trachycarpus advice

[palm789]

Hi I need some advice I was considering planting my 2 trachys but the thing is I will be moving home in about 2 years if I plant them temporary until I move will it do them any good as I will be definitely taking them with me or should I leave them in the big pots I bought but the thing is I want them to grow big dark green leaves that can withstand the wind more.as the bad wind is destroying my leaves and I tried placing it in sheltered areas away from wind but I cant win as wind comes from all directions.advice needed.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

T. Fortunei are known to not withstand wind at all, so I'm afraid if you don't want a palm with shredded leaves you are going to have to buy another species.  T. Waggy are much more wind resistant.

[Pal Meir]

Yes, the leaves of T. fortunei will get shredded by the wind (cf. photo below). In contrast to that the fronds of T. wagnerianus are stiff and stable, even under heavy snow.

[palm789]

thanks for the reply.I thought that the darker green and bigger the t fortunei leaves are the more wind resistant it will be as my neighbours has dark green leaves that hardly bend/shred on the wind.

[palm789]

so you mean that there will be no point trying to avoid the wind as trachys will always have shredded leaves?

 

[yabazid]

My windmills dont mind the wind. I think they grow stiffer fronds in full sun, more wind tolerance.  

I apologize for the bad quality pics.

[Hamal]

You can try to use a fertilizer with more K (potassium) than N (nitrogen), especially before the windy season. That typically leads to more wind-resistant leaves. Whether that is enough depends on how strong the winds are in your area.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

 "windy" is a relative term. It is windy where I'm at and all fortunei not protected by live oaks or courtyards are shredded, no matter how much fertilizer is given.  I grow my 1,3,7 gallons up against the greenhouse to keep them from shredding.

[_Rob_]

Trachy shows some variabilily in the leaf stiffness too. Some are tougher and have straight flat leaves, others droop. Seems that doesnt change much as a result of sun/wind contact here.

Óur problem typically is an excess of concrete and other smooth materials that allow winds free game. Instead, experiment using more plants of same & greater height to create a more sheltered spot altogether. Think various trees, Bamboo, more Trachys - hardly the added work year round, but it does create a wind-low spot a lot faster. Ive used hardscaping diferently (pergola with bamboo roof, closed on wind side with huge hardy shrub) to break winds.