Is this normal???

[incognito]

to much water i reckon

[.:Shadow:.]

Nice baby you got there mate

[Bush Turkey]

oh well i tried! shes dead

cheers for all the help.... so whos got some maidenii seeds??? lol

[mutant]

Pity! Mine died too before getting to the normal leaves... Re-trying is the way I guess...

[Chiral]

Grow em hard outdoors...it's a native so it's going to do better...it's the best way then they don't go into shock when transferred to the outside world...I have 3 little ones and 5 obtusi all hard grown and they are slow growers but they are alive and they will live on...sorry to hear about yours Subbo...a dead plant is never nice.

H.

[kenny]

Bad Luck mate. I'll agree with Hunab on that. All mine are growing outdoors. Save the last batch, which stayed under the fluros until the first true leaves came, now they are in the shade house getting cold bums. Still going strong though.

I'll send you some obtusi seed

[hutch]

Should be good fancypants!, I germinate all my acacias in water thats changed daily. (First lot of water is boiling, room temp for the rest) Some sit in there for 10-14 days before throwing a shoot.. just slowly swelling, then they appear.. I pot them 24hrs after I see the first sign of a root, and have only success... Your babies will be fine!

Hope this helps!

Would this be the best way to get some maidenii seeds to germinate. I've got 6 and I want to start them off this spring. It scares me putting seeds in boiling water.

And sorry to hear of the death of your acacia Bush-Turkey. Better luck next time mate.

Hutch

[gerbil]

If they aren't fresh and able to be more or less cut by putting your fingernail through them (i.e. more or less green off the tree) then boiling water is fine and desirable. You will see some swell instantly and you can plant these straight away or leave them over night, after 12 or so hours ones that haven't swelled can be treated again with boiling water and repeated process until they do, if you are a little iffy give them a day and then repeat.

[Garbage]

I have one as a houseplant,only its second year but growth is slow.

I pinch the tips and prune for compactness.

[Les Hiddins]

If they aren't fresh and able to be more or less cut by putting your fingernail through them (i.e. more or less green off the tree) then boiling water is fine and desirable. You will see some swell instantly and you can plant these straight away or leave them over night, after 12 or so hours ones that haven't swelled can be treated again with boiling water and repeated process until they do, if you are a little iffy give them a day and then repeat.

Yep this is right. I generally treat Acacia seeds with boiling water daily, removing and planting the swollen ones, before re-treating with boiling water until all have cracked.

Only thing i would ad to this is keep them in the dark

[ENtiTY]

I've grown a few acacia over the years and found that the quickest way to get your seeds to swell is to nick the hard seed coat with a file then hot water soak. I generally use water that has been off the boil for 5 minutes or so just to let the water temp drop off boiling a bit for nicked seeds. All the seed should swell in a few hours this way unless I have been slack and not nicked a couple of seed properly.

Depending upon how many seed I have I usually sow direct in a SS or S4 type pot as these have a deeper profile that your normal pots which the natives seem to prefer. Remember, Australian Acacias seedlings have to be resiliant lil buggers to survive in the natural environment they are normally born into so they need a bit of tough love to do their best. They are oppertunistic as well, in that they will seem to stand still when conditions are harsh and conserve their energy, but when conditions are sweet they will grow like buggery! Obtusi is particularly good at this. I've had obtusi go from seed to 5 foot in one season, in a pot. Adequate nutrition is the limiting factor in most cases I think, other than water of course. Use a reliable controlled release fert such as osmocoate, incorporated into the potting media to ensure a steady supply of nutrients. Incorporation works better than topdress due to the way that the controlled release polymer coatings operate.

Definately grow outside, they'll do better for it in the long run. You may loose some but this is natural selection in action and you only really want the strongest and the best to survive anyway. Worry less about your little Acacias and let nature take its course, happens everyday out in the wild

Some plants need to be fussed over a bit to get them through the rigors of youth but Aussie Acacias in general aren't in that category. After you have popped the seed in the pot let them do their own thing aside from giving them a drink when they need it. Their tougher than you think.