Help starting palms from seeds

I recently recieved some various Palm tree seeds and I've never grown them from seed before. If anyone can give me some advice or help I would greatly appreciate it!
Katrina

First soak them for two days, change the water every six hours, then, the best thing to germinate them in is Coco peat coir, you can do a search for it, or if you live near a big city, it should be available at some garden supply places, I buy mine online, and it is all I use for potting soil, I just add a little Perlite, the stuff doesn't break down for 8 or 10 years, has natural growth hormones, anti-microbial properties, drains fast, and holds just the right amount of moisture, I wouldn't dream of using anything else ever again, place the seeds one half inch under soil surface, keep moist do not over water, keep warm in a south window, Ed

Some palm seed take a very long time to germinate so don't be tempted to throw them out too early if you think they're not showing any signs of growth. Do you know which species they are?

Washingtonia Robusta 'Mexican Fan palm'
Chamaerops Humilis 'European Fan Palm'
Chamaedorea Microspadix 'Bamboo Palm'
Butia Capitata 'Pindo Palm'
Phoenix Roebelenii 'Pygmy Date Palm'

so what do I do with these?

Washingtonia Robusta 'Mexican Fan palm'
hardy to Zone 8
Can germinate very rapidly given warmth, within a week or more.

Chamaerops Humilis 'European Fan Palm'
hardy to Zone 7
Can take from a few weeks to a few months to germinate

Chamaedorea Microspadix 'Bamboo Palm'
hardy to Zone 8
Keep seeds at about 25 degrees C, can germinate as soon as a few weeks to about 6 weeks.

Butia Capitata 'Pindo Palm'
hardy to Zone 8
Keep seeds at 20 - 25 degrees C, can take from 4 - 6 months for germination.

Phoenix Roebelenii 'Pygmy Date Palm'
hardy to Zone 10
Keep seeds about 25 degrees C, can take from a few weeks to a few months.

Results can vary a lot, even within the same batch of seed. Often scratching the outer surface of palm seeds helps water to penetrate and initiate germination earlier. Using warm water for soaking is better than cold. Some people use higher temperatures for germination, I'd be a bit wary of going over 30 degrees C.

ok thank you but can you translate celsius into Farenheit please? I'm to darned old to learn a new temperture scale...lol

seriously thaks for the help I really do appreciate it

20C = 68F

25C = 77F

30C = 86F

awesome thank you, my house never gets colder than that cause I don't like being cold! and hopefully , as he promised, the greenhouse will be done by my birthday at the end of february!

Good luck with them. It's a great feeling when you see the first green shoots break through, especially if it's been a long wait.

I have grown Washingtonia Robusta for years....I don't do anything special...I grow 500 at a time and the darn things all germinate...ok about 495 do..lol lol I put all of mine in a plastic wash tub I get from the dollar general...

fill the tub about 3/4s of they way with good draining potting mix...put your seeds on top ( my seeds touch each other) dress with about 1/2 inch of mix then water in...keep warm in bright indirect light...

I have grown mine in the heat of the Alabama summer with 30% shade cloth over them...

watch for a sprout coming out the side....it comes out and goes straight down...that's the main tap root....when I see that root I pull the seed with root...lol lol and put it in a 4inch pot...

that's the way I do it....if it ain't simple.. I don't do it....lol lol lol

sorry on the rest....have had such great luck with the WR palm I dont grow many others..

Jody

ahhh my problem is i like the all so I want them all kinda thing! are they slow, medium or fast growers?

the WR grow pretty fast if you don't neglect them like I do..lol

like if I start it now is it going to need a pot bigger tha 24" across before spring? if not then I will plant a few seeds now if so It will have to wait until spring whe the plant house is done

NO NO mine are a year old and are in 1 gallon pots..if it wasn't dark and raining I would take a pic...
they could even stay in a 4 inch till spring..maybe a little root bound by spring....nothing mine haven't been....lol lol lol

trina-I potted -up a bunch of queen palms that I found growing around the bottom of one of my trees
got no idea when they fell off the palm--I think it was around june

at the same time found some roebelenii's and potted them up as well
it was a good day

Good Green..they look great....we need to do some trading...lol lol lol

frog- I've actually still got some (roe-bees, we call them down here), in the ground under the "mom"

goodgreen going to d-mail...but give me a min.. husband is calling...lol

I had a queen anne palm someone gave me when my son was born got to six feet tall then the ex killed it.....gggrrrr....I've bought palms and grown them but never from seed so this is a new experience for me.

you'll find yourself going and looking for any signs of life...lol lol then you'll see it come to life...and everyone will think you just won the lotto...lol lol lol

Oh what does your name stand for?? trinawitch

funny thing about palms--once they start growing, you prune them with your little prunning shears,
then you use the loppers
then you use a step latter and the loppers
then you use a 12 foot ladder and the loppers
then you use a pole saw
then you use the 12 foot ladder and the pole saw
than you rent a cherry picker-
trust me on this

lol on that Goodgreen

and the name because my name is Katrina (please no hurricane jokes)
and yes I am a witch, hope that doesn't offend any one

in my case.. you get your husband to build a bigger GH..lol lol lol lol

heck no...honey I've been called Satan...lol lol lol lol..by more then one person....lol lol

well if you ask my children I am sure they wouldchange that w to a capitol B but with 5 teenagers you gotta kinda act like a drill sergeant!

yep...I hear ya.. when my kids got in trouble.. they had to weed....today as adults..they want concrete yards....lol lol
I even heard my son call me that...ONCE...thankfully I believed in child abuse..lol lol lol ..he's married with no children..but remembers that day very well...lol lol lol

my first wife was satan's sister !!!.............

I tell everyone I'm a big girl, I can take it..bring it on...lol lol

I very seldom get pissy when someone attacks me...this is what I told someone on a thread....I'm tanned,have red hair with tattoos and I always wear my thong one size tooo small..so bring it on...lol lol lol
but if you hurt one of my friends feeling ....the true Scorpio comes out in me....

I'm a pieces and a natural redhead stand 5'3" and weigh 100 lbs. on a fat day....did I mention I'm an army bratt with a sicilian step-dad?
Our problem is we are a blended family. and the BF doesn't get discipline at all

Oh boy...I believe in being a friend to your kids...BUT being a PARENT is more important..
and yes I have friends that doesn't spank......lets say they have less hair then I do....lol lol lol

yes I was raised military also..we went to a store and we looked like three ducks in a row..none of ..can I have this..or running around...Lord help us if we picked something up...lol lol

oh I remember quite well those days and you did NOT throw a tantrum. his kids have always gotten everything they wanted until he got hurt at work 3 years ago and lost his job....but his daughte thinks I should pick up the slack now and just buy her anything she wants, they are definately getting re-educated

when my children were growing up and WANTED not needed money..I told them to go to work....my daughter babysit and for my son's birthday.. he got a lawnmower and a blower...and when they wanted "mall clothes"..I told them lets go to wally world with a pen and paper and look at prices....if jeans were 20 bucks..that's what I gave them!!! they had to come up with the rest to get "mall clothes"....believe me 20 bucks for jeans looked real good when they had to come up with the rest...lol lol lol

I must have done something correct...my daughter doesn't buy hardly anything with out a coupon....won't even go to a restaurant with out a coupon..lol lol

but today..my kids are all gone and its just me and my husband....don't get me wrong..I love my kids..buuut I sure love it being just us....lol lol lol lol

as long as BF's "us" doesn't involve me working on his goofy Hot Rods I got no problems with that

I tell everyone if its not green and need fertilizer.. I don't have time..lol lol

Oh I wish! but the youngest is 12 so we got aways to go yet!

ok.. don't you have a spell for that!!! lol lol lol lol

oh I wish I also wish I could have zapped them all into silence earlier too but it wouldn't have helped

that's toooo funny...have a great night...