Parajubaea germination experiment update

[Bennz]

I imported 2000 P.tora. microcarpa seeds in september last year. Para.s germinate very well if left long enough, I am still finding germinating seeds in a 8-year sown pot. I know that they can be hastened to germinate by cracking etc, but this technique can easily lead to loses. As importing seeds into NZ can be a major hassle I decided to experiment with stratification instead, assuming a high germination rate eventually is more valuable than a lower final percentage in a shorter time frame.

Not wanting to damage the seeds at all, I decided to sow half straight away as a control. The second 1000 seeds I put into the refridgerator dry. While stratification is usually done with moist seed, I thought I would do it dry instead on the assumption that tropical high altitude probably has a dry winter season, so they would naturally be dry while cold. At the end of every week for 4 weeks I removed 250 seeds and sowed them. The sown seed was placed under an open cloche structure that gave warm daytime temps and ambient night time temps.

Results after 13 months;

1000 control seeds; no germination.

250 1week stratification seeds; no germination.

250 2week; no germination.

250 3week; no germination.

253 (bonus there!) 4week; 12 germinated.

Preliminary results suggest tentatively that stratification is a benefit to Parajubaea microcarpa germination, but still not a good palm for the impatient.

Next time I get some Parajubaea seed I will try 2 months moist stratification. Interestingly I also obtained 50 cocoides seed inside the timeframe of this experiment, 5 of which have germinated without any treatment. This may suggest this species has lower dormancy?

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next year, and also what impact if any on final germination rate... which I should have some idea about around september 2019....

[fastfeat]

12 out of 2000?? Sounds like the odds in the Florida Lottery of picking 3 of 6...

Bummer to hear you didn't get more germination, Ben. Maybe they'll still germinate later?

[Palmy]

Funny, I was able to germinate 20 seeds in 5 months.  I put mine in 70% of the soil, and then sprit the top with water every other day (well perhaps 3 times a week.) ery lightly, other than that I kept the soil simi dry. Germinated very quickly.

Edit- Actually, I tried to germinate 20, and got 14 out of them.

Another Edit- Keep leaving info out- 3 died within the first year, but the others are still going strong. Not to bad right?

[Toni]

Hi.

The best results for me, in germination P. T. Microcarpa, always occur in the spring and autumn.

Toni.  

[PalmGuyWC]

Ben,

That's an interesting experiment that you have been conducting, and with enough seeds to draw a logical conclusion.  I suspect that if you stratified the seeds for two months or even longer you would have faster germination.

I once had some Rhapidophyllum seeds and some I planted fresh, and the others I stratified in moist sand for a couple of months. The untreated seeds took over a year to germinate and the stratified seeds started germinating in two months, and in a much more uniform way.

I suspect that most of the cool loving, or cold hardy palms require stratification for the fastest and best germination. A couple of good examples are Butias and Trithrinax. I have great difficulty germinating them in a container, but the ones that fall under the trees outside germinate by the hundreds. My winters are chilly and the night time temps. are probably colder than a refrigerator. I can only conclude that stratification is what makes the difference.

Dick

[PalmGuyWC]

Another interesting experiment would be to have 750 Parajubaea seeds and stratify them all for 2 months, but with different temps. One group at 55 F, the next at 45F and the last at 35F, and see if there is any difference in the germination time, and what precentage germinated in a certain time frame.

Dick

[Exotic Life]

Hi,

12 out the 2000? Don't you think they germinated anymore? it's a beautifull palm!

Robbin

[Bennz]

12 out of 2000 is actually more than I expected at this stage. I am reasonably confident the seeds were very fresh. Fresh seeds is essential with most rainforest palms, but not so with these guys. Time is the essential factor in natural germination.

I have for several years strongly suspected that people who get 'fast' germination with this palm are buying older seed, that has already done most of its sitting around waiting for the dormancy stage to break.

I expect most of the 2000 seeds will be germinated within the next 18 months, with some stragglers waiting around for anything up to 10 years, maybe more.

Sick, your observations are very interesting. I tried stratificaion on Ceroxylon seeds without obvious advantage, .  Do you think there would be any advantage putting Para seed back into stratificaiton now, given that we have just come out of winter with a cool moist effect?

[PalmGuyWC]

Ben,

If you had a cold winter and the seeds were exposed to outside temps, you may have had a "natural" stratification. I'd probably just leave them be, and see what happens. Probably what they need now is some heat.

Dick

[niftinfiftin]

Bump for Ben.

How has the germination come along after just under a year? Hopefully more have popped up. Any pictures?

Cheers,

Nathan