happypalms Sowing a few seeds

[happypalms]

9 minutes ago, jardinierpalmiertrat said:

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

A lot of the pictures have the dates on the tags. But most around 3 months, fresh seeds make all the difference. The licuala orbicularis took the longest to germinate! 

[happypalms]

Another little batch of seeds to go in. A few more not so common licualas, a few Pinanga seeds that iam looking forward to growing those ones. A couple of Arenga caudata, and a few dypsis decepiens seeds that have a nice background story. And just for some fun a couple of Joey Altifrons to keep me on my gardening toes. A few months time I will know what’s happening in the germination department! 

[tim_brissy_13]

Those decipiens only germinate at 40+S latitude am I right @Jonathan?

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Those decipiens only germinate at 40+S latitude am I right @Jonathan?

Doesn’t matter where they germinate as long as they do. A few are going south and west 🌱

[Harry’s Palms]

I am still waiting for my Decipiens to sprout , I was told they would take a while . I checked them a week or or so ago for rot but they seem good . 🤞I am thinking it will be Spring for mine . Harry

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I am still waiting for my Decipiens to sprout , I was told they would take a while . I checked them a week or or so ago for rot but they seem good . 🤞I am thinking it will be Spring for mine . Harry

I don’t wait for my seeds to germinate, you can wait too long if you do. My key is plant as many as you can and then your not waiting too long, sooner or later something germinates. 
I have another batch of decipiens in the mail split the orders in two just in case customs give a hard time.

Richard 

[Jonathan]

11 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Those decipiens only germinate at 40+S latitude am I right @Jonathan?

Absolutely correct Tim...think I read that in PoM!

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Jonathan said:

Absolutely correct Tim...think I read that in PoM!

Yes I read the same thing what a coincidence, I guess I should send the other lot out to that place called Siberia. 

[Jonathan]

13 hours ago, happypalms said:

Yes I read the same thing what a coincidence, I guess I should send the other lot out to that place called Siberia. 

Definitely a good plan...the permafrost has nearly thawed!

[happypalms]

A few more seedlings that have popped needed to be potted up. The attalea and pritchardia where a gift from Colin Wilson so a big thank you Mr Wilson. And the genoformis are home harvested seeds. Along with one lone Chuniophoenix nana seedling. Theres nothing like a bit of potting up some seedlings to keep one stress free in life! 

[Harry’s Palms]

I spent most of yesterday doing a bit of digging up sprouts from the garden and potting for winter. Most of them I knew what they are , a couple are question marks . Bad habit of mine….get seeds and plant in garden without labeling. Now I am using containers and marking them with ID and date . I am learning as I go . You’re a good teacher!

  A nice batch there , decent stress reduction . Harry

[happypalms]

15 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I spent most of yesterday doing a bit of digging up sprouts from the garden and potting for winter. Most of them I knew what they are , a couple are question marks . Bad habit of mine….get seeds and plant in garden without labeling. Now I am using containers and marking them with ID and date . I am learning as I go . You’re a good teacher!

  A nice batch there , decent stress reduction . Harry

As I say big rookie mistake not labeling, I still do it now and then, you can’t rely on the good old brain. 
I could pot up something every day if I wanted the only thing that stops me is I get so busy doing other things. 
And you know what they say one day the best student becomes the teacher! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

A few more to put in and with summer just around the corner it’s a great time to be putting seeds in with the hot weather helping germination out.  lanonia sp black fruit should be an interesting one to grow. And the rest will be welcomed into the nursery any day. And I had to get some more joeys a 6 months time they will look like a nice box of seedlings just like the one in the picture from the last lot I put in!

[dalmatiansoap]

You germinate mostly in styrofoam? Do you have problems with burring roots in it? 

[Harry’s Palms]

Good going there. Another fine batch of future palms. I see you were able to get the full botanical name on that small tag for the Joey’s ! Never can have too many of those! Harry

[happypalms]

12 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

You germinate mostly in styrofoam? Do you have problems with burring roots in it? 

Good question and not really I put a plastic liner on the bottom, occasionally I get the odd root slip past on the side. But have been pretty lucky, I did once forget to line the bottom of a box once with Joey seeds in it and it was a nightmare I had to cut the styrofoam and then break it away from the roots. I also had a very well known growing once say to me you don’t need to line styrofoam box’s, naturally I just ignored his advice and thought he’s got it all wrong you have to line the bottom. 

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Good going there. Another fine batch of future palms. I see you were able to get the full botanical name on that small tag for the Joey’s ! Never can have too many of those! Harry

You soon learn to spell Johannesteijsmannia, I had too with so many joeys, sometimes you run out of room🤣 But some great seeds in this batch! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

Scored another two variegated weddlianum seedlings. Germinated from seeds from my garden it’s one palm in amongst 4 that set seeds that has the gene or mutation more likely. Not sure which one but I have an idea to who the mum is. 
I will be keeping an eye on the 3 I have found and see if it holds true in the variegated department. But for now a few freaks of nature in the collection! 

[peachy]

Apart from a Rhapis,  I have never been able to find a variegated palm on the market.  Lytocaryum are one species I never imagined as variegated. Well done,  lets hope they breed to type.

Peachy

[gyuseppe]

Richard very good !

[PalmBossTampa]

Super cool ! That should do well as a variegated palm in shaded area to keep from burning. I’ve got a palm with 3’ trunk and it’s never set seed yet . Lots of attempts but maybe Im missing the pollinators ?

[happypalms]

A nice little order from RPS. After somewhat of customs debacle arriving a bit later than normal. The details of the holdup are to long to put in words but let’s say phone calls and emails many of which later where the order of the 6 week delay. Not good customs Australia! 
With the Australian government boosting funding for our bio security control they need to get there money back from the importers and the new paperwork (emails) logistics and changes in protocol are taking there toll on importers. 
Many are not bothering anymore to import with importers taking big hits in there bank accounts thanks to the government. 
 

[Harry’s Palms]

It looks like a few were already germinating by the time you got them . Harry

[happypalms]

35 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

It looks like a few were already germinating by the time you got them . Harry

Yes indeed a few already, sort of a good sign in way, but in another way not good as some seeds wont germinate losing their viability. Having a short shelf life from harvest date, and eventually getting to the seller then to me. Customs are costing the grower a lot in the non viable seeds! 
A double edged sword! 

[Harry’s Palms]

This situation eats into your retirement fund. The nursery takes a hit ….the collector also takes a hit and fewer palms to go around,eh? Harry

[peachy]

Even before the bio security rules went totally insane,  many times I had to spend an hour on the phone to Sydney (back in the day of timed STD calls, costing about $40 each time) trying to explain to some idiot that the seeds they were holding were in fact on the permitted list published on their own website !  Usually these were the seeds that never germinated either due to the long delay or non viability to begin with.  Surely in these times of automation and computerisation, parcel with the correct stickers, labels and papers should just go through the system without any glitches.  Are these people deliberately stopping deliveries to justify their employment ?

Peachy ( and one of her pet hates)

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

This situation eats into your retirement fund. The nursery takes a hit ….the collector also takes a hit and fewer palms to go around,eh? Harry

And it puts the price of palms up to recover the cost, it’s basic economics. 
Richard 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, peachy said:

Even before the bio security rules went totally insane,  many times I had to spend an hour on the phone to Sydney (back in the day of timed STD calls, costing about $40 each time) trying to explain to some idiot that the seeds they were holding were in fact on the permitted list published on their own website !  Usually these were the seeds that never germinated either due to the long delay or non viability to begin with.  Surely in these times of automation and computerisation, parcel with the correct stickers, labels and papers should just go through the system without any glitches.  Are these people deliberately stopping deliveries to justify their employment ?

Peachy ( and one of her pet hates)

Too true well written words, when they introduced phytosanitry certificate I was astounded that they still needed to be inspected, I asked them even with a phytosanitry certificate and yes that was the answer. 
They tried to not let me have sabinara magnifica sent me a email saying no not on the bicon and before I could get back to them they sent another email saying oh yes they are we looked and they sent me a bill for even doing that, on top the inspection fee as well! 
There is no common senses with a government agency, now even to dispose of seeds thay dont meet bio security requirements you have to send them a form and heaven forbid if it’s not in the correct format they reject it, even down to in bold writing. 
Ita all about keeping themselves in a job! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

22 hours ago, peachy said:

Apart from a Rhapis,  I have never been able to find a variegated palm on the market.  Lytocaryum are one species I never imagined as variegated. Well done,  lets hope they breed to type.

Peachy

Three in total now for lytocarum, one variegated lanonia dasyantha and one licuala ramsayi var tuckeri I have found in germinating seeds l, I guess germinating so many seeds helps. The dasyantha is planted in the garden already and it’s a wow already! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

22 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

Richard very good !

Not to bad if I do say so! 

[happypalms]

18 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

Super cool ! That should do well as a variegated palm in shaded area to keep from burning. I’ve got a palm with 3’ trunk and it’s never set seed yet . Lots of attempts but maybe Im missing the pollinators ?

Yes iam impressed, they don’t need a pollinater they will set seed by themselves very easily, you’re one will flower one day, what day well let’s say dont hold your breath with some palms! 

[peachy]

25 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Three in total now for lytocarum, one variegated lanonia dasyantha and one licuala ramsayi var tuckeri I have found in germinating seeds l, I guess germinating so many seeds helps. The dasyantha is planted in the garden already and it’s a wow already! 
Richard 

It's official, I hate you. Right now I am training Binky to attack to kill. Prepare to meet your maker at the jaws of 2 kilos of living fury.  If you don't believe it,  here is her big sister Suki terrorising a great dane who hid behind a fence for safety

[tim_brissy_13]

I recently got a bill for $390 from customs unexpectedly. No explanation of what it was for. After some questioning, I found out it was for an import last year for about $300 worth of seeds of which a significant chunk ended up getting destroyed. Only after I requested did they give me a breakdown of costs. $78 for standard inspection, $312 for costs relating to testing and disposal. I gave the pre authority to destroy any seeds found to be contaminated mainly to try to get good seeds as quickly as possible. Still trying to find out what testing was required and why. 

[gyuseppe]

Here too it happened to me that the seeds had to be inspected by customs, first of all they don't open the envelope and the seeds are not checked, then they arrive at least after 40 days, with a tax to pay, but the tax let's say that compared to you Australians it is very little money, maximum 15 euros, for me here it is just a way to take money from the poor people who buy or are given seeds outside the European Union, I repeat the envelopes are not opened and they don't check anything

[happypalms]

19 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

Here too it happened to me that the seeds had to be inspected by customs, first of all they don't open the envelope and the seeds are not checked, then they arrive at least after 40 days, with a tax to pay, but the tax let's say that compared to you Australians it is very little money, maximum 15 euros, for me here it is just a way to take money from the poor people who buy or are given seeds outside the European Union, I repeat the envelopes are not opened and they don't check anything

Yes it’s a crazy protocol in place, you can’t work out how they do it. It has to be understaffed in Australia, after all customs is a government business so they have to show a profit for that business, just like any business it cost money and has to make money! 

[Booyong ridge]

12 hours ago, happypalms said:

Yes indeed a few already, sort of a good sign in way, but in another way not good as some seeds wont germinate losing their viability. Having a short shelf life from harvest date, and eventually getting to the seller then to me. Customs are costing the grower a lot in the non viable seeds! 
A double edged sword! 

Quite a few of these species are ones that customs destroyed from my order that arrived less than a month ago. 😒 bit of a lucky dip as to whether they make it through or not. Perhaps it depends on whether the inspecting agent got their fix the night before. 🤨

[Harry’s Palms]

….. Or you could employ an African Swallow to carry the load for you . They are “ tree top flyers “ and come and go without detection. Harry

[happypalms]

11 hours ago, peachy said:

It's official, I hate you. Right now I am training Binky to attack to kill. Prepare to meet your maker at the jaws of 2 kilos of living fury.  If you don't believe it,  here is her big sister Suki terrorising a great dane who hid behind a fence for safety

Oh no please don’t send in the hounds! 
Oh I forgot to mention my two variegated trunking Howea fosteriana, as a bribe for not sending in the the hounds I will dig out a variegated Howea for you, that should appease the gods so you don’t have to send the kill squad of bone crushing monsters around please 🙏 

Richard 

[happypalms]

On 11/30/2025 at 1:15 AM, Harry’s Palms said:

….. Or you could employ an African Swallow to carry the load for you . They are “ tree top flyers “ and come and go without detection. Harry

Laden or unladen either way they would stop it, but the European one they might not stop that one, but the African swallow definitely not going to get through, runaway tis but a scratch. Poor old sir Lancelot hey apparently he could handle them all! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

A spot of potting up, the warm weather is pushing the spikes up, so time to keep up with them to minimise root disturbance. It looks like I will get 55 sabinara from a batch of 100. Anthe Oraniopsis still coming up, and as for the masoala there slower germinating than Howea sp there still germinating.