Watering Butia during heat waves?

[Palm crazy]

Does watering less during a heatwave make Butia more hardy in winter?

[ErikSJI]

Maybe check out where they are native. How are there climates? See how they grow naturally. Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina. I know the rainy season is in the Winter in your location.

[Palm crazy]

I’m growing what is called Butia capitata or was called capitata. weather is temperate-humid savanna ecosystem with more rain in summer than winter.

I’m just wondering if a little drought stress would make them more hardy in winter or if I water the heck out of them will that make them more tender in winter, anyone?

It a weird concept but I’ve read it on another palm board many years ago, but have never tried it. I actually like to water more during heat waves, just like to know if anyone has heard of such a thing.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Water your butia. I can guarantee from personal experience that water stressed palms turn out to be much much less Winter hardy. You're focusing on the wrong part of the palm. Full Hot dry sun on the leaves will do much more for hardiness. Canopy and humid air will greatly reduce hardiness.

[Palm crazy]

Thanks Eric and Axel, both are really good advise and I’m going to water them at least once a week. I already fertilize last weekend so there ready for maximum growth this summer.

Not much I can do with the humidity but it does go way down during the day when it is the 90’s. Around 35%- 38%. I did take out the tall canna that were blocking sun last summer, so there getting the maximum amount of sun in that location. Maybe 6hrs. Taller they grow the more sunlight they’ll get.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Palm crazy

[DoomsDave]

Water your buteas!

Not like in the swamp, but they like plenty to drink, which gets them through the hard times, like for so many . . . .

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

This would be my recipe for growing a butia in the PNW:

1) Water and fertilize super well until early September.

2) In mid September, thoroughly flush out any fertilizer from the soil with lots of watering. Then apply Sulpomag to bring up the K and Mg levels.

3) No more watering or fertilizing after that. The hope is that your spear remains dormant and you're not throwing new leaves during the cold season.

4) Apply monthly serenade in the spear to bring up beneficial anti-fungal bacteria.

5) After a major freeze, increase serenade applications to every two weeks.

[Palm crazy]

That looks pretty close to what I am doing now.

Except 1) would be August since we start to cool down in September from 75F to 62F and, in mid to late September we get a good chance of rain around 1”- 2” in two days.

I haven’t tried Serenade, I’ll check out the spray this fall. Sounds like a solid plan and thank you for all the suggestion.

Dave, that’s good info for sure, I’ll try to restrain from over watering. Maybe a before and after pic this fall, maybe!

[Alicehunter2000]

Once established you are pushing the limit for what Butia can handle if you are a true 8a climate. You should be golden unless temps go into the teens for prolonged periods (12+ hours) .....they easily handle the 20's. Once they have established, mid to upper teens will not even cause leaf damage. Lower teens is where things start to get iffy

[Palm crazy]

David thats pretty much my climate, 8a, it gets down to 15F pretty regularly here in Olympia, WA. In the last 20 years I’ve been down to 9F, 10F, 12F once each, followed by warmer winters 9a. I’ve had larger Buteas go through those bad years with just spear pull, But if the second winter is also cold then they will die here. Most of W.WA is actually 8b I just happen to be right up to 8a, so it can be warm or very cold. Olympia WA use to be 7b, but in town its still 8a. I’m 5 degrees colder in winter than Seattle and 5 degrees warmer in summer. But I also get much more rain than north of me. It’s a double edge sword living here in the Capital city. But I’m pretty sure this will be my last time growing buteas, last time they got pretty big before two bad winter took them out. Fingers crossed they last longer. All together I have 12 Butea and hybrids in the ground.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Palm crazy

[_Keith]

Butia tend to thrive in Louisiana after establishment and we have very wet, very humid, very hot summers.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

I would doubt it although container butias seem to look worse than field grown ones at my place. I suspect it has to do more with the ground temps rather than watering though. The container butias get 2x the water also.

[JLeVert]

I think that I investigated one time and Butia odorata grows in an area with about 60" of rain a year. I soak mine in summer on occasion. Otherwise, they're on their own. Augusta, GA only gets about 43" of rain a year, with maximums in February and July.

[Alicehunter2000]

Isn't there some colder hardy Butia's than the common "Butia capita" which is now known as not B. capita but rather B. odorata?

[_Keith]

Isn't there some colder hardy Butia's than the common "Butia capita" which is now known as not B. capita but rather B. odorata?

Is that like the artist formerly known as Prince or something?

[Palm crazy]

It more likely more like, What’s My Line?