Chamaedorea tuerckheimii

[Cindy Adair]

I have had three female Chamaedorea tuerckheimii (potato chip palms) grown from tiny seedlings for about 10 years, but was only able to add a male from a four inch pot 3-4 years ago.

 

I have no experience with hand pollinating any plant except vanilla orchids, although doing so is only my long list of plant related activities to learn. So this is nature’s work.

To me it looks like I have just a few tiny fruits, one still greenish black and the other even smaller ones already black. 

Do I try to wrap maybe a bit of extra shade cloth to catch them as they fall

or try to pick the black ones without disturbing the greenish one so it might mature more? 

Maybe the small black ones are aborting anyway?

I read that these can take up to 12 months to germinate and they are so small that I plan the baggie method to keep more even moisture for so long, unless you have other suggestions?

I would love a little grove of these plus plants in two different areas for better hurricane survival.

Thanks for any advice!

[Johnny Palmseed]

First of all, congratulations on your accomplishments. Those look very happy. My suggestion would be to try to wrap the stem with a light netting material like cheesecloth that could catch the seeds before they fall to the ground. You could wrap the end and tie off the stem with some twist ties forming a bag of sorts. Of course you would have to check it regularly as the environment would degrade the materials.

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks Johnny Palmseed!

This was a first try:

 

[Johnny Palmseed]

I think that looks great. Barring any strong winds or animals, you might just catch some seeds!

[Cindy Adair]

I left the opening, because I knew I could not resist peeking. 
 

 Shouldn’t have much wind in that protected area.

Not sure what might want to eat these here?
 

Birds definitely enjoy the Roystonea fruit though.

[metalfan]

you are so lucky I have wanted one of these for years

[realarch]

 Good luck Cindy! Only have one and love it. 

Tim