A palm tree seed needs to be fresh when planted.
It's easy to grow palm trees from seeds, but it isn't always easy to get viable seeds. Some palm tree seeds stay viable for up to a year while others are only good for two or three weeks. How old the seeds are and how they are stored can play a part in their viability, which can vary from year to year on the same tree. Before you try to grow a palm tree from a seed, check to see if the seed is good. This can be done in a variety of ways. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Check the appearance of the seed. A viable palm tree seed will look fresh and feel heavier than a seed not viable. A bad seed looks dry and feels light.
2. Pinch the palm tree seed between the fingers. A viable seed will bounce back after the pinch. A bad one will collapse.
3. Float the seed in water. A viable palm tree seed will sink. A bad seed floats because there are little air pockets inside the palm tree seed casing.
4. Cut a palm tree seed open with a sharp knife. In a viable seed the tiny embryo should fill the chamber and the endosperm should be firm. If the embryo is missing or shriveled and the endosperm is spongy and soft the seed is not viable.
5. Place the half of a palm tree seed, with the embryo inside, into a container with a water solution of tetrazolium chloride (available from a chemical supplier). Place the container in the dark for at least 2 hours. Large palm tree seeds may require as much as 24 hours. If the embryo turns red or pink it's viable. If there's no color, then the palm seed is not viable.
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