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Hello gang, yesterday I got some Queen palm and Butia seeds. I soaked for a day in room temp water. Today I gently filed the seeds outer shell. I couldn't find any white inside the Queen Palms and didn't file the Butia. I will soak them several days.
Queen Palms seeds...

After filing a bit...

Butia seeds...

Hi Dean,

Near the end of this page it shows the location of the queen palm embryo:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php ... 20844&st=0

good luck!

Thank you, Cameron! Wow! No wonder I couldn't find it. It almost all shell. I even used a hack saw to a point. Stopped short of cutting one in half.

I had no idea that half-woody seeds like that Queen would still be viable -- thought the whole inside (wall to wall) had to be fleshy white.

Thanks Cameron...just think of the seeds we've tossed in the past ( where is that dumpster?)

Barb

That brown inside the seed pic on Cameron's link reminded me of this.

Pic half way down page, right side, which says "...showing ruminate endosperm intruded by light brown testa".
http://www.virtualherbarium.org/palmres ... .html#Endo

OK, I'm lost.

Does that mean it's a good--or bad--seed?

Barb

That link makes it quite clear. I'm an amateur.

They went into containers yesterday.

Dean, to prevent the seeds drying out, I suggest pushing the Queens down a bit into the perlite, slanting the pointed end up a little bit.
Whether germination occurs at the "dotted end", or somewhere along its length, the seed remains hydrated because almost the entire seed length is in contact with the dampish perlite.

Some Queen seeds look like they're just laying on top.
Your Butia seeds look almost perfectly placed.

A light misting will then be all that's needed to keep them hydrated versus pouring water on them.
They'll pop in no time with bottom heat.

Barb

Edit: DUH! Forgot seed placement example pic:
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/522 ... 2913d9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04157" />

Barb,

Thanks for the help. I'll put a little perlite on top of them. They had a little mold problem and I treated with peroxide 3%.

Nice work!

Does that mean it's a good--or bad--seed?

This site may be helpful to newbies to seed germination, me Included

Its got graphic as well as text.

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/cycads_2155_67288084

Hi there Zomble, welcome aboard!
Looking forward to hearing about all your palm trials and tribulations.

Thanks for that great seed floater/soldier link pic.
Hadn't seen that before.
What is described certainly makes sense.

Too bad some of my dead seeds are now in the compost

Barb

Hi to you to and thanks,

I was never lucky with palm seed sowing, some make it sound easy others like me struggle so I gave up...temp because..



I went and ordered some Butia capitata yesterday.

I always heard/read that seeds that float are dead seed and that its the weight that makes them sink. The ones I had brought back from a holiday (CIDP) were very fresh but even then odd ones floated when I washed them before storing to bring home. The floaters I threw away.

Like you I threw mine in the recycle too.

zomble,
it would be helpful if you added your zone/city to your Profile.
That way we know what conditions (growing & weather) you and your palms are going through without having to ask each time.

Just a suggestion.
Barb