Jubaea x Butia f3 seed viability- calling all experts!

[SailorBold]

Here are some pictures of seeds from a Jubaea x Butia f3 hybrid palm.  As a fellow palm talk member suggested (Ty Collectorpalms).. I used a mini hack saw and cut 2 seeds lengthwise..and one across the equator.. to see if the seeds may be viable or not..  pictures are below.

Can anyone with this kind of experience tell by looking if these are viable seeds? 

Thanks in advance for all your help..

[SailorBold]

I decided to carefully crack one of the seeds and this is what it looks like..   this one may be from the third spathe..not sure was on the ground underneath.

[Jaguey]

The nut that you cracked appears to have two potentially viable seed.  The third seed is aborted.

[SailorBold]

On 9/22/2022 at 3:39 PM, Jaguey said:

The nut that you cracked appears to have two potentially viable seed.  The third seed is aborted.

Ok.. thats what I was thinking..  do you think the dark color "eyes" are an indication as well?  Like as in a coconut seed?

[Collectorpalms]

Interesting. Here was example of inside of a butia from palmtalk, and a jubaea from google search.

I have cracked a few Jubaea, and they do taste like a coconut. Looks like Butia too difficult to break.

 

[SailorBold]

5 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

Interesting. Here was example of inside of a butia from palmtalk, and a jubaea from google search.

I have cracked a few Jubaea, and they do taste like a coconut. Looks like Butia too difficult to break.

 

Thanks for sharing that.. im going to start some in a baggie.. but they appear to be viable.  I did plant those 2 embryos from the test in one of my houseplants as well.

[Joe NC]

Just a bit of info on my experience germinating.

I purchased a few JubxBut F2(or F3?) seeds online.  They didn't germinate using the standard bottom heat in a bag technique, so I gave up on them after like 6 months.  I did throw the seeds into a potted plant on my patio just in case.   Well, sometime like 2 years later I had them pop up. 

[SailorBold]

6 hours ago, Joe NC said:

Just a bit of info on my experience germinating.

I purchased a few JubxBut F2(or F3?) seeds online.  They didn't germinate using the standard bottom heat in a bag technique, so I gave up on them after like 6 months.  I did throw the seeds into a potted plant on my patio just in case.   Well, sometime like 2 years later I had them pop up. 

Wow really? That's an extremely long time.. is there anything that would speed that up?  They all sink in water.. perhaps nicking the seeds with a grinder and soaking in water for a month?

[Jeff zone 8 N.C.]

Congratulations. You made what appear to be good seed. The baggie method is a good one but I am starting to open those baggies often,  to check, and for fresh air to get inside. After all where in nature do seeds sprout in an air tight environment? I think they need air exchange as your seeds or planting mix may give off certain gases that are not good for sprouting.  Also I would vary moisture. That's what happens in nature. I have given up on seeds before, as have a lot of people, only to have them sprout later after giving up and just basically throwing them away into a more natural environment.  Long fiber sphagnum moss (not peat moss) has natural rot fighting properties, in it, to help with fending off rot. I use it in it's pure state to plant seed. It retains a lot of water so you need to squeeze it dry before planting and then let it dry a little before adding more moisture. You can find it in the Orchid growing supplies area of a nursery.  Also I have learned to vary temperature.  Again in nature temps vary so leave them warm for a while but then let them experience some cooler temps before going back to warm.  Wishing you the best with these and have enjoyed following your threads on this palm.

[Collectorpalms]

If you are keeping them, we’ll I did the baggie method the Tupperware method etc.. for years, but if you get lazy or moisture isn’t perfect they die on you.

Since it’s determined ( Yeah! ) they are viable, I would put them straight into pots with sterile potting media. I use Anderson pots ( square 4x10) double stacked so they are root pruned so you can safely put a few seeds in the pots to save space and separate them after about third leaf. Assume you will lose a leaf in the transplant. 

Temperature is key. Higher the better (90-95F), and even moisture. 
 

Otherwise, the long fiber spagnum moss is ok if your checking every day.