How to Grow Red Lobster Claw Seeds Outdoors
The red lobster claw is a subtropical plant and close relative of the banana family. In most areas of North America, temperatures are too low to support red lobster claw growth outdoors. But if you live through USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9 through 11 where temperatures generally remain above 30 degrees Fahrenheit, you can grow red lobster claw seeds outdoors. Red lobster claw seeds are slow to germinate. For the best results, plant in late spring when temperatures are consistently 85 degrees Fahrenheit or above during the day and 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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File through the red lobster claw seed's coat in one to two places by rubbing it over a sheet of sandpaper. File just enough to file through the shiny hard seed coat.
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Soak the seeds in water for four days. Change the water and rub the seeds clean once every 12 hours.
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Plant each seed 3/4 inches deep and 4 inches apart. Plant in a spot with access to partial sunlight and rich, well-drained soil. Amend poor or water-logged soil with a 1-inch layer of peat moss followed by a 1-inch layer of compost and 1-inch layer of course sand. Mix it in to the top 8 inches of the soil to create a raised bed.
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Water the plot regularly to keep the top few inches of the soil from drying out. Don't flood the soil. The red lobster claw seeds will eventually put up spindly green shoots. When this happens depends on the viability of the seed, the weather and the temperature. Once the seed germinates, provide 1 inch of water weekly in the summer or whenever the soil dries out. Cut back to 1 inch of water every two weeks in winter when temperatures are low. Stop watering altogether if temperatures are low enough to cause winter die back.
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References
- Jungle Seeds: Exotic Heliconias
- Cooperative Extension Service University of Hawaii; Ornamental Heliconias; Donald P. Watson, et al.;
- Green Culture Singapore; Heliconia Basics; Ong Chong Ren; March 2007
- Rare Exotic Seeds: Heliconia Wagneriana Seeds
- Vivero Anones: Growing Heliconias from Seed
- Gardening in the Tropics; R. E. Holttum; 1992
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
