Propagate Lomandra

Author: Saul Hondow, Land for Wildlife Officer, Gold Coast

Published: Journal September 2021

Check out this post for why "I love lomandra".

Step 1

Lomandra longifolia seed is arranged on spikes and when mature turns yellow (see image above). The green seed shown here is slightly immature. Wear gloves when cutting and handling as the inflorescence is spikey.

Step 2

Place the whole flower spike into a paper bag and store in a cool well ventilated area. The outer coating or husk will split when dry to release the seed – this usually takes a couple of weeks. You may need to tap the bag gently to get all the seed to release. The seed looks like grains of brown rice. Place the released seed on a tray or flat surface and gently blow away any remaining husk.

Step 3

Pour boiling water into a bowl – let it cool for 5 minutes before adding the seed and soak for a couple of hours. This treatment helps break down the hard seed coat and controls insects that may damage the seed whilst in the seed raising tray. The viable seed usually sinks in the bowl over time. Anything floating on the surface is unlikely to have a developed embryo and will not germinate.

Step 4

Drain and sow seeds in seed raising mix. 20kg bags are available at most gardening shops for around $10. Seed raising mix has no fertiliser, unlike potting mix, so will not damage emerging shoots. As a general rule, seed should be buried about the same depth as the diameter of the seed – in this case only a couple of millimetres.

Step 5

Place the tray under shade and keep moist. Seeds generally germinate in 2-4 weeks. Once an inch high, ‘prick out’ seedlings and transplant them to tubes or pots to develop.