Seed germination

[8B palms]

So typically I put seeds into some seed starting mix and I have had reasonable success more so than the baggie method. I decided to try coco coir pith in a container with a lid. 
My question is do people literally place the seeds on top of the pith or do you cover them with more pith so they are buried. If buried it might not be so obvious if any germination has occurred. The pith will be damn and not wet and the container will be on a heat mat set to 82oF. 
Any comments or suggestions welcome. The palm seeds in question are nothing very exotic. Some C. Radicalis tree form,  C. Microspadix, L. saribus green petiole form, L. decora and A. engleri. So pretty cold hardy palms for 9a. 
thanks in advance

Craig

 

[Fusca]

16 minutes ago, 8B palms said:

So typically I put seeds into some seed starting mix and I have had reasonable success more so than the baggie method. I decided to try coco coir pith in a container with a lid. 
My question is do people literally place the seeds on top of the pith or do you cover them with more pith so they are buried. If buried it might not be so obvious if any germination has occurred. The pith will be damn and not wet and the container will be on a heat mat set to 82oF. 
Any comments or suggestions welcome. The palm seeds in question are nothing very exotic. Some C. Radicalis tree form,  C. Microspadix, L. saribus green petiole form, L. decora and A. engleri. So pretty cold hardy palms for 9a. 
thanks in advance

Craig

Craig,

Since you're using a lid to help maintain moisture it probably doesn't matter if the seeds are buried or not.  I've had seeds sent to me in the mail during summer that started germinating in the bag via transit without any medium.  Here I have a Livistona saribus seed on top of sphagnum moss inside a baggie that has germinated in that position.

Jon

[8B palms]

Hi Jon,

thanks for sharing your experience, this good to obow

thanks

craig  

 

[happypalms]

I germinate a lot of seeds. The seeds you see in my pictures that are just pushed into my medium are then covered with a fine layer of medium I basically brush my hand over the medium after a handful of medium is added. Very thinly cover them but my seeds are just below the surface at the depth of the seed itself. A general rule is a 1mm seed goes 1mm in depth a 10mm seed goes 10mm in depth all just below the surface. It’s easy to propagate from seed the part you need to learn is different varieties of palm seeds require different types of germination techniques and treatment. The seeds you see that have germinated and pushing above with there roots out you just simply drill a hole and push them back in at the depth of the seed on the surface. And use complete darkness a process called etoliation. Good luck 🌱

[Las Palmas Norte]

All that seed starting reminds me of my youth.