Trachycarpus Fortunei Seeds

Trachycarpus fortunei Seeds

The Trachycarpus fortunei is an exotic looking evergreen palm. It is commonly known by Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm and Chusan palm. The palm has large fan shape leaves and creamy-yellow fragrant flowers. It is one of the hardiest palm that grows up to 9 m tall. The palm has single stem and is covered with a loose mat of coarse brown or grey fiber. However, the trunk is a bit narrower at the base as compared to the top. It is native to China and can be grow easily to most of the situations.

The Trachycarpus fortunei makes a great accents that fits into small areas like courtyards and entries. It can also establish beautifully in gardens and grouping. It may serve as a center piece of attraction in tropical areas.

Collection and Storage of Trachycarpus fortunei Seeds

Trachycarpus fortunei seeds are collect and then clean. After this the seeds are place in a plastic bag or bottle. After it is store in a refrigerator for maximum freshness until they are sow. Large seeds are take firstly for sowing and place individually into pots containing growing medium.

How to Germinate Trachycarpus fortunei Seeds

The Trachycarpus fortunei seeds are pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water. Then, the seeds should sow in cold frame in green house about 4-6 weeks. The seeds will germinate by using two methods.

1. The Baggie method: In this method, the seeds are place into plastic bag with the, moist sowing medium.
2. Another method is to sow seeds into trays containing sowing medium about 6 mm deep.

The seeds will germinate in about 4-8 weeks at 25˚C. Too much watering should not be add as it will rot the seeds. They produce a long root before the shoot appears, therefore seedlings should be check on regular basis. The palm can also be propagate through suckers and plant out in their permanent position after 12 months.

Transplanting Trachycarpus fortunei Seedlings

Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings may take more than 4-8 weeks or up to 12 weeks. As soon as the seedlings become large enough to handle, they should be transfer to their permanent positions short after winters. The palm is pot into large pots to grow. The seedlings needs warmth to grow well. They should be water only when they dry out.

Trachycarpus fortunei Seedling Growth Rate

The growth of Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings are slow initially, but once they reaches enough size, their growth speeds up. The trunk of palm is capable of growing up to 0.5 m per year. It can reach a diameter of 8-10 inches. It usually becomes 2-6 feet high when grow in the garden but ultimately reaches about 40 m after a century.

Temperature Requirement for Trachycarpus fortunei Seedlings

The Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings prefers a little warmth temperature but the fully mature palm prefer temperate areas. The lower tolerance limit for the seedlings should be less than -8˚C.

Pest and Diseases of Trachycarpus fortunei Seedlings

Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings are susceptible to scales and palm aphids. The seeds are also susceptible to root rot if it survive too much watering or water-log conditions. The young seedlings are moderately susceptible to leaf spot and lethal yellowing disease.