• Sunday, March 15th, 2009
Small return on the seeds of Aréquier. I left for 3 months to dry in the sun and rain. Just before putting into the earth, I wanted to open a husk to see the shape of the seed. The latter looks like a small tent with a base plate and a conical shape. The seed is heavy and dense. It measures about 3 inches high and 2 inches wide.
So I removed the endocarp for two of the seeds prior to sprouting. I checked if it will speed up germination. The last time I made the experience, making naked seeds were quickly attacked by small worms.
I also planted some fifty seed Dypsis decaryi (Palm tristique, trihedral or tirnagulaire). I would soon post on this very special palm: its foliage in the form of a star in three parts.
• Sunday, February 15th, 2009
Summer is coming to an end. The heliconias, which produces many flowers this year, been fertilized by small bird-like hummingbirds. Beaks very end they can get to the heart of the flower to get enough to eat.
Now the flowers lose their beauty and are being transformed to produce seeds. This is the case of Heliconia Librati feet (or lingulata) and china roses (Red torch ginger). While some flowers, it is easy enough to guess where the seeds. For plants of Heliconia caribaea, this is far from easy. The flowers are dried and then developed but has no seeds. Without doubt they have not been fertilized. Mystery.
• Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
So Saturday I went my first harvest of palm seeds. After numerous requests by email and two years of waiting and experience, I finally decided to launch my store of seeds.
The activity of the shop will begin with palm trees probably quite common then to move to palm endemic to New Caledonia. I do suggest, however, no palm seeds very rare or for which there is any risk of extinction.
New Caledonia is undoubtedly the country's palm. . Our island is home to 37 species of palm s, most of which exists nowhere else in the world of.
I am therefore able to begin to offer palm seeds from three different perspectives:
While shipping from New Caledonia are high enough, try to have an offer attractive and competitive.
Feel free to leave me comments with the name of the palm that you want to buy seeds. I would do my utmost to procure me.
• Friday, January 23rd, 2009
During the crossing of Mont-Dore south I discovered this beautiful tropical palm. This palm tree is of rapid growth and supports poorly temperatures below 10 ° C. Its leaves are pinnate and very curvy. The stipe is fine and the tree reaches 25 meters in adulthood.
The fruits are large and heavy with a beautiful orange color at maturity. The nuts are covered with a fibrous layer very difficult to remove.
Widespread in Asia, particularly in India and Malaysia, the palm is cultivated for millennia by humans for its nuts: the areca nut. This spherical after drying and preparation is chewed with betel leaf and lime. Chewing this nut in Vietnam (quid) is characterized by an orange hue of the language.
Chewing this nut comes from a legend from Annam (central Vietnam). Here is one of many versions that I let you discover:
It was the first time Hùng Vuong, the founding kings of Vietnam. Two brothers, beautiful and looks great, love much. Their parents had given them an education perfectly.
The fate imposed fire from the house where the parents disappeared. Tan and Lang - and they were called - were rescued by a local Mandarin name Luu, who completed their education, raising them as his own son, with his only child, a young and sweet girl. They grow all three, the brothers felt a liking more and more pronounced for the girl they loved. The brothers reached the age of getting married, Luu thought of his only daughter married to one of them. The girl, happy with the love of brothers, but embarrassed because Tan and Lang were similar in both beauty in mind, the decision to let his father.
more ...
• Monday, January 12th, 2009
Leaving the sheath cotylédonaires
Release of radicle
Release of the first root adventive
It was only after 9 weeks of waiting for the seeds of Palm fox tail sprouted.
You will find above the various stages of germination in the picture. The seeds were placed this time in a garden and are covered with about half their height in the ground. The topsoil used was mixed with sand to make it lighter and less compact.
The germination rate is very good: about 90%. Thirty plants are out of land.
The weather conditions were excellent over the past few days of rain and sunshine which gave us heat (25-30 ° C) and humidity.
I am currently preparing a summary of the terms of germination. I will put online soon.