Sorry to write on this forum, but I don't know, where tp ask. I bought seeds yucca brevifolia and carnegeia gigantea and wanted to know if anyone was already growing these plants? How to prepare seeds for sowing (soak them?). How should I grow them later?

With the Yucca seeds, you could place them between a damp paper towel to get them started, than pot them up once they have started to germinate. don't believe they need any pre-treatment, ie: cold stratification, scarification, etc. Most people I have spoken with tell me Yucca in general is fairly easy to get going though there was a note that fresher seed seems to be better vs. older. Would probably be careful when watering, thinking this is one of the water-sensitive sp. Will be a slow grower.

 As for Saguaro, also pretty easy but they need lots of warmth to germinate. Here in Arizona, seed germinates when soil temperatures are in the 70s/80s range. I treat them like most other Cacti and start seed in community pots, placed in ziplock bags, ..then open the bags ( so seedlings don't rot) after about the 3rd week, post- germination.

No full sun, keep them in partial shade, but warm. In nature, they start life under "nurse" trees like Palo Verde and Mesquite until several years old ( seedlings are super sensitive to extreme heat/cold the first 3-6 years) Later, they will out grow the nurse tree, into more sun. Will be roughly 60+ years before they develop their first "arms" ...Might be faster in a green/shade house in cultivation but not 100% sure.

Good luck and keep us updated

-Nathan

Nathan gave you about all the device you should need to be successful, but I would like to add a couple tips:

The Joshua tree will germinate best with a temperature range of 60°-65° F at night and 80°-90° F during the day. Once they have sprouted use a peat free well drained soil mix. Sprouting time should be 2-14 days.

The Saguaro will germinate best with a temperature range of 70°-85° F at night and 85°-105° F during the day. Once they have sprouted use a peat free well drained soil mix like above. Sprouting time should be 7-28 days.

Good luck!

Tom Birt - Casas Adobes, AZ

Hi 61°, Lo 37°

Edited February 23, 20188 yr by Tom in Tucson

@Silas_Sancona, @Tom in Tucson

Thank you very much for your detailed advice! Only I will not reach 20-40 Celsius for germination. Tomorrow I intend to sow seeds and upload photos. :) 

I'd love to hear how they do for you. 

The palm has already reflected me    
Below are my seeds: Lytocaryum Weddellianum, Yucca Brevifolia, Dypsis Lanceolata and Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii (I am still waiting for carnegeia gigantea and chamaerops humilis). They are heated on the cable box decoder, which is erzac heating mat  The seeds are in the substrate of coconut fiber mixed with perlite. As the seedlings grow, they will go to peat, coconut fiber and perlite. More on my blog http://ilovepalm.tk (soon new post).

Looks good.

As far as the Yucca. I actually like Y. jaegreiana better than regular brevifolia. Stays smaller.. thus can handle being contained better, and I'm thinking it is a little less fussy than brev.

Here's a picture I took of an older specimen the Desert Botanical Garden for reference. Looks taller in the picture than it actually was.  That is Yucca rosata on the right in the background.



-Nathan

Edited February 25, 20188 yr by Silas_Sancona
wording

Very pretty :) The first time I saw yucca brevifolia in 1997, when my parents bought me an encyclopedia of nature for a computer. I remember the Latin name to this day and today I can fulfill my dreams. I'm just starting with the seeds, but they often don't germinate or they mold :( 

After 9 days, the seeds began to germinate!  I'm very happy  

 

Carnegeia gigantea seeds arrived to me. How to sow them?

Fill 2"-3" plastic pot with fairly sterile soil mix without any organic components. Place the seed on the surface. Mist the soil until it's draining through. Place in a sealed plastic bag. Give the pot some light, but not direct sun. Follow the temperature advice I gave above.

Good luck!

Tom Birt - Casas Adobes, AZ

Hi 78°, Lo 47°

@Tom in Tucson - thanks for advice! I have one more question about yucca brevifolia. Is it normal for one of the seeds grow up be turned upside down?

9 hours ago, Ilovepalm said:

@Tom in Tucson - thanks for advice! I have one more question about yucca brevifolia. Is it normal for one of the seeds grow up be turned upside down?

Yes

OK. Today I sowed seeds of carnegeia. I was also guided by the advice from this video http://tnij.at/246884  I sowed seeds in peat for sowing seeds, sand and pearlite (1 : 1 : 1) and I heavily sowed.

 

Edited March 11, 20188 yr by Ilovepalm

Lots of baby joshua trees. 

@TexasColdHardyPalms Wow, beuty!  My y. brevifolia shows the first leaf  

Edited March 13, 20188 yr by Ilovepalm

These are my three seedlings Yucca brevifolia. Today, I have put them in larger pots.

Currently, my yucca cuttings look like this (attachment). Unfortunately, during the quilting, the root of one of them is damaged and it dries slowly. The other two are growing. I have a question - how often do I water them, if they are in a very sunny position?

From the look of that soil you will not be able to overwater them, so error on the side of more water when they are this young.

@TexasColdHardyPalms the substrate is dry for now, like pepper.

Until when should Yucca brevifolia seedlings be kept in these small pots? When should I overdo it to larger?