I wouldn't keep them soaked but as long as they get at leaset mid 60s and sun they grow like grass.

Hi Gill. I'm not too far behind I guess. Mine broke the surface on Dec 21.

Andy, thanks for response. I let them dry out, well almost, between waterings then thoroughly moisten all the compost as with the slight bottom heat from the fish tank hood I find they can dry quickly. Hardly any sun, what there is is very weak, so come late afternoon they hop from the window onto the fish tank and under a wall light. Room is warmer than 60f when heating is on, but far colder when it's not. They seem to be doing well, just thought I'd try my luck at sowing them at this time of year to get a head start.
Josh, yours are romping away too. What temps are you giving them? Not sure which part of US you are in. How many have you got are those all WR's in the 4 pots? Didn't plant all of mine, good job as every one sprouted. Got 11 and gave 6 more away. Have you any other palms on the go? Keep up the good work.
Gill.

both w. robusta and w. filferia are desert palms, i would not keep the soil too wet. They grow like weeds here without any additional water than what they recieve as rain (we get about 11 inches of rain per year on a wet year) just so you can get an idea of how drought tolerant they are.

I have a couple of Filifera seedlings and I let mine dry out completely before I water again. I have them growing in those red plastic Solo cups. Mine are about 9 inches tall, and I set them on a heater vent on the floor at night, and place them in a south window during the day. They seem to like the warm blowing air from the heater vent, as they grow faster when on the heater vent than they do in the window with upper 60s F temps. I would let them dry out almost completely and provide bottom heat. I read that they don't like full sun at seedling stage anyway, because at that stage they're still an understory palm growing under the stand of parent plants.

Thanks for the extra info guys. It's a good job they don't like full sun then isnt it!! No chance of even seeing the sky never mind the sun today as it's masked out by thick freezing fog, yuk. Will err towards they dry side a tiny bit more but didn't want the mass of tiny roots to shrivel as they seem to be at such a delicate stage.
How long before I get divided leaves folks? Maybe sooner than I think as I caught the cat just about to shred one seedling thinking it was grass!
Gill.

Hi Gill,

Of all the cold hardy palms we can grow in good old blighty Washys are by far the most satifying in the first couple of years and given plenty of food and water you should see split leaves inside of 12 months, certainly if you extend the growing season (which is only about 6 months in the UK) by keeping it indoors, and providing you give it plenty of light.

The first pic was taken December 2003 and the second at the end of November 2007. You won't get that sort of growth with a Trachy even though it is better suited to our climate.

Well done for sprouting yours and good luck!

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T-H hi there, looks like I've found another palm-nut in the UK then? See you are from a slightly warmer part of the country? I'm from Staffs Moorlands, nr Alton Towers, ever ventured north of the infamous Watford Gap?! Our overall temps will be cooler all year round I'm guessing. Collected fallen washy seeds from C del Sol in mid Nov and had 100% germination, told they're the easiest to sprout, and I agree! Got some Butia C, Trachy F and Sabal M seeds off eBayUk all snug and warn trying to get them to sprout. Am hooked on palms. I see you have your washy outside, must be really protected, we are high up and very exposed. Realise will have to keep my washys indoors mostly, no prob. Hopefully potted ones will stay on small side and not get to heights of 100ft+? Pleased to hear they will split sooner than the Phoenix C and D, they took their time.
What other types can I see in your garden? Were they seed grown or bought as plants?
Cheers, Gill.

W. robusta seedlings grow readily in full sun in Calif.

I'm just curious, does anybody know of anyone in the UK that has sabal minor growing outside?

Not yet!!
Gill.

Gill, to the right of the washy is a trachycarpus wagnerianus and left is a phoenix reclinata and feline sp moggierianus. Both the waggie and the phoenix were bought as small plants a few years ago. Maybe worth trying the washy out when it gets too big for the house in the winter. I live in Kent and still get low temps to around -7c every year for the past 6 years. The washy comes through winters with just a rain shelter, they suffer with rot more than freeze damage, if you can stop the growing point from rotting then you are in with a chance of success, although i think mine may be a robusta/filifera hybrid which may be tougher than a standard robusta.

Islandbreese

There is someone growing a sabal not far from me, its about 30 years old i think and has a rain shelter all year round, i'm not sure they are very successful here as they are soooo sloooowww due to our cool summers although there are a few of us in the UK trying different varieties, i am trying riverside and bermudana the latter seeming fairly hardy for me and faster growing than others i have tried.

TH, thanks for that info. I tried some Waggie seeds a few years ago, had no luck whatsoever in sprouting them. Also have a similar Feline Moggerianus sp, dead easy to propagate!
Just got back from an afternoons walking, drove through local town to start point and found myself looking in every garden 'palm spotting', how sad is that?! I must have it bad. Spied 5 in total, one was a feather type and looked like a Phoenix, others were fan palms, at least two types, but I'm not that good at ID'ing them yet. Loads of Cordylines and Agaves also, very common in UK now.
Surprised you get to -6/7 in your part of the UK. Been lovely here today, very cold, but sunny, makes the day appear to lengthen when it's been sunny, will be glad to get our longer days back again. It's too dark for too long at present. Can't wait for spring, gardening till turned 10pm...mmmmmmh there's a thought!
Gill.