Bismark Germination Techniques?

[Sabal Steve]

Hello,

I have a few questions;

I picked some fresh seeds from a Bismarck the other day and was wondering which ones I will have most luck with - the pictures are placed below.

Can I use the Ziplock baggie technique?

Which method is best for Bismarck seeds specifically?

50/50 Perilite/Peat?

90/10 Perlite/Peat?

Pure Perlite?

Something else?

I was thinking of trying the damp paper towel inside of a Ziplock baggie - seems so much cleaner?

I plan on using a heating pad. I got a sunbeam one from Wall-Mart that I foresee working well. Stays nice and warm. It has an fixed on switch and 6 temp settings. I just put some B. armata seeds on it and they sprouted after about 2 months!

If the Ziplock baggie method would work fine, at what point should I pull the sprouted seed out and pot it?

What will happen if I put it in a 1 gallon pot (this would be ideal)? It's probably not quite 8 inches.

Could I just put these in a 5 gallon pot straight out of the Ziplock bag?

Any thoughts on the soil composition for the seedlings? - I don't want to be bogged down with repotting often.

I would like something very simple, and I'm not concerned about high germination rates, but at least 10 would be nice.

From the second image here (Fourth one down from the top) you can see the interior. The small black seeds seem to have a fleshy clear substance inside. Would I be able to ripen these? If so, how?

The larger greenish/black seeds have a hard seed beneath the fruit, however there is a cottonlike structure on the inside, and the endocarp is very thin. Of the ones that I have cleaned so far (the larger greenish/black ones) all of them float...

Thanks everyone.

[Kris]

hi,

kindly visit the materials need for germination thread.

but if you need Specific info on bismarkia palm then visit rarepalmseeds.com

there is all the information you need.

for me they did germinate easily like cidp or washy.but I live in hot tropics.

And for speedy seed germination I recomand washed river sand in terracotta pots medium sized placed outdoors in semi shade area.

and if you have rats & squirrels then put a metal mesh on top like a cap or cover.

and once they sprout they can handle full day full sunlight and they start

growing like crazy.

love,

kris.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Kris

[MattyB]

I think you've picked those seeds too early. You might have luck with the larger ones, but I suspect that all of the small ones will not germinate. I'd just put those large ones in a community pot and once you see that they are germinating, take them out and put them in their own pot.

[paulgila]

seeding Bismarcks are not that common in SD.

[MattyB]

Oh yeah, good point Paul. That female would have needed to be pollinated by a nearby male.

You might not wanna waste your time with those seeds. Get in touch with someone in Florida and buy a few seeds off of them, or knowing the generosity of people here on the board, someone might just send you a few for free.

[Sabal Steve]

hi,

kindly visit the materials need for germination thread.

but if you need Specific info on bismarkia palm then visit rarepalmseeds.com

there is all the information you need.

for me they did germinate easily like cidp or washy.but I live in hot tropics.

And for speedy seed germination I recomand washed river sand in terracotta pots medium sized placed outdoors in semi shade area.

and if you have rats & squirrels then put a metal mesh on top like a cap or cover.

and once they sprout they can handle full day full sunlight and they start

growing like crazy.

love,

kris.

Thanks Kris,

I'm actually trying the technique that you proposed in the other thread on another batch of seeds.

I've been trying different approaches. I've heard the same, that Bismarck seeds germinate fairly easily. I wanted to put them in a community pot as Matty suggested, but worry that as winter approaches that they may be too cold to germinate and rot.

[Sabal Steve]

Oh yeah, good point Paul. That female would have needed to be pollinated by a nearby male.

You might not wanna waste your time with those seeds. Get in touch with someone in Florida and buy a few seeds off of them, or knowing the generosity of people here on the board, someone might just send you a few for free.

It was a lone Bismarck... Total loss? I agree that it is hard to find fruiting Bismarcks in SD, especially in clusters.

[Sabal Steve]

seeding Bismarcks are not that common in SD.

There are 2 large Bismarcks in SD at Balboa Park near the reflecting pool. They are fruiting, but the fruit is too high up. The seeds that have fallen to the ground seem to be dried out and most float. I'm not sure how to tell the gender of the palms...

[MattyB]

I don't think I would be able to tell gender from flowers alone, but obviously if it has seed on it it's a female. Those seeds on the ground are probably good. Give them a try.

[tropicbreeze]

Earlier this year I collected some old fallen Bismarkia seed. There were lots of seedlings growing but most were getting cut down by lawnmowers. Wasn't sure whether the seeds were too old and unviable, or just hadn't sprouted yet, but thought for the price I could afford to find out. Put them in with ordinary soil in individual pots. They went through the winter without any sign of life and then just yesterday I noticed one was already over 100mm tall. The others still nothing. They're out under a tree getting a very light sprinkling from the automatic irrigation. Under the mother tree the seeds were in full sun virtually all day and on hard packed soil. That didn't seem to bother them as so many germinated okay, but that would have been during the rainy season.

[Shurley]

I harvested some Bismarkia seeds the other day near my home in South Florida.   They look like the large green ones in the first and second photos in the original post.  They are hard as rock and still attached to the stalk.   Should I wait and dry them till the husk comes off,  soak them and see if I can peel them or plant them just the way they are?  I've found several different ways to germinate them but preparing the seed isn't mentioned in any of them...

Any info appreciated...