Question
I know this is hard to answer, but it will be greatly appreciated
if you could help me out. I would like help on germination tip on the following: Chapman Oak, Bluejack Oak,Yucca, American Turkey Oak, Mangrove, Monkey Ladder Vine, Brown Hamburger Bean Vine, Shumard Oak, Cabbage Palm, And The Camphor Tree. These plants I have had little or no success at germinating. Thank You Very Much! I have been germinating things for many years but I have a hard time with these. I live in Dunnellon, Fl, Zone 9.
Thanks Agien!


         Thanks A Lot,
         Dustin

Answer
Hi Dustin,
Thanx for your question.  From what I've researched, oaks that are native to the South, don't necessarily have a need for cold stratification as the oaks here in the Midwest and North do.  So, I would recommend gathering fresh oak seed and put them in a pail of water.  Let them sit for 24 hours.  The ones that float are probably not viable and should be discarded.  The others can be planted one inch deep in a nursery bed or in trays or pots and left outside over the winter.  Germination may occur immediately or it will not occur until Spring.  In any case, be patient as germination can be variable and some may not germinate until summertime.

Mangrove - I saw a program on PBS a while back on the ecology of Florida and there was a demonstration of how mangroves reproduced.  The seed apparently sprouts on the tree and then it drops into the salt water and can float around aimlessly for up to a year before finding a place to anchor and grow.  Rather than pretending like I know how to propagate this plant, I found a good source, with good directions.  Access the following website:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7629684_grow-mangroves-seeds.html

Yucca-Yucca is not hard to germinate.  I gathered ripe seeds from the yucca plant.  The seeds are black and flat.  Wait until the seed capsules start to split open, once they have dried.  You will probably find a grub inside each capsule as most yuccas are pollinated by a yucca moth that lays her eggs in the flower and the grub basically eats half of the seeds before emerging from the capsule.  Anyway, plant the seeds barely covered with soil.  They begin germinating in about 30-60 days and germination will be sporadic.  The look like grass when they first emerge.  It will take several years for them to gain any size.

Monkey Ladder Vine - (Entada gigas) Information on this plant was difficult to find.  I remember receiving two of these seeds about 10 years ago in a trade from someone down South but I never tried to grow them.  Everything I have read indicates that this seed falls to the ground, gets washed into rivers and will usually sprout on the banks of a river or will be carried out to sea and end up on a beach somewhere far away where it may sprout.  So, I would advise planting the seed about 2-4 inches deep in some good potting soil and keep it very warm and very moist to try to imitate tropical conditions.  It may take a very long time to germinate as the shell is very hard.

Same thing for the brown hamburger bean vine (Mucuna sp).

Cabbage Palm - Sabal palmetto - Clean the seeds of pulp and soak them for 24-48 hours.  Remove any excess pulp.  Discard floating seed as they are not viable.  Plant seed 1 inch deep and keep warm.  The warmer the better.  Preferable in mid80s to 90F.  Sprouting should occur in 30 days but could be sporadic with some seeds taking longer to germinate.  Transfer plants to separate pots when large enough to handle.  Roots can be brittle so be careful not to damage when moving.

Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora) - I grew these seeds once and had no problem getting them to germinate.  Soak seeds for 24 hours in warm water.  Plant 1 inch deep and keep moist and warm (about 80-90F).  Seedling emerge in less than 30 days.  BTW, Camphor tree is considered invasive according to the University of Florida and not recommended for Central or North Florida.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st167

I hope this helps.
Tom