Borassus seed planting update

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

On Oct 11, 2008.

These guys were planted in a mixture of 1/2 perlite1/2 potting soil and set on a seedling warming mat to increase soil temps a little ( the soil temp was pretty much in the 30c ( 86f ) range, but a bit warmer near the bottom.

They all sprouted after about 10 days.

I waited 20 more days for the long tap root ( sorry I forgot the scientific name of the tap root ) to hit the bottom of a 14 inch deep pot.

Which happen today.

I replanted the tip of the root into each ones own pot , supporting the seed by taping it to a bamboo stake. Then put the pots back on the seedling mat .

Anyway... here is a pic from today... 40 days after planting.

Jeff

[paulgila]

they are so cute when they're little!

where did you get the seeds,jeff,if you dont mind by inquisitiveness....?

wow,thats a big word.see how its done,mattyb?!?!?!

[John in Andalucia]

On Oct 11, 2008.

These guys were planted in a mixture of 1/2 perlite1/2 potting soil and set on a seedling warming mat to increase soil temps a little ( the soil temp was pretty much in the 30c ( 86f ) range, but a bit warmer near the bottom.

They all sprouted after about 10 days.

I waited 20 more days for the long tap root (sorry I forgot the scientific name of the tap root) to hit the bottom of a 14 inch deep pot.

Which happen today.

I replanted the tip of the root into each ones own pot , supporting the seed by taping it to a bamboo stake. Then put the pots back on the seedling mat .

Anyway... here is a pic from today... 40 days after planting.

Jeff

Cotyledonary petiole!

Job well done, Jeff.

[gsn]

Jeff,

Maybe I am not thinking correctly,as I have never germinated Borassus seeds.

But am I understanding correctly that you took them out of the medium,and planted only the tip of the 14 inch root(Cotyledonary petiole)

below the surface?

I'm thinking that in nature there is no way that the root would reorient itself in this manner?I would think it would dry out, after having been in the ground ,then all of a sudden the majority of it is above the germinating/planting medium?

Maybe I'm out in left field,does anyone else perceive this as a potenial problem?

If I misunderstood your post, please ignore mine!

Edited November 21, 2008 by gsn

[paulgila]

you read the original post more carefully than i did,i didnt even notice till you mentioned it.

[John in Andalucia]

Scott raises a good point, Jeff. The cotyledonary petiole is the umbilical and will dry out prematurely, and the seedling will die, if there is no root structure to take up moisture. I usually wait until the shoot emerges. Even then, there's no need to disturb the seedling. I would just re-pot them in deeper pots. Use drain pipe if you can't find deeper pots.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Scott raises a good point, Jeff. The cotyledonary petiole is the umbilical and will dry out prematurely, and the seedling will die, if there is no root structure to take up moisture. I usually wait until the shoot emerges. Even then, there's no need to disturb the seedling. I would just re-pot them in deeper pots. Use drain pipe if you can't find deeper pots.

I would like to hear others experiences... I believe this seed has been scattered amost a few of us on the board.

But this method worked just fine with seed I had several years ago. My major problem is that I don't have a greenhouse to keep the small plants warm once they have there first leaf.

This has proved to be one of the most heat loving palm I have ever tried to grow. Our summer temps barely produced growth.... The soil needs to be above 78f.

Anyway..Once the " blob" has formed and as long as it stays under the most soil.... everything works out fine. It is my understanding that most... if not all of the energy has been spent from the seed already anyway.

As far as my seed source... sorry, I promised not to tell.

Jeff

[gsn]

Jeff,

If you have germinated Borassus,and done it the same way without any problems ,it is hard to argue with success!

However the part about the seed being used up at this point, I can't agree with.

Any palm I have germinated from seed ,it used the seed until at least the first leaf was formed, in some species the Cotyledonary petiole was green,(alive) which means the seed was still providing nutrients to the palm until the second leaf developed! I have had plants where the seed for whatever reason got knocked,broken off ,before the first leaf formed and they are invaribaly stunted or die!

Edited November 21, 2008 by gsn

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Jeff,

If you have germinated Borassus,and done it the same way without any problems ,it is hard to argue with success!

However the part about the seed being used up at this point, I can't agree with.

Any palm I have germinated from seed ,it used the seed until at least the first leaf was formed, in some species the Cotyledonary petiole was green,(alive) which means the seed was still providing nutrients to the palm until the second leaf developed! I have had plants where the seed for whatever reason got knocked,broken off ,before the first leaf formed and they are invaribaly stunted or die!

Scott, all that I can say is that borassus breaks the standard mold when it comes to germination.

I thought the same thing as you...the seed would have stored energy ...alas, that doesn't seem to be the case at this stage.

I once bought a couple borassus sprouts from Jeff at floribunda palms. The blob and part of hypo thingy no leaves...nadda. They grew fine. Eventually put on 2 strap leaves...and no seed. But they ended up dying 6 months later when I planted them into full sun without hardening them off.

Jeff

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Ok... another 30 days has passed. ( seventy days since planting seed)

I have lifted the entire seed and potted them up ...cotyledonary petiole and all.

I replanted it with the blob just under the soil surface and propped the spent seed .... leaving it attached for the first 2 weeks while the roots continued to grow below. I put the pots on a seed flat warmer which didn't keep the seedling as warm as I would have liked... soil temp averaged only 74f... I prefer 80f plus.

Below are two pics... One was when I cut the umiblical cord from the seed and tossed the spent seed away.

What is left sticking out of the soil looks hollow like a straw.

The second photo was from today... some 3 weeks after spent seed removel... you can see the " thing a majiggy " ( Can someone help me with the scientific name ?) growing out through the hollow in the center.

Jeff

[Tala]

Jeff,

term you are lookin for is hypocotyl, cotyledons are embryonic (in the seed) itself. Also I agree, as you mention the seed is spent after this fully emerges, and also as you may know already you can take your fingernail and slit an opening at the top of the hypocotyl, this will help release the eophyll (1st leaf blade), sometimes they can get "trapped" in there and rot.

Scott - no this is how Bo grows, I often suspend the entire hypocotyl in the air, leaving just the blob at bottom in the potting soil. This the only portion where roots form. You can also do this with other Borassoid palms (Bismarckia, Latania, Medemia, Hyphaene, etc.). Not sure about Lodoicea but if someone will send me seed ... Those are the ones I have tried, all w/ success. One possible drawback to this is only if you plant in situ after "raising up" - the young palms are a bit wobbly. For potted palms it makes no diff. as they are limited to how much they can push down regardless.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Tala

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Tala... Thanks... My palm my HS botany is a little rusty... I knew there were names for each part of the seed...and seedling, just didn't know the name.

If I remember correctly in my other attempt... the eophyll did its part without any help.

This time around... I will be hardening the palm off before putting in full sun.

I have found that these things love heat.... desert heat or tropical heat... but must have heat.

Jeff