Germination Success!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:59 am

After many weeks of semi - patient waiting, I have some Trachycarpus germination! The types got mixed up, but one is regular Fortunei, while the other is Naini Tal ( i should be able to tell the difference at the end of the summer). Im still waiting on some Sabal seeds, as well as my Trachycarpus Nanus seeds, as well as some other trachy seeds ( Tesan, Tennessee and Heyes Stiffie forms).

Im also going to be planting some Musa ( Helens hybrid, Itinerans, Yunannensis, Balbisiana) and Ensete Ventricusum.

Also, my lemon seeds germinated as well, as did my Chilean Glory Vine seeds.

Everything is in dixie cups, and the tall yogurt containers, covered with plastic wrap. I have some Begonia, Cyperus, Cobea, CGV and soem strawberry seeds sitting on the window sill. Im expecting these to take a while longer, because the window sill gets cool at night ( mabey a good place for banana germination??). While most of my other seeds are underneeth my aerogarden lights. This is where my tetrapanax, Brugmensia, Ginger root, mango and the germinated pot of chilean glory vine are.

More to post in a week i bet!!!!!!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:49 am

Bananas will need warmth to germinate.

Your seedlings will need all the direct sun you can give them to keep from getting leggy.
It might be better if they are kept cool to help slow them down?????

It will be a while before you can tell your Naini Tal apart from
Fortunei....quite a while.

Good luck with your seedlings!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:43 am

From what ive read musa ( especialy musella and ensete ?) Like warm days and cool nights to germinate.

Are you talking about the palm seedlings or seedlings in general? Most of the ones ive started now, should be sown 12- 10 weeks before last frost. Im a few weeks early on some, I just want some size on them before they get planted. They aerogarden , which im referencing is a mini hydroponic system, complete with lights. They are on 12-17 hours a day, and they are located in a warm corner. Most of the seeds are in pots, not grown IN the aerogarden. The light is strong enough to grow a small potted rose.

Its funny you mentioned trying to keep them cool. I was thinking of this this morning, in the case of the faster growing plants ( brugs for example), to slow them down, as you suggested. I have a month or so before the windows stay decently warm at night ( they stay around 15C, the windows are probably 50+ years old). Im more worried about the seeds not germinating fast enough in the cool window, then growing slow.

I figured a month to a year to figure out the difference between Fortunei and Naini Tal. Do you know otherwise Jim??

Thanks dude

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:23 am

Congrats on the success so far! The bananas need to be kept warm during the day, and rather cool at night.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:56 pm

Thanks Cameron thats what I thought....

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:12 am

Another thing about nana seeds is the fresher the better. They can take for ever to germinate if there not fresh. I have hundreds of velutina babies that came up super fast, but they where right off the plant fresh.

Hope this helps to.

Good luck with the others.

Bill

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:16 am

That I also agree with. I dont know how fresh they are, but all of them sunk, which is usualy a good sign for seeds..... They didnt look old. The ensete seeds looked very fresh IMO.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:33 am

Congrats Jesse...oh yeah, 50 year old windows will be cool at night when it's -25C outside.

Maybe too cool for bananas.

While everyone agrees trachies and waggies germinate under cool conditions, some stuff I've read recently suggested germination temps of 70F.
Which is pretty darn warm.
Just affects germination time.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:54 am

Thanks Barb

Not all my windows are that old, just the south facing ones

They should be ok in the following weeks

The trachys are strewn around the house, between houseplants. The thermastat says low to mid 60s in here (F), closer to the outside walls is around 60F. They are located near the furnace vent ( 4 feet away), and the stove is located on the other side of the wall.

Im still waiting on the Trachycarpus Nanus, since august..

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:00 am

Since Aug for the Trachy nanus?

I just got some Trachy princeps seed...should'a started when I was your age by the sounds of it

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:08 am

Well as you suggested, I think temperature has something to do with it. I had one against a cool wall, on op of the computer monitor, and one where the other trachy seeds are ( which sprouted in 8 - 10 weeks). Nothing yet. Could be dud seeds, ... then again i could just be impatiant. LOL

Princeps germinates quickly if i remember right.

And the thing too, nanus develops a subterranian trunk like Sabal Minor ( only developing a small trunk after a LONG time), and are very slow growing. I think the best estimates ive read on T Nanus was 2 or 3 months...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:20 am

Princeps germinates quickly

That's IF it's princeps seeds...a big if.

You can't call Trachy seeds DUDS until you've waited 8 months.
E I G H T months...sigh.

I'm going to abrade half my seeds with Sandpaper, will see if that speeds the process a bit.

Nanus at 2 or 3 months...sounds a little too positive to me.
My really fresh (hot off the tree and into the mailbox) Foxtail seeds took that long.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:07 pm

You can be waiting on Princeps for 2 years or more-I say throw them into the ground
if they take past May.

I had some seeds a few years ago that had not sprouted in months,I put them in the
ground in May,one Tesan came up in August or so.A Princeps came up 1 year later!

My fresh seeds from Garry are already sprouting-never seen Princeps sprout so fast!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:26 pm

fresh seeds from Garry are already sprouting-never seen Princeps sprout so fast!

I got princeps seeds from Garry this week!

When did you receive your seeds?

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:05 pm

it sounds like you've been real busy!!!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:22 am

I wont count the seeds as a loss till a year. My luck seems to be they germinate at the long end of the timeframe....

I ran out of soil, and pots when I planted my Nanus seeds. So i planted one outside. ITs by one of my bamboo, so its got a crap load of leaves on top. Who knows i might get a good suprise this year ....

Tim, its that time of year, seed starting, planning... In a few weeks I can unfurl my bamboo, and take a look around the yard. I have 4 huge rubbermaid containers full of food scraps, so my compost pile is going to take some work to do..... Spring cant come soon enough!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 7:46 am

Red Wiggler Worms would help your composter speed up:
http://www.cathyscomposters.com/products.htm

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:10 am

Its my first year composting. So im not sure how active they are during the winter here. I know they can hold heat through some good cold, Im just not positive how active they are here. Im going to check it this week.

Also, I sort of know an entemologist, who sells his bugs to the local conservatory here ( big tropical greenhouse). Im sure i can get some worms off of him, not to mention some lady bugs

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 9:26 am

During winter, my worm bin was in the garage, but it got too cold, so I think they're all toast (sniff).
But many people keep a waste food container in the laundry room or somewhere out of the way indoors to have worms overwinter successfully.
I moved mine outdoors because of all the little flying/crawling critters that occur from food spoilage.

Lady beetles are wonderful, indoors during winter too.
Just wish they ate soft scale and spider mite on palms (maybe they do) .
Barb