andy I don't know but would love to know where you bought your seeds email me at skipperdeer@aol.com Rob

Robs2007- I ordered them from rarepalmseeds.com.

Andy just curious how long did it take to germinate these ..do you use bottom heat ? Mine are slow.

I would say slow the first year and faster the second. Probably would be in a three gallon in two yrs or maybe sooner. I have germinated spindles and they are about that fast so I would think they are about the same. I bought a little one gallon a year and a half ago and its in a least a ten gallon now. They do grow faster here but with the heat they will grow pretty fast.

Sounds like its doing good.

I have some small bottle palm plants that I have had for about 4 years and they are still small. The grow slow. Spindle palms grow faster than bottles and the Champagne palm grows faster than the spindles.

I have found bottles to be just the opposite here.They outgrew my spindles hands down. I guess it depends on allot of variables.

My bottles add a new leaf about every 2 months during the hot summer, and about every 3 months the rest of the year.

With each leaf, there is less than an inch of height added to the trunk.

In a tropical climate, I guess you'd get about 6 new leaves per year. If the plant is "struggling", then you get about 3 lvs per year (?).

I also have a spindle, it does not seem to be growing any faster than the bottles. My seedling bottle x spindle hybrid is still too small to make any judgments.

Regular watering will fatten the trunk. One thing I've noticed, the bottles are particularly sensitive to fertilizer salts, so make sure you give them slightly acidic water, and irrigate enough each time where a significant amount drains through the bottom, and absolutely DO NOT let the pot sit in that water in a saucer.

In light of their need for frequent watering, they should be kept extra warm otherwise they may rot. I haul my big one (on wheels) indoors at night when evening temps dip below about 60F. Or you can use a soil mix that is predominantly drainage material (perlite, pumice, turface) and use liquid fertilizers.

I made the mistake of using a long-term slow release fertilizer. Never again.

x

I am with X on this, I get about 6 leafs a year. I guess because the plants were so small when I got them, they will take along time to get what I think is big. Give them plenty of heat so they will keep growing.

I think one of the biggest factors with us northern growers compared to the Florida growers is the winter months and lack of sunlight. I dont have the problem as much as the grows above me as I am able to keep the plants warm, but I think the sunlight plays an important role.

Andy,
These photos are from some that germinated last May,

July, 2007

October, 2007

Knnn-
Thank you for the pictures. They look like my seedlings that have popped up. The colouring especially.

Hello everybody. What would you say are the ideal germination conditions for a bottle palm. I have had germination rates not higher than 5% and I feel that this is very low indeed. The seeds that germinated have turned into beautiful plants. I need your help!!

hi
i just used a 6 inch pot with some soil and kept it abpve 80.
As i recall they didn't all germinate at once in fact over several months . I had MUCH better luck with seeds I collected myself rather than those I bought on line ,
Guess like most palm seed they have a short storage life?? As long as the seed has not rotted there's still a chance !! I have had some types take 27 months!!!
Would think in your area they should be very easy?? gary