The only way to grow offshoots of hemp palms is by seed propagation. It's not particularly difficult, but it takes a long time. You have to wait up to four years before you can grow a new hemp palm from a seed.

Young hemp palms are not hardy

The hemp palm is dioecious

The hemp palm is dioecious. This means you need a male and a female plant to harvest seeds for propagation yourself.

Male and female hemp palms differ in the color of the flowers. Male specimens bear golden yellow flowers, female flowers are light green. Seeds can only develop in the female flowers if they are pollinated. You can pollinate yourself with a brush.

The seeds ripen from December to January. Let them dry on the palm until they shake off. You can then use them to grow new hemp palms.

Propagation from seeds - step by step

  • Fill pots with potting soil
  • Allow seeds to soak for 24 hours
  • roughen with sandpaper if necessary
  • sow seeds
  • cover thinly with soil
  • Keep substrate moist
  • Keep pots as warm as possible

Lots of patience required

It can take a year for a seed to germinate. Only then do the tender cotyledons appear. Until you have grown a real hemp palm, you have to plan another three to four years.

How to continue caring for the seedlings

Once the seedling has reached a height of at least four inches, transplant it into a larger pot.

The substrate should now be nice and loose. Mixtures of compost, garden soil, some peat and small-grain gravel have proven successful.

Water the seedlings regularly. You should not fertilize them in the first few years, as they get their nutrients from the shells of the seeds.

The young plants are not hardy and must be overwintered in the tub. Only when they are at least four years old are the young hemp palms robust enough to be planted outdoors.

tips

Seeds for hemp palms are also available from specialized garden shops. It is often safer to grow new plants from purchased seeds as they are guaranteed to be fertilized and will actually germinate.

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Trees