Beginning the germination process!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:42 pm

"They" recommend slightly cooler night temps for palm germination too, but palms generally need warmth warmth warmth.
And not moving them away from the floor near the woodstove in the basement actually took a few weeks off germination I think.

But waggies, princeps and Chamaerops humilis definitely don't want to be too warm as seedlings.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:42 pm

You gotta break open the pods for the protea right?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:55 pm

Ok I didn't exactly germinate this one by myself, but I did trade Paul some seeds for it

It's a Sabal minor "McCurtain", and I have pretty high hopes for this one. I'm going to be planting it away from my main palm area, in a different south-east facing location. The new location is where the snow always melts first in the spring. It will be right in front of some rocks and the side of my house, so this should help reflect some heat back during the winter. Also, it will be visible to people walking by when it gets a bit bigger, so maybe it will eventually get someone else thinking about hardy palms! I'm debating whether to leave it in a pot this year, or plant it out. If things look good by June, it will be going outside.

Palm:

New spear in front of my finger:

Cameron.

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:57 pm

Barb, it's hard to know 100% what to do when you see all of the conflicting germination info online!

Canadianplant, just plant them as they are (with the fuzzy part still on the outside).

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:01 pm

Look at the size of those young leaves already!

What a prize!

Sounds like a good location you've selected.
Since it's in a featured spot close to the house, why not plant it out?
It'll be easy to baby in that spot.

See how generous I am with risk to somebody else's palms?

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:58 am

I'll just have to make sure to provide good protection during the winter!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:11 pm

Oh yes...superb protection.
Proof they can grow there...for all the world to see.

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:19 pm

Here are some more sabal pics, sorry for the poor lighting:

Sabal minor "Cape Hatteras":

Sabal minor:

Sabal minor "Louisiana" (top and bottom containers):

Sabal minor "McCurtain":

I'm still waiting on Sabal etonia!

Cameron.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:48 pm

Nice work Cameron.
I'd have nightmares on losing the labels....

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:10 pm

Barb, I had a feeling that I might lose them, so I labeled both the containers and the lids!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:09 am

What will you do with all your little guys....?

Are you planning to sell anything?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:47 am

Jim, I'm going to sell some at low prices to promote the interest in hardy palms around here. But I also want a yard full of palms, so I'll have to keep a few for myself!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:13 am

Cameron, good for you.
Presume you'll get your local garden chapter to help get the news out, as well as a website?

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:25 am

Barb, I just joined the "Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society", and my first meeting is tonight. They also have a general sale to the public in May, and I'll be participating in that too. I think Paul might have been a member when he lived here.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:30 am

Might be an idea to have an easy-to-read one-page handout for the meeting tonight.
Gets people thinking about your offers even before you establish pricing.

Hope the May sale is near your place...you've got a lot of stuff to haul

...and you'll soon be Prez of the society

Barb

CTPalm · Post by **CTPalm** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:40 pm

Cameron - I wish I could buy seedlings from you. You have everything!!! When you started this post I could not believe it was possible. Great job!

I did finally get my Sabal Minor seeds to sprout - after moving them on top of my cable box with the Foxtails. I have the Musa Sikkimensis there now too we'll see if that helps.

Paul

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:47 pm

Cameron, grats on the McCurtain!

I hope the Etonia seeds sprout. None of my Sabal havnt, but they dont have bottom heat, which im sure undoubtingly slows germination for em. i think Sabals are some of the nicest palms...

Im just getting into rhodies. Closest thing I have here is a type of "Labrador Tea" ( which is badass in itself), other then the ones i can buy.

Those Aloe seeds sprouted finally. I came back to find my tracky seedlings are 3 or 4 inches high now, ready to be potted up. Same with the W.Filifera. And my Passiflora Incarnata seeds sproutedl. Im excited to see how hardy these actualy are. As well as 10 - 30 Paulownia seedlings

I have way too much..

My Gloriosa Lily seedling have been weird, they have never gotten any bigger then 2 leaves, before staling growth, dying back, then regrowing again. It died when I was away as well as pushed up new growth.. LOL

Its crazy how many seedlings you have man... Grats again.

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:00 pm

I went to the meeting, and the age difference between me and the youngest member is at least 25 years...

Paul and canadianplant, congrats on the germination successes!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:03 pm

That's a heck of a lot of gardening experience in that meeting room, Cameron!

I bet they were interested in your project.

Barb

PS--so since you're home at 9:04 pm, suppose you folks didn't hit the bar to close the meeting?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:11 pm

10:04, but no either way

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:53 am

but no either way

That's a shame.
Sheesh, you should be on this side of Canada...

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:10 pm

2 pics:

Butia eriospatha:

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. You can just make out that the top seedling is starting to have the divided fronds:

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:18 pm

Congrats Cameron!
I've heard those two species aren't easy to get going.

Young bottle palms have wide, coarse-looking juvenile leaves.
But the beautiful big fronds aren't far behind.
Same with the start of the bottle bulge, which is very cool looking.

Well done!
Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:27 pm

Thanks, Barb. I'm waiting for the "bottle" trunk to start!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:31 pm

They sure seem to be attracted to your keyboard (maybe the monitor)

Maybe try some red/blue lights on them...
Barb

damir · Post by **damir** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:07 pm

cameron, any yucca aloifolia germinated?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:05 pm

Damir, I don't have enough room to germinate the seeds!

Hopefully within a couple of weeks I can get them planted. I'll post some updated pics of everything soon.

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:33 pm

Here's a small update on how some of the stuff is progressing:

Sabal minor "McCurtain" in front, Sabal minor "Cape Hatteras" and regular Sabal minor behind, and 2 containers of Sabal minor var. Louisiana in the back

T. "Hayes Stiffie" in the front, and T. fortunei from Tennessee in the back

T. fortunei "Tesan, South Mountain"

Nannorrhops ritchiana var. Kashmir

Butia eriospatha

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis on the left, Dioon edule on the right

Macadamias on the top, P. trifoliata, Yuzange, Thomasville citrangequats and Changshu kumquats in the middle, T. fortunei "Chusan" and "Tesan" on the bottom, along with a Phoenix dactylifera grown from a seed I found in Luxor, Egypt

Cameron.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:49 pm

HOLY HELL....

THings really took off didnt they? they look happy, mabey some more light but, thats easily fixed.

Nice score on the Luxor seed! I jsut bought a pack of dates and planted the pits..

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:51 pm

Yeah, the D. edule and N. ritchiana are getting pretty lanky, I know they need a bit more light!

You can see a nice blue-ish tint on some of the sabals in the first pic. Those ones are keepers for sure!

Good luck with the phoenix seeds!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:01 pm

IS that the bamboo is the mid left of the second last pic?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:22 pm

Yup! some of the plants are around half a foot tall now.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:45 am

LOL

It happens, half my palm seedlings are doing the same. Only have so much room and light. LOL

I did notice the blue on the sabal, but I thought it was from the flash. ITll be interesting to see how they turn out!

WOW, that bamboo really took off too!. Mine didnt germinate yet, then again i dont have a way to provide constant bottom beat ( same reason NONE of my sabals sprouted yet)

Grats on the good success!!!

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:06 am

Cameron! How big your basement is? What are gonna do with all this stuff! Keep going and good luck!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:21 am

Holy cow, Cameron...had been wondering how things were progressing.

Yup...those butia eriospatha will crawl up your wall looking for the window

You'll need to take a week off to pot them up.

I'm impressed with the germination rate...
None of my nannorhops ritchiana came up despite 90F warmth near the woodstove.

Can't wait to see the hyophorbe lagenicaulis and lone Luxor plant by end of summer (that's a coup!)

Well done!
Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:47 pm

wow! Time for a greenhouse!!! Loads of plants. I have to start mine soon!

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:49 pm

Thanks, everyone!

Igor, I keep the plants in my computer room, so they're right behind me as I type this message

I'd say the room is about 15' x 15' .

Barb, I just bought a bag of Pro-Mix, so I'll start potting some up very soon!

CTPalm · Post by **CTPalm** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 6:35 pm

Wow Cameron - things are growing well! Just wondering, do you have a fan in there?

Paul

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:05 pm

Paul: no fan here. I try to open the windows as often as I can, but with the cold temps in the winter it's a bit of a challenge!

ROBRETI · Post by **ROBRETI** » Sun May 01, 2011 11:39 am

Hey Cameron,

I waited until April to start with the euc seeds, thinking that they would grow too fast to be kept inside for long.... I used the simplest way: bought a cheap sprouting tray at Home Depot and have sown the seeds directly into the soaked peat bricks.

I have kept the seeds in the fridge for about a year (!!!!), simply due to the fact that last yer I thought I was too late for starting them from scratch plus the seeds had not been stratisfied.

I have great news for you: the seeds have started to succesfully germinate after being in the peat bricks for about 1 week! Actually, only the Euc. debeuzevellei shows this rate of enthusiasm but I am optimistic!

So, life have started for the little ones. If they grow at this rate, they will be ready to be transplanted into a larger pot (or outside?) in about 3-4 weeks.

[the Euc. gunnii outside have died, period. It grew about 2 m in one summer season, but this winter was to cruel for it. RIP]
Rob