Newbie needs help germinating T. radiata and C. Argentata!

[MC Silver]

Hi guys! 

I'm new to the palm world and would like to germinate palm seeds for the first time. I have Thrinax radiata and Coccothrinax argentata seeds. Is community pot method fine or should I invest in a mini greenhouse and heating pad? What medium should I germinate them in? Watering? I know they say to keep moist but what does that really mean? All details and help are appreciated. Like I said I'm a total newbie! Thanks guys!  

[Zeeth]

If you're in Broward county and the seeds are fresh then a community pot is an easy way to do it

[JohnAndSancho]

Some people love community pots, I've been a baggie person and now I'm kind of split. You can find cheap heat mats, but I recommend one with a thermostat, it's worth the extra few bucks. I have 2 w/o it and one with it, and it's a lot nicer to have more settings than "really hot" and "unplugged." I think I still like baggies for faster sprouting stuff like Sabals and Washies, but there are palms like Trachies that don't like bottom heat. 

 

If you're in a climate where you can just chuck them in a pot and leave them outside year round that's probably the way to go. Set and forget. With baggies on a mat, you've got to check them regularly because the side on the heat mat gets hotter the moisture in the bag rises and condenses, it's uneven. And if you don't check them regularly, you get roots growing sideways and all kinds of weird shaped stuff that's difficult to pot up. Ask me how I know. And if you leave stuff on a mat too long and it sprouts, it cooks like steamed asparagus. Done that too. And I'm pretty sure I've got some seeds that literally just cooked due to constant high heat. 

 

Anyway TLDR you're in a warm consistent climate, community pot it and just keep them moist but not wet. 

[idontknowhatnametuse]

I have germinated T. radiata in the past. All you have to do is throw the seeds in peat moss and cover them with 1cm of soil.

[aabell]

I'm an amateur but in my experience in Florida you don't need to do anything complicated, as long as you have fresh seed and it's not something so rare that you can't risk bugs or rats eating them before they germinate. Get a decent quality mix, something you would plant a palm in normally, with plenty of perlite or something for drainage, but you want it to stay evenly moist, so water as needed. I typically use one gallon pots, throw a couple of seeds in or a whole bunch. Put them on a bench somewhere safe in part shade and wait. Ambient Florida heat is plenty. Usually a month up to 6-8 months before anything happens, depending on the species or season. Watch them closely, rodents love to feast on seeds and newly germinated palms. Might want to throw some kind of mesh over the surface, or I sometimes use upside down orchid net pots over seedlings. Once the seedlings are substantial enough (1-2 leaves depending on the species) you can gently dump out the whole pot, disentangle their roots, and give each one its own pot. 

Specifically for the Thrinax and Coccothrinax, the seedlings will be small and very slow, especially at first. They are sensitive to rot if the soil isn't well draining enough and you might want to protect them from any very cold, damp nights during their first winter. Otherwise they are as easy as anything else. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Both are Florida natives. They should handle Broward climate with little to no problem if they are fresh and not infested with vermin. However, this late in the season expect little to no germination until the heat is on next spring. Both species like lots of sun, heat and summer rain. I suggest you keep your pots in part shade or under shade cloth until they put up strap leaves. I keep my pots on plastic shelf units, never on bare ground where they can end up sitting in fetid water that may kill them quickly. I never go into a frenzy of repotting until my seedlings have at least 3 strap leaves and a small "bulb" where future stem meets roots. Seedlings are tiny and slow growing as stated above. You've been given a lot of good suggestions. Good luck.

[mnorell]

Just a not-often-discussed topic since you're a newbie to germinating palm seeds...there are three main types of palm seeds found in the tropics and subtropics: orthodox, recalcitrant, and intermediate.

Unlike temperate-zone and desert seeds, which usually can be stored dry and even frozen, only orthodox seeds can handle long periods of dryness or cold temperatures and still remain viable. Recalcitrant seeds are sensitive to a lack of warmth and moisture, and will fail if exposed to "standard" dry-seed-storage practices. Intermediate types can handle a longer amount of dryness and usually some amount of cold (probably not really freezing in most cases) and can be stored a little more loosely for a longer period.

You can look up the status of a species' seed with a google search. But you can also guess if you know their native habitat. Rainforest palms, since they usually drop their seeds into a place with constant warmth and moisture, will likely be recalcitrant; palms that grow in tropical/subtropical areas with a marked dry season and monsoon-style moisture (like Western Mexico) may  be intermediate; and those from drought-ridden or desert areas will likely be orthodox, for obvious reasons.

Since the seed-dealers you find online (Etsy, eBay, et al.) generally have no idea about this, it's best to either buy from a known palm-savvy grower (as here on PalmTalk) or collect your own fresh seed and make sure, as Meg mentions above, that they have not been devoured yet by borers (this is very common in fallen seed in Florida). Best is to watch for the "season" for a species and then grab the seeds off of a tree before they hit the ground. Clean off the fruit by soaking/fermenting (you can place in a water-filled baggie and massage daily and keep rinsing until they're clean) and then put into a clean baggie with just-moist (not wet) peat-moss/coco-coir/perlite/sand or a mix thereof; or in a greenhouse in either community or individual pots. Then wait. The two species you have are both very, very slow. Thrinax faster than Coccothrinax. they will look like blades of grass for two or three years before they start to develop thicker leaves and even longer before you see their "character leaves."

Since blades of grass are going to be very depressing for any newbie, you might also get some Veitchia (Montgomery Palm) seeds or Adonidia (Christmas Palm) seeds. Also a coconut or two. They sprout quickly, throw up large leaves from the start and will get you very excited, particularly the coconut and the Veitchia, because they grow like rocketships. And then you might want to go down to Homestead when you have a chance, find a nice inexpensive mom-and-pop nursery on/around Krome Ave. and buy some Thrinax or Coccothrinax palms (the fastest Coccothrinax is C. barbadensis, often sold in SoFla as "Coccothrinax alta") to enjoy while you spend years watching your seedlings grow into something. But be careful, because, slow or not, seed-sprouting can become addictive!