palms for heated greenhouse in ct.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

i have recently gained access to a very large heated greenhouse at my school that has a large amount of room for palms.  there is already plants in it but there is a lot of room.  the only tropical plants in in right now are some 15ft tall bananas and some small lemons.  the temp is usually around 70 or higher and the lowest it ever gets is 45 degrees  my question is what palms would be good for this environment potted?   some i have come up with would be  bottle, spindle, majesty, christmas palm, blue latin palm, bismarka, king palm and queen palm.  other obvious ones that would work would be washingtonia robusta, any sabal, date palms, and my windmill palms.  any sugestions on what palms to chose and where to buy them?  the more inexpensive the better.  thanks guys!

[CroToni]

local garden shops,they will be cheaper in Florida and California,also you will have a bigger selection.Also you can order seeds from rarepalmseeds,and please try a coconut.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

1 hour ago, CroToni said:

local garden shops,they will be cheaper in Florida and California,also you will have a bigger selection.Also you can order seeds from rarepalmseeds,and please try a coconut.

well, up here in ct most garden shops seldom have palms and those that do usually just have majesty palms and ocasioanly miniture date palms

 

[PalmatierMeg]

How high is the ceiling of the greenhouse? How much room is the school allowing you to use? Be aware that Bismarckia get really huge and can take up all your space by themselves. Washingtonia grow very fast and get tall. Also, a maximum temperature of just 70F is too cold long term for truly tropical palms like coconuts and Adonidias. Long term lows in the 40s will also be detrimental to them. They require consistent temps well above 80, even 90, high humidity and high light levels to thrive. Does the greenhouse offer supplemental lighting for short winter days. Bottles and spindles are slightly hardier but may have the same problems as may the blue latan. I suggest to stick to smaller to medium slower growing palms that may better tolerate lower heat and light conditions. Sabals are cold hardy but need heat and sun during summer to balance that coldhardiness. Trachycarpus should work well for you (I can't grow them). Also check out the many Chamaedorea species.

[CroToni]

12 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

How high is the ceiling of the greenhouse? How much room is the school allowing you to use? Be aware that Bismarckia get really huge and can take up all your space by themselves. Washingtonia grow very fast and get tall. Also, a maximum temperature of just 70F is too cold long term for truly tropical palms like coconuts and Adonidias. Long term lows in the 40s will also be detrimental to them. They require consistent temps well above 80, even 90, high humidity and high light levels to thrive. Does the greenhouse offer supplemental lighting for short winter days. Bottles and spindles are slightly hardier but may have the same problems as may the blue latan. I suggest to stick to smaller to medium slower growing palms that may better tolerate lower heat and light conditions. Sabals are cold hardy but need heat and sun during summer to balance that coldhardiness. Trachycarpus should work well for you (I can't grow them). Also check out the many Chamaedorea species.

hmmm you are right,but if it's  dry which it will be because it is a greenhouse.Cocos should survive altought barely highs in the 70's are ok since there a lot of regions that grow cocos and their winter highs do not go above 75 degrees(usually).The problem here are the 40 degree lows,even though a few nights at around 45 f with minimal humidity should not be detrimental.

[PalmatierMeg]

Most greenhouses I'm familiar with, unless they are intended for desert plants, are kept on the humid side. Coconuts may take less humidity than most tropical palms but Adonidias cannot. I still foresee problems with any tropical palm surviving long dark winters in that part of the US without serious supplemental lighting and heat. I grew up and lived 40+ years in Northern Virginia which is only a few 100 miles south of CT. Winter days there are short, often dark and dreary with little or no sun for many days, even weeks. CT winter days are just as dark and dreary, but colder and shorter. However, if Samurai is up for some experimentation and is willing to make the investment, I say bring it on. He may bring some valuable new knowledge to the forum.

[Missi]

4 hours ago, CroToni said:

hmmm you are right,but if it's  dry which it will be because it is a greenhouse.Cocos should survive altought barely highs in the 70's are ok since there a lot of regions that grow cocos and their winter highs do not go above 75 degrees(usually).The problem here are the 40 degree lows,even though a few nights at around 45 f with minimal humidity should not be detrimental.

If your greenhouse is dry, you're doing it wrong 

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

22 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

How high is the ceiling of the greenhouse? How much room is the school allowing you to use? Be aware that Bismarckia get really huge and can take up all your space by themselves. Washingtonia grow very fast and get tall. Also, a maximum temperature of just 70F is too cold long term for truly tropical palms like coconuts and Adonidias. Long term lows in the 40s will also be detrimental to them. They require consistent temps well above 80, even 90, high humidity and high light levels to thrive. Does the greenhouse offer supplemental lighting for short winter days. Bottles and spindles are slightly hardier but may have the same problems as may the blue latan. I suggest to stick to smaller to medium slower growing palms that may better tolerate lower heat and light conditions. Sabals are cold hardy but need heat and sun during summer to balance that coldhardiness. Trachycarpus should work well for you (I can't grow them). Also check out the many Chamaedorea species.

id guess its 15-20 feet tall the minimum of 45 only happens a few cold nights for short periods of time.  not long term.  there is some suplemetal lighting in some areas.  during spring and summer the temps are going to be in the 80s as well.  i still need to find some palms besides majesty palms though  all the garden centers at lowes and home depots are just filled with hundreds of majesties.  sometimes youll find pigmy date palms and rarley an arcea or sago

[CroToni]

5 hours ago, Missi said:

If your greenhouse is dry, you're doing it wrong 

Haha,good point.I should have said if the soil in the container is dry.