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Germinating Palm Seeds
Palm Seeds Germination
Soak the seeds for 24 hours (sometimes longer for very hard-coated seeds). Change the water several times during this period. Keep the soaking seeds in a warm place such as a kitchen or airing cupboard.
Clean the seeds. Get rid of any flesh or hairs (if possible) adhering to them. Fungus is a big problem with some germinating palm seeds. Although you can treat them with fungicides, these are not always particularly efficient. Fungus loves the flesh of seeds, so clean it off!
Place the seeds in a sterile medium which is only barely moist. The biggest problems I had when I started growing palms were due to the fact that the germinating medium was too wet. This grew lots of mould, but not many palms. These days, I use a 1 pint measure - about 550ml - of vermiculite (available from garden centres), moistened with 30ml - about two tablespoons - of water. The resulting vermiculite should feel quite dry to the touch. Nevertheless, don't be tempted to add more water. I have germinated seeds in as little at 10ml of water to 1 pint of vermiculite.
Seal the seeds in an airtight container - such as a plastic sandwich box (recommended) or a plastic bag.
Place it in a warm-to-hot position; say above the hot-water tank. Temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (about 32C) are ideal.
Inspect the seeds daily. If the seeds are fresh (a big if!), you may find that many species germinate in as little as one or two weeks, in spite of the fact that the books tell you they are likely to take 2 or 3 months!
When a root appears, carefully put the seeds into well-drained compost (e.g. 50/50 standard potting compost and coarse grit), and keep warm until the shoot appears. When the shoot appears place the palm in a warm, light place. If your room temperature is fairly cool, be very careful not to over-water as the roots of some palms (even the humble date palm) will rot if the compost is kept wet when the palms are not actively growing.