The diversity of the palm plants means that the palm seeds also look very different. From large, round to elongated to very small seeds, almost every shape is represented. The germination time of the individual varieties also differs greatly. If you have collected seeds on holiday or if you have leftover seeds in the kitchen, it is a nice experience to grow the Mediterranean plants from them yourself.
Depending on the palm species, palm seeds can be as small as a pea or as large as a head
In this article we look at:
- With the appearance and texture of the fruit,
- why palm trees can only be propagated from seed
- and how to do this.
The appearance of the fruit
Palm fruits are extremely diverse and reach different sizes. With a diameter of half a meter and a weight of thirty kilograms, the Seychelles nut is one of the heaviest fruits on earth. Others, on the other hand, only weigh a few grams and look like small dust grains. The surface can be smooth and shiny or, like the coconut palm, covered with long fibres. The coloring is also not uniform and ranges from yellow and red to gray and brown to deep black.
Stone fruit or berry?
Stone fruits occur as well as berries. The coconut is a stone fruit that is similar in structure to a cherry. It is surrounded by a smooth skin called the exocarp. Underneath is fibrous plant tissue (mesocarp). From this, the coconut fibers are obtained, which can be spun into very stable yarns. The mesocarp surrounds the tasty, hard core, the endocarp. In this, in turn, the seed is enclosed. There are three points on the side, the germ holes. From one of these grows, the fallen nut finds good conditions, eventually the germ out.
Berry fruits, on the other hand, have a soft endocrap that is firmly attached to the seed. In some cases, their flesh is also edible. A good example of this is the real date palm.
The germination time
Palm trees are mainly propagated by seed, as only a few species produce lateral offshoots. The division as with other plants is not possible due to the growth form.
The germination time varies greatly from species to species. For some species, it only lasts about two weeks, while other varieties take up to three years before the seed finally sprout.
Palm trees are monocot plants
When the seeds sprout, another peculiarity of the palm trees becomes visible. Only a single cotyledon is formed in the palm seed and not, as in many other plants, a pair of leaves.
Grow palm trees yourself
The best germination success is achieved with fresh seeds, for example a date stone. Alternatively, you can obtain germinable seeds from specialist plant shops. With a little patience and a willingness to experiment, you can use these to grow a wide variety of palm species yourself.
Cultivation in the germination bag
This method has proven very effective with palm friends, because the seed grows relatively reliably due to the constant conditions. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Remove the pulp from the seeds and soak them in water for two to three days.
- Soak coconut, swelling earth or perlite (37.51€) well with water and leave for a few hours.
- Squeeze something out, because too much moisture leads to rot even with these germ-free soils.
- Place substrate in a bag or plastic box and place palm seeds on top.
- Seal tightly and place in a place where the temperature is between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius.
- It can speed up germination if you simulate the natural day and night temperature variations. For example, place the bag on the warm, sunny window sill during the day and in a cool room at night.
A lot of patience is now required, because palm seeds like to take their time with germination. In addition, all seeds rarely sprout at the same time. If a seedling with a root appears, remove it from the container and place it in a tall, narrow plant pot. This is where the taproot can develop optimally.
Cultivation in the pot
For example, if you want to germinate a coconut, the plastic bag method is not suitable. The following procedure has proven itself here:
- Fill a flower pot that is adapted to the size of the seed with coconut hum or coconut swelling soil and moisten well.
- Put in the palm seeds and cover them with the substrate about a centimeter thick.
- Coconuts are placed about half in substrate.
- Cover with a hood or bag (greenhouse climate).
- Water regularly and air occasionally.
- As soon as the cotyledon becomes visible, make sure that it remains in the moist soil.
- Repotting is only done when the root tips show up at the drainage hole of the cultivation container.
tips
In 1963, 2,000-year-old date palm seeds were found during excavations in Israel. In 2005, one of these seeds germinated. This palm, now found in the Negev desert, is called the Judean Date Palm and is believed to be the plant that could be grown from the oldest seed.