Dypsis Decipiens seed adventure - SoCal style!

[Harry’s Palms]

I have been waiting most of the year for the seeds at Sullivans garden , yes …those huge Decipiens . A trip over there last week told me it was finally time! There were about 20 seeds that had already fallen but were green. My good friend Terry doesn’t live there any more but keeps a house next door . In the rare chance of running into him I decided to knock. I had already been given permission by he and Sevan both but , didn’t feel right just taking them. Terry was there! I showed what I had picked up and he said that they were ripe! They don’t change color like other palm seeds. After looking at all the fruit on the palm he said they are ready for harvest “ take all you want”. Music to a palm collectors ears. I went today and climbed up the ladder to get a few more . I had already picked up the ones on the ground as I was being pelted on the head with more. I was also given permission to take the seedling volunteers that were sprouting up from last year. They came up easily , seed still attached and not root damage . The soil was very easy to work with and these don’t have much root to them when they are small. Harry

The parent palm ( one of two), full of fruit!

Seedlings from my first visit. Harry

[Harry’s Palms]

Today was quite productive and fun. I potted up 10 seedlings . Harry

most still had the seed attached

A couple were doubled up as I ran out of containers

not a bad haul for about half an hour of fun!

Seeds will be sent to @DoomsDave for germination. 
A huge “ thank you” to Terry and Sevan Sullivan for their generosity. Harry

[Tyrone]

Fantastic. This is such a rare palm in habitat. It’s great to see the efforts in keeping this species from complete extinction. Collect and grow as many as you can. It’s a great resource for seed for the US. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Gorgeous palms that I wish stood a chance here. 

[happypalms]

Nothing better than risking life and limb climbing a ladder to get palm seeds, well worth the risk good to see you got your priorities right! Who beds to clean gutters when you got palm seeds to collect 🌱

Richard 

[happypalms]

Nothing better than risking life and limb climbing a ladder to get palm seeds, well worth the risk good to see you got your priorities right! Who beds to clean gutters when you got palm seeds to collect 🌱

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

42 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Nothing better than risking life and limb climbing a ladder to get palm seeds, well worth the risk good to see you got your priorities right! Who beds to clean gutters when you got palm seeds to collect 🌱

Richard 

Yes , it really makes the adventure fun. Of course my wife held the ladder , and fortunately we aren’t talking about a super tall palm. There were so many seeds that I hardly made a dent. Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

Harry, you inspired me. I don't feel great today but I checked my baggy of Sabal Louisiana because I knew I had a couple sprouts. Well, I had a lot. And I went ahead and community potted them before their roots get stupid like my Mexicana did. I'll put pics in my thread. 

[Harry’s Palms]

1 hour ago, Tyrone said:

Fantastic. This is such a rare palm in habitat. It’s great to see the efforts in keeping this species from complete extinction. Collect and grow as many as you can. It’s a great resource for seed for the US. 

There are plenty of seeds and these specimens are responsible for a lot of palm offspring. Harry

[Harry’s Palms]

3 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Harry, you inspired me. I don't feel great today but I checked my baggy of Sabal Louisiana because I knew I had a couple sprouts. Well, I had a lot. And I went ahead and community potted them before their roots get stupid like my Mexicana did. I'll put pics in my thread. 

That’s awesome , I look forward to seeing them. Harry

[flplantguy]

I love that there were volunteers too, showing they could generate a new population in the right spot.  Always hopeful when they produce a bounty of viable seeds!

[Harry’s Palms]

@flplantguy yes from what I understand and saw , these are viable and have produced so many offspring. Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, Harry’s Palms said:

That’s awesome , I look forward to seeing them. Harry

I wasn't prepared for how many had sprouted. I wonder how Decaryi would do here. I've had some Pembanas that are doing pretty good indoors. 

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I wasn't prepared for how many had sprouted. I wonder how Decaryi would do here. I've had some Pembanas that are doing pretty good indoors. 

Sad to say I think too cold outside where you are.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, DoomsDave said:

Sad to say I think too cold outside where you are.

I've got tons of space inside and tons of pots and stuff I can turn into pots. Do these have any special needs that a Pembana doesn't? I've got the Palm Condo™ and I mist all my palms every night for humidity. 

[gyuseppe]

I had about twenty dypsis decipiens, grown from seed, they all died in summer, they can't stand the heat too much

[Harry’s Palms]

@gyuseppe That is what I have been told . They will remain a shade palm here . I am about 8-10 degrees warmer f. than Ventura where they are growing in sun. I think @Jim in Los Altos has them growing up there so I have a chance anyway🤞. Harry

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I've got tons of space inside and tons of pots and stuff I can turn into pots. Do these have any special needs that a Pembana doesn't? I've got the Palm Condo™ and I mist all my palms every night for humidity. 

They hate long hot humid spells. Most people lose them in the summer in such climates. They’ll take some heat as long as the nights cool way down in the summer. They are ideal palms for coastal and coastal valley, California. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Thank you Jim . I put them on the cooler side of the house where the Rhopalostylus is with other Dypsis . Harry

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, Harry’s Palms said:

@gyuseppe That is what I have been told . They will remain a shade palm here . I am about 8-10 degrees warmer f. than Ventura where they are growing in sun. I think @Jim in Los Altos has them growing up there so I have a chance anyway🤞. Harry

Your climate is ideal for them. My summer temperatures are a bit higher than yours but nights are similar and my full sun decipiens is vigorous. I have a full shade one too. 
 

[Harry’s Palms]

That is beautiful. It looks like it is suckering? The ones in Ventura are suckering as well. Terry said his mom had the suckers removed but now I believe they are letting them hang on. Harry

[Phoenikakias]

8 hours ago, happypalms said:

Nothing better than risking life and limb climbing a ladder to get palm seeds, well worth the risk good to see you got your priorities right! Who beds to clean gutters when you got palm seeds to collect 🌱

Richard 

I had experienced that feeling in the past and the realized risk too. Plus I was holding a pole-chainsaw at same time!

[Phoenikakias]

10 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have been waiting most of the year for the seeds at Sullivans garden , yes …those huge Decipiens . A trip over there last week told me it was finally time! There were about 20 seeds that had already fallen but were green. My good friend Terry doesn’t live there any more but keeps a house next door . In the rare chance of running into him I decided to knock. I had already been given permission by he and Sevan both but , didn’t feel right just taking them. Terry was there! I showed what I had picked up and he said that they were ripe! They don’t change color like other palm seeds. After looking at all the fruit on the palm he said they are ready for harvest “ take all you want”. Music to a palm collectors ears. I went today and climbed up the ladder to get a few more . I had already picked up the ones on the ground as I was being pelted on the head with more. I was also given permission to take the seedling volunteers that were sprouting up from last year. They came up easily , seed still attached and not root damage . The soil was very easy to work with and these don’t have much root to them when they are small. Harry

The parent palm ( one of two), full of fruit!

Seedlings from my first visit. Harry

Lucky you, lucky, lucky!

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Yes , it really makes the adventure fun. Of course my wife held the ladder , and fortunately we aren’t talking about a super tall palm. There were so many seeds that I hardly made a dent. Harry

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and good on the wife for holding the ladder, getting behind her man and supporting him literally in a time of need! 

[Jim in Los Altos]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

That is beautiful. It looks like it is suckering? The ones in Ventura are suckering as well. Terry said his mom had the suckers removed but now I believe they are letting them hang on. Harry

Yes, the one pictured above is a triple but I keep the sucker in the center cut off. 

[Phoenikakias]

34 minutes ago, happypalms said:

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and good on the wife for holding the ladder, getting behind her man and supporting him literally in a time of need! 

The ladder I was on, was supposed to be held steady by mother in law alas

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Phoenikakias said:

I had experienced that feeling in the past and the realized risk too. Plus I was holding a pole-chainsaw at same time!

Yes but ask yourself was it worth it. We often don’t think of the risk involved in seed collection. But when we do think about it……..

[happypalms]

5 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

The ladder I was on, was supposed to be held steady by mother in law alas

Ask yourself was the mother in law on your side, a big ask from the mother in law, obviously she has approved of you with her daughter, otherwise you might find the good old mother in law giving the ladder a good push🤣

[Phoenikakias]

36 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Ask yourself was the mother in law on your side, a big ask from the mother in law, obviously she has approved of you with her daughter, otherwise you might find the good old mother in law giving the ladder a good push🤣

Lol actually risk became reality in my case. I am lucky being still alive and on my feet. I could have been killed or crippled easily. Fortunately ladder was on a slope and I fell on the upper side of the slope, it had recently rained and soil was soft and with tall grass.

[gyuseppe]

10 hours ago, happypalms said:

Nothing better than risking life and limb climbing a ladder to get palm seeds, well worth the risk good to see you got your priorities right! Who beds to clean gutters when you got palm seeds to collect 🌱

Richard 

or not Richard, please be careful

[gyuseppe]

9 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Lol actually risk became reality in my case. I am lucky being still alive and on my feet. I could have been killed or crippled easily. Fortunately ladder was on a slope and I fell on the upper side of the slope, it had recently rained and soil was soft and with tall grass.

yes Konstantinos, I remember!

[Harry’s Palms]

The palms were near the street so footing of the ladder( a very high quality ladder) was safely on the asphalt. My wife has fallen off a ladder and it wasn’t good . She suffered a concussion. I was at work and she did some trimming . She won’t climb a ladder ever again , it scared her. Harry

[Mazat]

20 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have been waiting most of the year for the seeds at Sullivans garden , yes …those huge Decipiens . A trip over there last week told me it was finally time! There were about 20 seeds that had already fallen but were green. My good friend Terry doesn’t live there any more but keeps a house next door . In the rare chance of running into him I decided to knock. I had already been given permission by he and Sevan both but , didn’t feel right just taking them. Terry was there! I showed what I had picked up and he said that they were ripe! They don’t change color like other palm seeds. After looking at all the fruit on the palm he said they are ready for harvest “ take all you want”. Music to a palm collectors ears. I went today and climbed up the ladder to get a few more . I had already picked up the ones on the ground as I was being pelted on the head with more. I was also given permission to take the seedling volunteers that were sprouting up from last year. They came up easily , seed still attached and not root damage . The soil was very easy to work with and these don’t have much root to them when they are small. Harry

The parent palm ( one of two), full of fruit!

Seedlings from my first visit. Harry

Great, Harry 🤗

[Phoenikakias]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

The palms were near the street so footing of the ladder( a very high quality ladder) was safely on the asphalt. My wife has fallen off a ladder and it wasn’t good . She suffered a concussion. I was at work and she did some trimming . She won’t climb a ladder ever again , it scared her. Harry

My accident left as reminder a susceptibility to back pain.  So, whenever there is an alternative to ladder I always choose former.

[Rivera]

This is excellent, Harry. Thanks for sharing photos.

I've been hit by five cars, but I stay away from ladders. Go figure.

[JohnAndSancho]

45 minutes ago, Rivera said:

This is excellent, Harry. Thanks for sharing photos.

I've been hit by five cars, but I stay away from ladders. Go figure.

Jesus Christ! 

[Matt in OC]

I was there a few weeks ago and took some seeds from the ground but don't think I'll have luck. Let us know how yours do!

[Harry’s Palms]

@Matt in OC I am leaving it in the hands of @DoomsDave. I will try a few here  just for fun . I have a pretty fertile garden that sprouts seeds from time to time. Did you see the seedlings on the Mound Street side when you were there? Harry

[Mazat]

23 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

The palms were near the street so footing of the ladder( a very high quality ladder) was safely on the asphalt. My wife has fallen off a ladder and it wasn’t good . She suffered a concussion. I was at work and she did some trimming . She won’t climb a ladder ever again , it scared her. Harry

Oh no.
Yes, those ladders...
Even with the fruit trees at my father-in-law's house, even though it's flat, it's still dangerous.
If possible, we secure ourselves and one person holds the ladder.
But sometimes you're alone in the garden ...

[Harry’s Palms]

@Mazat Careful , yes but I have those moments with lapses of reasonable safety. I am safe and careful most times but that mischievous boy in me surfaces occasionally. Harry