27 replies to this topic

[peachy]

For the life of me, I can't tell a tiller from a heel. Are they in fact one and the same thing or is a heel something different altogether. Come on smarties, help a girl out here. Replies with photos would be greatly appreciated.
Peachy

[BS Man about Palms]

Same thing Peachy. One describes what it looks like, the other describes what it does..

The general point is any palm with a "heel" will grow, or push DOWN.. as, or before, it grows UP. (thus tillering)

[_Wal]

Till the morning comes
Till there was you
etc...

[Jeff Searle]

Un-till tomorrow?

[Palmlover]

Same thing Peachy. One describes what it looks like, the other describes what it does..

The general point is any palm with a "heel" will grow, or push DOWN.. as, or before, it grows UP. (thus tillering)

When planting a palm with a heel, do you try to leave the heel exposed or fill it in with dirt?

[DALION]

On the same subject of heels, what happens if you cut/break off the heel? Since the terminal end of the heel is the oldest part and the palm has tons of additional roots, will this cause a problem for the palm? I am still a little green strap seedling so I need some educating.

Leo

[Moose]

Same thing Peachy. One describes what it looks like, the other describes what it does..

The general point is any palm with a "heel" will grow, or push DOWN.. as, or before, it grows UP. (thus tillering)

Peachy - Actually its shaped more like a saxophone. The "heel" is the seen or above the ground portion.

[Kim]

Leo -- Don't mutilate your palms. I don't know if it would affect the roots, but why subject your palm to an opening for infection.

[DALION]

Leo -- Don't mutilate your palms. I don't know if it would affect the roots, but why subject your palm to an opening for infection.

Kim, that was not my intention with the question. I don't have any plans to lop off the heel of my 24" boxed D. decipiens to see what happens. I was more a question to found out would that make the palm tiller less. Since mature palms do not have the heel and survive, does removing the heel before the palm does it cause harm. Again, I have no intentions on doing this just morbid curiosity.

Leo

[Funkthulhu]

I am now more confused than ever.

Can anybody provide clear photos of good examples of both heels and tillering?

-Erik

[Mandrew968]

I am now more confused than ever.

Can anybody provide clear photos of good examples of both heels and tillering?

-Erik

Erik, a heel is a root that is often exposed to the air(above ground). This "heel" looks like a miniature bike ramp--not like your standard root. Tillering is the term given to a palm that actually "tills" into the ground--digging itself deeper, rather than the normal "climbing out of the ground" that most palms do. This heel can be broken off and often there is no damage. You can also plant the palm heel above ground--don't try to put this root underground when it's already above ground, in the pot.

Example of a tiller palm: Dypsis robusta

Example of a "climbing out of the ground" palm: Bismarckia nobilis

[LJG]

The heel is not a root. And breaking off a heel on a young palm will kill it if enough is removed. Better to let nature take its course and let it rot away.

Phil Bergman explained it best another time this question was asked. Paraphrasing he stated the heel is like your lower leg with your knee bending and pushing into the ground.

[Mandrew968]

The heel is not a root. And breaking off a heel on a young palm will kill it if enough is removed. Better to let nature take its course and let it rot away.

Phil Bergman explained it best another time this question was asked. Paraphrasing he stated the heel is like your lower leg with your knee bending and pushing into the ground.

What??? Your right, it's not a "root" but what the heck was that other jargon? And I don't advocate breaking a heel off whether an old heel or new.

[MattyB]

it's like a fluttering butterfy, drinking the nectar of a flower, dipping, dipping down, suckling the sweet mother's milk of nature before floating off into the sunset of painted beauty forevermore. That's a heal.

[Jason in Orlando]

Funk,

Here is a photo of a seedling that is tillering. The heel is the brown bark-like organ to the left of the stem.





Jason

[LJG]

The heel is not a root. And breaking off a heel on a young palm will kill it if enough is removed. Better to let nature take its course and let it rot away.

Phil Bergman explained it best another time this question was asked. Paraphrasing he stated the heel is like your lower leg with your knee bending and pushing into the ground.

What??? Your right, it's not a "root" but what the heck was that other jargon? And I don't advocate breaking a heel off whether an old heel or new.

Between you falsely telling people it "is a root that is often exposed to the air" and me doing such a terrible job paraphrasing I figured I would search for Phils description:

http://www.palmtalk....indpost&p=49624


"If you think of the bottom of a new seedling's roots as being your foot while standing, now flex your knee to put your heel against your buttocks.  Your foot is the heel and your thight & knee become the subteranian shaft that one sees when digging a species like Rhopalostylis.
Phil. "

Hope that helps.

[DoomsDave]

That's the most helpful photo so far.

Getting in a whole bunch of palms from Hawaii this week, (bare-root) so you can see, anato-mee . . .

(start ham-boning here)

[Trópico]

I always thought of a heel as a proto-trunk, rather than a root. Look at a Sabal palmetto seedling, for the life of me I couldn't find the heel, until I dug one up. The base of the palm dug itself about a foot into the ground, and at the same time it was growing in size, but the heel kept very tightly close to the trunk.
Peachy, try pushing a tiller wearing your high heels.

[MattyB]

The heel is not a root. And breaking off a heel on a young palm will kill it if enough is removed. Better to let nature take its course and let it rot away.

Phil Bergman explained it best another time this question was asked. Paraphrasing he stated the heel is like your lower leg with your knee bending and pushing into the ground.

What??? Your right, it's not a "root" but what the heck was that other jargon? And I don't advocate breaking a heel off whether an old heel or new.

Between you falsely telling people it "is a root that is often exposed to the air" and me doing such a terrible job paraphrasing I figured I would search for Phils description:

http://www.palmtalk....indpost&p=49624


"If you think of the bottom of a new seedling's roots as being your foot while standing, now flex your knee to put your heel against your buttocks.  Your foot is the heel and your thight & knee become the subteranian shaft that one sees when digging a species like Rhopalostylis.
Phil. "

Hope that helps.

Phil has a high butt, so that only makes sense to him. One time I saw him scratch it by reaching over his shoulder.

[Jastin]

That's impressive

[_Wal]

Heel have to go - Jim Reeves
Highway to Heel - AC/DC

[BS Man about Palms]

Same thing Peachy. One describes what it looks like, the other describes what it does..

The general point is any palm with a "heel" will grow, or push DOWN.. as, or before, it grows UP. (thus tillering)

When planting a palm with a heel, do you try to leave the heel exposed or fill it in with dirt?

"WHERE" or what level to plant it on depends GREATLY on your soil... if its all fluff, leaf litter, mulch etc. It does not matter much... BUT a harder soil like clay or similar poor draining soil OFTEN results in ROT...... because it WILL PUSH DOWN, so thats why if given the opportunity you should almost always mound plant a heeled palm.

And I just made a movie to explain this... stay tuned..

[BS Man about Palms]

At test..

http://www.youtube.c...eature=youtu.be


Something changed that will NOT allow me to make the pretty you tube box display and its making me MAD

Might be my new computer.. I'm logging out to try the old one..

[BS Man about Palms]

bleah as dave would say

[BS Man about Palms]

poopity poop poop EDITORS / MODERATORS Please delete posts #23 and 24

[peachy]

Thanks Bill that actually explained why I lose so many little dypsis seedlings. Gee I didnt know you had an american accent
Peachy

[hanapalms]

it's like a fluttering butterfy, drinking the nectar of a flower, dipping, dipping down, suckling the sweet mother's milk of nature before floating off into the sunset of painted beauty forevermore. That's a heal.

Oh, so poetic. I'd love to be a heel.

[BS Man about Palms]

Thanks Bill that actually explained why I lose so many little dypsis seedlings. Gee I didnt know you had an american accent
Peachy

Happy to help Peachy... yup, thats me a Yank down under... ?