Dumb heat mat question

[JohnAndSancho]

Should I be power cycling these things? Does it matter what's on the mat? 

Right now I've got 

Chambeyronia Macrocarpa (still holding hope they'll pop)

Bottle palms (see above)

L. Chineseis 

Sabal Mexicana 

Sabal Palmetto 

A. Tuckerii (I think Dave sent me about 30 pounds of these).

Some kind of Dypsis, I don't remember. One sprouted a year ago and nothing since. 

Chamaedorea Macrocarpa and Elegans - but I think I can give up on these, been there forever. These are in Tupperware, everything else is in a baggie. 

Everything is in coco coir that I try to keep moist. 

[happypalms]

Not really with a few degrees drop in night time temperatures a little fluctuation will be good for your seeds. Just check regularly for germinated seeds and tease them out as they need to. Chambeyronia take around 4 months up to 6  with good heat. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I baked the chambeys and bottle seeds. Before I bought the heat mats, I was using an old back and body heating pad. They've been in the baggies for almost a year and a half now. 

 

I had some Washies sprout so fast, and I wasn't checking them daily. They basically turned into spaghetti in the bag. And I had some Sabal Bermudana that took just a few weeks before they were literally tearing holes in the baggie.  All I can do is keep them moist and wait I guess. 

[JD in the OC]

 

Your Sabal and Livistona maybe. 

But no need to power cycle on the others IMO. Just keep at 88degF all the time. Chambeyronia sprout for me in under two months. I use 50/50 Fox Farm Light Warrior and perlite mix. Not a fan of coco coir or vermiculite. 

Good luck!

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I baked the chambeys and bottle seeds. Before I bought the heat mats, I was using an old back and body heating pad. They've been in the baggies for almost a year and a half now. 

 

I had some Washies sprout so fast, and I wasn't checking them daily. They basically turned into spaghetti in the bag. And I had some Sabal Bermudana that took just a few weeks before they were literally tearing holes in the baggie.  All I can do is keep them moist and wait I guess. 

Sounds like the chambeyronia are toast and the bottles. My chambeyronia take around 4 months without heat with the odd early one. Time to get some more seeds in, every one has his or her technique for germinating seeds but there are some standard proven methods. Time is the biggest factor the faster they germinate the better and less chance of things going wrong over time.