Germination of Banana seeds
 

Hi Folks!

I planted some banana seeds (some type of Musa ... can't quite remember
exactly what but they were from Chiltern seeds). Its been some months
now and nothing has appeared. The seeds don't seem to have rotted, they
just don't seem to have done anything!
I even chipped a couple to see if that was the problem.

How long should they take to germinate?
I'm also wondering about the temperature, is now not very warm where
they are (unheated room of house = 10-13 degrees C) what do they like?

TIA

Gareth.
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Gareth Jones

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Germination of Banana seeds
 

"Gareth Jones" wrote in message
...
Hi Folks!

I planted some banana seeds (some type of Musa ... can't quite remember
exactly what but they were from Chiltern seeds). Its been some months
now and nothing has appeared. The seeds don't seem to have rotted, they
just don't seem to have done anything!
I even chipped a couple to see if that was the problem.

How long should they take to germinate?
I'm also wondering about the temperature, is now not very warm where
they are (unheated room of house = 10-13 degrees C) what do they like?

They are a tropical plant. Have you tried taking them to Tobago or similar
for a few months?

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Germination of Banana seeds
 

Gareth Jones pushed briefly to the
front of the queue on Wed, 13 Nov 2002 12:20:12 +0000, and nailed this
to the shed door:

^ Hi Folks!
^
^ I planted some banana seeds (some type of Musa ... can't quite remember
^ exactly what but they were from Chiltern seeds). Its been some months
^ now and nothing has appeared. The seeds don't seem to have rotted, they
^ just don't seem to have done anything!
^ I even chipped a couple to see if that was the problem.
^
^ How long should they take to germinate?
^ I'm also wondering about the temperature, is now not very warm where
^ they are (unheated room of house = 10-13 degrees C) what do they like?

I've germinated two or three over the years (and failed with a few
more). They are very hit and miss - the official line is that they
will take anything from a few weeks to a year or more. My limited
experience would say two to three months.

Did you soak them in a warm place for a couple of days before
planting? I think that's pretty important. I never chipped any of
mine. And I presume you sealed the pot in a plastic bag? That's pretty
critical too. The rest is just luck, I think.

Andy

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sparge at globalnet point co point uk

Look after the sins of write-commission,
and the sins of read-omission will take care of themselves.

Germination of Banana seeds
 

True banana (Musa) seeds need soaking in constantly tepid or warm
water for 3 to 5 days, changing the water daily to rinse out the
germination inhibitors present within the tough seed coat. It is
debatable as to whether chipping the seed coat really works. I take
the view that disease can easily enter the seed if it is chipped, so I
prefer to leave the seed coats entire. The seeds should then be sown
in a sterile medium (lightly moist, straight perlite is ideal), just
pushing them beneath the surface. Of course you can use a soil-less
seed compost, but this is more likely to harbour bacterial and fungal
infections which can kill dormant seeds.

Temperatures need to be high - around 30C - 33C is best and the seeds
should never be allowed to dry out. Given the above treatment, truly
fresh seed will usually germinate within 3 weeks, but stored seed can
take up to 3 months. Some Musas will germinate at lower temperatures,
but you might have to wait for upwards of 6 months. If you cannot
provide high temperatures in a prop case, your best bet is to seal the
pot in a plastic bag and place it in an airing cupboard.

Often classified as a 'banana', but belonging to a different genus,
the 'Abyssinian Banana' or 'African Hemp' - Ensete ventricosum, with
its large, marble-like seeds, can germinate quite successfully at
around 23C - 25C. Again, germination times depend partly upon
temperature and the freshness of the seed. The older the seed, the
higher the temperature needs to be.

HTH
David Poole
TORQUAY UK

Germination of Banana seeds
 

In article ,
writes
True banana (Musa) seeds need soaking in constantly tepid or warm
water for 3 to 5 days, changing the water daily to rinse out the
germination inhibitors present within the tough seed coat.

I did soak them. But not for that long. A day I think.



Temperatures need to be high - around 30C - 33C is best and the seeds
should never be allowed to dry out.

30C eh? ...... bugger...... don't think any part of my house is at that
don't even have an airing cupboard :-(

Hmmmm.... I think I've got a demijohn heater for wine making.... that
might do it...

I only chipped half the seeds BTW.
If they are just sitting there doing nothing (and have been for say 4
months or more) do you still think they might germinate if I now apply
heat??


--
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Gareth Jones

"Reality sucks - go watch a Star Trek"

To email, remove the '_ns_' from

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