Any positives to plant seedlings in the ground?

[Palmfarmer]

This depends on species of course but I got some seedlings and I wonder if there is any upsides to planting medium sized seedlings in the ground? 

[Tom in Tucson]

For palms with remote germination, like Medemia, Hyphaene, etc., they are far easier to get established than dealing with ultra deep pots.

Hi 73°, Lo 36°

[Palmfarmer]

10 hours ago, Tom in Tucson said:

For palms with remote germination, like Medemia, Hyphaene, etc., they are far easier to get established than dealing with ultra deep pots.

Hi 73°, Lo 36°

I will plant out Jubea and psudophoenix alfredii seedlings. 

[richnorm]

Jubaea do well planted as sprouts.   It used to be the mantra to grow until roots filled a large pot to bursting.  That is bad advice in my growing conditions and wastes a lot of years of progress.   Sooner the better is a better maxim but it really depends on the species, like with pot planting.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Here are just a few of the palms I planted directly into the ground as tiny one or two leaf seedlings. Most were 2-3” tall. I get volunteers from some of them now and dig move the ones I want to keep while they’re still very tiny. 
 

[Hurricanepalms]

I agree with @richnormand @Jim in Los Altos , I plant seedlings straight into the ground. The only time I deviate and pot grow them for a period is if I know my environmental conditions are not entirely conducive to their needs. If that’s the case, I will grow them into a larger more robust plant in a pot before transplanting them into the ground to give them a greater buffer against adverse conditions. 

[Xenon]

Planting one or two leaf seedlings (so really just germinated seed) has worked for me, even for cold tender/zone pushed palms. The ground is just a better buffer for moisture, temperature, and nutrients. Things can go wrong in a pot very quickly and there's just a lot more maintenance involved overall with pots at least in my climate imo. 

[Fusca]

This subject has been a challenge for me with our strong sun here in deep South Texas.  I have had good success with planting out Sabal (various), Hyphaene (coriacia, petersiana and thebaica), Gaussia gomez-pompae, Chamaedorea (radicalis, oblongata and microspadix) and Roystonea regia seedlings but have lost Medemia, Livistona mariae x decora, Syagrus coronata, Brahea armata x brandegeei, Ravenea glauca and Trithrinax acanthocoma.  Some of the losses were in mostly full sun and others in part sun and most were after multiple years in a pot from seed.  Not a single loss due to cold conditions.  I agree with Jonathan about the potential for things going wrong quickly in a pot which is why I have tried so many as seedlings/juveniles but the past two summers have me a bit gun-shy now.  

Edited December 15, 2023 by Fusca

[Merlyn]

In general I plant seedlings once they are big enough to fill up about a 1 gallon pot...as long as they are reliably cold-hardy in my zone.  The only ones that haven't done well with this are Archontophoenix, which disliked being in too much sun.  But otherwise they grow a LOT faster in the ground than in a pot.

[Maximum]

The soil here in southwest Florida is so sandy I don’t feel comfortable planting a palm (or anything else) in the ground  without amending it first. With the soil conditions, the heat and the sun IDK how anything can find enough moisture to survive. It amazes me! Respect to the self seeded Florida natives like sabal palms. So unbelievably tough! 

[Palmfarmer]

On 12/15/2023 at 4:20 PM, Fusca said:

This subject has been a challenge for me with our strong sun here in deep South Texas.  I have had good success with planting out Sabal (various), Hyphaene (coriacia, petersiana and thebaica), Gaussia gomez-pompae, Chamaedorea (radicalis, oblongata and microspadix) and Roystonea regia seedlings but have lost Medemia, Livistona mariae x decora, Syagrus coronata, Brahea armata x brandegeei, Ravenea glauca and Trithrinax acanthocoma.  Some of the losses were in mostly full sun and others in part sun and most were after multiple years in a pot from seed.  Not a single loss due to cold conditions.  I agree with Jonathan about the potential for things going wrong quickly in a pot which is why I have tried so many as seedlings/juveniles but the past two summers have me a bit gun-shy now.  

This is my worry as well. I am even further south and at a high elevation with 0 humidity. 

I will try some in mostly shade.