Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

Southern California to lose its Palms!


RobustaEnvirons

Recommended Posts

27 minutes ago, Josh-O said:

here are a few of the tikis I have carved over the years out of washie stumps.

IMG_3579.thumb.JPG.f5290538369e9545737e7IMG_6229.thumb.JPG.16fed698526aea902db73IMG_5625.thumb.JPG.b94bc99a251a0dd7afedbIMG_5295.thumb.JPG.9942a91f6895495acdad1IMG_4729.thumb.JPG.5bfebe95d470b86e2e49d

Wow! Those are really good. At least you found a use for a dead Washy's stump. Nice. 

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/5/2016, 10:14:39, RobustaEnvirons said:

Wow! Those are really good. At least you found a use for a dead Washy's stump. Nice. 

thanks :) 

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

W O W ! ! ! !

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

W O W ! ! ! !

:greenthumb:

sometimes I surprise myself..lol

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do often wonder how Washingtonia Robusta grow so straight up! They don't even seem to lean very much when they do start to lean later on in life. Most regular trees grow towards light sources (the Sun), but Washies just don't seem to care. They grow straight up and into the sky. I had thought maybe they do this to get as much sunlight as possible, but I don't know.   

Is there a special gene/trait/hormone or something that controls the posture they grow at? I'd imagine that there has to be some genetic trait directing this, otherwise they'd not do it.

Oak Trees for example, stretch their branches outward and cover a wide area, and don't grow in a perfect shape. In my region of the world, our oak trees grow tall but then stretch out their limbs. But, they have a lean and grow any which way. Our Oak trees are over 100 years old, and we have many. 

 

12006155_10203712806015501_4897523526308069417_n.jpg

10610814_10202106303733948_4157715983867688738_n.jpg

43rd_20palm.0.JPG

6ccf8574-cb42-4d1f-b669-aad497f64d06.JPG

Edited by RobustaEnvirons
  • Upvote 3

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richard:

Those are nice oak trees! From your 'hood? Back in Cleveland we had black oaks all over. They took the boggy soil of Euclid; white oaks needed better drainage. Planted alone, they grew magnificently, with spreading crowns. Here in California we have "live oaks" which are even more spreading. (My neighbor has one, I'm trying to talk him into letting me cut it down . . . . )

Washies do lean; towards the equator. That picture of California you posted, I'll almost bet life and limb on it, faces east, and the Washies are all bending south, to the right. Other palms do that too, when they get really old and tall.

  • Upvote 2

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/5/2016, 9:46:01, Josh-O said:

here are a few of the tikis I have carved over the years out of washie stumps.

IMG_3579.thumb.JPG.f5290538369e9545737e7IMG_6229.thumb.JPG.16fed698526aea902db73IMG_5625.thumb.JPG.b94bc99a251a0dd7afedbIMG_5295.thumb.JPG.9942a91f6895495acdad1IMG_4729.thumb.JPG.5bfebe95d470b86e2e49d

Impressive work Josh!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Josh-O said:

:greenthumb:

sometimes I surprise myself..lol

Wanna try a 40 foot King Kong trunk?

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Wanna try a 40 foot King Kong trunk?

Nahhhhhh

to soft on the inside. thanks for the offer

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Richard:

Those are nice oak trees! From your 'hood? Back in Cleveland we had black oaks all over. They took the boggy soil of Euclid; white oaks needed better drainage. Planted alone, they grew magnificently, with spreading crowns. Here in California we have "live oaks" which are even more spreading. (My neighbor has one, I'm trying to talk him into letting me cut it down . . . . )

Washies do lean; towards the equator. That picture of California you posted, I'll almost bet life and limb on it, faces east, and the Washies are all bending south, to the right. Other palms do that too, when they get really old and tall.

Yes, these are from around my part of Ohio! We have these all over. I've actually never know what kind of Oak tree they are. Everybody just calls them an Oak tree. They grow 100ft tall and grow well over 150 years old. These Oak trees have tall slender truncks and don't really have a lot of branches down low. All their branches are high up. The town I live in (Toledo Ohio) is thickly forested with them and in most of the city its similar to a forest canopy. All our Oaks are over 100-200 years old. 

Live oaks seem to be more squat and spread out than the Oaks we have here in Toledo. They don't seem as tall either. I'm surprised that we have so many Oaks with the vast amount of water they consume. But, water is one thing we have in abundance since we've got the Great Lakes and plentiful snow & rainfall all throughout the year. The Oaks and other deciduous woodland trees probably have no problem drawing up all the water they need. I can't imagine how trees out in California find enough water.

Washies sure don't require a lot of water, I've realized that much. I can understand that they thrive out there.    

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

Yes, these are from around my part of Ohio! We have these all over. I've actually never know what kind of Oak tree they are. Everybody just calls them an Oak tree. They grow 100ft tall and grow well over 150 years old. These Oak trees have tall slender truncks and don't really have a lot of branches down low. All their branches are high up. The town I live in (Toledo Ohio) is thickly forested with them and in most of the city its similar to a forest canopy. All our Oaks are over 100-200 years old. 

Live oaks seem to be more squat and spread out than the Oaks we have here in Toledo. They don't seem as tall either. I'm surprised that we have so many Oaks with the vast amount of water they consume. But, water is one thing we have in abundance since we've got the Great Lakes and plentiful snow & rainfall all throughout the year. The Oaks and other deciduous woodland trees probably have no problem drawing up all the water they need. I can't imagine how trees out in California find enough water.

Washies sure don't require a lot of water, I've realized that much. I can understand that they thrive out there.    

Maybe post some closeups of your oaks?

I'm curious to see what they are. There's a lot of oaks.

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Richard:

Those are nice oak trees! From your 'hood? Back in Cleveland we had black oaks all over. They took the boggy soil of Euclid; white oaks needed better drainage. Planted alone, they grew magnificently, with spreading crowns. Here in California we have "live oaks" which are even more spreading. (My neighbor has one, I'm trying to talk him into letting me cut it down . . . . )

Washies do lean; towards the equator. That picture of California you posted, I'll almost bet life and limb on it, faces east, and the Washies are all bending south, to the right. Other palms do that too, when they get really old and tall.

I had no idea Live Oaks were able to grow in California? Interesting. I'm sure they can take some drought but I had no idea that they can survive long term in southern California. Interesting!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, smithgn said:

I had no idea Live Oaks were able to grow in California? Interesting. I'm sure they can take some drought but I had no idea that they can survive long term in southern California. Interesting!

There are actually 3 species of Live Oak endemic to CA: Coast, Interior, and Canyon. Coast Live Oak is the most common,  can get HUGE like it's cousin from the Southern U.S. The other two are less commonly encountered in home gardens. Southern Live Oak, or at least a variant of the species, is also encountered here in Arizona. You also occasionally see Pin, and Scarlet oaks in CA though they rarely "color up" as nicely as they can back east.

Edited by Silas_Sancona
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, DoomsDave said:

Maybe post some closeups of your oaks?

I'm curious to see what they are. There's a lot of oaks.

Here's a few. The Oak trees I'm referring to are shown in my previous post through. The 1st and 2nd photos I put up previously, depict the Oaks around here nicely. They have a slender vertical trunk (usually 60-100ft in hieght) with a full-splayed out canopy. Most all of them are over 100 years old. 

644354_3328328061865_1518567172_n.jpg

263836_3328354342522_1072759088_n.jpg

250792_3328357342597_327658831_n.jpg

11262460_10203126954729585_7463981121406949928_n.jpg

Edited by RobustaEnvirons

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those look like black oaks, like we had in Euclid. Any way to get a close up of the leaves and small branches?

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Those look like black oaks, like we had in Euclid. Any way to get a close up of the leaves and small branches?

I'll try to get some for you today. 

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Those look like black oaks, like we had in Euclid. Any way to get a close up of the leaves and small branches?

I went out into the Oak Savanna today to try to take some better pictures for you. These are somewhat closer. 

20160609_181641_HDR.jpg

20160609_181823_HDR.jpg

20160609_181456_HDR.jpg

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20160609_175554_HDR.jpg

20160609_181032_HDR.jpg

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

I went out into the Oak Savanna today to try to take some better pictures for you. These are somewhat closer. 

20160609_181641_HDR.jpg

20160609_181823_HDR.jpg

20160609_181456_HDR.jpg

Those look a lot like the black oaks from Euclid. It looks like the Oak Savannah has sandy soil, which is very different from the soil in Euclid, which is clay. That says a lot about the oaks' adaptability.

Hmm. Feeling a California oak thread coming on . . . .

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/5/2016, 9:46:01, Josh-O said:

here are a few of the tikis I have carved over the years out of washie stumps.

IMG_3579.thumb.JPG.f5290538369e9545737e7IMG_6229.thumb.JPG.16fed698526aea902db73IMG_5625.thumb.JPG.b94bc99a251a0dd7afedbIMG_5295.thumb.JPG.9942a91f6895495acdad1IMG_4729.thumb.JPG.5bfebe95d470b86e2e49d

Nice tattoo work, I like the detail.  

Carl

Vista, CA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guys, can we please use the latin binomial for these various 'oaks',  ie  Quercus agrifolia for California coastal live oak ?  Thanks ! :)

  • Upvote 2

San Francisco, California

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Those look a lot like the black oaks from Euclid. It looks like the Oak Savannah has sandy soil, which is very different from the soil in Euclid, which is clay. That says a lot about the oaks' adaptability.

Hmm. Feeling a California oak thread coming on . . . .

We do have clay closer to Lake Erie, but that region is in the western edge of town.

That whole area (Oak Savannah) has Sandy soil, and Oak canopy scattered about with meadow. Because the whole region was once lake bed before the lake receded millions of years ago. Its like beach sand, all over. We used to have it in my backyard when I lived that way. 

Do you ever see these towering Oaks in California? I know you have Live Oak like you've mentioned, but they seen not quite the same. 

Sorry, didn't mean to get off topic from the Southern California Palm trees! Lol. :lol:

Edited by RobustaEnvirons

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, nachocarl said:

Nice tattoo work, I like the detail.  

tiki oasis 20016 is upon us this year!!

  • Upvote 1

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you use any type of wood for a Tiki?

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Guys, can we please use the latin binomial for these various 'oaks',  ie  Quercus agrifolia for California coastal live oak ?  Thanks ! :)

Yes, we should distinguish from the other Oaks to avoid confusion. :)

ELVIRA

 

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7.12.2015, 19:43:02, RobustaEnvirons said:

By the way, today I snipped off a little of my W. Robustas dead bark-like material. I just wanted to clean off a little bit, but then before I new it I had pretty much trimmed off all of it. 

Then I thought about whether it could hurt my Robusta. I remember reading you can remove this material, but I didn't know if this is true while it's younger. 

Is this a problem? Will this possibly now hurt my little Robusta? 

I kinda should've just trimmed that little bit off and stopped! Oops, I hope it's not hurt or dies. It's doing quite well, I hope it keeps on going. I didn't cut any living material, just the old leave snippings that have turned into bark material. 

If you give your Washi sunshine and water it can look like this only two years (more exactly 28 months) old potted palm. :D And please don’t tear off the old leaf sheaths! :blush:

575b15f24c6bf_Washingtonia74N07-0306.thu

  • Upvote 2

My photos at flickr: flickr.com/photos/palmeir/albums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

If you give your Washi sunshine and water it can look like this only two years (more exactly 28 months) old potted palm. :D And please don’t tear off the old leaf sheaths! :blush:

575b15f24c6bf_Washingtonia74N07-0306.thu

Unfortunately, that particular Washy I was talking about  back then, has since died. It didn't survive. 

My other Washies are doing well though. I will try to give them sunshine and water as you've said.

Is indirect sunlight acceptable? I have them indoors and they receive sunlight through our windows. I just don't want to put them out in the front yard since they would be infested with bugs/ants/etc. I can't have that. I would have to promptly throw them away once infested, so I am keeping them indoors. 

I have had them out in my south/southwest facing sunroom. They get sunshine from 11am onwards. My other Washies are doing very well. 

And no I won't ever again remove the old dead leaf sheaths. I have learning now not to do that, at the cost of my older Washy.:(

Edited by RobustaEnvirons

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

Unfortunately, that particular Washy I was talking about  back then, has since died. It didn't survive. 

My other Washies are doing well though. I will try to give them sunshine and water as you've said.

Is indirect sunlight acceptable? I have them indoors and they receive sunlight through our windows. I just don't want to put them out in the front yard since they would be infested with bugs/ants/etc. I can't have that. I would have to promptly throw them away once infested, so I am keeping them indoors. 

I have had them out in my south/southwest facing sunroom. They get sunshine from 11am onwards. My other Washies are doing very well. 

And no I won't ever again remove the old dead leaf sheaths. I have learning now not to do that, at the cost of my older Washy.:(

They are more likely to get infested with bugs indoors than out, due to lack of humidity, air circulation, etc.  Get them some outside time now that it has warmed up.

  • Upvote 1

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

They are more likely to get infested with bugs indoors than out, due to lack of humidity, air circulation, etc.  Get them some outside time now that it has warmed up.

I've actually had absolutely no bugs/gnats/flies yet since at least March. When they overwintered on the bay window (inside the house) they only got literally 3-4 gnats all winter long.  

In my Sun-room they are exposed to all humidity and temperature ranges, its actually hotter in the Sun-room than it could be outside since it holds all the heat from the day (the Sun-room faces the West/Southwest). Its been only in the 70s/low 80s lately. Today's the first day its been above 90 all week. Also, we get sporadic rain everyday these days.      

But, ok. I will try to find a decent place to put them out in the front yard (where they'll get all-day sun). Hopefully they'll not be destroyed.  

Unfortunately, I've been forewarned that if I choose to put them outside and they become infested, I'll be forced to promptly throw them in the garbage can. So I guess this is a risk I'm about to take. A big investment.    

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

I've actually had absolutely no bugs/gnats/flies yet since at least March. When they overwintered on the bay window (inside the house) they only got literally 3-4 gnats all winter long.  

In my Sun-room they are exposed to all humidity and temperature ranges, its actually hotter in the Sun-room than it could be outside since it holds all the heat from the day (the Sun-room faces the West/Southwest). Its been only in the 70s/low 80s lately. Today's the first day its been above 90 all week. Also, we get sporadic rain everyday these days.      

But, ok. I will try to find a decent place to put them out in the front yard (where they'll get all-day sun). Hopefully they'll not be destroyed.  

Unfortunately, I've been forewarned that if I choose to put them outside and they become infested, I'll be forced to promptly throw them in the garbage can. So I guess this is a risk I'm about to take. A big investment.    

I don't know who is telling you these things, but these guys love the outdoors.  Sure, something can happen to them, but if you want to keep them long-term - I'd get them some outside time.  I wouldn't think a Washie would cope well with being a fully indoor palm, unless they can get some direct sun in that sun room.  (That's definitely a good place for them when you have them indoors, however.)

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

I don't know who is telling you these things, but these guys love the outdoors.  Sure, something can happen to them, but if you want to keep them long-term - I'd get them some outside time.  I wouldn't think a Washie would cope well with being a fully indoor palm, unless they can get some direct sun in that sun room.  (That's definitely a good place for them when you have them indoors, however.)

I understand what you're saying, and I'm going to try to put them outside more often. Nobody's told me not to put them outside, its just that my grandma (who I live with) has told me she won't allow bugs/ants/gnats/ being brought back into the house if I put them outside. Shes told me I have to throw them out if they bring in all that stuff. I've actually wanted to set them outside, but I just don't want to have to throw them out if that happens. I have a lot of time, attention, love, and care put into these Washies :bummed:.

But, nonetheless I do agree that they should have some direct full-sun time outdoors. If I see some bugs (when I do bring them indoors) or something I'll just have to nuke them with Raid or something! Lol. :evil:.    

Since I live in zone 6b (Toledo Ohio) it gets cold and dreary here by the beginning of October. I then have to move them indoors onto our bay window until Spring (Late March/Early April) when I can return them to the sun-room. I like the sun-room myself but I just can't use it year-round.     

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/2/2015, 9:48:42, Eric in Orlando said:

Orlando is a great climate to grow plants in. If you live in the metro/heat-island you can grow many tender zone 10 plants/palms. But you can also grow many temperate plants. Its a great tropical/temperate mixing zone.

But living wise, Orlando is becoming very undesirable to me. I'm looking to move out in the near future. I have already moved out to Altamonte Springs (north of Orlando). its becoming insanely crowded, rude, horrible unchecked growth and traffic, crime ridden, natural areas bulldozed, nothing historic saved and unpleasant. I've lived here for 36 years and its really gone downhill since the late 1990s. You might consider renting first.

Where are you looking to go?

Westchase | 9b 10a  ◆  Nokomis | 10a  ◆  St. Petersburg | 10a 10b 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had my Washies outdoors since Sunday and they've done very well it seems! They do love the sunshine, and we've certainly been getting a lot of it lately here in Toledo Ohio (zone 6b). I've been putting them out in the yard around 12pm (the time the sun reaches our front yard) and leaving them until after dark (around 10pm-10:30pm). Last week we did have a couple days were it dipped down into the mid 50s and 60s at night. I realize Washies can handle those temps though, I just didn't see any benefits to leaving them outdoors at night in those temps. There would be zero growth anyhow since it'd be cold and nighttime.  

When they're out in the yard, I don't feel comfortable just leaving them 24/7 outdoors. I know some people have said I should just leave them, but I don't want to go that far. Besides that I don't have a spot that's out of the way, nor in sunshine from 12pm-sundown (spots like that are out in the yard away from the sun-room's shadow). We do get frequent thunderstorms/rain-showers so I like to bring them in every night for that reason as well. I can better control how wet their soil gets that way. I keep them inside a storage container while out in the yard, it makes it easier to transport them all at once and keeps most bugs away. 

But, they are receiving outdoors time, and sunshine 7+ hours. We can have a lot of overcast days here also, so I don't think I'll set them out on those days. Those days have no sunshine all day, so it'd be pointless to set them out (I'll just keep them in the sun-room on those days). 

They are already showing signs of rapid growth. New leaves are emerging and their straps leaves are developing more! :D

Lucky for me and my palms, we have been getting many abundant days of sunshine!     

IMAG1490.jpg

(The Washy in the second row is my own, and the 4th one in the 1st row is mine also, the rest are for family members).

Edited by RobustaEnvirons
  • Upvote 1

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMAG1498.jpg

IMAG1501.jpg

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMAG1502.jpg

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/10/2016, 3:37:13, Pal Meir said:

If you give your Washi sunshine and water it can look like this only two years (more exactly 28 months) old potted palm. :D And please don’t tear off the old leaf sheaths! :blush:

575b15f24c6bf_Washingtonia74N07-0306.thu

I've been putting my Washies outside everyday these days. The only thing is that we do get a decent amount of overcast cloudy days here, so I don't put them out on those days. But, most days its sunny so I put them outdoors. They are already looking vibrant and growing faster! 

Richard Berry 

Toledo, Ohio. Zone 6b, along the Western Shores of Lake Erie. I'm a big Potted Palm enthusiast. I love the Washingtonia Robusta: its Resilient, Adaptable, and grows so rapidly. You can't keep it down; The Skyscraper Palm!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Good topic! I live in Jacksonville, Fl (Northern Fla) and the W. robustas are falling quickly to the fusarium wilt here also. It is disheartening to see 70' palms die off in a short time. I am personally urging some key city officials to consider using other fan palm species such as the various Livistonas that will grow in our area: L. Nitida, L. Saribus, L. decora, and L. chinensis. The L. nitida is new to our area and has been installed at several large projects thus far, and is very similar in appearance to W. robusta. This would be a good replacement for California robustas since they grow to 100' tall and are not susceptible to the same diseases. I think its a major cop out for Southern Calif. to not replace their dying palms, as palms are the "bread and butter" of their tourist industry. Tourists just want to see palms, regardless of the type, so give the people what they want. It's all about image, and palms are THE centerpiece of the Southern Calif. image. Pics are:  L. nitida (two on top), and L. saribus (bottom).

Livistona nitida @ Spyglass Apts Jax, Fl.  12-19-15.JPG

Livistona nitida @ Spyglass Apts- Jax, Fl. 12-19-15 (2).JPG

IMAG1351.JPG

Edited by howfam
correct text
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I agree. I suppose Livistona Nitida would be a sensible alternative for this region (northern Florida) to replace the dying Washingtonia Robustas because we receive sufficient rainfall to keep Livistona Nitida chugging along. I recently saw rows of Livistona Nitida planted around the Daytona Speedway and, in thirty years, they will look fabulous.  Unfortunately, they won't grow as quickly as Washingtonia Robusta. 

 

I also question whether Livistona Nitida would be a good choice for Los Angeles. Are they very drought tolerant? I was under the impression that there are far more drought tolerant livistonas, such as Livistona Mariae....and perhaps others? (Please chime in if anyone knows)  Am I mistaken that Livistona Mariae are sometimes found in almost desert conditions in Australia, as part of their natural habitat?

 

Having said this, I have been advised that Livistona Mariae do not grow as tall as Livistona Nitida (assuming that height is the ultimate goal).  They do grow tall, but I don't know whether they would eventually grow tall enough to dust the skies of Los Angeles as Washingtonia Robusta do so prolifically.  Does anyone know?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/6/2016, 1:46:01, Josh-O said:

here are a few of the tikis I have carved over the years out of washie stumps.

IMG_3579.thumb.JPG.f5290538369e9545737e7IMG_6229.thumb.JPG.16fed698526aea902db73IMG_5625.thumb.JPG.b94bc99a251a0dd7afedbIMG_5295.thumb.JPG.9942a91f6895495acdad1IMG_4729.thumb.JPG.5bfebe95d470b86e2e49d

Those tikis are to-die-for! Is there a template for that kind of art, or are you just born with it? I've got a tree on the corner of my property that has to come down, but rather than cut it and leave a stump, I'd love to turn it into a (grounded) tiki. Must be hard, or take years of practice, right?

JT

Shimoda, Japan, Lat: 36.6N, Long: 138.8

Zone 9B (kinda, sorta), Pacific Coast, 1Km inland, 75M above sea level
Coldest lows (Jan): 2-5C (35-41F), Hottest highs (Aug): 32-33C (87-91F)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/15/2016, 10:55:35, JT in Japan said:

Those tikis are to-die-for! Is there a template for that kind of art, or are you just born with it? I've got a tree on the corner of my property that has to come down, but rather than cut it and leave a stump, I'd love to turn it into a (grounded) tiki. Must be hard, or take years of practice, right?

JT

the funny thing is I had no idea I could carve, draw or do any art. I always figures I had no artistic talent.

The opportunity came my way when I scored some nice washie logs. I used my kids sidewalk chalk to sketch out my design and the rest was history.

Carving is very therapeutic for me when I have time to do it. I'm glad you like my work.

 

in-ground tikis are awesome. I highly recommend trying to carve it or have it carved by someone else :)

cheers,

Josh-O

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...