Repotting Johannesteijsmannia altifrons

[maxum2610]

I bought this Joey palm in Spain this summer (the one next to it with one leaf is a J. Magnifica). The brown tipping was there when I bought it, probably due to too much water. They were standing in water at the nursery. It's been growing slowly but steadily, and is just starting to push up a new leaf. The problem as you can see from the pics, is that the roots are growing really fast and have now started to shoot through the bottom. So the question is, does anyone have experience or pointers on how to repot a Joey and what soil mix is best suited. Right now the soil mix seems to be red Spanish clay with some peat and compost added. This mix drains like nothing I've seen before yet stays wet enough for a few weeks, even at the current 40 percent humidity in my house. Unfortunatly I don't have access right now to Spanish red clay so ... I need an alternative. I now these guys generally go belly up if you just think about repotting them

 

 

 

[Pal Meir]

PM’s recommendation: the Pal-Meir-Lytocaryum-insigne-Mix®:

And on the bottom:

… in combination with double pots (size variable):

… like these 2 palms:

[Kai]

Joeys hate root disturbance and it can put them back really bad. So be very carefull. I have a small magnifica that is just now coming out of a bonsai stage 2 years after repotting.

[maxum2610]

Thanks all for the replies. So is it best to try and slide the pot off. Or do I, as some suggest, cut the pot off and, as I fear, risk damaging roots at the side and bottom of the pot. Using the first approach I think there's a risk of the soil falling off leaving me with a bare-root Joy. aaarggg. Pal: your  soil mix looks good to me. It's what I use for my Licualas (grandis and peltata sumawongii) also. I image this will be suitable. I've had quite a few Joeys rot in the wrong soil mix. This mix give excellent drainage.

[topwater]

Pal Meir's potting soil mixes are probably the gold standard.  Nevertheless, for the past year my little silver Joey has been doing well in a mix of commercial palm potting soil mixed about 4 to 1 with perlite.  I too have heard they respond poorly to root disturbance, but I got mine bare root off the web and it's been a steady grower, albeit on the slow side.  If I were you I think I would try disecting the pot off the palm as opposed to pulling it out. It's slow and tedious but I bet you'll end up with less root damage.  Good luck, sweet little palm!  

Edited February 22, 2017 by topwater

[maxum2610]

Thanks for the tip, but the deed is done. I followed Pal's suggestion to the letter (thanks Pal). I did however have a major setback. When I started removing the pot gently, I noticed the roots had attached themselves to the (where else) bottom of the pot. No way to tap them loose so I started to cut the pot away and all the soil fell out, leaving me with a bareroot Joey. I'll be holding my hart the next few days (or weeks) to see if the leaves start to fold up. Wait and see if the fat lady sings.

PS: that's a nice looking Joey there topwater.

[Pal Meir]

As that soil mix doesn’t keep moisture for a long time you should water the palm more frequently than usual, maybe once in two days, and always from top. Good luck!

PS: I had a similar problem with repotting one (N°1302) of my L weddellianum 2016-12-02: When I pulled it out of the old pot I dropped almost all of the old soil. So I had to pot it nearly bare-rooted into the new 18x18xH23 cm double-pot™ with the new soil mix (2/4 fine pine bark + 1/4 Seramis® + 1/4 LECA + LECA layer on the bottom). L weddellianum palms have like Joeys very sensitive roots, but I had no setback at all (and that during dark December which is not ideal for repotting palms).

[maxum2610]

I fear the worst. It started 2 days ago and is going fast.

 

[Missi]

On 3/5/2017, 4:07:51, maxum2610 said:

I fear the worst. It started 2 days ago and is going fast.

 

Nooo!! What in the world do you think went wrong? How can one get a bare root Joey in the mail and have no issue at all (awesome, btw), but this one was simply repotted and it reacts like this?! Is it completely gone now?

[Kai]

Don't lose all hope. It's not dead yet. Give it rest, a bit of warmth,,some humidity maybe and not too much light. I've had seedlings recover from worse.

Just don't toy around with it any more than absolutely nessecary.

[maxum2610]

Fraid it's a goner. Great sadness here, sniffle. Just went in 4 to 5 days. Next time I'll have to try another technique, maybe wrap the pot in plastic beforehand to keep the soil from falling out, and carefully cut the bottom off. That way I can plant it pot and all in the new pot and slide the old one out through the top. First I need to find one that's as nice as this one. I'll keep this one in the greenhouse for the summer: you never know it comes back. Wishful thinking.

[Pal Meir]

Oh no!  Maybe (1) broken roots or (2) too little water after repotting or (3) both or (4) …?

[Monòver]

I am sorry.

I repoted mine last year. Mine is from the same spanish nursery and it had the same size. No problem, it is growing fast, green and healthy.

[maxum2610]

4 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Oh no!  Maybe (1) broken roots or (2) too little water after repotting or (3) both or (4) …?

Water wasn't the issue, I gave it enough I'm sure. But there was small piece of root (about 2-3 cm stuck to the bottom that broke off) and possibly others as the soil fell off. Must be the cause. Shame.

[Monòver]

This is mine, today. With the original pot, like yours and after one year in the new pot.

In the next weeks i must repot or plant it in the garden.

[GottmitAlex]

1 hour ago, Monòver said:

This is mine, today. With the original pot, like yours and after one year in the new pot.

In the next weeks i must repot or plant it in the garden.

Nice specimen Monóver.

 

[Monòver]

55 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Nice specimen Monóver.

 

Thanks!!!

[maxum2610]

4 hours ago, Monòver said:

This is mine, today. With the original pot, like yours and after one year in the new pot.

In the next weeks i must repot or plant it in the garden.

I would love to see one of these in the ground in Elche. Then I know where to get some seeds later when it gets big.

[maxum2610]

Successfully repotted my two johannesteijsmannia magnificas laast week. The one on the right was clearly not happy with the soil it was in.

[fiji jim]

I would use bigger pots in future.

Less handling is best with Joeys.

[maxum2610]

So true Jim. Wanted to plant them in the bath tub but the wife put a stop to that real quick 

[JANAIY]

On 2/19/2017 at 12:28 PM, Pal Meir said:

PM’s recommendation: the Pal-Meir-Lytocaryum-insigne-Mix®:

And on the bottom:

… in combination with double pots (size variable):

… like these 2 palms:

Pal Meir, so  what's the function of the 2nd pot, humidity?

The seramis goes a small layer down in the pot and than you join the soil made with all 3 components. How I get the roots safely surrounded by that soil and does it hold the plant straight? Since it is coarse don't I risk to break those roots? 

And instead of the Seramis (can't find in US) can I use natural clay granules ?

 

[Pal Meir]

11 hours ago, JANAIY said:

Pal Meir, so  what's the function of the 2nd pot, humidity?

The seramis goes a small layer down in the pot and than you join the soil made with all 3 components. How I get the roots safely surrounded by that soil and does it hold the plant straight? Since it is coarse don't I risk to break those roots? 

And instead of the Seramis (can't find in US) can I use natural clay granules ?

The 2nd pot is a kind of »saucer« holding the water surplus. — Here a pic of the palm N°1401, 3 years after that repotting:

And for your 3rd question please contact @Laaz.

[Laaz]

In the USA we use Turface MVP, it can be found at most landscape supply stores for around $15-$17 per 50 lb bag.

 

https://www.turface.com/find-a-distributor

Edited February 2, 2020 by Laaz

[JANAIY]

12 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

The 2nd pot is a kind of »saucer« holding the water surplus. — Here a pic of the palm N°1401, 3 years after that repotting:

And for your 3rd question please contact @Laaz.

Thank you Pal Meirs,

impressive your palm. You grow everything inside? 

[Pal Meir]

10 hours ago, JANAIY said:

Thank you Pal Meirs,

impressive your palm. You grow everything inside? 

If possible, i.e. when temps above c. 2°C and wind speed below 60 km/h, I am growing almost all of my palms on my (very small) balcony and a lanai, otherwise indoors.

[JANAIY]

Well, that’s really amazing, I admire that. It’s not easy , but very satisfying 

[Thomas The Gardener]

On 3/16/2017 at 2:31 PM, Monòver said:

I am sorry.

I repoted mine last year. Mine is from the same spanish nursery and it had the same size. No problem, it is growing fast, green and healthy.

Hello. Can I ask which spanish nursery has this palm?

Thank you