a 2 litre bag when the seed was at the same stage as yours, about 6 months ago. It is doing just as well as the ones I put in 30cm pots, and taking up less space. I don't know how it will do in the long term, though, as I assume the root spiralled around the bottom of the bag before sending up the first leaf. I should probably move it up a size to see how it is doing. It is on the third leaf now.

I did lose several seeds to the embryo rotting off around the stage yours are at, so don't get them too damp. Mine were outdoors getting watered by rain over the winter last year, and all of the silver embryos rotted, with only the var. mayotte seeds surviving.

I don't think the deep pot approach is necessary, but it does save space. Mine are silver Bismarckia. I grew them outdoors but kept them under a rain cover through the first couple of winters. They're looking good today, but in desperate need of bigger pots. I'm hoping to sell or swap with a few local palm nurseries as they're getting too much for me now.

Thanks for the help! Good to hear about your success stories

9 more seeds have germinated =) thanks to the tips this website has offered =)

Congratulations! I never fail to be excited when seeds of any kind germinate!

I was really excited to see my first batch of Bismarckia's sprout too! Some of mine are about ready to be repotted. Congrats on your little sprouts!

Here I post my darling, good luck!

Kindest regards

Andrew

It's a nice plant but a beautiful photograph too!

Congratulation and best wishes for a good growth !

Kindest regards

Philippe

Hello,

I have a few questions;

I picked some fresh seeds from a Bismarck the other day and was wondering which ones I will have most luck with - the pictures are placed below. I wear a size 10 shoe (I prefer to use objects like dimes usually to show size...)

Small Black, Small Green, Large Green, or Large Brown?

Can I use the Ziplock baggie technique?

Which method is best for Bismarck seeds specifically?

50/50 Perilite/Peat?

50/50 Perlite/Sand?

90/10 Perlite/Peat?

Something else?

I plan on using a heating pad. I got a sunbeam one from Wall-Mart that I foresee working well. Stays nice and warm. It has an fixed on switch and 6 temp settings.

If the Ziplock baggie method would work fine, at what point should I pull the sprouted seed out and pot it?

What will happen if I put it in a 1 gallon pot (this would be ideal)? It's probably not quite 8 inches.

Could I just put these in a 5 gallon pot straight out of the Ziplock bag?

Any thoughts on the soil composition for the seedlings? - I don't want to be bogged down with repotting often.

I would like something very simple, and I'm not concerned about high germination rates, but at least 10 would be nice.

Thanks everyone.