Our 1st batch of Dictyocaryum seed from the 'excellent seed merchants" RPS arrived just under ayr ago, they are now pushing their 2nd spike.

Ordered more in may and they all have spikes a few inches high.

So happy I ordered more and they are just starting to pop due to our warm weather after 5 weeks.

As the pics show , I place the seed in "deep" 400mm tubs which gets morning sun to warm the pots, they "love " warmth to germinate quick and happy, some pure coarse sand , some sand and decomposed wood which is a great mix.

The deep tubs are to allow the seed to send roots down deep so they can happily keep on growing.

Heres a few pics and some share.

Thanks RPS for the fantastic fresh healthy seed and even though its not on the "New" list our last batch of 100 ALL sank which is a great sign they are still in great health which they are as they are "already popping"

The in ground Dictyocaryums in the pics where planted only 3 yrs ago as 1 and 2 leaf barefoot seedlings, so they are " fantastic reliable growers" and respond well to plenty of food and "very free draining soli"..

Pete

Very very impressive Pete, looks like you've certainly got the germination process down to a fine art, and the one's in the ground look fantastic, can't wait for future updates on these beauties.

Awesome Pedro! Thank you very much for the growing info and photos! Mine are germinating too!

Paul, Dictyocaryum seed germinate "very very easily, and I see you have 1 Deans Dictyocaryum's as your Avatar

Gianno ( Kostas), your welcome, Im "happy to Share" any info that will "help others" with their " obsession" Good luck with yours and remember , plant them in a "very raised bed" with shade cloth above in "plenty of light"

Pete

I'm just starting to propagate seed from our palms so I've been reading and taking notes on all of the related posts. Your process looks well-thought-out and successful so I'll be trying it on our next batch of seed.

Your palms looks like you're also doing a lot of other things right!

Lee

I'm just starting to propagate seed from our palms so I've been reading and taking notes on all of the related posts. Your process looks well-thought-out and successful so I'll be trying it on our next batch of seed.

Your palms looks like you're also doing a lot of other things right!

Lee

Thanks Lee, I didn't mention, but to all that read above, when I plant palm seed in coarse sand I "Always " bury the seed.

Pete

Thanks Pete! I am trying to treat them like Wettinia and was planning to ground plant them in my fern areas,which are moist/wet yearound, high in organic matter and shady/cool. The Wettinia maynensis seedlings I planted there in the summer loved it,hope they pass winter ok too.

With Dictyocaryum,I am having a little problem with a certain fungus that got in their germination bag but hopefully they win and grow ok till spring,when I can pot them up. Now it's too cool/cold here to be able to do much. Happy growing to yours,Its their season!

-Konstantinos

Thanks Pete! I am trying to treat them like Wettinia and was planning to ground plant them in my fern areas,which are moist/wet yearound, high in organic matter and shady/cool. The Wettinia maynensis seedlings I planted there in the summer loved it,hope they pass winter ok too.

With Dictyocaryum,I am having a little problem with a certain fungus that got in their germination bag but hopefully they win and grow ok till spring,when I can pot them up. Now it's too cool/cold here to be able to do much. Happy growing to yours,Its their season!

-Konstantinos

Kostas, I personally aren't a "bag man" so would get them out of that small damp plastic world and put them in a deep sand pot in a very warm spot, ours virtually hibernated in Winter and as soon as the warm spring arrived, off they took again.

I potted a few in pots and they have thinner shorter stems I think due to their roots hitting the bottom compered to roots being "free to send down deep and put on growth

Its your decision what step you take, but all the best with your outcome and the last recent seed arrival of Dictyocaryum from RPS is still 'Fresh as" so buy more, they have proven to have a "long viability"

Pete

Thank you very much Pete! Overwintering young potted seedlings in Melissia is a nightmare compared to bags of seeds or seedlings due to the lack of space and warm places! It's all cold or cool in Melissia! I may pot them in deep sand as you say and get them to Pyrgos where its warm enough to have a chance to overwinter on their own!

I like the use of the fan cages Pete! Might have to use them for my rat problem. Looks like you have the dicto's worked out! I'll try some again soon I reckon, now I know a bit more about their requirements.

Cheers

Harry

Kostas, no worries mate, all the best with yours.

Harry, those cheap fans that only seem to last a yr or 2 was on our "scrap pile", then I thought what "Great use" I can put the fan protector cages too, I don't throw any away now and when we visit the tip, I grab any floating around in the steel section

Pete

Well done Pete !

They look like very healthy specimens indeed !

I found germination and initial growth promising but after a while they all (ie 100%) decline in pots in chilly NZ. Happily they seem to do well if planted in the ground as a spike though growth is a little slow.

I found germination and initial growth promising but after a while they all (ie 100%) decline in pots in chilly NZ. Happily they seem to do well if planted in the ground as a spike though growth is a little slow.

Yes better in ground if they are planted "in a raised bed" , growth to get started is also very very good in "deep pots" ( 450mm) , and to speed up growth in cool NZ I'd put a plastic tree guard around it to raise the heat and humidity, stop all cool winds.

Pete

That's a nice sight Pete.

Going to try these again down south. Perth has been too hot for this species.

That's a nice sight Pete.

Going to try these again down south. Perth has been too hot for this species.

Tyrone, Dictyocaryum's are a joy to watch grow and advance, added some pics 1 with a trusty sz10 sandal to show this palm @ in ground of 3 yrs ( 2 leaf barefoot seedling) has its top leaf already over 5ft, good luck with yours.

Dictyocaryums in the right spot grow very very well and could be grown "with ease" in "many keen collector" gardens, best growth here is "certainly 30c and above.

Pete

I had mine last for about 2 years. The first problem was when rats decided they were worth eating, they loved the seeds and just chomping right through the growing point and leaving the decapitated thing next the seed they gnawed on. That decimated most of them. Then the few that lived went through winter in full shade no trouble a couple of times and they handled the 30's OK. Then we had one day in March where we hit 42C, then a couple of days later we had a cool change down to 18C, then back up into the 30's. They fell over then.

I'm hoping that down in Albany where it never really gets to zero ever (and under canopy it certainly wouldn't), and where the temperatures are more constant and mild and humid this species may have a better chance in a suitable microclimate.

I was working a palm sale this weekend and we had these for sale as seedlings, listed as the Sapphire palm. Despite telling people they shouldn't try it and advising people not to buy it unless they have a very large refrigerator, they ALL sold out!

I was working a palm sale this weekend and we had these for sale as seedlings, listed as the Sapphire palm. Despite telling people they shouldn't try it and advising people not to buy it unless they have a very large refrigerator, they ALL sold out!

Andrew, 1st Q, "why" would you "offer seedlingss" of a unique and "rarely grown palm"and say "they shouldnt try it" ??

Secondly, Im "not at all " surprised they ALL sold, ...it only takes only "1" of these buyers to find a "niche location" to grow "this Beauty" and for "others to try and replicate"

Andrew, what do your Summer night temps go down to?

These beauties do not like calcareous soil or coral base , or limestone rock, they 'Love: deep deep rich soil", yes on the Big Island they grow happily on :"rock" because of "high rainfall" perfect days and perfect nights. ( not too hot/ not too cold/ Just right)

These are "no longer" a myth to grow", the "right spot" and "patience" along with "plenty of trial and errors"

Pete

I was working a palm sale this weekend and we had these for sale as seedlings, listed as the Sapphire palm. Despite telling people they shouldn't try it and advising people not to buy it unless they have a very large refrigerator, they ALL sold out!

Andrew, 1st Q, "why" would you "offer seedlingss" of a unique and "rarely grown palm"and say "they shouldnt try it" ??

Secondly, Im "not at all " surprised they ALL sold, ...it only takes only "1" of these buyers to find a "niche location" to grow "this Beauty" and for "others to try and replicate"

Andrew, what do your Summer night temps go down to?

These beauties do not like calcareous soil or coral base , or limestone rock, they 'Love: deep deep rich soil", yes on the Big Island they grow happily on :"rock" because of "high rainfall" perfect days and perfect nights. ( not too hot/ not too cold/ Just right)

These are "no longer" a myth to grow", the "right spot" and "patience" along with "plenty of trial and errors"

Pete

That is exciting. The place I've put an offer on down in Albany is pure peat with a pH of 6-6.5. Sounds like they'll go nuts.

I found germination and initial growth promising but after a while they all (ie 100%) decline in pots in chilly NZ. Happily they seem to do well if planted in the ground as a spike though growth is a little slow.

Yes better in ground if they are planted "in a raised bed" , growth to get started is also very very good in "deep pots" ( 450mm) , and to speed up growth in cool NZ I'd put a plastic tree guard around it to raise the heat and humidity, stop all cool winds.

Pete

Never had much luck with plastic, seems to amplify the cold on clear still nights. Vegetation or shade cloth seems to work better for me. I have another 20 or so to go in this summer under light canopy. Will substantially amend soil for a handful to see what difference this makes. If I can get one away and looking good it will be a triumph.

Tyrone and Rich, good luck with you future D/caryums.

A Q ive been asked about our D/caryums is Pete, why is there no stilt roots.

There are stilts but I top dress so much mushroom compost and bamboo leaves that they "get and stay covered", which I think is good when they are still very young and they "never dry out" in our hot dry days.

Pete

I was working a palm sale this weekend and we had these for sale as seedlings, listed as the Sapphire palm. Despite telling people they shouldn't try it and advising people not to buy it unless they have a very large refrigerator, they ALL sold out!

Andrew, 1st Q, "why" would you "offer seedlingss" of a unique and "rarely grown palm"and say "they shouldnt try it" ??

Secondly, Im "not at all " surprised they ALL sold, ...it only takes only "1" of these buyers to find a "niche location" to grow "this Beauty" and for "others to try and replicate"

Andrew, what do your Summer night temps go down to?

These beauties do not like calcareous soil or coral base , or limestone rock, they 'Love: deep deep rich soil", yes on the Big Island they grow happily on :"rock" because of "high rainfall" perfect days and perfect nights. ( not too hot/ not too cold/ Just right)

These are "no longer" a myth to grow", the "right spot" and "patience" along with "plenty of trial and errors"

Pete

The answer to the first question is because a person can the risk is low and reward is high--as you said, it only takes one, and seedlings are fairly inexpensive. The second question's answer is they don't! Our summer nights are in the high 80's if they are not higher This palm will not grow in South Florida, but when you tell someone that, they are ready to buy it and prove you wrong! lol

I was working a palm sale this weekend and we had these for sale as seedlings, listed as the Sapphire palm. Despite telling people they shouldn't try it and advising people not to buy it unless they have a very large refrigerator, they ALL sold out!

Andrew, 1st Q, "why" would you "offer seedlingss" of a unique and "rarely grown palm"and say "they shouldnt try it" ??

Secondly, Im "not at all " surprised they ALL sold, ...it only takes only "1" of these buyers to find a "niche location" to grow "this Beauty" and for "others to try and replicate"

Andrew, what do your Summer night temps go down to?

These beauties do not like calcareous soil or coral base , or limestone rock, they 'Love: deep deep rich soil", yes on the Big Island they grow happily on :"rock" because of "high rainfall" perfect days and perfect nights. ( not too hot/ not too cold/ Just right)

These are "no longer" a myth to grow", the "right spot" and "patience" along with "plenty of trial and errors"

Pete

The answer to the first question is because a person can the risk is low and reward is high--as you said, it only takes one, and seedlings are fairly inexpensive. The second question's answer is they don't! Our summer nights are in the high 80's if they are not higher This palm will not grow in South Florida, but when you tell someone that, they are ready to buy it and prove you wrong! lol

Until I looked up Sth Florida's yearly ave weather, I had no idea its "nearly on parr" with Darwin which has a yearly max ave of 32c ( 90f) and min of 23c( 73f) so yes Dictyocaryum is certainly "no go"

Next Q. Why cant Pigafetta be grown? I guess its the "high" ph along with the coral/limestone base ( no wonder Copernicia's Love it).. A "huge" raised bed" would be a "goer" for Pigafetta in Sth Florida Pete

No Piggies, Pete The cold and a general unhappiness ALWAYS gets them. My friend Chris, down the street from my dad's place, grew one for a few years and he even got pollen from it(sent some to Kew for a project they were doing) but one day, it just fell over and died. This is one of the first stories I have heard of a Pigafetta not dying from our cold. Once every 5-7 years we get a cold that kills piggies and most lipsticks--we have some occasional winds that could bring down a Pigafetta too. In South Florida, Pigafetta is an annual

No Piggies, Pete The cold and a general unhappiness ALWAYS gets them. My friend Chris, down the street from my dad's place, grew one for a few years and he even got pollen from it(sent some to Kew for a project they were doing) but one day, it just fell over and died. This is one of the first stories I have heard of a Pigafetta not dying from our cold. Once every 5-7 years we get a cold that kills piggies and most lipsticks--we have some occasional winds that could bring down a Pigafetta too. In South Florida, Pigafetta is an annual

Having "Lots" of Copernicia's is far more exciting than "lots" of Piggies that "for sure" so you have no worries.

I dont have lots of Copernicia's ( wish I did) so I "endevour" to have "lots" of Dictyocaryums, gotta "be in it" to win it eh. Pete

No Piggies, Pete The cold and a general unhappiness ALWAYS gets them. My friend Chris, down the street from my dad's place, grew one for a few years and he even got pollen from it(sent some to Kew for a project they were doing) but one day, it just fell over and died. This is one of the first stories I have heard of a Pigafetta not dying from our cold. Once every 5-7 years we get a cold that kills piggies and most lipsticks--we have some occasional winds that could bring down a Pigafetta too. In South Florida, Pigafetta is an annual

Having "Lots" of Copernicia's is far more exciting than "lots" of Piggies that "for sure" so you have no worries.

I dont have lots of Copernicia's ( wish I did) so I "endevour" to have "lots" of Dictyocaryums, gotta "be in it" to win it eh. Pete

That's how I am setting up my yard!