African oil palm (14 years of growth in zone 9b)

[palmfriend]

Walt,

Thank you very much for sharing this new video! The crown is huge and the palm itself looks very healthy!

You did well, now you get rewarded! I think if nothing (really) serious happens during your winters, it should 

be alright/on the safe side by now. 

Please let us know, when it starts to trunk.

best regards from Okinawa -

Lars

 

[Walt]

On 10/26/2020 at 10:15 PM, chinandega81 said:

What a gorgeous palm and property you have. You also have a meticulous record of your plantings, hats off to you. I really enjoy your posts. 

Why do you think the African Oil Palm isn't more common in South Florida? There are many space they could fit well along the turnpike, expressways, parks etc. Yet I rarely see them even in Miami. Any ideas? If you have managed to get this beauty in zone 9b, I can't see why it isn't more widespread.

I also wanted to ask you, what is the warmed minimum you have had in a winter? Are there years you don't dip below 32? 40?

For about the past five winters my lows (just for one night only) ranged from about 30 to 33 degrees (all the rest were probably 40 degrees or higher). I know this past winter that Lake Placid Elementary school (up on higher ground) recorded 37 degrees for the lowest low of the winter on their STEM weather station. But being inland I have fairly good daytime heat. For my latitude compared to the coasts, my lows are lower and my highs are higher.

[Walt]

On 10/27/2020 at 8:36 AM, Palmfarmer said:

Wow amazing! Wonder how it would stand up against a freeze in a dry climate like Cali or Phoenix. Anyone tried them there? 

In semi-arid and arid climates frost is less prominent than opposed to my more humid climate. When my oil palm's fronds are damaged it's from black ice (frozen dew) and not frost -- although it looks like frost. Frost only forms below 32 degrees (when the dew point is less than 32 degrees). Almost invariably for me dew will start forming on my palm's foliage far above 32 degrees, then once the temperature drops to 32 degrees the dew freezes. I've read this (dew freezing to ice at 32 degrees) is worse than vapor freezing to frost below 32 degrees. I've also read that all other things being equal, a given palm's foliage can take about five degrees more cold in arid climates than in humid climates.

[Walt]

On 10/27/2020 at 9:01 AM, palmfriend said:

Walt,

Thank you very much for sharing this new video! The crown is huge and the palm itself looks very healthy!

You did well, now you get rewarded! I think if nothing (really) serious happens during your winters, it should 

be alright/on the safe side by now. 

Please let us know, when it starts to trunk.

best regards from Okinawa -

Lars

 

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, Lars. 

[Fusca]

Looking good @Walt!

[FEC]

That's a gorgeous palm - is your growth rate typical for this species? I am considering planting an oil palm in zone 10a.