How long do Chamaedoreas take to germinate on average?

[idontknowhatnametuse]

I currently have C. Pochutlensis and C. Tepejilote seeds and none of them have germinated after 3-4 weeks of planting them, they are in peat moss and the pot they are in gets some sun in the morning but gets watered almost daily. Any recommendations?

[Phoenikakias]

Chamaedorea seeds may even need a year to germinate.This is one of greatest paradoxa in the palmy reality.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

1 minute ago, Phoenikakias said:

Chamaedorea seeds may even need a year to germinate.This is one of greatest paradoxa in the palmy reality.

Thank You, I Didn't knew that, I thought they were fast due to their size. Do you think I should leave them in the place they are or should I move them to a place with more shade?

[Darold Petty]

Recently, I obtained germination of Chamaedorea carchensis after 11 months.  Many species in this genus take 4-8 months.  Palm seeds are not known to be light sensitive for germination,  and respond only to warmth and moisture.

[Silas_Sancona]

C. microspadix and metallica ( from my own plants ) = 6-10 weeks, in Florida, in shifting bright shade, under one of my benches, in late summer..  C. metallica i'd started in San Jose, ..roughly the same time of year = add about 4 weeks to the germination time..

My own experience(s) only..

 

[khachaturian]

Pacaya seeds collected fresh from the palm begin sprouting after 4-6 weeks (tropical conditions). Keep the seedlings out of the sun. I accidentally toasted mine this year 😔

[tim_brissy_13]

I’d say if the seeds are fresh, 4-12 weeks is typical for most Chamaedorea species. Often the will continue to sporadically germinate until 18 months or so. I’ve recently had a couple of C liebmanii pop up after 18 months after the first few from the same batch came up after 3 months. 

[Robert D. Young]

Slightly off-topic, there was a shrub at our house that was cut down in 1983. We thought it was dead. SIX years later, it started growing back from the stump. It ended up making a full recovery and reached 15 feet high in a few years. I never would have thought the plant could survive six years in dormancy... 😳🤷🏻‍♂️

[Pal Meir]

Chamaedorea tuerckheimii (Veracruz) 6 (of 7) seeds: 29 to 86 days.

[DoomsDave]

5 hours ago, Robert D. Young said:

Slightly off-topic, there was a shrub at our house that was cut down in 1983. We thought it was dead. SIX years later, it started growing back from the stump. It ended up making a full recovery and reached 15 feet high in a few years. I never would have thought the plant could survive six years in dormancy... 😳🤷🏻‍♂️

What plant is that? Really curious? If you don't know, maybe post a picture.

[Hardypalms]

I have C. radicalis that i sowed spring 2022 and some sprouted in the same year’s summer and some are sprouting now 14 months later.

Pat

Edited August 30, 2023 by Hardypalms

[Will]

The fresh seeds I got from Radicalis needed around 5 months 

[happypalms]

On 7/21/2023 at 4:59 AM, idontknowhatnametuse said:

I currently have C. Pochutlensis and C. Tepejilote seeds and none of them have germinated after 3-4 weeks of planting them, they are in peat moss and the pot they are in gets some sun in the morning but gets watered almost daily. Any recommendations?

My chameadorea adscendans take about 6 to 8 weeks with bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius coco peat perlite mix wet the mix and squeeze the living daylights out of it until no drops of water come out and iam good to go with that styrofoam box’s help retain the heat and are good insulation from the cold good luck 

[happypalms]

13 hours ago, happypalms said:

My chameadorea adscendans take about 6 to 8 weeks with bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius coco peat perlite mix wet the mix and squeeze the living daylights out of it until no drops of water come out and iam good to go with that styrofoam box’s help retain the heat and are good insulation from the cold good luck 

Ps you should not have to water them if there in a plastic bag just check on them occasionally 

[idontknowhatnametuse]

@Phoenikakias @Darold Petty @Silas_Sancona @khachaturian @tim_brissy_13 @Robert D. Young @Pal Meir @DoomsDave @Hardypalms @Will @happypalms

One of my Chamaedorea pochutlensis seeds finally germinated, I transplanted it into a smaller pot so i know where it is and I moved the other ones that haven't sprouted yet into a bag with peat moss (Baggy method)

Here are some questions I have regarding C. pochutlensis

> Should I transplant it in the winter or leave it where it is?

> In which conditions or temperature should I leave the bag with the seeds?

> How often should I water the germinated seed?

I think I can keep it in that pot for some time, When I went to Puerto Vallarta they were selling C. pochutlensis in small bags, they are smaller than the pot I put it in.

I will post pictures of my palm once it grows to the surface.

Thank you everyone.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

@Phoenikakias @Darold Petty @Silas_Sancona @khachaturian @tim_brissy_13 @Robert D. Young @Pal Meir @DoomsDave @Hardypalms @Will @happypalms

One of my Chamaedorea pochutlensis seeds finally germinated, I transplanted it into a smaller pot so i know where it is and I moved the other ones that haven't sprouted yet into a bag with peat moss (Baggy method)

Here are some questions I have regarding C. pochutlensis

> Should I transplant it in the winter or leave it where it is?

> In which conditions or temperature should I leave the bag with the seeds?

> How often should I water the germinated seed?

I think I can keep it in that pot for some time, When I went to Puerto Vallarta they were selling C. pochutlensis in small bags, they are smaller than the pot I put it in.

I will post pictures of my palm once it grows to the surface.

Thank you everyone.

My own thoughts:

Wouldn't transplant until spring

Keep the bag w/ the rest of the seeds somewhere warm, out of direct sun.. If you keep it where it is cool, seeds may not germinate until spring / may rot if soil stays too cool..

Keep it moist ..but not wet.. Let the weight of the pot ( when you lift it ) be your -general- guide on when to add some water..  Remember, during the cooler / winter months, soil will generally retain moisture longer than during the summer.

  A trip to Puerto Vallarta sounds nice.. and not just to pick up some of those Chams.. ( After seed off the wild Plumeria / some other native stuff down there too ) 

  ...If you get a chance next time you're in that area,  might pay the Botanical Garden there a visit ( if you haven't been there already ).. Supposedly have some nice Cryosophila nana  specimens.. Is the only sp. in the Genus native that far northwest in Mexico and may be the most cold tolerant sp. as well.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

Do you guys think my seeds might still germinate? They haven't moved but they don't show signs of not being viable because they still sink in water, almost 1 year since I got them now. I moved them into a warmer and wetter place in my house.

[floridaPalmMan]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:23 AM, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Do you guys think my seeds might still germinate? They haven't moved but they don't show signs of not being viable because they still sink in water, almost 1 year since I got them now. I moved them into a warmer and wetter place in my house.

Yes they still might.

I had about 50-60 c. radicalis seeds from two different sources (@DoomsDave and eBay) in a moist vermiculite baggie for about a year without a single one germinating. They sat in my climate controlled sun room (between 70-80F all year)

I was about to throw them in the garbage but figured... what the heck... why not just throw them outside and see if anything happens.

So I moved them into my outdoor greenhouse and threw them into a community pot of old discarded soil and a month or two of being outside in the heat, nearly all of them germinated in the same week (mid to late summer, so very hot 85-100F). It had been well over a year at that point similar to your situation.

No idea if it just took that long for them to germinate, or if the condition change (outdoor heat) was what triggered their germination, but they're all potted now, about a year old and growing great.

[DoomsDave]

3 hours ago, floridaPalmMan said:

Yes they still might.

I had about 50-60 c. radicalis seeds from two different sources (@DoomsDave and eBay) in a moist vermiculite baggie for about a year without a single one germinating. They sat in my climate controlled sun room (between 70-80F all year)

I was about to throw them in the garbage but figured... what the heck... why not just throw them outside and see if anything happens.

So I moved them into my outdoor greenhouse and threw them into a community pot of old discarded soil and a month or two of being outside in the heat, nearly all of them germinated in the same week (mid to late summer, so very hot 85-100F). It had been well over a year at that point similar to your situation.

No idea if it just took that long for them to germinate, or if the condition change (outdoor heat) was what triggered their germination, but they're all potted now, about a year old and growing great.

Yowza, you don't mess around!

I hope the ones from my seeds are the thick stand on the right . . .

In any case, I've not found the baggie method to be that great if you have a greenhouse or outdoor spot handy, or sufficiently warm place indoors. Chamadoreas as a group take about 2 - 6 months to germinate, though, as you've noted, they can drag their feet as it were. Also, plain vermiculite isn't as good for most palm seeds as potting soil; potting soil holds moisture a lot better.

FURTHER STEPS

Now that the babies are growing, when they get about three leaves on them, pot them up into individual liners or "dixie cups"; in another year or so, put them in gallon pots. Or, in a reasonable spot in the ground.

Radicalis will live indefinitely in five gallon pots; or two or three to a ten/fifteen gallon. Best in some shade but will take sun.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

8 hours ago, floridaPalmMan said:

Yes they still might.

I had about 50-60 c. radicalis seeds from two different sources (@DoomsDave and eBay) in a moist vermiculite baggie for about a year without a single one germinating. They sat in my climate controlled sun room (between 70-80F all year)

I was about to throw them in the garbage but figured... what the heck... why not just throw them outside and see if anything happens.

So I moved them into my outdoor greenhouse and threw them into a community pot of old discarded soil and a month or two of being outside in the heat, nearly all of them germinated in the same week (mid to late summer, so very hot 85-100F). It had been well over a year at that point similar to your situation.

No idea if it just took that long for them to germinate, or if the condition change (outdoor heat) was what triggered their germination, but they're all potted now, about a year old and growing great.

I hope the heat helps them, right now it's very hot and humid in my city because it has been raining.

[Harry’s Palms]

I have sprouted quite a few in my garden . Microspadix and Radicalis tree form . I don’t really keep tack but it seems about 6-8 weeks in the ground. Some are volunteers, some I push the fruit in the ground about 1/2” and keep wet . Harry

[Silas_Sancona]

19 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have sprouted quite a few in my garden . Microspadix and Radicalis tree form . I don’t really keep tack but it seems about 6-8 weeks in the ground. Some are volunteers, some I push the fruit in the ground about 1/2” and keep wet . Harry

Interesting and something i'd had a feeling regarding..  

I'm on germination attempt #2 w/ microspadix..  First batch i purchased didn't move, or  i just didn't give them enough time before i tossed them.

2nd batch:  someone was gracious enough to send ...a lot of seed.  Perfectly ripe.  Like the first batch, timing wasn't ideal and had to bring some of the potted up seed inside for a few weeks during the coldest part of " winter "  Kept a few pots outside just to see what exposure to a few cooler weeks of weather might do.  All stayed moist.

Been warm enough for them to sprout for weeks and  ...nothing.. 

Potted up what seed i had left and stuck the pot in one of 3 storage containers i use as a germination chamber under a shaded patio.  More than warm enough now to get them to do -something-  Nothing yet..   Leaving them alone  -for now.

Curious, i pulled up some seed from the " fall sowing " to see how they looked.. Solid and sink when floated, but when cut open, only one ( ..of about 20 i cut ) had any apparent embryo.

Well aware microspadix can throw " bad " seed but would have expected more than 1 out of 20 to have something inside,  lol.


Like you mentioned, have germinated these in the past and those came up w/ no trouble within the suggested 6-8 week period.  ..about this time of year too.  Was in FL. at the time but ..a bit hotter here this time of year than it is there. 

That batch was stuffed under the stairwell outside my patio at my apartment there..  Shaded, just like the back porch here..

Getting to the point that if by the end of summer,  this attempt yields nothing, i'll wait until someone has seedlings / smaller plants at a reasonable price before i'll grow them.

...And yet Sabal uresana  pop within a few weeks for me, even after being outside through a cool winter too,  when others have told me they've taken a year to sprout for them,   🤷‍♂️  C. microspadix = Little buggers, haha.