Starting a Sabal from seed

[MSX]

A new project: Sabal from scratch

 

[SeanK]

I would use a heating mat to germinate them this summer.

[MSX]

Germination is fast - a week in sphagnum moss/perlite mix and here we go

[PalmatierMeg]

7 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I would use a heating mat to germinate them this summer.

I agree. You may need that mat next winter to keep your seedlings from stalling. Sabals want high heat, sun and humidity esp. in summer. The major reason they are so cold hardy in winter is a hot, sunny summer. In year round cold/cool climates they struggle to survive much less grow well.

That said, Sabals are great for germinating palms from seeds. My first palm germinations were Sabal palmetto seeds I collected locally. Looks like you're doing the right things. Your seedlings should do well for at least the next few years.

[Fusca]

I've germinated a bunch of different Sabals from seed that are now in my landscape.    First pic is Sabal guatemalensis from my property in San Antonio and others are what I currently have.

Sabal miamiensis:

Sabal causiarum:

Sabal domingensis:

Sabal 'Riverside':

Sabal maritima:

[Stefanus]

I'm germininating seeds from the same batch atm, I'll follow this thread with interest!

[MSX]

13 hours ago, Stefanus said:

I'm germininating seeds from the same batch atm, I'll follow this thread with interest!

Cool! So we have the same batch seeds from Tobias! How is your progress with the germination?

[Stefanus]

10 hours ago, MSX said:

Cool! So we have the same batch seeds from Tobias! How is your progress with the germination?

Yes, I think so. The germination rate seems quite good! I ordered 20 seeds and germinated the first 10 with the baggy method, potted them up and a few are starting to break the surface. 

[LeonardHolmes]

It's a long-term project.  I started some from seed around 1990 and one is looking "trunky."  They are in the woods and so they grow slower and don't look as chunky as they do in the sun.  

 

 

[MSX]

On 5/7/2024 at 1:41 AM, Stefanus said:

Yes, I think so. The germination rate seems quite good! I ordered 20 seeds and germinated the first 10 with the baggy method, potted them up and a few are starting to break the surface. 

I received 11 seeds and all of them germinated within a week-10 days period, so germination rate is 100% at my end. Good fresh seeds

[MSX]

On 5/7/2024 at 6:22 PM, LeonardHolmes said:

It's a long-term project.  I started some from seed around 1990 and one is looking "trunky."  They are in the woods and so they grow slower and don't look as chunky as they do in the sun.  

 

 

Beautiful Sabals! This is my first Sabal try and I do realize they are slow growers, but if they really beat trachies in hardiness in the long run I think it's worth trying. And to balance the things for short-term palm project I have my Washy

[Arecaceus]

I only recently got more into Sabals and the ones I grew from seeds so far all germinated pretty quickly. S. causiarum was the fastest and is also the fastest growing seedling. One causiarum seedling is already planted out and made it through the winter quite well. It has already been growing all spring so far and I'm surprised about its speed even compared to other seedlings of faster palm species. Repotting is very important though. My S. palmetto 'Lisa" seedlings are still in a small community container and they all stopped growing by now. I'm going to pot them soon.