Where to buy fresh Butia Odorata & Jubaea Chilensis seeds?

[OriolesRock100]

As the title states - I don't know where to find fresh Butia Odorata and Jubaea Chilensis seeds... I have had no luck germinating the 2 batches of butia seeds I've bought, so I fear that the ones I bought weren't fresh. Usually I just buy my seeds off eBay, but I don't know how to guarantee the ones I buy are freshly harvested, and there are no Jubaea seeds on eBay at all. In short, do you guys have any reliable sources for either of these seeds (I'm in the US) or any tips on methodology to germinate them? With the Butias I tried the baggie method with soil and with paper towels, and I tried just putting the seeds in a community pot in a hot room and keeping the soil moist, so I think it was just an issue with the seeds' freshness. Thanks in advance for the help!

[Fusca]

17 hours ago, OriolesRock100 said:

As the title states - I don't know where to find fresh Butia Odorata and Jubaea Chilensis seeds... I have had no luck germinating the 2 batches of butia seeds I've bought, so I fear that the ones I bought weren't fresh. Usually I just buy my seeds off eBay, but I don't know how to guarantee the ones I buy are freshly harvested, and there are no Jubaea seeds on eBay at all. In short, do you guys have any reliable sources for either of these seeds (I'm in the US) or any tips on methodology to germinate them? With the Butias I tried the baggie method with soil and with paper towels, and I tried just putting the seeds in a community pot in a hot room and keeping the soil moist, so I think it was just an issue with the seeds' freshness. Thanks in advance for the help!

Both Butia and Jubaea seeds can be tricky to germinate.  I've failed with both of them using fresh seeds I collected myself, but I've also had success.  Jubaea seeds seem to germinate better with fluctuating temperatures (cool plus high heat) so if you're using the baggie method with a heat mat try turning off the heat during the night and on during the day.  I've had more success with Butia by putting them in the refrigerator for 6 weeks before sowing.  In your location you could probably just put them outside in November/December.  I can't help you with a good source for seeds but hopefully the tips will help you.  It's possible that the seeds you bought were fresh but Butia seeds do have a pretty long shelf life.  Good luck.

[OriolesRock100]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

Both Butia and Jubaea seeds can be tricky to germinate.  I've failed with both of them using fresh seeds I collected myself, but I've also had success.  Jubaea seeds seem to germinate better with fluctuating temperatures (cool plus high heat) so if you're using the baggie method with a heat mat try turning off the heat during the night and on during the day.  I've had more success with Butia by putting them in the refrigerator for 6 weeks before sowing.  In your location you could probably just put them outside in November/December.  I can't help you with a good source for seeds but hopefully the tips will help you.  It's possible that the seeds you bought were fresh but Butia seeds do have a pretty long shelf life.  Good luck.

Thanks for the tips! I’ll make sure to try those when I get my hands on some seeds. I’ll try a batch of butia leaving them in the garage this winter before planting. One question - do you soak them before putting them in the fridge or wait until after taking them out?

[Fusca]

5 hours ago, OriolesRock100 said:

One question - do you soak them before putting them in the fridge or wait until after taking them out?

I soak them just before sowing in planting medium so after the fridge cooling.  

[Scott W]

Butia like higher heat for germination, and I use heat mats to germinate both my Butia and Butia hybrids.

I have some Butia seed I harvested last year that I forgot about.  They've been stored indoors at 75f sealed in plastic.   I cracked some open and the kernal is still very moist, so I believe them to be viable still.

If you want some message me your address and I'll get them in the mail to you.

 

[Fusca]

@OriolesRock100, here's a source for Jubaea: