How to Germinate Tacca Nivea

Scarification

• “Nivea” seeds can be sown at any time of the year. Fresh-collected seeds can be sown right away, but purchased or stored seeds must be soaked, a process known as scarification, to break dormancy. Pour the “Nivea” seeds into a clean coffee thermos, and fill the thermos with water that is hot but not burning hot. Let the seeds soak in the sealed thermos for 24 hours.

Germination Mix

• The seed germination mix must retain water yet drain freely. Equal amounts of sphagnum peat moss and perlite make an ideal seed germination mix for “Nivea“ seeds. Flats and pots work equally well for seed germination as long as they have drain holes in the bottom to let oxygen in and excess water out. Pour the mix into the containers or flats, and moisten it with room-temperature water before sowing the seeds.

Sowing

• “Nivea” seeds must be planted at a depth of only 1/16 to 1/8 inch in the moist germination mix. They should be spaced about 1/2 inch apart to give the seedlings room to grow. Cover the flats or containers with a sheet of clear plastic, or put them in large clear plastic bags and seal the bags to hold moisture in. Alternately, the containers can be put in an empty aquarium with a piece of clear plastic covering the top.

Care

• “Nivea” seeds need to stay warm to germinate. Set them on an electric horticultural heat mat set at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They also require bright but indirect sunlight. Spray the germination mix with a fine mist of room-temperature water every day to keep it consistently moist. Germination ordinarily takes place within two months but can take up to nine months. Pot the seedlings up separately in 6-inch pots when they are 2 inches tall. Orchid potting mix works well for “Nivea” bat plants, or use a mixture of 10 percent washed course builder’s sand or perlite, 40 percent sphagnum peat moss, and 50 percent pine bark.