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How to deal with cursed planting spots


Mauna Kea Cloudforest

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Does anyone have any good advice on how to deal with a cursed planting spot? I have two "nothing will grow here" spots where no matter what I do, things die from fungal problems. I lost a beccariophoenix 'no windows' in this one spot from spear pull in late Summer, and this year, I get exactly the same thing with a dypsis ambositrae. I have dypsis ambositrae all over the garden, and they thrive everywhere except in this spot, d. ambositrae is one of my best growing palms. But not in this spot. I planted two of them in the cursed spot, one of them ended up with a mangled spear from what looks like a serious boron deficiency and the other one had spear pull.

Any suggestions for something that's bullet proof that I can plant there?

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Axel, why don't you use a large, decorative pot* and just grow container plants in that location for a few years?

Soil-based fungi have killed palms in my garden but the situation usually resolves itself after a season or two. I inoculate the soil with beneficial microbes and add a lot of compost.. I have already re-planted the spot where my adult Parajubaea was killed last year.

* (Hint, I have such a pot for sale, LOL !) :winkie:

San Francisco, California

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Try something non-palmy.......oops....I said it :bummed:

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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I just plant such spots wisely: check out the area's characteristics, sun and cold exposure, irrigation, soil and drainage,and choose a palm that will surely love everything about those characteristics. So,of course,such a palm lives happily there. No marginals in cursed spots,sure and tried palms,correct for the zone and with a habitat similar in characteristics to the spot we want to fill. Otherwise keep testing till one lives....

And of course,planting a non-palm there is also a solution,but even those usually don't do well unless they love the area's characteristics. In my experience,cursed spots have more to do with drainage problems,anaerobic rot below ground or some kind of fungi that is happy to invade weakened plants(such as the new plants will be from being newly planted and once the rains and the cold comes in winter). But the usual problem is misjudging the spot's characteristics, considering them better than they really are for some reason(some spots seem ike they are gonna be great, offer protection for marginals,etc, but then we see they are actually pretty bad and we misjudged the spot's characteristics,or we may not realize it till after a few tries). Once we get to know such spots well,we can make plants thrive in them by proper plant selection and correcting the problem causing characteristics if its possible.

  • Upvote 1

''To try,is to risk failure.......To not try,is to guarantee it''

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Yep, I have just remembered one such mistake, that was the selection of planting place for marginal palm in front of my cold frame. I thought it would be ideal because it should be protected from wind and inside warmth would be radiated outwards to the direction of the marginal palm. I have overlooked however that this place collects all rain water from cold frame's roof and, even worse, it has proved that the purported wind protected place is actually a wind trap multiplying its force by provoking whirls lol. Now to your problem Axel, maybe a mounded planting with radical change of soil should be a quick solution. But you'll have ultimately to find out the what really makes such spots unfavorable (bad soil, cold trap, wind exposal, bad aeration etc). In many cases there are counter measures for every single negative factor.

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We have two spots like this in our garden and lost two palms in each of the spots. We gave up and put water pots where the palms had been. Happily we like the water plants as much as we liked the palms and they are a heck of a lot easier to care for.

Lee

Lee

Located at 1500' elevation in Kona on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Average annual rainfall is about 60"; temperature around 80 degrees.

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  • 5 years later...

Thank all of you for the suggestions since I seem to have found one such spot in my garden.  I've put three palms there and all of them have died exactly the same way (palm just sits there for a while, becomes chlorotic, then declines until it passes away).  In my case, I think it might have been due to pool water leaking into the soil on that side.

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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I had a bad spot like that.  I dug down deeper and found the remainders of pressure treated fence post and its concrete base.  It was a god awful job getting it out due to the other plants around me as I was digging.   I refilled with fresh soil and a new plant.  So far so good.

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On 9/1/2014 at 2:57 PM, Gonzer said:

I keep the local shaman on retainer just in case of an event like you describe.

Heavens, the Devil got into me!

 

  • Like 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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4 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Thank all of you for the suggestions since I seem to have found one such spot in my garden.  I've put three palms there and all of them have died exactly the same way (palm just sits there for a while, becomes chlorotic, then declines until it passes away).  In my case, I think it might have been due to pool water leaking into the soil on that side.

Dig and look. Sometimes you find weird stuff under there. Dig, look and leave the hole open and check for evidence of your theory.

Then, let us know what you find, what you do, and if it works.

And, we'll maybe send you some seeds . . . . .

  • Like 2

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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2 hours ago, Gonzer said:

You've got some very eclectic taste my brother!

A karaoke classic!

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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On 11/12/2019 at 2:05 PM, Gonzer said:

You've got some very eclectic taste my brother!

So don't you just get in that kinda' mood, once in a while . . . .

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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7 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

So don't you just get in that kinda' mood, once in a while . . . .

All the time! Such as right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTrXjnGGo7w

 

 

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Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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@Gonzer, sounds like you might be a Dr. Demento junkie . . . . .

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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7 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

@Gonzer, sounds like you might be a Dr. Demento junkie . . . . .

Not a junkie, just the occasional user ;>)  You know, everybody's going gaga over his son nowadays, not realizing that the old man was none too shabby.

 

 

 

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