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| Windmill palm seeds |
Windmill palm trees, also called Trachycarpus fortunei and Chinese windmill palms, they can reach heights of up to 40 feet tall and typically has approximately 13 fronds that sprout from the top of the main trunk. The Windmill palm trees are popular for their cold-hardness, the trees can endure colder temperatures than other varieties of palm. This makes it suitable palm to plant in hardiness zones and any area that has winter temperatures above 10 degrees Farentheit. They can be found growing even as far north Canada. The Windmill palm is also slow growing tree wich makes it a good choice for container growing.
Here are the steps how to plant and grow Windmill palm from it own seeds.
- Palm seeds should be planted as soon as they are ripe. Seeds of some species are relatively short lived and some others begin to lose their viability in as soon as two to three weeks after ripening.
- The seeds should be soaked in water and the fleshy seed coat removed to accelerate germination.
- To enhance germination, thick, hard seed coats can be scarified. Scarification allows water and gasses to pass through the seed thus hastening germination.
- The seeds should be planted in a sterilized soil medium. Many are available commercially or a mixture containing one-half peat moss and one-half sand or any combination of peat moss, sand, perlite or vermiculite can be used. Generally a good rule of thumb for planting depth is that seeds should only be planted as deeply as the width of the seed itself.
- Freshly planted seeds should receive bright light, high humidity, moist soil conditions and a temperature between 80 and 95 degrees F. The use of bottom heat is also recommended.
- The germination time of palm seeds varies with the species. While some species will germinate in 4-8 weeks, other can take as long as 3-7 months. Seed reference guides should be consulted on this matter.
- When the first leaf is 2-4 inches long, the palm seedlings should be immediately transferred to individual containers. The plants can be planted into the landscape from April through August when 2-3 feet tall, but it is best to provide protection from full sun and high winds until the plants are well established.
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| Windmill palm seeds |
