happypalms Sowing a few seeds

[gyuseppe]

2 hours ago, Mazat said:

Gyuseppe, don't you think it would work for you under the canopy of your larger palm trees? 

I just pictured it in my mind.

no tom !

[Tyrone]

16 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

Hello Tyrone,
Can you grow this species in Albany?

No. Not without special efforts like a heated hothouse in winter. 

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, Than said:

Wow, a stunner! You are lucky (burning in jealousy).

Hawaii growers get my attention there the masters! 

[happypalms]

14 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

I've actually always dreamed of growing it, too, but it's impossible here.
Richard, you have many species in your garden. I see you'll soon have all the species you can grow at home. I'm actually a little jealous of your climate!

Possible for you but a lot of work, and eventually it would get to large to move in and out of the house! 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, Tyrone said:

No. Not without special efforts like a heated hothouse in winter. 

There taking temperatures down to 2 degrees Celsius in my climate! 

[tim_brissy_13]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

There taking temperatures down to 2 degrees Celsius in my climate! 

It’s not the absolute minimum that would do it in but the extended cool. There’s palms like Cocos, Neoveitchia and Socratea growing in NE NSW and SE QLD in areas that occasionally get near freezing that would die after even a month of genuinely cool weather further south. 
 

I’d say at best Sabinaria would be marginal in Sydney or Wollongong based on reports so far. Anywhere cooler than that would probably just be a waste of a special palm. 

[happypalms]

25 minutes ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

It’s not the absolute minimum that would do it in but the extended cool. There’s palms like Cocos, Neoveitchia and Socratea growing in NE NSW and SE QLD in areas that occasionally get near freezing that would die after even a month of genuinely cool weather further south. 
 

I’d say at best Sabinaria would be marginal in Sydney or Wollongong based on reports so far. Anywhere cooler than that would probably just be a waste of a special palm. 

Yes it’s the amount of low chill hours that does them in, verschaffeltia splendida does well if protected in my climate, put them in the greenhouse and they do just as good , that is until the very end of winter it’s just to long for them the cold weather. 
But I have thought that about a lot of palms oh it’s too cold, but the amount of winners I have found is more than I have killed. Obviously there are some that I don’t even bother with, but I have been surprised so far by a mapu as a seedling it’s still alive! 

[Than]

47 minutes ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

It’s not the absolute minimum that would do it in but the extended cool. There’s palms like Cocos, Neoveitchia and Socratea growing in NE NSW and SE QLD in areas that occasionally get near freezing that would die after even a month of genuinely cool weather further south. 
 

I’d say at best Sabinaria would be marginal in Sydney or Wollongong based on reports so far. Anywhere cooler than that would probably just be a waste of a special palm. 

How about Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in Melbourne? Can they take the extended cool?

[tim_brissy_13]

2 hours ago, Than said:

How about Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in Melbourne? Can they take the extended cool?

Yep they can thrive here. It’s actually the occasional heat and dry that can make them look average here. Well watered specimens in at least partial shade tend to look best. They are actually really cool tolerant and thrive at the very top of the Dandenongs mountain range (approx 600m asl) east of Melbourne where the temperature barely goes above 10C for a few months. They can thrive down in Hobart too. 

[gyuseppe]

2 hours ago, Than said:

How about Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in Melbourne? Can they take the extended cool?

I live in southern Italy and they can be grown, it's a shame I lost them while I was sick, but a friend of this forum has already sent me the seeds👌

[gyuseppe]

6 hours ago, happypalms said:

Possible for you but a lot of work, and eventually it would get to large to move in and out of the house! 

Yes, Richard, aside from the work , I can't get her in and out of the house. My wife is jealous of the house. I'd risk having my wife put a romperebbe  on my head to ! 😄 Luckily, we've been married for many years and we get along very well.👌

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

Yes, Richard, aside from the work , I can't get her in and out of the house. My wife is jealous of the house. I'd risk having my wife put a romperebbe  on my head to ! 😄 Luckily, we've been married for many years and we get along very well.👌

Put in your man cave, And yes a clever man takes what the wife says and listens to ones love. 

[Than]

11 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Yep they can thrive here. It’s actually the occasional heat and dry that can make them look average here. Well watered specimens in at least partial shade tend to look best. They are actually really cool tolerant and thrive at the very top of the Dandenongs mountain range (approx 600m asl) east of Melbourne where the temperature barely goes above 10C for a few months. They can thrive down in Hobart too. 

Hobart and Melbourne have something in common: despite their cool climate, in the winter temperatures don't go below zero at all most years. I guess that helps a lot. My A. cunninghamiana seemed unfazed by our hot summer. We had several days of 42 C. It is in shade though. Let's see how it'll fare at -1 or -2C.

[tim_brissy_13]

1 hour ago, Than said:

Hobart and Melbourne have something in common: despite their cool climate, in the winter temperatures don't go below zero at all most years. I guess that helps a lot. My A. cunninghamiana seemed unfazed by our hot summer. We had several days of 42 C. It is in shade though. Let's see how it'll fare at -1 or -2C.

Looking at Melbourne’s climate data can be deceptive. I’d guess it’s the same for Hobart too; the city and the nearest weather station rarely drops below freezing however most of the wider metropolitan area does each year. My area averages 9 occurrences under 2C each year and 2 occurrences below freezing. A cunninghamiana aren’t typically touched slightly below freezing. My ones have seen down to -1.5C and never been damaged. 
 

A cunninghamiana are typically common all over the metropolitan area in Melbourne, even way out east to the valley below the Dabendongs where it is coldest.  I’ve seen some fairly close to Coldstream where it gets down to around -5C most winters. 

[Hu Palmeras]

I'll just say one word. Exotic

[Tyrone]

21 hours ago, happypalms said:

There taking temperatures down to 2 degrees Celsius in my climate! 

Are they like Kerriodoxa or more difficult. 

[Tyrone]

4 hours ago, Than said:

Hobart and Melbourne have something in common: despite their cool climate, in the winter temperatures don't go below zero at all most years. I guess that helps a lot. My A. cunninghamiana seemed unfazed by our hot summer. We had several days of 42 C. It is in shade though. Let's see how it'll fare at -1 or -2C.

-1C or -2C are not a problem for cunninghamiana if it’s an occasional occurrence. If it was every week in winter that would be different I think. Larger ones can definitely survive that and if it warms up in summer with good nutrients and soil moisture they can regrow from damage quite quickly. Many of mine have experienced those sorts of minimums. 

[happypalms]

20 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Are they like Kerriodoxa or more difficult. 

About the same as kerriodoxas, once past the seedling they stop being fussy, I have had about 4 with spear pull for some unknown reason but two of them made it back just fine. Iam now spraying with Agrifos, kerriodoxa, joeys and sabinara all get the same symptoms. 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, Hu Palmeras said:

I'll just say one word. Exotic

More than exotic a gift from the palm gods !

[PalmBossTampa]

On 11/12/2025 at 5:04 AM, happypalms said:

Got some interesting little palms coming through the greenhouse. All doing well no major troubles at the moment. Winter will be there test! 

Nice assortment . Good luck and progress 😎

[happypalms]

Doing the chamaedorea rounds in the garden looking at the flowers on my metallica plants, and the male flowers are ready to collect pollen. The first picture are  the male flowers and the last picture is the female inflorescence. It worked last season with a few Metallica seeds maturing. 

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

Nice assortment . Good luck and progress 😎

Thanks it’s a work in progress! 🌱

[Mazat]

1 hour ago, happypalms said:

Doing the chamaedorea rounds in the garden looking at the flowers on my metallica plants, and the male flowers are ready to collect pollen. The first picture are  the male flowers and the last picture is the female inflorescence. It worked last season with a few Metallica seeds maturing. 

Okay, like this looks it 🤗

Wonderful, Richard and good to know😃

[tim_brissy_13]

My male C Metallica is nearly in sync, maybe time for collection in a week or so I guess. I’ve heard these have ‘sticky pollen’ - any trick to collecting vs the more dusty pollen of something like C woodsoniana?

[happypalms]

10 minutes ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

My male C Metallica is nearly in sync, maybe time for collection in a week or so I guess. I’ve heard these have ‘sticky pollen’ - any trick to collecting vs the more dusty pollen of something like C woodsoniana?

Check daily with a tsp and tickle, when you see the pollen on your fingers, get an artist brush and go to work Van Gogh and brush away. I usually cut one of the panicles off and leave the rest for the following days to cut them off then bush them on the female and a bit of rub with the fingers and pollen. I have a lot of males so keep on doing the rounds collecting the male flowers and introducing them to the girls. 

[happypalms]

20 minutes ago, Mazat said:

Okay, like this looks it 🤗

Wonderful, Richard and good to know😃

Hope you have some success with your ones. 

[Mazat]

46 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Hope you have some success with your ones. 

Thank you very much for your wishes, Richard.
Yes, we hope so.

[Harry’s Palms]

I have some fruit on one of mine right now . I am hoping it makes it through winter intact . Maybe I will be sowing Metalica seeds next Spring. Harry

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have some fruit on one of mine right now . I am hoping it makes it through winter intact . Maybe I will be sowing Metalica seeds next Spring. Harry

That’s the go a few seeds never goes astray. They take a long time to mature 12 months. Hope you get a few seeds! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

Another little batch of sabinara that are a welcome addition to the collection. One lone hydriastele kasesa. A few variegated Adonidia merrillii. A few Rhopalostylis chatamica. And a few chamaedorea glaucifolia for the garden. Some nice fresh seedlings is always a welcome sight! 

[happypalms]

Some nice looking seedlings liking the warm weather and the good rainfall. There’s quite a mixed bag of lollies in this little haul of seedlings. 

[happypalms]

I finally timed it right to collect the pollen from the male metallica, a little tap on the flower and the pollen was shead on the leaf time to collect with a simple bag method that will be stored in the refrigerator. So no sticky pollen. 

[Harry’s Palms]

A nice batch and plenty of variety. Harry

[Mazat]

4 hours ago, happypalms said:

Some nice looking seedlings liking the warm weather and the good rainfall. There’s quite a mixed bag of lollies in this little haul of seedlings. 

Great,Richard 🤗 

[peachy]

I would get in a stranger's car if offered some of those lollies

Peachy

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

A nice batch and plenty of variety. Harry

It doesn’t stop @happypalms. 
Richard 

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, Mazat said:

Great,Richard 🤗 

It can only get better! 

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, peachy said:

I would get in a stranger's car if offered some of those lollies

Peachy

It doesn’t have to be fast car, just as long as it gets you from A to B oh and to happypalms nursery and back! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

Some intresting stuff popping up this week. The warm weather is making a difference for the licuala varieties, some licuala seem to take forever and a day. While there no instagram pics,  there on there way and that’s what makes the difference they have begun germination so no dud batch’s of seeds and great sign! 

[jardinierpalmiertrat]

wonderful work, your seeds how long did it take for them to germinate?