Trachycarpus Seed Stalks

[Jesse PNW]

Are freshly harvested Trachy seed stalks subject to pests?  Squirrels, rats etc?  I assume if they're harvested (now) they need to "ripen" over the next few months before they can be planted?  Do they need to turn from blue to black or dry out before being planted?  

I assume sewing seed in bulk, it's not worth the trouble to remove the skin/fruit?  

Baggy method vs communal pot?  

These topics have probably been discussed here several times before but the PT search engine is difficult to navigate. 

[Jimhardy]

I like the baggie method because you don't have to guess if your seeds are sprouting

and it works really well...did I mention you can see the seeds and if they have sprouted??  haha

I am to impatient and would polk around in the soil if not looking for a sign of life/movement.

BTW

 

I think it would be interesting to plant a seed where you might want a palm some day

and see if it makes any difference although that(hardiness) can be hard to judge sometimes..

Edited January 13, 2022 by Jimhardy

[Chester B]

I cut some seed stalks off a Trachy in Beaverton a few years back in late January. I did 3 or 4 communal pots, ended up with 100 palms per pot. I did clean the seeds but I don’t think it’s necessary anymore. Kept them moist inside the house and they started sprouting within a couple weeks. Pretty darn easy. Don’t overthink it. 

[ShadyDan]

Yea they are super easy fresh. If they are a blue colour with some back in the mix they are good to go. Definitely do not let them dry out, fresh is best! I don't clean the seeds anymore, I just throw them in a community pot together with a 50/50 peat/perlite mix and have great success. Keep the pots moist and at room temperature and you should start seeing germination within a couple weeks.

I've never noticed any pests associated with the seed stalks, minus some small insects that you would expect to be crawling on anything vegetative. 

[Jesse PNW]

I don't see any way around mold if you're putting fresh fruit into a sealed bag.  I'm thinking this would be OK in a communal pot like @Chester B mentioned but for the baggie method I believe I'll have to remove the fruit, which probably means waiting until they dry.  Unless soaking in water for a day or two will soften the fruit enough to remove.  

I'm also thinking potting soil in a sealed bag with moisture is probably bad.  I'll probably switch to perlite.  I harvested over a thousand seeds so I've got the budget to experiment.  

[Chester B]

You could even make a small raised bed garden with nice loose soil and just scatter them and let nature take its course. Pluck them out once they germinate and repot. 
 

I’ve made raised bed gardens with trees I’ve cut down. Takes no time. 

[Jesse PNW]

I'll probably do that with whatever is left.  I still want to tinker now as I'm bored and enjoy playing gardener.  Last year I scattered a few dozen in the garden randomly.  I ended up with 15 or so that germinated.  Tried the same with Sabal minor but had zero success.  Not sure if the seed was bad, or our soil temp just isn't warm enough.  

[Jesse PNW]

Sorry I've got lots of questions.  

Scraped off the flesh (exocarp and mesocarp I guess) and sowed a bunch of seeds in bags and containers.  The flesh/fruit/mesocarp is kind of a pain to get off and I resorted to scraping with a spoon.  I noticed that in some places, after the fruit was gone, I had scraped the seed through the dark brown (endocarp) and revealed a lighter brown on the inside.  Is that OK?  I seem to remember a thread where a guy was exposing the embryo of some exotic seed to facilitate in germination, are palm seeds that invulnerable? 

[Las Palmas Norte]

On 1/12/2022 at 7:12 PM, Jesse PNW said:

Are freshly harvested Trachy seed stalks subject to pests?  Squirrels, rats etc?  I assume if they're harvested (now) they need to "ripen" over the next few months before they can be planted?  Do they need to turn from blue to black or dry out before being planted?  

I assume sewing seed in bulk, it's not worth the trouble to remove the skin/fruit?  

Baggy method vs communal pot?  

These topics have probably been discussed here several times before but the PT search engine is difficult to navigate. 

1. Rodents will eat many things including palm seeds.

2. Seed even green can be collected and stored until the more familiar dark color. Many have already turn color and some people claim they have germinated green seeds.

3. No need to remove the outer skin to germinate.

4. Baggy or communal pot?  That's up to you. They will germinate at room temps.