Sowing a few seeds

[Jonathan Haycock]

7 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

I had good success with these some years ago Richard. Easy to pop, get them in a really free draining mix (lots of perlite) and keep up the watering so they don't dry out. I used 20 cm deep pots and they were fine with that. Full sun from the get go. I gave all mine away except one, which is a decent sized potted specimen now, with beautiful silver foliage. I'll try to get a photo of it later today.

Looking forward to planting it, hopefully before next summer.

[happypalms]

18 minutes ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

Looking forward to planting it, hopefully before next summer.

Thanks for the grow tips. I will go a free draining mix going with my standard mix but extra perlite. Info on full sun as seedlings and good water is handy to know thanks. Hopefully in a few years I will have one as good as yours. Only problem I see is you suburban gardeners are going to run out of room. With hundreds of palms to collect may I suggest you purchase the block next door actually the whole street might be easier. 

[KrisKupsch]

On 2/21/2025 at 6:21 PM, happypalms said:

You have given me a challenge then kris. I shall see how I go growing them. 

Likely my clay soil and my rainfall but there is a giant one in cairns so probably was just me. I’ve more now so will learn from others. 

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, KrisKupsch said:

Likely my clay soil and my rainfall but there is a giant one in cairns so probably was just me. I’ve more now so will learn from others. 

Heavy clay soil and the amount of rainfall you get could be the culprit. But if one is in cairns then it’s the clay soil stopping you from your success. I don’t have any in the ground yet but I would be confident in saying they would live in my sandy soil with drainage that can be a bit to much in trying to get enough moisture in the ground to grow Joey palms, I know that much. 

[Mr. Clark]

On 10/3/2023 at 8:29 AM, AcPalm said:

Here’s a picture of a red “maroon leaf” single one here in south Florida at nursery. Very pretty palm. 

What level of shade cloth is this under AcPalm?  I recently got a A. Vestaria seeds, and would like to set the up for success.  I am not too far from you, so copying this level of sade seems a good start.

Thanks.

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Mr. Clark said:

What level of shade cloth is this under AcPalm?  I recently got a A. Vestaria seeds, and would like to set the up for success.  I am not too far from you, so copying this level of sade seems a good start.

Thanks.

70% is the go for most palms. Go for a gravel floor to help increase humidity and grow on bench’s a much cleaner environment, and don’t let the weeds in once they set  seed in a greenhouse it’s very difficult to get rid of them. Good Luck. 

[Mr. Clark]

On 3/2/2025 at 9:37 PM, happypalms said:

70% is the go for most palms. Go for a gravel floor to help increase humidity and grow on bench’s a much cleaner environment, and don’t let the weeds in once they set  seed in a greenhouse it’s very difficult to get rid of them. Good Luck. 

Wow, 70 seems high! Humidity we had in spades here, but I completely agree on the set up.  I currently do a lot of transplanting over grass and mulch, and am not a fan but I make it work for now, lol.  I am putting the shade house up on a converted tennis court, and I grow the little guys in grid tables with just under 300 1g pots per table.  Eventually, most of my stuff needs to move into full sun, so I am looking to optimize the hardening off process, although that does not apply to those that need some shade indefinitely.  Here’s a pic of 1 of my tables and my current shade solution wrapped around one leg…  🤣

[happypalms]

18 minutes ago, Mr. Clark said:

Wow, 70 seems high! Humidity we had in spades here, but I completely agree on the set up.  I currently do a lot of transplanting over grass and mulch, and am not a fan but I make it work for now, lol.  I am putting the shade house up on a converted tennis court, and I grow the little guys in grid tables with just under 300 1g pots per table.  Eventually, most of my stuff needs to move into full sun, so I am looking to optimize the hardening off process, although that does not apply to those that need some shade indefinitely.  Here’s a pic of 1 of my tables and my current shade solution wrapped around one leg…  🤣

Nice set up 70% is the go you will need the humidity to grow red arecas. You can go to 30% for hardening off. Some setup’s have 70% with spaces of no shade cloth to let some sunshine in to harden off plants. 

[happypalms]

Some seeds gifted to me by Colin Wilson. A few chamaedorea sp pinnatafrons, woodsonian, graminifolia,hypohorbe indica and some clinostigma savoryanum. They will give me something to do for a little while growing them most will be donated to the regional botanical gardens in Coffs Harbour a long term project for the future. Thanks Colin for encouraging me to do such a project. 

[happypalms]

A few more dasyantha seeds going in. The poor man’s mapu the call it. Very easy to grow and germinate, I have even had seeds germinate in transit in the postal system. Customs do allow seeds that have germinated provided the radicle is not to long, and are free of disease or fungal infection. I have already down a box around a two months ago so there fairly fast in germinating and growing. One beautiful palm tree with the bonus of being cold hardy and easy to grow just add water. 

[happypalms]

A nice gift of some seeds have landed in my little cultivation fingers. I shall do my best to propagate them and not forget about who gifted them to me. But both lots of seeds are very interesting varieties of palms, hopefully I get a few to germinate. At the moment they don’t look like much but it all begins with a seed no matter how big or small. 

[Harry’s Palms]

It looks like they are in the right hands. Good luck with germination. Harry

[peachy]

P dennisii usually have lovely colour on the trunk and crownshaft plus the bonus of stilt roots.  I have never tried one probably due to lack of availability or I just never got one at the right time. Hope they do well for you.

Peachy

[happypalms]

24 minutes ago, peachy said:

P dennisii usually have lovely colour on the trunk and crownshaft plus the bonus of stilt roots.  I have never tried one probably due to lack of availability or I just never got one at the right time. Hope they do well for you.

Peachy

You know your palms well. I think they are on the rare side somewhat. I hope they do well that’s for sure. 
Richard 

[happypalms]

A lovely gift of some nice seeds of palms worth growing. Both varieties are beautiful in the garden adding to the tropical look. Lytocarum are an easy palm to grow in my climate and the chamaedorea are even easier to grow. A few months time I should have a few seedlings to pot up if all goes well. So thank you Gary Daly for the gift of seeds much appreciated. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Please update when they sprout . I love that you are such a prolific gardener . No worries about extinction! Harry😁

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Please update when they sprout . I love that you are such a prolific gardener . No worries about extinction! Harry😁

OCD at its best in my brain. That and I love plants. 🌱 

Richard 

[tim_brissy_13]

Both such great species. Slot in easily into any garden even smaller spaces. I’ve been on the hunt for insigne for a while. I’ll be annoying you in a couple of years 😆

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Both such great species. Slot in easily into any garden even smaller spaces. I’ve been on the hunt for insigne for a while. I’ll be annoying you in a couple of years 😆

They are great palms. Iam sure we can work out a deal if you haven’t swapped your arms or legs for a rhizomatosa🤣

[JohnAndSancho]

I had a Benizei a few years back. Paid a nice price for it, too. 

 

I don't think it liked Texas summer heat. 😬

[happypalms]

19 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I had a Benizei a few years back. Paid a nice price for it, too. 

 

I don't think it liked Texas summer heat. 😬

You don’t see them for sale around my area that’s for sure. Most likely lack of humidity that got it. Nothing worse than killing some good Benjamin’s on a rare palm. And from what I see about Texan heat I don’t think I would  like it either.

[JohnAndSancho]

I shoulda found space inside. It was trunking and flowered twice before it cooked. Anyway live and learn. 

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I shoulda found space inside. It was trunking and flowered twice before it cooked. Anyway live and learn. 

The amount of plants I have killed hurts every time I do it. Such disappointment killing a rare species. Some species I just give up on and don’t entertain the idea of growing them. 

[gyuseppe]

Richard
I had 1 plant of lytocaryum insigne and many chamaedorea benzei, unfortunately I only have 1 benzei 

[happypalms]

50 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

Richard
I had 1 plant of lytocaryum insigne and many chamaedorea benzei, unfortunately I only have 1 benzei 

There rare around here. Fortunately rare palm growers are growing them so if look you can find just not in your local nursery that’s for sure. I have weddlianum and hoeni species so hopefully insigne can make it a trio for good luck.

[Robbertico18]

Does anyone know how cold  C.Benzei can tolerate?

 

Cant seem to find too much info on it 

[LowDesertBoil]

Anyone selling any of these palms?

[Tyrone]

On 2/19/2025 at 5:08 PM, happypalms said:

A lovely gift of 100 or so alfredii seeds aka mill stream palm. A rare palm from north Western Australia. Where it is threatened by habitat loss. So these seeds have come along way to reach my little cultivation fingers. Bottom heating coco coir perlite mix in styrofoam box with lid 30 degrees Celsius is the order for the day. Looking forward to growing this palm that’s for sure. 

How are yours going Richard. A good percentage of mine have pushed spears out of the ground. 

[happypalms]

6 hours ago, Tyrone said:

How are yours going Richard. A good percentage of mine have pushed spears out of the ground. 

Potted a few up the rats gave em a hard time as usual but still got a couple of trays left, along with another 40 or so in there germinating box still to pot up, I will do after winter. I suspect seedlings won’t like a cold wet winter so best to pot them up later on. 

[tim_brissy_13]

9 hours ago, Tyrone said:

How are yours going Richard. A good percentage of mine have pushed spears out of the ground. 

I got about 90% germination Tyrone, and so did the other Melb collector I shared with. But we both had similar issues with root tips damping off. Probably almost half did this despite being in barely moist pure perlite. We both actually found that the seeds that pushed themselves up and above the surface didn’t suffer the same fate and are strong. Have you noticed anything like this? I was wondering whether it is a survival tactic to avoid damping off in habitat, I’ve seen similar in species like Serenoa repens and Trithrinax campestris. 

[Tyrone]

12 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I got about 90% germination Tyrone, and so did the other Melb collector I shared with. But we both had similar issues with root tips damping off. Probably almost half did this despite being in barely moist pure perlite. We both actually found that the seeds that pushed themselves up and above the surface didn’t suffer the same fate and are strong. Have you noticed anything like this? I was wondering whether it is a survival tactic to avoid damping off in habitat, I’ve seen similar in species like Serenoa repens and Trithrinax campestris. 

I put mine into individual deep pots from the beginning and haven’t looked at any roots so I honestly can’t say, but yes, these guys are extremely sensitive to too much water etc etc when at least very young. It does make me wonder how any find the right spot in habitat to grow. Some of the rains they get up there can be real intense, then absolutely nothing for months. Neither situation is good for a root sensitive species like this to germinate and keep going. 

[Tyrone]

15 hours ago, happypalms said:

Potted a few up the rats gave em a hard time as usual but still got a couple of trays left, along with another 40 or so in there germinating box still to pot up, I will do after winter. I suspect seedlings won’t like a cold wet winter so best to pot them up later on. 

Rats. Blast. You can get vermin proof wire in a roll and you can cut and bend it into a cover that they can’t get through. I’ve done that a few times and no rat or mouse can get through it. 

[happypalms]

27 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Rats. Blast. You can get vermin proof wire in a roll and you can cut and bend it into a cover that they can’t get through. I’ve done that a few times and no rat or mouse can get through it. 

Yes rats again your described method does work. But the scale of my growing, I would need a dozen air tight shipping containers just for seedlings. I trap them and relocate them yes relocate the enemy I know, I just can’t kill them damage or no damage iam to green for that. 

[happypalms]

12 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I got about 90% germination Tyrone, and so did the other Melb collector I shared with. But we both had similar issues with root tips damping off. Probably almost half did this despite being in barely moist pure perlite. We both actually found that the seeds that pushed themselves up and above the surface didn’t suffer the same fate and are strong. Have you noticed anything like this? I was wondering whether it is a survival tactic to avoid damping off in habitat, I’ve seen similar in species like Serenoa repens and Trithrinax campestris. 

I had about the same success rate with germination but rats had a field day the first night in the greenhouse. More air flow and a tighter watering schedule clean sterile equipment and luck for  dampening off prevention. But mostly luck I think. 

[happypalms]

Around five little dypsis minuta seeds were showing signs of being ripe. So I thought I might as well get them in. Bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius coco coir in a community pot inside a plastic bags. Now just sit back and wait. 

[happypalms]

More imported seeds going in today. It takes time and energy to propagate a lot of seeds. I find if i constantly put seeds down your not waiting for them to germinate, there’s always something popping up.  So that breaks up the wait on mass, it’s fun to produce a palm from seed and plant it out, it’s usually takes about 3 to 4 years and that’s what’s happening now for me home grown going in the garden. I have a ten year science project plan in my little brain. And if I have my way most of what you see that iam doing in palm talk will get planted on my property for future generations. 

[Harry’s Palms]

A sort of “ pay it forward “ approach. Just hope that someone picks up the torch years from now. Seed germinating and growing early stage palms is an ultimate exercise in patience. Harry

[gyuseppe]

Richard where did you buy the seeds? no from rarepalmseed because it doesn't have chamaedorea nationsiana

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

A sort of “ pay it forward “ approach. Just hope that someone picks up the torch years from now. Seed germinating and growing early stage palms is an ultimate exercise in patience. Harry

Time is the essence and patience is a virtue.

Richard 

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, gyuseppe said:

Richard where did you buy the seeds? no from rarepalmseed because it doesn't have chamaedorea nationsiana

Pm me I will take ten out for you!