Seeing plants begin their life is a wonderful experience that no one should miss. But, even before germinating, plant beings have to break a barrier: that of the seed itself. Just as a chick has to be strong to create a hatch that protected and nurtured it while it was a developing bird, plants must have sufficient stamina and energy to be able to see sunlight for the first time.
To pave the way a bit for them, we can use a series of tricks to germinate seeds, like the ones we tell you below.
Not all species produce the same seeds, so, depending on the type, we will have to use one trick or another. Thus, we have:
Evergreen trees
acacia saligna
It will depend on the type of seed. As usual, If they are leathery and round or oval, they should be put in boiling water for 1 second and in a glass of hot water for 24 hours; otherwise, they can be sanded a little (two or three passes are enough) and then put in a glass of water for a day. Afterwards, they can be sown in a pot with universal growing medium mixed with perlite in equal parts, or with vermiculite.
Cactus and succulent plants
Rebutia nigricans
Being from places where the climate is very hot, They must be sown in seedbeds with vermiculite mixed with pumice in equal parts and placed in an area where they receive a lot of light, but not directly.
conifers
sequoia sempervirens
The vast majority of coniferous species live in areas where winter weather is cold, and even very cold. Taxodium, Chamaecyparis, Sequoia, ... all of them They must also be sown in a tupperware and place it in the refrigerator at 4-5ºC for no more than 4 months. After that time, they will be sown in pots with universal growing substrate.
Palms
Dypsis decaryi (the one on the right), along with some Hyophorbe verschaffeltii.
Palm tree seeds germinate very well by sowing them in a clear plastic zip-lock bag filled with coconut fiber or vermiculite. Put the bag near a heat source, at around 25-30ºC, and in just two months you will see the first ones germinate. As soon as they begin to germinate, they can be transferred to a pot with universal cultivation substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts, and with 10% organic fertilizer.
Horticultural, perennial and seasonal plants
Tomato seedbed.
These are herbaceous plants that germinate very easily by planting them directly in a seedbed with seedbed substrate or with mulch. Of course, they have to be placed on the surface of the substrate and covered with a very thin layer of soil, enough so that the wind cannot carry them away.
Plants that lose their leaves in autumn-winter
Maple palmatum, better known as Japanese maple.
The species that are devoid of leaves during the cold months of the year produce seeds that, to germinate, need cool temperatures for 2-3 months. Therefore, to achieve a high percentage of germination, They have to sow in a tupperware with vermiculite for 8-12 weeks and place it in the fridge at 5ºC, opening the container once a week so that the air is renewed and the fungi do not proliferate. After that time, they are planted in a pot with vermiculite.
Have these tricks been useful to you? 🙂
Regarding palm trees you can specify more, example, how long does it get wet with a lot of water, please explain more.
Thank you
Hi Gonzalo.
The substrate to be used must be damp, but not flooded. It does not have to "drip", otherwise the seeds will rot.
A greeting.