Brazoria Seeds

[GregVirginia7]

Seed Experts…need some advice on Brazoria seeds…though most are still green, some on the staulk have turned brown and that brown outer casing has split just a bit to expose a white casing underneath…are these seeds ripe and ready to harvest? Do I let them dry winter outside and plant in the spring? I want to just stick them barely under the soil where I want them to grow and see what happens. Seems to me a fair amount of cold is necessary to get them to germinate in the spring…I don’t want to do a controlled container project…for me anyway, that takes a squirrel to get any results (long story) so I defer to the squirrel method…😂…any input much appreciated.

[Collectorpalms]

3 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Seed Experts…need some advice on Brazoria seeds…though most are still green, some on the staulk have turned brown and that brown outer casing has split just a bit to expose a white casing underneath…are these seeds ripe and ready to harvest? Do I let them dry winter outside and plant in the spring? I want to just stick them barely under the soil where I want them to grow and see what happens. Seems to me a fair amount of cold is necessary to get them to germinate in the spring…I don’t want to do a controlled container project…for me anyway, that takes a squirrel to get any results (long story) so I defer to the squirrel method…😂…any input much appreciated.

A palm moth moving northward which is specific to all Sabals lays a pin head shape white egg on the fruit of a Sabal seed and once it grows eats the seed hollow. You can go from 1000 seeds to all dead seeds over night. They really should be cleaned of fruit with a sprinkle of pesticide if you plan to wait to harvest.,

Sabal seed should be black and ready to fall when fully ripe. 

[GregVirginia7]

43 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

A palm moth moving northward which is specific to all Sabals lays a pin head shape white egg on the fruit of a Sabal seed and once it grows eats the seed hollow. You can go from 1000 seeds to all dead seeds over night. They really should be cleaned of fruit with a sprinkle of pesticide if you plan to wait to harvest.,

Sabal seed should be black and ready to fall when fully ripe. 

Varmints in more ways than one…always varmints. After diligent inspection and a soak in a mild, diluted bleach solution, I’ll kill any varmints that may have been laid there…will inspect the brown seeds to see if the varmints are possibly there but how do I know? If I harvest the brown seeds with the assumption that the moth has paid a visit and give a good soak to kill the egg/larvae varmint, am I removing the seed too soon? I know about Sabal minor seeds but Brazoria is a different animal. Guess I’ll wait till they turn black and soak but I may be soaking an empty seed.

[GregVirginia7]

Assuming the seeds at the bottom of the bowl are good and the floaters (there are 11 but they have not split)…they do appear to be black so…as I write this, there is a larvae…about 1/4 of an inch long at the bottom of the bowl…back to collecting the seeds, I noticed when I was picking the brown/black seeds off the staulk, a fair amount of webbing wrapped around several of the seeds…the seeds wrapped in that webbing were small and desiccated…but my assumption from your description was that the larvae invades the inside of the seed and grows inside?…but this is indeed what I’ve found…is this larvae what you are talking about? The seeds in the webbing were definitely finished…

 

Let me know what you think…damn varmints!

[GregVirginia7]

7 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Assuming the seeds at the bottom of the bowl are good and the floaters (there are 11 but they have not split)…they do appear to be black so…as I write this, there is a larvae…about 1/4 of an inch long at the bottom of the bowl…back to collecting the seeds, I noticed when I was picking the brown/black seeds off the staulk, a fair amount of webbing wrapped around several of the seeds…the seeds wrapped in that webbing were small and desiccated…but my assumption from your description was that the larvae invades the inside of the seed and grows inside?…but this is indeed what I’ve found…is this larvae what you are talking about? The seeds in the webbing were definitely finished…

 

Let me know what you think…damn varmints!

Ok…panicked…made a dish soap solution and sprayed the seeds still green on the staulk…I have a feeling this is what you were responding about…what good timing…I’d say the desiccated seeds in the webbing were about 12…whether this is what you were talking about or not, the varmint I found on those Brazoria seeds was destroying them…thank you!

[GregVirginia7]

29 minutes ago, GregVirginia7 said:

Ok…panicked…made a dish soap solution and sprayed the seeds still green on the staulk…I have a feeling this is what you were responding about…what good timing…I’d say the desiccated seeds in the webbing were about 12…whether this is what you were talking about or not, the varmint I found on those Brazoria seeds was destroying them…thank you!

Here are the defruited seeds…some are white… probably picked too early…some are brownish…probably picked at the right time…are the white ones still good to plant in the spring?

 

[teddytn]

If it’s the first year you’re getting seeds, good possibility they aren’t viable and I’ve seen some sabal minor at least abort seeds too. 

[PalmatierMeg]

The white ones are likely immature and non viable. With the black/brown seeds I suggest you do a test potting to confirm viability. If the seeds are good you may have results before you have to make a decision next spring. Store remaining seeds after dousing with insecticide to kill off emerging moths/weevils and prevent more infestation.

[Collectorpalms]

I just sprayed the trees when I saw the critters. It eliminated them and the remaining seeds have matured.