happypalms Mass palm seed germination

[happypalms]

A couple of years ago I went big with the seeds germinating around 4000 on mass Johannesteijsmannia kerriodoxa lanonia and many other varieties bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius coco peat perlite mix styrofoam box’s lined with plastic so the roots didn’t through the styrofoam iam still using the heat mats today only on a smaller scale (that  is most likely going to grow into a science project out of control again) I had a pretty good high germination rate all round using this technique had a little trouble with the plastic tubs drying out on the bottom mostly in the middle due to 3 months of constantly 30 degrees so iam not going to use plastic tubs again only styrofoam box’s it’s fun germinating palm seeds and any other stuff I can propagate like my sonerila and anthuriums but definitely a cheap (maybe slow) way to a lot of plants in the greenhouse and garden 🪴 

[peachy]

I had a stage where I went through a seed buying stage. My shed in the warm weather was instant death to mammals but great for germination of palms seeds.  I was rocking along quite well until I got a crook lot that did nothing or 1 in 50 did something. I thought about giving them another shot recently but I am getting too close to the coffin dodging age to be waiting around on my clacker did something is big enough to plant and survive my man eating hordes of Pekingese and Chihuahuas.  I have raised a few batches of cat grass though, it really does stop them from chewing the leaves on the younger palms.

Peachy

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, peachy said:

I had a stage where I went through a seed buying stage. My shed in the warm weather was instant death to mammals but great for germination of palms seeds.  I was rocking along quite well until I got a crook lot that did nothing or 1 in 50 did something. I thought about giving them another shot recently but I am getting too close to the coffin dodging age to be waiting around on my clacker did something is big enough to plant and survive my man eating hordes of Pekingese and Chihuahuas.  I have raised a few batches of cat grass though, it really does stop them from chewing the leaves on the younger palms.

Peachy

Never to old as they say peachy but the older we get the better our palms look I’ve had many a batch were nothing come up just keep on getting new seeds in an addiction I need help with collecting plants is such a endorphin hit I just to have Pekingese are cool dogs and my wife loves chihuahuas little cheewas she calls them and so long as they don’t chew a diffenbachia or oleander 

[bruce Steele]

Even sprouting hundreds of seeds means potting them up and a couple years in moving them up to bigger pots and more potting mix. 
But knowing all this never deters spring fever and nursing along another hundred or two palm seeds. I germinate seeds that I think will grow well locally so after a couple years I am planting them around the farm. Still less than a hundred young palms in 18” tree liners but planting them all out will be the major load of the work for the project as a whole. Seems like the palms you grow up from seed take up a special place once planted out, and get extra care. I had 4 year old first year in the ground Jubaea freeze and spear pull last winter .  It pulled through with a new spear after six months and I am sure happy it did.  
 For me it’s kinda like the spring fever vegetable seed starts in the greenhouse that start screaming to be set free as summer approaches and  the work load cascades from there. I’m getting old too and I am hoping the Jubaeas and the rest of palms long outlive me.  Legacy trees that have two or three hundred years to grow here , by the river and the sycamores. 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, bruce Steele said:

Even sprouting hundreds of seeds means potting them up and a couple years in moving them up to bigger pots and more potting mix. 
But knowing all this never deters spring fever and nursing along another hundred or two palm seeds. I germinate seeds that I think will grow well locally so after a couple years I am planting them around the farm. Still less than a hundred young palms in 18” tree liners but planting them all out will be the major load of the work for the project as a whole. Seems like the palms you grow up from seed take up a special place once planted out, and get extra care. I had 4 year old first year in the ground Jubaea freeze and spear pull last winter .  It pulled through with a new spear after six months and I am sure happy it did.  
 For me it’s kinda like the spring fever vegetable seed starts in the greenhouse that start screaming to be set free as summer approaches and  the work load cascades from there. I’m getting old too and I am hoping the Jubaeas and the rest of palms long outlive me.  Legacy trees that have two or three hundred years to grow here , by the river and the sycamores. 

Ah so you know the feeling well it’s an amazing thing to be able to grow from seed given enough time there are some special ones I grow I will only sell them to good gardeners not your Saturday chain store gardeners that’s for sure kinda like only to a good home thing yes planting is just the beginning of the fun involved after all the hard work we put in it never ends Iam doing what Iam doing now for future generations to reap the rewards it must get cold where you live? For a Jubba to freeze 

[happypalms]

one kerriodoxa that slipped between the plastic and styrofoam box it did survive the delicate operation of foam removal 

[bruce Steele]

Happypalms, I can appreciate the work you put into your project. I was wondering how you control mold issues with so many seeds so close together and I was thinking mold could invade the styrofoam like moisture sometimes does. But you obviously have good success. 
 The farm sits in a river bottom , we consistently hit low twenties a least once each winter. One winter saw teens. It was really wet this year and then we hit 23F,  I think if I had kept the Jubaea under some cover it wouldn’t have had issues. My Brahaea Edulis, Parajubaea, and eight year old Jubaea all showed some yellowing and minor shoot damage after the freeze. 

 

 

 

 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, bruce Steele said:

Happypalms, I can appreciate the work you put into your project. I was wondering how you control mold issues with so many seeds so close together and I was thinking mold could invade the styrofoam like moisture sometimes does. But you obviously have good success. 
 The farm sits in a river bottom , we consistently hit low twenties a least once each winter. One winter saw teens. It was really wet this year and then we hit 23F,  I think if I had kept the Jubaea under some cover it wouldn’t have had issues. My Brahaea Edulis, Parajubaea, and eight year old Jubaea all showed some yellowing and minor shoot damage after the freeze. 

 

 

 

 

I never really had an issue with mould the mix I used was a fresh clean new medium the styrofoam box’s obviously were secondhand from the fish co.op just bleached them the moisture content I was keeping low in my soilless mix I never had dampening off or pithium just good hygiene practices and luck i guess your property sounds like on little garden of eden that you dedicate your time and love to I would love to see some photos cheers 

[happypalms]

1 minute ago, happypalms said:

I never really had an issue with mould the mix I used was a fresh clean new medium the styrofoam box’s obviously were secondhand from the fish co.op just bleached them the moisture content I was keeping low in my soilless mix I never had dampening off or pithium just good hygiene practices and luck i guess your property sounds like on little garden of eden that you dedicate your time and love to I would love to see some photos cheers 

The only problem I had was with a batch of 1000 Joey seeds customs said had mould they sent the seeds back to my supplier in Thailand the fumigated them and resent them obviously they were past a good seed stage but I did manage to germinate around 150 out of 1000 so it was re order more seeds of joeys when in the meantime I should have been ordering kerriodoxa that set my program back a season in seed production and not to mention loss of money and time 

[bruce Steele]

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, bruce Steele said:

Now that’s a patch of corn and the wheat is amazing the mountains look lovely what an amazing place you live in such beauty paradise to the eye your soil must be pretty good as we say in Australia that’s croppin 

[tim_brissy_13]

On 8/28/2023 at 11:35 PM, peachy said:

I had a stage where I went through a seed buying stage. My shed in the warm weather was instant death to mammals but great for germination of palms seeds.  I was rocking along quite well until I got a crook lot that did nothing or 1 in 50 did something. I thought about giving them another shot recently but I am getting too close to the coffin dodging age to be waiting around on my clacker did something is big enough to plant and survive my man eating hordes of Pekingese and Chihuahuas.  I have raised a few batches of cat grass though, it really does stop them from chewing the leaves on the younger palms.

Peachy

Peachy - I thought I was the only person in the world with Pekingese and palm seeds germination. This is my study at home, full of baggies with heat mats. The Pekingese likes the warmth haha.  

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Peachy - I thought I was the only person in the world with Pekingese and palm seeds germination. This is my study at home, full of baggies with heat mats. The Pekingese likes the warmth haha.  

Nice photo your little science project has snowballed into a true addiction the heat mats are addictive for pets my cat couldn’t help herself lying on them only problem was she got dermatitis on her skin and was off the vets 

[peachy]

On 8/30/2023 at 9:25 PM, tim_brissy_13 said:

Peachy - I thought I was the only person in the world with Pekingese and palm seeds germination. This is my study at home, full of baggies with heat mats. The Pekingese likes the warmth haha.  

I have 4 of the little stinkers, a red, a fawn (like your bubba) a white and a parti-colour.  I have had pugs and pekes all my life, but since Huntley-Albert passed it has been a pug free zone but the chihuaua numbers are slowly growing. (3 to date)  3 pussy cats too ! (and parrots)

[peachy]

On 8/31/2023 at 6:55 AM, happypalms said:

Nice photo your little science project has snowballed into a true addiction the heat mats are addictive for pets my cat couldn’t help herself lying on them only problem was she got dermatitis on her skin and was off the vets 

She is a pretty kitty.   I have 3 feisty felines here. 2 ragdolls and an oriental. I have to keep pots of cat grass and a pot of the good ole nip in the house to stop them chewing my palms. It really works too but doesnt stop them sleeping on them or knocking them over.

[happypalms]

2 minutes ago, peachy said:

She is a pretty kitty.   I have 3 feisty felines here. 2 ragdolls and an oriental. I have to keep pots of cat grass and a pot of the good ole nip in the house to stop them chewing my palms. It really works too but doesnt stop them sleeping on them or knocking them over.

Thanks peachy she is my princess 16 years old and all I got leftover from a divorce she a Siamese cross tortoiseshell I can see clearly from looking at your cat who runs the house he or she is beautiful I never had any trouble with my plants and cats I think this photo fits in well with not getting of topic just to realign the subject 🤣

[peachy]

That demon spawn in my photo is Tosca, named after the opera Diva and she does her best to live up to the name.

Meanwhile Figaro, my 10  kg monster is quite a sweetie when the mood suits him.

Peachy

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, peachy said:

That demon spawn in my photo is Tosca, named after the opera Diva and she does her best to live up to the name.

Meanwhile Figaro, my 10  kg monster is quite a sweetie when the mood suits him.

Peachy

Look at her face saying we’re are my treats and don’t forget to change my kitty litter either on your way out and what don’t you understand either about turning the heater on 🤣

[peachy]

My bald lorikeet has started yelling 'What do you want now'  I never realised how often I have to say it.

Peachy

[happypalms]

A few more seedlings to pot in the wet weather for something to do. Some nice mandacanii wont go astray in the collection along with a physokentia. The chamaedoreas are a welcome garden addition along with a few variegated merrillii for a bit of colour. The usual winter test will determine who lives and who makes the cold weather race. 

[happypalms]

A few more seedlings that have germinated. The Oraniopsis are still germinating more than 18 months later so very sporadic germination. The rest were fairly fast taking around 3 months. A few nice ones for the collection. 

[gyuseppe]

Richard, I think those Chamaedorea benzei would be in very good hands in my garden.😄

[happypalms]

32 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

Richard, I think those Chamaedorea benzei would be in very good hands in my garden.😄

For sure your the chamaedorea man of Italy.🌱

[happypalms]

Not a lot of bling to be seen but some very healthy and fresh batch of seeds from RPS. I don’t mind when the seeds arrive a bit germinated in the mail. For such a beautiful palm it’s nice to have a good start in germinating them a positive sign. 

[Harry’s Palms]

You got a head start on those . It won’t be long and you will have sprouts. Harry

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

You got a head start on those . It won’t be long and you will have sprouts. Harry

I was pretty happy when they arrive germinating, you are allowed to import germinated seedlings, no leaf only sprouts to a couple of centimetres. But it’s pushing the limits with customs. I got some dypsis decipiens seeds coming in the post, so hopefully they germinate in the mail, they have had a long journey around the globe to get to Australia!

Richard 

[happypalms]

A few more popping up. Some nice little dypsis minuta that will be well treasured. A few more Areca mandacanii, some pritchardia seeds kindly donated by Colin Wilson. A few chamaedorea from home grown seeds and a couple of imported seeds. 

[Mazat]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

A few more popping up. Some nice little dypsis minuta that will be well treasured. A few more Areca mandacanii, some pritchardia seeds kindly donated by Colin Wilson. A few chamaedorea from home grown seeds and a couple of imported seeds. 

Quite a lot👍

[happypalms]

1 minute ago, Mazat said:

Quite a lot👍

Always something good coming up, if you put enough in sooner or later they come up. The minuta seeds were from my own plants. I was  worried if they would be viable. Worry no more after germinating them, but they did take a long time to pop up!

[steve99]

How did you go with the Schippia Concolor and Bizzy sends I sent you ??

 

 

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, steve99 said:

How did you go with the Schippia Concolor and Bizzy sends I sent you ??

 

 

Hi Steve I managed to get four schippia up and growing, I was pretty happy about that. No bizzy yet they take a long time down here for me. But by all means let me know if have any spare schippia seeds that’s for sure! Cheers Richard 

[steve99]

The Bizzy seeds are easy enough to germinate but just make sure they are in a very very deep pot.  In a shaltow pot they dont survive too well

[happypalms]

53 minutes ago, steve99 said:

The Bizzy seeds are easy enough to germinate but just make sure they are in a very very deep pot.  In a shaltow pot they dont survive too well

I just put them in a ten inch container and put them in the hothouse. They will pop up I’ve done hundreds of bizzies before. It’s the potting up part you have to be careful with those tender roots are the one, they definitely dislike disturbance.

[happypalms]

A nice pot full Chuniophoenix nana seedlings never goes astray in the nursery. Harvested from hand pollinated plants. And by the looks of the new recently pollinated ones there will be a few more next season to germinate. Such a great understory palm or patio palm. It would most likely grow indoors for a while. Such a rewarding palm to work with I love them. 

[happypalms]

A fantastic time to be germinating palm seeds in summer, for those tropical heat loving palms. A few new varieties have popped up along with a few late comers. I will say licuala palms are slow and sporadic and like heat to really get a move along! 

[tim_brissy_13]

Great to see the P kontumensis have sprouted!

[Mazat]

17 hours ago, happypalms said:

A fantastic time to be germinating palm seeds in summer, for those tropical heat loving palms. A few new varieties have popped up along with a few late comers. I will say licuala palms are slow and sporadic and like heat to really get a move along! 

🤗👏

[Fusca]

Even in the heat of winter I've got some germinated indoors on a heat mat.  One of the Carpoxylon macrospermum in this baggie just shot right through the plastic!  😆

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, Fusca said:

Even in the heat of winter I've got some germinated indoors on a heat mat.  One of the Carpoxylon macrospermum in this baggie just shot right through the plastic!  😆

Nice one, there strong seedlings carpoxylon, be careful of overwatering them, Ive grown a few over the past, and some have a tendency to up and die for unknown reasons to me, all I could think of was watering too much as seedlings. 
Once past the seedling stage they seem to be fine and easy to grow liking strong light in the greenhouse. Are the seeds rps ones? 

[happypalms]

On 1/9/2026 at 12:14 PM, tim_brissy_13 said:

Great to see the P kontumensis have sprouted!

I have about 4 new Pinanga species this year, it will be interesting to see how they grow in my climate. 
A good zone push bit of fun iam bound to get a couple of varieties, a lot of other pinanga grow well for me!