I bought some Syagrus sancona seeds from RPS quite a few months ago now. I put them into baggies with seed raising media and placed them on my heat mat. A few sprouted very quickly, most still show no movement. Of the few that have sprouted one has withered while another looks to be making a first leaf. I had no idea Syagrus sancona is remote germinater. I'm not really sure what to do. Do I pot up the sprouts as they pop or leave them in the baggie and wait till the first true leaf to push up? Do I wait for the few that have popped to push that first leaf up pot them and the remaining seeds into a community pot now that consistent warm weather is here?

 

On a side note the 23 year old Syagrus romanzoffiana that I planted my parents yard that has been seeding for years finally has sprouts beneath it. I wasn't convinced that they are weedy in my climate perhaps they are just not to the same degree as Phoenix canariensis.

Edited October 20, 201510 yr by Pip

Could you post a pic of the most advanced seedling together with a measure? If possible it would be good if the kind or size of remote germination could be made visible. (Is it like Phoenix dactylifera?)

Referring to Fig. 11.3 in Henderson’s "Evolution … of Palms" (2002, p. 168) I would recommend treating the seedling very similarly like Ph. dactylifera or Ph. canariensis and plant it already in a sufficiently deep pot with mineral rich soil.

Hmm, interesting!

I'm surprised that any Syagrus would be a remote germinator.

In my limited experience, when you have such in a community pot, it's best to take them out, carefully, one by one as they germinate. If you don't, they grow, get tangled and become impossible to separate without breakage and loss. (Bizzies are very brittle at that stage. )

Hmm, interesting!

I'm surprised that any Syagrus would be a remote germinator.

I have made an artistic sketch of a Syagrus sancona seedling, using the photograph in Henderson 2002:

I'll take a few pics after I get home from University this evening. One week left of 2nd year woohoo!

Oops big day haven't been near my sprouts. I got home to a parcel containing three Dypsis lanceolata seedlings so needed to soak them in seaweed extract and pot them up. 

Looking into one of the baggies 

One of the sprouts 

The most advanced sprout showing 2nd plumule.

I would plant these 2 seedlings already in separate pots. As it looks like Syagrus sancona seems to have only one plumule. (The photo in Henderson 2002 had no good resolution.) – Here your photo with my suggestion for the soil level:

Thanks Pal. Guess I'll get potting this weekend. I have other species almost bursting out their baggies now.

Oops, there was a misprint in the last photo … And got luck with replanting!

Once potted would you keep the Syagrus sancona on the heat mat until the eophyll can be seen? Or just place the pots straight out into the shade house?

I would treat it like a date palm seedling: no heat mat any more, temps 20-30°C.

Very cool! First time I noticed Syagrusses were remote germinators was when I was potting up some schizophylla's.

It seems that remote germinating Syagrus spp. have only one plumule: S. romanzoffiana, sancona, schizophylla like a Phoenix. On the other hand adjacent germinating spp. have 2 plumules like Cocos. Any other divergent observations?

looking good Pip  

I have hundreds of fresh seed from my tree. They sprout on the ground with no love given..

 

a very easy grow IMO  

No eophyll visible yet?

Finally there is something emerging form the soil. It is only tiny but I'm happy.

Nice...I got the same nice surprise this morning, but S. schizophylla in my case!  

28 minutes ago, Pip said:

Finally there is something emerging form the soil. It is only tiny but I'm happy.

Take good care of it, and it will grow and be wonderful!

Columbian Foxtail is a good name.

When you come visit, I'll show you mine, I've got two. Both trunking.