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swatikrish
07-22-2009, 02:01 PM
Ravenala madagascariensis - Travellers Palm

Anyone has experience in germinating the seeds of this plan? I'm not planning to germinate outside coz the temperature is not in high 80s or 90s here. After germination, I'm planning to grow this plant as indoor during winter and outdoor during summer.

I definitely need some help to germinate these seeds. Please help. Thanks.

sandy0225
07-23-2009, 06:23 AM
I soaked them in water for about two days. Then I put the container of dampened seedstarting mix on top of my Bunn coffeemaker for about two weeks and they started to germinate. Keep a cover on the pot to keep it from drying out. I had 4/5 germination in about a month. I'd say the temp on top of the coffeemaker is about 95 degrees.So a regular seedstarting mat would work too.

damaclese
07-23-2009, 07:05 AM
nice plants but there a bit big to grow inside the house you know they get to be over 20ft tall some have been known do gorw over 30ft

swatikrish
07-23-2009, 07:28 AM
thanks for the germination advice. i will buy a seed starting heating mat and soil mix.

yeah, they grow big, once its not manageable, we can always throw them away and start a new one. i'm jus growing them from seeds so i wont be wasting lot of money either.

Lard Greystoke
07-23-2009, 03:43 PM
Ravenala, like a lot of other tropicals, can take a short, medium, or long time to germinate. So whatever you do don't toss the seeds.

Size is more manageable than you think. They can survive fairly terrible light, they just don't grow fast. I have one eleven years old only five feet tall. I keep it cool in winter, too, about sixty degrees. Ravenala and Strelitzia handle the cool better than Musa and Ensete.

LilRaverBoi
07-23-2009, 04:13 PM
Travelers Trees are such unique and amazing-looking plants! I really want to have one someday when I have more space. I just can't justify it right now, but eventually I plan to have a good place to grow one indoors (my planned home is a geodesic dome with 30 foot ceilings, so it may be possible eventually (crazy, I know...LOL)). So with any luck, in the next 10 years I'll start growing one...but until then, I'll just ogle at photographs! :ha:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2303/2100312886_7bdc0e9b71.jpg?v=0
MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm!

swatikrish
07-24-2009, 06:43 AM
you are right llaverboi..! blessed are those people who have a big garden and home living anywhere in south florida who can grow this monster tree and make their neighbors to have 'wooow'' on their face..!!

if i can germinate and if it grows little big, i will plant it outside atleast one summer to get passers/neighbors attention

LilRaverBoi
07-24-2009, 08:55 PM
Yeah, if you've got such a thing, you just HAVE to show it off!! I'm sure people in Ontario don't see Travelers trees very often (aka ever). Best of luck with yours!

swatikrish
07-24-2009, 09:01 PM
thanks folks. the seeds (travellers palm and windmill palm) came today from seedman. prompt delivery and neat packing. they put additional 5 seeds at free of cost. dont know why?

I bought seed starting kit (lot of trays with provision for bulk at the bottom and lid to cover the entire unit) and agro seed starting mix today from local nursery. The seed starting mat wasnt there, but I hope this will do the job. May be i will buy a high watt bulb (15 watt was recommended) to sustain high temperature.


Soaked seeds today and will place it in the kit after 2 days. the period of guessing and waiting starts from now.........

will keep u all posted

LilRaverBoi
07-24-2009, 11:06 PM
Dang...this discussion is making me really want to get one now! I found some really cheap ones on Ebay....bid is at $.99 and shipping is $7 for a 6-10 inch live plant!! PLEASE someone talk me out of this!!!! I have no space!!!! Damn my addiction!

Bob
07-25-2009, 09:03 AM
Dang...this discussion is making me really want to get one now! I found some really cheap ones on Ebay....bid is at $.99 and shipping is $7 for a 6-10 inch live plant!! PLEASE someone talk me out of this!!!! I have no space!!!! Damn my addiction!

I got one of those. It's in a half gallon pot. The first few leaves promptly turned brown and died. It's now sending up a big healthy one. They seem to be fairly slow growing when young and I'd guess take several years potted = in a temperate climate to reach a good impressive size. Stunning when a little larger though. You wouldn't want one anyway. There's probably a lot of other things you could use that 8 bucks for (1 cocktail out somewhere).
Hope this talked you out of a silly purchase.:ha:

LilRaverBoi
07-25-2009, 01:35 PM
LOL...thanks for your support against my affliction, Bob! I want one, but I really really don't need one for a few reasons. 1) I have limited space here which is already MORE than spoken for and 2) I'll be going on clinical rotations in a couple years and will not be around to take care of things so they'd have to be left with my mother at home. And to give you an estimate of how well she treats my plants...I used to have 15 very nice bonsai trees and now have ONE...if you even consider that one a full tree cause it looks terrible. It'd be much to hard on me to grow something so beautiful just to see it die a terrible death :ha: My mother even killed a lucky bamboo! How is that even done? I mean, you put it in a bowl of water and it grows! Yet she manages to have certain plants she's had for 20+ years that are doing wonderfully. Basically, if it doesn't run on the 'water once every two weeks' schedule, it probably won't last long in her care. And we all know that schedule does not work with bananas/tropicals.

Bob
07-25-2009, 06:43 PM
Bryan, I understand about new doctors hours and crazy sleep deprived life so fair enough. No clue how you could actually kill lucky bamboo though! ....... With that kind of determination on her part I bet you were very well behaved as a kid!

LilRaverBoi
07-25-2009, 08:34 PM
Bryan, I understand about new doctors hours and crazy sleep deprived life so fair enough. No clue how you could actually kill lucky bamboo though! ....... With that kind of determination on her part I bet you were very well behaved as a kid!

LMFAO!!! :ha::ha::ha: Nah, actually I spent most of my time outside....playing with bugs, gardening or saving tiny field corn plants that got hoed up to put in our garden and growing them up to have 6 ears per plant (true story!). Yeah, still no clue on the bamboo...you have to TRY to do that! I watered the poor thing whenever I was home and that's probably the only way it survived as long as it did. LOL.

PS...mark up one more point for thread derailments! :ha:

Bob
07-25-2009, 09:36 PM
PS...mark up one more point for thread derailments!
Funny how that works!:nanerwaveytrain:

penJ.
07-26-2009, 03:01 AM
Germination these seeds is very easy, just give them warmth. These seedlings are 5-6 months old.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19719&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19719&ppuser=1693)

Velutina
07-26-2009, 04:44 PM
To germinate, I used a heat mat and germination tray with clear dome. When sprouted, moved to aquarium with glass top. Kept them at about 90 degrees with high humidity. They then were moved into a greenhouse for a few months. Did EXTREMELY well there. Then moved to Las Vegas and they ended up on a covered patio. They were dead within a few months.

LilRaverBoi
07-26-2009, 07:45 PM
Then moved to Las Vegas and they ended up on a covered patio. They were dead within a few months.
Awww....that's too bad! Sorry to hear that. Maybe if you get a greenhouse going you can control the conditions better than having them outside.

PS..seems like I was just talking to you on YouTube! LOL.

swatikrish
07-28-2009, 06:41 AM
thanks folks for all of your comments.

I'm trying 2 methods:
1. after soaking for 2 days in warm water (bowl with water and seeds kept inside over and light turned on), i put the seeds in a container with agro seed starting mix and kept the container inside a zip log bag

2. after soakig for 3 days (same method), i put the seeds in the seed starting kit.

Lessons Learned:
I became over enthusiastic and used a 60W bulb. the bulb was so powerful that i melted some of the plastic seed starting tray and the molten plastic destroyed spot of my carpet (right now, there is a small hole in the carpet)

then i read the instructions and found that bulb has to be less than 15W. anyway, i'm now using a limited watts bulb and the temperature inside the kit is around 93F.

LilRaverBoi
09-03-2009, 03:59 PM
Well, I finally broke down and bought a Traveler's Tree. Here's a picture of the little guy:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22180&size=1
It's very small right now, but I'm sure in a few months or a year it'll look pretty nice. Just figured I'd share.

swatikrish
09-03-2009, 04:02 PM
thats awesome. obviously an easier way to grow this than trying hard at germinating 'em. continue posting the status of its growth.

Rmplmnz
09-03-2009, 11:14 PM
I am going to have to do some research and learn how to harvest the seeds..I have propagated a few vegetatively (from pups)..anyone in the Tampa area is welcome to pups...

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22213&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22213)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22212&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22212)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22211&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22211)

Pup that has been separated:

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22214&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22214)

LilRaverBoi
09-04-2009, 12:45 AM
Well, see, I just learned something! I didn't realize they even produced pups! Good to know! Maybe I'll have a few after a few years go by! Let's hope!

swatikrish
09-04-2009, 07:14 AM
those are nice pictures, lucky you...

alah
09-24-2009, 08:15 AM
Travelers Trees are such unique and amazing-looking plants! I really want to have one someday when I have more space. I just can't justify it right now, but eventually I plan to have a good place to grow one indoors (my planned home is a geodesic dome with 30 foot ceilings, so it may be possible eventually (crazy, I know...LOL)). So with any luck, in the next 10 years I'll start growing one...but until then, I'll just ogle at photographs! :ha:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2303/2100312886_7bdc0e9b71.jpg?v=0
MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm!

So, is this what you call Traveller´s Palm?
If anyone knows how to collect seeds, please let me know.

LilRaverBoi
09-24-2009, 01:18 PM
So, is this what you call Traveller´s Palm?
If anyone knows how to collect seeds, please let me know.

Yes...Traveler's Tree or Traveler's Palm. I prefer 'tree' over 'palm' cause it's really not a palm at all (though it does bear some resemblance...kinda like a blend between a palm tree and a banana plant or something LOL).

As far as seeds go, they eventually produce pods between the leaves which have blue seeds. If you find one that has such pods, you could collect some, otherwise, you can buy them on Ebay. I managed to find a plant for sale on Ebay and jumped on the opportunity. Here's a picture of my little TT:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23704&size=1
Still very small and slow growing, but it'll be impressive some day!

Dalmatiansoap
09-24-2009, 01:48 PM
Hey Boi
this realy looks like banana seedling ;).
Good luck with it. One day I might recive fresh seeds from U, right?
:woohoonaner:

alah
09-24-2009, 02:58 PM
Yes...Traveler's Tree or Traveler's Palm. I prefer 'tree' over 'palm' cause it's really not a palm at all (though it does bear some resemblance...kinda like a blend between a palm tree and a banana plant or something LOL).

As far as seeds go, they eventually produce pods between the leaves which have blue seeds. If you find one that has such pods, you could collect some, otherwise, you can buy them on Ebay. I managed to find a plant for sale on Ebay and jumped on the opportunity. Here's a picture of my little TT:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23704&size=1
Still very small and slow growing, but it'll be impressive some day!

Hi, Bryan. I´m asking because I´ve seen a few of these around.
Don´t remember exactly where; I bet whoever has them don´t know they are banans, but if I can get my hands on them and collect some seeds,
I´ll let you all know.

Dalmatiansoap
09-24-2009, 03:39 PM
Hey put me on a list for that seeds ;)
:woohoonaner:

SoBe Musa
09-24-2009, 07:14 PM
I saw these down the block here in Miami Beach today…...Time to get friendly with the neighbor’s !

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz77/SoBe_Musa/PLANTSSEP132009047.jpg

alah
09-25-2009, 05:08 AM
Hey put me on a list for that seeds ;)
:woohoonaner:

One little problem.Just found out that I might need a ruffled lemur so maybe we could do some trading...:ha:

Dalmatiansoap
09-25-2009, 06:15 AM
Haha, trading is allways welcome!
:woohoonaner:

LilRaverBoi
09-25-2009, 12:30 PM
Hi, Bryan. I´m asking because I´ve seen a few of these around.
Don´t remember exactly where; I bet whoever has them don´t know they are banans, but if I can get my hands on them and collect some seeds,
I´ll let you all know.
Well, they're NOT bananas....they just kinda resemble them. Bananas are in the family 'Musaceae' but Traveler's Trees (Ravenala madagascariensis) is in the 'Strelitziaceae' family...which also contains birds of paradise plants.

As for the seeds, good luck in finding a ruffled lemur LOL :ha: I'm sure you can get a hold of some seeds anyway. And Ante, if I ever get seeds, you're on the list....but that might not be for like 15 years or so....not sure when they first seed, but not when they're young, probably. :(