When the weather is good, there are many species of palm trees that begin to bloom, or whose fruits finish maturing. The seeds are the result of pollination, and that’s the method that flowering plants (called angiosperms) use to reproduce. There are some palm trees that can reproduce asexually, that is, by separating the basal shoots from the mother plant. This technique can only be carried out in multicaule species, such as Phoenix reclines, high vinesor the Deeply shiningalthough it is difficult.
So, if you want to have one in a pot or in the garden at a low price, even free, we are going to tell you how palm trees reproduceboth by seeds and cuttings. Take note of these tips and tricks to increase your chances of success.
Reproduction by seeds
Image – Flickr / Nuytsia @ Tas // Palm tree seeds Jubaea chilensis
In nature, even in gardens or parks, palm trees have no difficulty getting their flowers to pollinatesince the fauna willing to carry out this work is more than enough. The problem can arise when we only have a specific species within a 2-3 km radius. In this case, it could come to fruition, but the seed would not be fertile and it would not serve us.
To check the viability of the seeds, put them in a container with water at room temperature for 24 hours. Those that have sunk are those that you can sow, whereas those that float will be discarded. One trick to guarantee that they will germinate is to collect them directly from the palm tree as soon as we see that some begin to fall to the ground. Of course, that is not always possible, so if we buy them, it is important that they are acquired in specialized stores.
Step by step
Once at home, they can be sown in individual seedbeds, trays, previously washed milk containers, … well, in anything you can think of. Do not forget to maintain a certain degree of humidity in the substrate so that they germinate without difficulty. These are the steps to follow:
- Prepare the seedbed: this must have a hole in its base so that the water can come out, and it must also be clean. If you use milk containers for example, wash them before with water and dish soap.
- Fill it with substrate: coconut fiber (for sale here!), soil for seedlings (for sale here!), a universal substrate containing perlite, … any of these substrates will allow future palm trees to grow normally.
- Water: before sowing the seeds, you have to moisten the substrate. This way, you make sure that it will be very moist.
- Sow the seeds: now yes, place them on the ground and bury them a little. If they measure a centimeter deep, for example, put a thin layer (maximum one centimeter) of substrate on top. In addition, they must be separated from each other; in fact, if the seedbed is 10 centimeters in diameter, the ideal is that there are about 2 or 3 seeds at most.
- Place the seedbed near a heat sourcePalm trees need a temperature of about 20-25ºC to germinate. For this reason, it is advisable to sow in summer.
How long do they take to germinate?
It will depend a lot on the species of palm and how new the seed is. There are some that take a few days, but there are others that take much longer. Therefore, below we will tell you how long the most common varieties need as long as their seeds are fresh:
- Archontophoenix Alexandrae.: between 2 and 4 weeks. Learn More.
- Archontophoenix cunninghamiana: ditto.
- butia capitata: 1-2 months.
- Butia scented: ditto.
- Chamaerops humilis (palmetto): about 2 weeks.
- Cocoa nuts (coconut tree): between 2 and 4 weeks. Learn More.
- Deeply shining (areca): ditto.
- Howea forsteriana (kentia): between 3 and 4 months.
- Jubaea chilensis: 3-4 months.
- phoenix canariensis (Canary Island palm): from 1 week to 2 months.
- Phoenix dactylifera (datebook): idem.
- Washingtonia will spin (fan leaf palm): 1 week.
- Robust Washingtonia (fan leaf palm): ditto. Learn More.
Related article:
Palm tree reproduction: seeds
Reproduction by cuttings
Image – Wikimedia / Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
The reproduction by cuttings or asexual in palm trees it is not widely used in gardening, because the probability of success is low, and it is necessary to have control of the climatic conditions at all times so that everything goes well. Still, and as a curiosity, let’s see what it consists of:
- With a previously disinfected handsaw, a cut is made as close as possible to the main trunk. Afterwards, a healing paste is applied to prevent the entry of fungi into the palm tree.
- Then, in a greenhouse that has the necessary equipment to control humidity (between 40 and 60%) and temperature (keeping it at around 20º), the cutting impregnated with rooting hormones is planted in a pot with substrate that facilitates drainage. An appropriate mix would be 60% black peat + 30% perlite + 10% worm castings, although perlite alone is also used.
Palm cuttings rarely root. The problem is that they are very sensitive to rot, and fungi attack them in a very short time. That is why this is a breeding method that is used more by experts.
What palm trees can be multiplied by cuttings?
The only palm trees that can be reproduced in this way are those that produce several logshow are you:
- areca triandra
- Chamaerops humilis
- Deeply shining
- Dypsis cabadae
- Phoenix dactylifera
- Phoenix reclines (more information)
But, we insist, the best way to multiply a palm tree is by sowing the seeds. It takes longer at times, depending on the species, but it’s worth it.
What do you think?
