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Planting in zone 6b...


jfrye01@live.com

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Hello...I have several questions regarding when and how to plant my palms...I have a trachy, butia, and two sabal minors. I have coming two small Washy robusta...I plan to plant the trachy on the back (east) side of my house, the Butia in the south yard, the sabal minor on the south side of the house, against the house, and the two Washy robusta on the northwest and southwest corners of the house, respectively. My question: When can I plant my palms? Obviously, the Washy and Butia cannot handle the freezing temperatures unprotected...our average last frost date is April 11...and when I plant them, how deep do I dig? Do I plant them at ground level or slightly above? The washies are gonna be part of the already existing flower bed, so I'll mulch around them. I plan to plant them 10 feet or so from the house...any other suggestions/tips? Thanks!

Edit: According to the seller on ebay, the w. robusta parent plant was pollinated with filifera pollen...does that mean my palms are the "filibusta" hybrid?

Edited by jfrye01@live.com

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Yes you have filibusta hybrids, wish I could answer the rest of your questions!

Awesome! Then these guys have a chance at making it! (if they arrive soon, ordered them online last Wednesday, they're stuck in a warehouse 3 hours north of me in Kansas City:/ )

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Actually Washingtonia Robusta and Butia can take freezing temps unprotected...but it is somewhat a matter of how cold and for how long. Here in Seattle I grow both of those varieties in pots and in the ground outside all Winter. We got down to 16F twice and a lot of days in the 20s and lower 30s. My Washies made it through with minimal protection but the wet is starting to take its toll on them. Fortunately, we are past snow now and there may be 1 or 2 more frosts, but not likely. Days have been in the 60s and sunny which is great considering how nasty this winter has been. Some of the matter of where to plant comes down to your best guess for individual plants since, for example, I have 2 Med. Fan Palms in my front yard planted in the ground. They were purchased 1 year ago, are both the same age, variety, and size. They were bought from the same grower (Monrovia) and are planted right next to each other (4 feet apart). There is no distinguishable difference between their proximity to the house, sun exposure, etc., etc. Yet after this Winter, one plant looks flawless (sailed through winter) and the other one looks like crap (leaf burned, maybe even diseased at this point). I asked a local grower about this and he told me that there is significant "variation" between individual plants in terms of genes (I guess) among varieties such as Chaemerops Humilis, Butia, and others which explains this phenomenon I am describing. I am not sure how true this is, but I cannot explain why these 2 plants would be so different in terms of shape after 1 winter when everything else about them is virtually identical. Hope this helps.

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Actually Washingtonia Robusta and Butia can take freezing temps unprotected...but it is somewhat a matter of how cold and for how long. Here in Seattle I grow both of those varieties in pots and in the ground outside all Winter. We got down to 16F twice and a lot of days in the 20s and lower 30s. My Washies made it through with minimal protection but the wet is starting to take its toll on them. Fortunately, we are past snow now and there may be 1 or 2 more frosts, but not likely. Days have been in the 60s and sunny which is great considering how nasty this winter has been. Some of the matter of where to plant comes down to your best guess for individual plants since, for example, I have 2 Med. Fan Palms in my front yard planted in the ground. They were purchased 1 year ago, are both the same age, variety, and size. They were bought from the same grower (Monrovia) and are planted right next to each other (4 feet apart). There is no distinguishable difference between their proximity to the house, sun exposure, etc., etc. Yet after this Winter, one plant looks flawless (sailed through winter) and the other one looks like crap (leaf burned, maybe even diseased at this point). I asked a local grower about this and he told me that there is significant "variation" between individual plants in terms of genes (I guess) among varieties such as Chaemerops Humilis, Butia, and others which explains this phenomenon I am describing. I am not sure how true this is, but I cannot explain why these 2 plants would be so different in terms of shape after 1 winter when everything else about them is virtually identical. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the input...I bought my Butia from a nursery in McKinney, TX (30 miles or so north of Dallas) about a month ago. It was exposed to the polar vortex in late January at that nursery, always kept outdoors. When I brought it home, I put it in my basement...I put it outside mid-February for a week or so, and it was exposed to 20F temperatures a couple nights...two fronds completely died, the others just had minor burned tips...I don't expect lows to get below 30F again this season, but it very well could...

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Hello...I have several questions regarding when and how to plant my palms...I have a trachy, butia, and two sabal minors. I have coming two small Washy robusta...I plan to plant the trachy on the back (east) side of my house, the Butia in the south yard, the sabal minor on the south side of the house, against the house, and the two Washy robusta on the northwest and southwest corners of the house, respectively. My question: When can I plant my palms? Obviously, the Washy and Butia cannot handle the freezing temperatures unprotected...our average last frost date is April 11...and when I plant them, how deep do I dig? Do I plant them at ground level or slightly above? The washies are gonna be part of the already existing flower bed, so I'll mulch around them. I plan to plant them 10 feet or so from the house...any other suggestions/tips? Thanks!

Edit: According to the seller on ebay, the w. robusta parent plant was pollinated with filifera pollen...does that mean my palms are the "filibusta" hybrid?

Do not plant above ground unless you have bad soil drainage AKA lots and lots of clay. Being in the Midwest, I'm not sure what kind of soil types y'all have, but I know in the southeast clay is prevalent, as I planted all of my palms slightly above ground (besides my sabal minor).

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Just about planted my Trachy and Butia outside today, but checked the forecast, and it may drop into the upper 20s this weekend...I mean, I know that normally, that wouldn't hurt either palm, but these guys have been indoors for most of the past two months, except for being moved outdoors during the day.

Edited by jfrye01@live.com

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Jeff.
I am just outside of Chicago and have a 17ft pindo and 10ft windmill (fronds pulled up). They both survived this past winter with variable minor damage in the record lows of -20F and 50mph winds. They were enclosed in custom polystyrene boxes with heat tape and frost cloth.

Keys to making sure your palms survive... Remember they are hardy! You want them to feel the chill. Use heat tape over christmas lights if you need supplemental heat... go as long as you can take without heat. The tape is only warm to the touch and the lights will create condensation with moisture that will rot the palm. Not sure why so many people use lights...? Winter protection should keep the palm dark, dry and completely out of the elements. Hardy palms dont mind snow, they hate rain that freezes over night... and then blow in the wind. Palms are evergreens by the way... Plant location is extremely important relative to the species. Palms are sensitive to planting height. Soil quality. Proximity to other plants... Palms hate grass fertilizer and miracle grow will flat out kill a young palm. Use copper fungicide spring/fall. Feed once mid June.

Id be happy to answer any more questions you may have. But, please remember these are just my experiences and everyone may have different views. Not sure how to post pictures...

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Don't plant them deeper than the butt, or base where the roots form out of what will become the trunk. Use a slow release fertilizer, palms are quite adaptable to a wide variety of soil types.

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  • 1 month later...

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