Below is a link to one method of germinating palm seeds that should increase your percentage of germination. In the search box at the top of the page you can put in "germinating palm seeds" or something similiar and find several ways to go about it. Good luck with those seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Germination method

Since you are in south FLA, I would just do it the good ole au natural way. Just collect as many as you can, and toss em all over the ground. Don't bury then or anything, do nothing to them, just toss em. I can tell you from first hand experience from my uncles place, and from reading multiple threads on different forums of people wanting to get RID of them, that when they seed, the seeds just sprout and root on thier own just fine, and rather prolifically. I remember my uncles sabals when I was a kid, he would have almost a carpet of baby sabals under the tree itself, and there would be seedlings scattered all over his and the neighbors lawns.

Furthermore, the places that have mature, seed producing sabal minor up here where I live, they seed prolifically, and they germinate just fine just by falling to the ground on their own. There are a couple of places I know of in the DC area that have mature populations of Sabal Minor, and they are littered with seedlings growing up under neath of the parent palms. Since you are in an area that is favorable for the Sabal Palmetto, I would just gather as many as you can, toss em, and let nature do its thing.

Thanks guys, I'll use both methods. Sabal palmetto seeds are just starting to ripen, most are still green. I'll gather them by the buckets and throw handfuls of them into the preserve, which is underwater now due to recent rains from TS Fay. I'll do the same with saw palmetto, we have both the green and silver varieties growing prolifically here. My neighborhood had been cleared years ago for cattle grazing, and I want to restore it to its natural state of subtropical wetlands, with cypress, swamp maple and dahoon holly.

Hey there, Let us know what works! Ill definitely be interested in hearing which one or if both worked and how well.

Also, if u wouldnt mind parting withe some saw palmetto seedlings or seeds, I would be happy to take some off of your hands! Let me know and we can arrange for me to send you postage if youd like. I would imagine it would not be too hard to ship rooted seedlings, or to ship lots of seeds at minimal cost. Let me know. =o)

abcd

This post was edited by Migrant on Mon, Jan 21, 13 at 10:39