All My Cham Tuercks - October 2015

[PalmatierMeg]

I am in the process of preparing my container palms for winter: repotting, pruning, fertilizing, treating with Merit. Along with the dwarf Arecas, my favorite palms are my Chamaedorea tuerckheimii because, by all rights, my attempts to grow this rare little species is supposed to flat-out fail. So imagine my surprise when I actually succeeded. My secret: place them in deepest shade with their pots sitting on plastic shelf units placed upon mulch, then leave them alone for weeks, even months. Sure they aren't on display but they like it that way.

Today I took photos of my 5 medium to large Cham tuercks after I finished their fall tune-ups. Because they are spider mite magnets I add two steps to their care: sprinkle used coffee grounds into their soil and carefully wet their leaves with castile soap and water. Now they are back under canopy in my back yard.

Enjoy. The largest palms are producing non-viable seeds - the species specific wasp that pollinates them doesn't exist in the US.

[PalmatierMeg]

More

[Palmaceae]

Looking great Meg!  Nice palms.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Palmaceae

[XYZ]

Greetings, Meg.

Nicely grown plants!

Where did you learn this species is wasp pollinated? While almost all of my seed has been generated by hand pollination (challenging for most growers) I have had a handful of plants in my garden in Guatemala produce viable open pollinated seed. They only potential pollinators I have seen visiting flowers are micro dipterans and tiny flower beetles (cetonids). This, in spite of having an abundant variety of euglossine bees and small wasps present year round.

As is evident when comparing plants from Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico and central and eastern Guatemala and western Honduras, there is a rather surprising degree of variability in the size, shape and color of the leaves of these palms.

J

[PalmatierMeg]

Greetings, Meg.

Nicely grown plants!

Where did you learn this species is wasp pollinated? While almost all of my seed has been generated by hand pollination (challenging for most growers) I have had a handful of plants in my garden in Guatemala produce viable open pollinated seed. They only potential pollinators I have seen visiting flowers are micro dipterans and tiny flower beetles (cetonids). This, in spite of having an abundant variety of euglossine bees and small wasps present year round.

As is evident when comparing plants from Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico and central and eastern Guatemala and western Honduras, there is a rather surprising degree of variability in the size, shape and color of the leaves of these palms.

J

Thanks. You really know your native palms so your kind words mean a lot. Regarding the pollinator wasp, I read that fact somewhere but can't remember exactly where. Is it true? I know I have two females so far. The other 3 haven't revealed themselves. I've never tried to hand pollinate palms - I'm visually impaired which makes any effort almost bound  to fail. Here in FL we can grow only the Veracruz variety. The Guatemala phenotype (prettier, I think) is a cloud forest palm that could not survive our heat and sweltering humidity. Also, I can never plant these palms because my "soil" is highly alkaline sand and shell rock. But they seem happy enough. All finally outgrew their 1qt or 1g pots and are now in 1, 2, or 3g.

[Missi]

Meg, last year I considered dropping $120 for one of these guys but then I read how difficult they are to grow. Can you please tell me about your experiences?

[sashaeffer]

I will chime in and add that I've had one since early spring of this year that I keep inside, in master bathroom for the added humidity. It came to me in the pot and soil it grew in. I keep soil damp, and keep a close eye out for spider mites, although there are only a couple of other palms in the master bath like my joey to keep it company. It's been pushing a new spear and seems like a good grower. I won't pat myself on the back until I've had it at least a year.

[Missi]

I will chime in and add that I've had one since early spring of this year that I keep inside, in master bathroom for the added humidity. It came to me in the pot and soil it grew in. I keep soil damp, and keep a close eye out for spider mites, although there are only a couple of other palms in the master bath like my joey to keep it company. It's been pushing a new spear and seems like a good grower. I won't pat myself on the back until I've had it at least a year.

LOVE IT!  Great job!! 

[Jeff Searle]

I can only add that this species of Chamaedorea....is truly challenging for us here in south Florida. Not only are they difficult to keep alive but their hard to grow and to looking nice. Meg, your doing  superb job!

[dmc]

They look great Meg. Your doing a great job with those babies. I'm jealous this is one species I have struggled with. what your doing is not easy 

Dominic

[sur4z]

awesome...there is one in the ground in a shady spot at the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden in West Palm Beach Fl

[SailorBold]

oops..

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2015 by SailorBold
oops

[dmc]

awesome...there is one in the ground in a shady spot at the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden in West Palm Beach Fl

hmmm I didn't know will have to check it out. Thanks

[XYZ]

Meg:

 

The plants in flower above are both males. Females have spicate inflorescences.

 

 

Cheers,

 

J

[DoomsDave]

Wow, Meg that's a coup!

I've heard so many horror stories of how hard they are to grow, I haven't even tried.

(Maybe I should try.)

[Pal Meir]

And here is my baby, just born today:

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg:

 

The plants in flower above are both males. Females have spicate inflorescences.

 

 

Cheers,

 

J

Thanks for the correction. I recall that my female Cham tenellas are also spicate.

Pal Meir, congratulations on your newborn. Those seeds are so expensive I haven't had the courage to try them.

Scott, your palm looks awesome. You must be doing something right.

[Pal Meir]

Meg:

 

The plants in flower above are both males. Females have spicate inflorescences.

 

 

Cheers,

 

J

Thanks for the correction. I recall that my female Cham tenellas are also spicate.

Pal Meir, congratulations on your newborn. Those seeds are so expensive I haven't had the courage to try them.

Scott, your palm looks awesome. You must be doing something right.

Meg, can’t you send your male flowers to stone jaguar who can produce with his female plant a lot of seeds and send 50% of the harvest back to you?

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg:

 

The plants in flower above are both males. Females have spicate inflorescences.

 

 

Cheers,

 

J

Thanks for the correction. I recall that my female Cham tenellas are also spicate.

Pal Meir, congratulations on your newborn. Those seeds are so expensive I haven't had the courage to try them.

Scott, your palm looks awesome. You must be doing something right.

Meg, can’t you send your male flowers to stone jaguar who can produce with his female plant a lot of seeds and send 50% of the harvest back to you?

I like your thinking. But US Customs/Dept of Agriculture are paranoid about any seeds sent from Central or South America. Years ago, a generous palm friend in Costa Rica tried to send me some Chamaedorea seeds. US Customs in Miami intercepted and destroyed them, then sent me a letter threatening to prosecute me if they ever intercepted more. So, all I can do is dream

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg, last year I considered dropping $120 for one of these guys but then I read how difficult they are to grow. Can you please tell me about your experiences?

I bought my first two in 2010 from Dale Holton. He warned me about spider mites then. I knew this species could be difficult and needed shade so I placed them on a shelf under the awning on the north side of the house, along with some Chamaedorea tenella I bought elsewhere. The Cham tuercks endured their lot but the tenellas hated it. In summer, even with limited sunlight, the environment was still very bright and, I think, hotter than they liked: from metal awning and stucco wall. The Cham tuercks bleached out and the tenellas began to die.

Two years later we had to go out of town for 3 weeks, so had to close all shutters and awnings. I moved my Chams into the back yard and stashed them deep inside my world's smallest jungle where they benefitted from shade and irrigation, also were hard to see. After I got home I decided not to move all those pots during summer. When I checked everything that fall, lo! my Cham tuercks and tenellas never looked better. They've stayed in the back yard ever since where, even on the hottest day the temp is 10-15 degrees cooler because of the density of my jungle and proximity of our canal.

So, I would advise that your Cham tuercks be placed in as natural an environment as is possible for an understory palm: shielded by taller plants rather than shadecloth or even a roof. Stucco and concrete absorb heat, then release it. This species likes high humidity but not necessarily high temps. I don't bring mine indoors unless nights fall below 40-45F. And I never put them on the back lanai rather leave them on their shelves outdoors. I also think the humidity stays higher when plants are grouped together. In the dry season that can be a crucial advantage. I have to track the position of the sun so if too much sunlight intrudes in one spot, I move palms and shelves to a more shaded location. That may require me to move them several times a year so they don't get sunburn.

Next: water. During rainy season, storms provide that. Cape Coral is almost unique among cities in that it  has a dual water system for: 1) human consumption and 2) irrigation. The irrigation water comes from freshwater canals and treated wastewater. I am allowed to run my sprinklers 2x per week from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. (for which I pay $10 per month). I can hand water all I want. Without dual water I couldn't afford to grow drought sensitive palms. In addition, I am on city water, not a well. Well water can be very alkaline and may kill many plants. Cape Coral over chlorinates its water but we have a whole-house water filter based on carbon, not water softener salts, which also kill sensitive plants. If you have well water or a water softener system, be wary. Cham tuercks are said to be very sensitive about watering, but mine seem to take my irrigation in stride. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to water occasionally with distilled water to wash out any fertilizer salt buildup.

As I said, this species are spider mite magnets. Not a terrible problem during the rainy season, really big problem during dry season. That's when palms should be inspected ever week or so. If I see or suspect mites, I gently sponge off their leaves with soapy water. I've started using castile soap (from coconut oil). I shave a bit from the bar, then mix in water. It also works on scale and mealy bugs.

I fertilize 2 or 3x per year with time release Osmocote or Nutricote 10-10-10. When I spread Southern Ag Essential Minor Elements in granular form on certain of my palms, I slip some to my Cham Tuercks. I also sprinkle used coffee grounds to deter pests. If their leaves look a bit yellowish and I can't discern mites, I spray them with Southern Ag chelated iron.

[Josh-O]

looking good Meg!!