Chusan Palm seeds failed What's the best method to germinate?

Hey Everyone,

So around a month and a half ago I'd planted 10 Chusan Palm seeds some in Perlite only, Some in a mix and some in compost. I'm guessing I'd got them too warm in my airing cupboard as I'd also put them inside a propagator too. One did start to grow a tiny white root but a week later it turned brown and now it's gone.

Whats the best method for germinating these? Am I best to get Fresh seeds directly from a palm as I'd ordered them from a seed website. What month do the palms usually start to seed?

 

Chusan Palm > Trachycarus Fortunei

They have both male & female flowers. Soil needs to be free draining and fertile. Some protection from cold wintery winds is advised.

Seed sowing. Generally it is recommended to soak the seed in a dish of water for around three days. In some cases seed that is soaking prior to sowing, will often show signs of sprouting. IMO sowing in just perlite may have not been such a good idea. Nevertheless, I am one for experimenting. It is suggested a germinating temperature should not be below 25c.

There is probably more info on the internet and at RHS.ORG

Best wishes.

 

At this time of the year I d just pot up and put on a green house bench.
Or even outside.

Airing cupboards are for tropical stuff and then mostly if you are wanting an early start.
My propagator is now turned off until I might want to take some autumn cuttings.

 

Trachycarpus seeds will not germinate successfully at a high temperature. Room temperature is all you need, no more than 22c.
Fresh seed geminates in days, stored seed can take up to a year

 

I have never grown this plant. The information that I gave was from published info by the RHS.

Propagation Propagate by seed sown at not less than 25ºC

 

Sorry Mike but for this palm, the RHS are totally wrong.
I mean, what do they know about growing plants?

 

If you delve into old reference books on a lot of the so called exotics you get some very strange statements.

I can remember in the 70s trying to find a yucca at a garden centre.

They only stocked stuff that the text books stated were totally hardy.

Tracycarpus was not readily avilible along with lots of stuff we see now.
Olives were tender,.
Pomegranate was nowhere to be seen and lots of other stuff we take for granted now was just not there.
Nobody even considered chamaerops or some of the aloes as garden plants.

I think our climate has changed a bit but so has the thinking, and come the next humdinger of a winter we will all start to wonder again.

But of all the things I see, the RHS is probably the one that is stuck mostly in the timewarp of 50yrs ago.