Acrocomia Totai tips?

[idontknowhatnametuse]

I'm ordering 5 Acrocomia totai seeds tomorrow. Any tips for this palm?

[Fusca]

16 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

I'm ordering 5 Acrocomia totai seeds tomorrow. Any tips for this palm?

Be prepared to wait!  There's a hard outer shell that can be cracked very carefully using a vise and removing the embryo.  I collected some last October and I cracked about a dozen by using a hacksaw cutting a few mm around the perimeter of the seed before SLOWLY tightening in the vise.  I didn't damage any embryos in the process and put some in community pots and some in baggies.  I did the same with seeds left alone.  11 months later I still don't have any germination!  🤪 Years ago I germinated an Acrocomia aculeata and it took 2 years.  Palm grows pretty fast once it gets going however.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

Be prepared to wait!  There's a hard outer shell that can be cracked very carefully using a vise and removing the embryo.  I collected some last October and I cracked about a dozen by using a hacksaw cutting a few mm around the perimeter of the seed before SLOWLY tightening in the vise.  I didn't damage any embryos in the process and put some in community pots and some in baggies.  I did the same with seeds left alone.  11 months later I still don't have any germination!  🤪 Years ago I germinated an Acrocomia aculeata and it took 2 years.  Palm grows pretty fast once it gets going however.

The seeds I ordered already come without the shell. I assume they keep them stored for a long time because the seller says they germinate in 30 days.

[kinzyjr]

Hope they sprout for you. 

If they do, don't hug the resulting palms.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

Here's one of the seeds I recieved, they have no pulp, also they ended up being A. Aculeata.

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Here's one of the seeds I recieved, they have no pulp, also they ended up being A. Aculeata.

You've got cleaned seeds but you can still crack the outer shell and expose the embryo as I described.  Below is a picture of a cleaned seed with a much smaller embryo.

This photo shows the fruit in the upper left and the uncleaned seed with the thin outer shell removed next to it.  At the bottom you can see the embryo and the cracked thick shell.

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Fusca

[idontknowhatnametuse]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

You've got cleaned seeds but you can still crack the outer shell and expose the embryo as I described.  Below is a picture of a cleaned seed with a much smaller embryo.

This photo shows the fruit in the upper left and the uncleaned seed with the thin outer shell removed next to it.  At the bottom you can see the embryo and the cracked thick shell.

 

Does the embryo sprout?

[Fusca]

14 hours ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Does the embryo sprout?

That's where the action is!  Supposedly germination is quicker by removing the outer shell, but it's also more risky.  Germination conditions need to be a lot more sanitary when planting the embryo due to increased chance of fungus.  When using this method with Acrocomia crispa seeds I personally didn't see much difference in germination times.