How to Grow Beaucarnea recurvata from Seed? Detailed Sowing Method
1. Seed Selection
If we want to see the whole life of a Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm) from seed to plant, we have to choose its seeds well, because this is the key to its growth. If we pick a bad seed, even germination will be a problem, let alone growing into a Beaucarnea recurvata. The suggestion we give here is to use seeds from the current year. If we have stored seeds from last year or even the year before, that is not a problem either, but the storage time of seeds is actually inversely proportional to their survival rate, meaning that seeds from the current year are better. In addition, the seeds we choose must have a good appearance; plump seeds without defects are more likely to survive. Besides this, we also need to check whether the seeds have been bitten by insects. If they have been bitten, we should choose other healthy seeds.
2. Disinfection Before Sowing
The seeds need to be disinfected. Generally, we only need to put them in warm water for a quarter of an hour, and the next step is to soak them in hot water for one day. The substrate also needs to be disinfected. The method we generally choose is to stir-fry it, which is simpler and quicker. In addition, we can use fungicide to disinfect it. This is a relatively good treatment method, only it is a bit troublesome.
3. Sowing Method
The sowing method for Beaucarnea recurvata is actually no different from that for ordinary plants. Because the seeds are relatively small, we do not need to pick them up with our hands; we can directly use a toothpick tool to stick up the seeds, then cover the substrate over them. It does not need to be very deep; about 1 cm is enough. If some seeds are relatively large, we can directly put them in, and the rest of the operation is the same, except that the thickness of the substrate should be two to three times that of the seed. After sowing, we also need to water the substrate. The watering process must be gentle, and the seeds must never be washed away and moved.