Today we are going to share a very basic but cool idea that we discovered, to utilize when planting and growing palm seeds.

Palm seeds are never planted under the ground, but are left just laying on surface. This seems easy enough until watering and then it’s discovered that the seeds tend to roll around which is precisely what is not wanted.

In order to overcome this problem we discovered the use of the very handy (and easy to obtain) toilet roll inner roll.

In a few easy steps you can plant your palm seeds and watch as they germinate and develop without the concern about them rolling around in the dirt.

Steps:

• Obtain as many toilet roll inner's as possible, or at least as many as the number of seeds you have.
• Prepare your compost mixture in a bag or bucket and soak thoroughly.
• Soak the seeds in a mixture of water and hormone powder (optional) in order to speed up the germination process as palm seeds are slow to germinate unassisted.
• While holding and supporting your toilet roll inner, press it into the moist compost while twisting slightly until it’s filled to about 2 cm from the top with compost. (Wonderful method – no need to even get the hands all muddy). Although we as gardeners do not really mind the dirt. 
• Place your toilet rolls next to one another in a handy container that will both support your toilet rolls and contain any water that seeps out of the bottom.
• Finally, with the back of dowel stick or pencil make an indent in the middle of your compost in each toilet roll and place one seed in each.
• Place the entire container in a light, but shaded area and water regularly until the seeds germinate and begin to grow.
• Leave your newly grown palm seedlings undisturbed in the toilet roll inner, until you have at least two leaves forming.
• When you are ready to plant your seedlings into other containers/bags, simply fill the container with compost, use an empty toilet roll inner to make a hole down the middle and insert your toilet roll holder containing your seedling as is into the how you have made. Cover and you are finished.
• The toilet roll inner will already be soft and pliable with all the watering during the previous weeks and soon will disintegrate and free the seedling, without any damage or trauma to the plant or roots.

Try it and let us know how it worked for you. Did you change anything or find better ways to grow palm seeds? Please share the ideas with us?

Till Next Time

Happy Gardening

Japie & Ariete

The best time to start is always now...

In keeping with the idea of assisting all those who are new to gardening and nurseries we decided to share a few fun tips on this page.

1. There are always more seeds than pots or containers...Plant them anyway.

2. Some plants will be easier and other will take time and effort.

3. There is no such thing as "quickly" going to do something in the garden.

4. There will be some successes and there will be failures. Just keep on trying and experimenting.
5. Gardening is always more fun if you are sharing the experience with someone special.
6. Water well, and weed, weed, weed!!!

7. The tastiest fruit and veggies are those that were home grown with love and patience...
8. Don't wait for someone to bring you flowers, plant your own....
9. You can bury a lot of your troubles by digging in the dirt - Author Unknown.
10. Stop watering the weeds in your life and start watering the flowers.

Till next time...

Happy Gardening.

Ariete & Japie

Welcome to our Blog for all plant enthusiasts whether professional, private gardeners or simply back yard nursery's.

A few months ago my husband Japie and I decided to start our own nursery. We both have a love for gardening and nature, so it was a passion we shared which enabled us to spend our very limited free time doing something together in a manner that mattered to both of us. In time we are planning to retire and live from the proceeds of our well loved nursery and spend our retirement years working side by side.

We searched the internet for ideas and particularly a "how to start a new nursery" article and found some useful information; however nothing that was really practical as a step by step manual. 

Therefore as we record our experiences, successes and failures on this blog we are hoping that this blog will in time become a practical "How to Manual"for others who are planning to start a nursery from scratch with no huge cash flow or expertise. 

In addition we are hopeful that other gardening enthusiasts will comment and share ideas, enabling all of us to obtain tips and success in our gardening endeavors.

A good place to start: Be Faithful in the Little Things.

When we initially moved from the talking about it phase to the "actually" doing something about it phase it became quite a daunting task. We knew how to plant and water and take care of our existing plants, but how do you plan on a larger scale for a nursery? What plants are important? Where do you start and house your plants? All of a sudden our well discussed idea seemed overwhelming.

While pondering this thought one day God planted a thought in my mind "Be Faithful in the Little Things".... Just plant whatever seeds you have in whichever bags or containers you have and start something. We started doing just that. All our friends and relatives knew to brings seeds and cuttings from plants when visiting.

We didn't have a lot of money to buy seeds, but we did have friends and family with plants in their gardens. It was easy to visit with our little gardening kit and obtain a few cuttings and seeds.

Our Gardening Kit contained:

• A pair of clippers (for cutting the cuttings neatly).
• A roll of Cotton Wool (in order to keep the cuttings moist).
• Growth Hormone Powder.
• Several assorted sized containers to house any seeds and bulbs obtained.

In this manner we obtained an assortment of plants and seeds and were constantly busy planting and watering and adding to our little nursery. My husband constructed an outdoor nursery by fencing an area in our garden and covering it with shade netting. Two (2) tables were taken into the nursery and that was the beginning of  our very own Kokamoya ( Place of Rest) Nursery.

Have you started a nursery? How did you start? What did you do differently? Share your ideas so that others may benefit from our experiences. We would love to hear from you.