watering newly planted palm trees in clay soil

[Tropicdoc]

14 minutes ago, Jeff985 said:

And yes I have seen the bizzie at i10 and Fry. I go to the Lowe’s next to it all the time. It is starting to look good again. Who would have thought a thread about windmills in Houston would have gotten this kind of response. 

I think there are a lot of palmtalkers in Houston who are eager to share the hobby (obsession) with a newbie.

a roebellini would do well in Houston right up against the bricks of a house almost under the eaves on a south facing wall

[Jeff985]

19 minutes ago, dmalysh said:

Are y'all talking about those couple of palm trees that grow in the middle of the parking lot and there is one growing right next to a traffic light? They are gorgeous, but seem to be totally out of place. 

We’re talking about this one. 

[Xenon]

1 hour ago, Tropicdoc said:

 

a roebellini would do well in Houston right up against the bricks of a house almost under the eaves on a south facing wall

There are plenty of roebellini in Houston, just not in the OP's area (colder western suburbs).  You can find them in the urban core/surrounding areas and points south of there towards the coast.The metro area spans a wide area, from borderline 8b out far north/west to very solid 9b/borderline 10a in Galveston. 

[PalmatierMeg]

12 hours ago, Estlander said:

Here’s my other one. 

I love your solitary Chamaedoreas! Wish I could find one but while Chamaedoreas aren't rare here they aren't common. With so much more tropical stuff growable here nurseries and garden centers tend to sell only the typical clumping variety.

[Estlander]

24 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I love your solitary Chamaedoreas! Wish I could find one but while Chamaedoreas aren't rare here they aren't common. With so much more tropical stuff growable here nurseries and garden centers tend to sell only the typical clumping variety.

Even though Chamaerops is a very common palm in FL, the solitary form almost looks like a different palm altogether. I remember when I first started noticing the singles around town and I couldn’t figure out what they were and really wanted one. 

I think singles are a good way to add a more diverse look to ones garden, especially in colder zones like 8a-8b that can’t grow as many species of palms. 

[Merlyn]

If your Trachys have issues, I like the Chamaerops Humilis for a variable diameter solution.  You can slice off side shoots to keep a single stalk, or let it grow into a cluster.  My neighbors have one in a cluster that is now about 6 feet tall, it seems to be growing about 1 foot/year at most.

The Phoenix Roebellini is a bit bigger, mine are about 6-7 feet diameter.  That's probably similar to Trachy diameter, and they are fairly slow to gain height.  TPPD/Lethal Bronzing is a risk with those, I have no idea how prevalent that is in TX.  If TPPD is killing palms around Houston then it's a good idea to avoid planting any Phoenix types.

A slightly bigger option is a Pindo/Butia.  They grow in height very slowly, but they do get up to about 12 feet in diameter.  That might be a bit larger than the Trachy diameter, but mine are about 8 feet total height and 8 feet total diameter.

An oddball very slow grower option is Copernicia Macroglossa.  It's funky and would take many years to grow more than 4 or 5 feet tall, and generally no more than 6-8 feet diameter.

[dmalysh]

Thank you all so much for all the advice you gave me!! Besides the 3 poor Windmill palms that are not feeling well, but still they keep pushing(thanks to SuperThrive maybe?), I have so much room in my backyard for imagination.. you are helping me, you have no idea how much! I just need to build a pool and a huge outdoor kitchen before I plant something else, tbh.. I really love the idea of these dwarf varieties of palms you are offering! I'm starting to love the solitary Phoenix roebellini palm trees a lot! Like European fan palms, they are all sold at our local Garden centers,  but maybe I will consider buying a bunch of older palm trees, since they take so long to grow... we will see. I just hope my windmills survive... I bought 7 total.. 4 of them succumbed to root rot(overwatered) due to my complete ignorance.... So fingers crossed, hope these 3 survive.

Edited March 23, 2019 by dmalysh

[dmalysh]

On 3/20/2019 at 8:22 PM, NOT A TA said:

I've bought pots with multiple juvenile roebeleniis and separated them to get single plants. I wouldn't try putting them out in sun until they have time to rebound in shade first though. So you'd need to repot them after purchase, keep in shade, then slowly increase sun till full sun, then plant in ground.

I googled the photos of that kind of palm trees.. they all look like conjoined together at the base of the trunks.. I wonder if they survive such separation? Is that what you dealt with and they are doing alright now?

[Jeff985]

12 hours ago, dmalysh said:

I googled the photos of that kind of palm trees.. they all look like conjoined together at the base of the trunks.. I wonder if they survive such separation? Is that what you dealt with and they are doing alright now?

If you’re just wanting a single trunk, you can buy them that way. I bought two of them from the Houston Garden Center at i10 and the beltway in November when they were 70% off. Most of them are doubles and triples but if you look around you should be able to find one. Verdant tree farm at Barker Cypress and Clay has one with 5 or 6 feet of trunk but I bet it’s pretty expensive. 

[Merlyn]

I have heard that you can separate triples, but I've never tried it that myself.  The local nursery suggested getting a double and just cutting off 1 head, but that seems like a waste to me.  If you do decide to get them, consider buying ones with 1-2 feet of clear trunk.  They'll grow at a regular rate, 1-2 feet per year.  Small ones that haven't formed a trunk yet will take 1-2 years just to start trunking.

Oh, and you have TONS of space for palms!  I have 0.75 acres and roughly 100 palms of 45 different species, not including some seedlings in pots.

If you want something that will always stay small you could also consider a 2' trunk Sago (Cycas Revoluta) or one of several hundred other Cycad species.  There are quite a few that would be happy in Houston.  Some will always stay smallish, some like the Encephalartos Ituriensis and Whitelockii will grow a vertical clump of fronds 8-10 feet tall and take decades to get any taller.

[Xenon]

If you're ever looking for something slightly larger (but still manageable) I'd highly recommend Livistona decora, the ribbon palm. Very graceful/soft looking. You can see them lining I-45S just as it exits downtown, mixed with Washingtonia robusta and Butia. Butia is another good choice for the area, makes edible fruit too. 

Also have to plug Copernicia alba, there is a nice one at the Houston Zoo. 

Not a small palm by any measure, but Bismarckia is too spectacular (especially in this area) not to mention 

[Jeff985]

I friend of mine just sent me this picture. He just bought it at Shades of Texas in Pasadena for $375. More than I’d pay, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not jealous. 

[dmalysh]

On 3/23/2019 at 12:16 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

I have heard that you can separate triples, but I've never tried it that myself.  The local nursery suggested getting a double and just cutting off 1 head, but that seems like a waste to me.  If you do decide to get them, consider buying ones with 1-2 feet of clear trunk.  They'll grow at a regular rate, 1-2 feet per year.  Small ones that haven't formed a trunk yet will take 1-2 years just to start trunking.

Oh, and you have TONS of space for palms!  I have 0.75 acres and roughly 100 palms of 45 different species, not including some seedlings in pots.

If you want something that will always stay small you could also consider a 2' trunk Sago (Cycas Revoluta) or one of several hundred other Cycad species.  There are quite a few that would be happy in Houston.  Some will always stay smallish, some like the Encephalartos Ituriensis and Whitelockii will grow a vertical clump of fronds 8-10 feet tall and take decades to get any taller.

Omg! you have around 100!!! palms! How do you manage to take care of all of them? Do you have photos to show off? ;-)

So many new species of palms you mentioned, gotta Google them to see what they look like. Thanks!

As for Sago palm that is not really a palm tree.. I'm not a big fan of leaves growing from the ground. For that same reason Queen palm trees don't impress me much.. They grow forever and their leaves are half a mile long lol  I prefer a manageable size one that looks like a palm tree and is cold hardy and doesn't need to be babied much 1 year after it's fully established.  I want to enjoy my palm trees more than anything else lol  

Yeah, I have a lot of space, but before I plant something else, I need to figure out how much water is good enough to keep the palm trees happy in this clayish clay! I measured soil with my moisture meter today. The backfill clay around the trachys is super wet and when I stuck the meter into the soil right next to the trunks of the palms, it appeared to be dry.. all this watering thing is driving me crazy.. I don't know what to do and how much water to give them to make sure I don't overwater my poor lil trachys.. They look even more wilted now %-)

[dmalysh]

On 3/23/2019 at 2:06 PM, Xenon said:

If you're ever looking for something slightly larger (but still manageable) I'd highly recommend Livistona decora, the ribbon palm. Very graceful/soft looking. You can see them lining I-45S just as it exits downtown, mixed with Washingtonia robusta and Butia. Butia is another good choice for the area, makes edible fruit too. 

Also have to plug Copernicia alba, there is a nice one at the Houston Zoo. 

Not a small palm by any measure, but Bismarckia is too spectacular (especially in this area) not to mention 

Oh, Copernicia looks really cute! Looks a lot like Windmill, but waaay prettier!

There are so many varieties all y'all mentioned above, but I never saw them for sale at any garden center around here. All I saw, were Mexican, pindo, sago, queen, windmill, pygmy date, and just a few more varieties of palm trees. I wonder why? They seem to feel Okay in our climate/clay soil, don't they?.. hm

[dmalysh]

On 3/23/2019 at 11:47 AM, Jeff985 said:

If you’re just wanting a single trunk, you can buy them that way. I bought two of them from the Houston Garden Center at i10 and the beltway in November when they were 70% off. Most of them are doubles and triples but if you look around you should be able to find one. Verdant tree farm at Barker Cypress and Clay has one with 5 or 6 feet of trunk but I bet it’s pretty expensive. 

At 70% off?? Wow! The garden centers on Westgreen and I-10, Kingsland Blvd and 99 - they all had only 50% discount on all the plants last winter. Gotta check out the one on I-10 and Beltway this fall :-) 

p.s. I absolutely love that pretty thing sitting in the bed of a pick up truck. Great deal for sure!

[Jeff985]

8 hours ago, dmalysh said:

At 70% off?? Wow! The garden centers on Westgreen and I-10, Kingsland Blvd and 99 - they all had only 50% discount on all the plants last winter. Gotta check out the one on I-10 and Beltway this fall :-) 

p.s. I absolutely love that pretty thing sitting in the bed of a pick up truck. Great deal for sure!

They go to 70% in November and December trying to make room for Christmas trees. After Christmas they go back to 50% then back to full price in February. 

[Merlyn]

8 hours ago, dmalysh said:

Omg! you have around 100!!! palms! How do you manage to take care of all of them? Do you have photos to show off? ;-)

As for Sago palm that is not really a palm tree.. I'm not a big fan of leaves growing from the ground. 

Yeah, I have a lot of space, but before I plant something else, I need to figure out how much water is good enough to keep the palm trees happy in this clayish clay!

I judiciously edited the above, just for clarity.   I counted the species, I currently have 42 and just added Copernicia Prunifera and another Sabal Mauritiiformis seedlings over the weekend from a guy in South FL.   I have some photos but they are all on my home computer. 

I absolutely agree with your target...figure out what you can easily keep happy in your soil and climate, and then add stuff!  I made the mistake of buying several $15-$20 Foxtail doubles and triples before I realized that they are unlikely to live at my house for more than 2-3 years.  Just getting down to 33F this winter burnt off half the fronds.  I'd highly recommend figuring out an irrigation system with a dripline for your palms.  Once you have an idea of water needs you can set up drippers on an automatic schedule and not worry about it.  I have 3 sprinkler controllers and 8 active zones, and they are basically maintenance-free.

Palm maintenance is usually pretty easy once they are established, since they don't grow super-fast.  I fertilize 4x a year and go around trimming off dead fronds about once a month.  To be honest, the biggest hassle is keeping the weeds out of my flower beds, the palms basically take care of themselves.   

I added cycads to the mix because the previous owners had some ~30 year old sagos in the front yard.  They annoyed me because they never grew, until I realized that they were planted in full tree canopy + house shade.  There are hundreds of different cycads, some make great "tropical companions" for palms.  I have ~25 species of cycads, it's kinda cool knowing that these plants are mostly unchanged since the dinosaurs roamed the earth!

FYI - there are several Copernicia that you might like.  I have Baileyana, Fallaensis and Prunifera, but I want to pick up Gigas, Macroglossa, Yarey and maybe Alba.  I like the Yarey because it's relatively compact, at least compared to big ones like the Fallaensis.

[Merlyn]

One thing to think about in your landscaping is whether you want the "solo focal point" look or the "jungle" look, or something in between.  I was planting like an engineer, under the rules of maximum palm diameter and "thy fronds shall never touch" for adjacent palms.  I finished an area and my wife said, "it looks kind of sparse."  So I am completely reworking the back yard with the "jungle look" and a couple of pathways, in a few years it will start looking like redant's D'jungle:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59268-d”jungle/

Another of my favorite PalmTalker's semi-jungle yard is "Got Palms" with a great mix of cycads and palms in a more elegant layout.  I am sure I wouldn't have the time to keep something like this cleaned up and looking good:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59492-updated-palm-pics/

[dmalysh]

28 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

One thing to think about in your landscaping is whether you want the "solo focal point" look or the "jungle" look, or something in between.  I was planting like an engineer, under the rules of maximum palm diameter and "thy fronds shall never touch" for adjacent palms.  I finished an area and my wife said, "it looks kind of sparse."  So I am completely reworking the back yard with the "jungle look" and a couple of pathways, in a few years it will start looking like redant's D'jungle:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59268-d”jungle/

Another of my favorite PalmTalker's semi-jungle yard is "Got Palms" with a great mix of cycads and palms in a more elegant layout.  I am sure I wouldn't have the time to keep something like this cleaned up and looking good:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/59492-updated-palm-pics/

I already know the answer to this topic. I like a clean look where everything seems to make sense and in a good order. My OCD makes me itch when I see a jungle like mess in backyards, or houses cluttered with tons of stuff.. omg my worst nightmare lol 

I do have a Ton of space to fill, so I might hire a landscaper to help me with that after a pool and outdoor kitchen are built.

Thanks for the links. That jungle looks terrific! That is one big lot of land also.. It looks awesome! I would need two lives to grow it, though lol

Edited March 26, 2019 by dmalysh

[PalmatierMeg]

2 hours ago, dmalysh said:

I already know the answer to this topic. I like a clean look where everything seems to make sense and in a good order. My OCD makes me itch when I see a jungle like mess in backyards, or houses cluttered with tons of stuff.. omg my worst nightmare lol 

I do have a Ton of space to fill, so I might hire a landscaper to help me with that after a pool and outdoor kitchen are built.

Thanks for the links. That jungle looks terrific! That is one big lot of land also.. It looks awesome! I would need two lives to grow it, though lol

Oh my! Look at all that wasted grassy space! Wouldn't I love to get hold of that. I am totally into the "jungle look". I have multiple 100s of palms in scores of species + a house on 0.61 ac.  Granted, I live in a more tropical climate but wow! What you could do with all that barren space - turn that yard into a tropical looking oasis.

[dmalysh]

1 minute ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Oh my! Look at all that wasted grassy space! Wouldn't I love to get hold of that. I am totally into the "jungle look". I have multiple 100s of palms in scores of species + a house on 0.61 ac.  Granted, I live in a more tropical climate but wow! What you could do with all that barren space - turn that yard into a tropical looking oasis.

Haha.. Good for you!!. My house was built just 5 years ago and there is no vegetation whatsoever in this area, besides the live oaks planted by the community builder.. So I am starting to plant something just a little bit close to the fence. I don't want to do anything else for now because I am keeping free space for a future pool and outdoor kitchen. First things first lol 

[dmalysh]

5 hours ago, Jeff985 said:

They go to 70% in November and December trying to make room for Christmas trees. After Christmas they go back to 50% then back to full price in February. 

Good to know, thanks!

 I just stopped by at a garden center to check out the roebellinis.. and yeah, it looks like, say I need 3 solitary palms trees, I will have to buy 3 pots and then cut out all but the biggest one in each pot to avoid damage to the roots. The roots must be so tangled together, there is no way I can separate the palms without hurting them too much, I think.

Edited March 26, 2019 by dmalysh

[Fusca]

Dina,

Have you seen these recent threads?  

Here @NOT A TA  separated several potted Phoenix roebelenii - I'm not sure of the status of this separation, perhaps he can give an update of how they are doing now after 4 weeks.  It seems to me that I have read another older thread of a similar successful separation so you might not need to buy 3 triples if you only want 3 solitary palms.  

In the second thread here, Todd ( @Merlyn2220 ) did a great job of separating Livistona chinensis without damaging roots, but these were much smaller and less root aggressive as the Phoenix roebelenii that you showed.  There's some good advice in there for future reference.  By the way, the garden center you visited had 50% off all palms over the Memorial Day weekend last year.

Jon

 

 

[dmalysh]

19 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Dina,

Have you seen these recent threads?  

Here @NOT A TA  separated several potted Phoenix roebelenii - I'm not sure of the status of this separation, perhaps he can give an update of how they are doing now after 4 weeks.  It seems to me that I have read another older thread of a similar successful separation so you might not need to buy 3 triples if you only want 3 solitary palms.  

In the second thread here, Todd ( @Merlyn2220 ) did a great job of separating Livistona chinensis without damaging roots, but these were much smaller and less root aggressive as the Phoenix roebelenii that you showed.  There's some good advice in there for future reference.  By the way, the garden center you visited had 50% off all palms over the Memorial Day weekend last year.

Jon

 

 

I haven't seen those threads before.. All the info is really useful! Thanks so much! 

[NOT A TA]

Update on the roebelenii  separation. I lost a few very small ones that had barely any roots. Most of the bigger ones survived in excellent condition, didn't even get browning of the lower fronds, leaflets are growing wider. Here's a dozen that are out in full sun at this point and pushing new spears, roots growing out drainage holes already. There's several still in partial shade I expect to have out to full sun in another week or so. Pics from start to today. Taking the losses into consideration I'm at about $3.00 for each plant and they're about 3' tall- 3' wide if they were in ground. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by NOT A TA

[Merlyn]

I did the hack-and-slash method with a triple Majesty palm last spring, using a kukri knife instead of an arborist's saw.  All three survived, it took about a month for them to recover and begin growing normally.  Thanks for the great pictures @NOT A TA, that's very informative!  Keeping them in partial shade for a month is probably critical, otherwise they'd have a hard time getting enough water through the suddenly smaller root system.  

I haven't lost any of the pot of 7 Livistona Chinensis yet, two are growing spear length and the other 5 are still stationary but seem to be much better rooted into their pots.  I'm hopeful that all 7 will start visibly growing soon!

[dmalysh]

17 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

Update on the roebelenii  separation. I lost a few very small ones that had barely any roots. Most of the bigger ones survived in excellent condition, didn't even get browning of the lower fronds, leaflets are growing wider. Here's a dozen that are out in full sun at this point and pushing new spears, roots growing out drainage holes already. There's several still in partial shade I expect to have out to full sun in another week or so. Pics from start to today. Taking the losses into consideration I'm at about $3.00 for each plant and they're about 3' tall- 3' wide if they were in ground. 

Wow!!! Amazing!! Great job!!

[dmalysh]

1 minute ago, Merlyn2220 said:

I did the hack-and-slash method with a triple Majesty palm last spring, using a kukri knife instead of an arborist's saw.  All three survived, it took about a month for them to recover and begin growing normally.  Thanks for the great pictures @NOT A TA, that's very informative!  Keeping them in partial shade for a month is probably critical, otherwise they'd have a hard time getting enough water through the suddenly smaller root system.  

I haven't lost any of the pot of 7 Livistona Chinensis yet, two are growing spear length and the other 5 are still stationary but seem to be much better rooted into their pots.  I'm hopeful that all 7 will start visibly growing soon!

Yay! Congrats! What a great addition to your palm collection!

[NOT A TA]

3 hours ago, Merlyn2220 said:

I did the hack-and-slash method with a triple Majesty palm last spring, using a kukri knife instead of an arborist's saw.  All three survived, it took about a month for them to recover and begin growing normally.  Thanks for the great pictures @NOT A TA, that's very informative!  Keeping them in partial shade for a month is probably critical, otherwise they'd have a hard time getting enough water through the suddenly smaller root system.  

I haven't lost any of the pot of 7 Livistona Chinensis yet, two are growing spear length and the other 5 are still stationary but seem to be much better rooted into their pots.  I'm hopeful that all 7 will start visibly growing soon!

The roebelenii were potted up (by me) in our S FL sand with organic matter mixed in rather than a special potting mix like wholesale growers would use (which would be better).  After potting they were kept in full shade and wet initially then moved to partial sun and kept wet, then to full sun and watered daily. If you look at the first pic I posted before they were cut apart you'll notice the growers pots they were sold in don't have drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. They're located several inches above the bottom on the sides. This was my clue that they like wet feet since the growers know more about them than I do.  As a young man I ran a nursery in the North and we did certain things for certain plants because we knew what that particular plant liked. Seeing the type of pots used by the roebelenii grower tipped me off so I kept them wet.  The duration of time the plants should stay in shade and partial shade while the plant rebounds from separation probably varies on several factors including but not necessarily limited to, plant size, root damage, relative humidity, temperature, daylight hours, potting mix, fertilizer previously used, and water temperature.  Since I'm not familiar with a lot of Southern plants yet and it was in the 80's here I went by the "look" of the plants and moved them into the next category of brightness on days I knew I'd be around to monitor them,  so if I saw signs of wilting I could back them up to full shade or partial shade and wait longer.  After separating & potting I would not put them in even partial sun until they've had a minimum of a week or longer in full shade even in ideal conditions.

 

 

[Merlyn]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:47 AM, dmalysh said:

I already know the answer to this topic. I like a clean look where everything seems to make sense and in a good order. My OCD makes me itch when I see a jungle like mess in backyards, or houses cluttered with tons of stuff.. omg my worst nightmare lol 

I do have a Ton of space to fill, so I might hire a landscaper to help me with that after a pool and outdoor kitchen are built.

I started out with the OCD symmetry required everywhere, but I got over it.        I still try to keep heights reasonably balanced, but in the below front yard pic you can see in-construction extension of the bed with a new Butia, Bottle, a triple Livistona, Reclinata and a couple of pineapples.  You may not be able to see all of them, but there are roughly 34 palms in that photo.  That doesn't even count the 15 or so Agaves, bananas, sagos and miscellaneous fillers. 

[dmalysh]

On 3/27/2019 at 9:54 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

I started out with the OCD symmetry required everywhere, but I got over it.        I still try to keep heights reasonably balanced, but in the below front yard pic you can see in-construction extension of the bed with a new Butia, Bottle, a triple Livistona, Reclinata and a couple of pineapples.  You may not be able to see all of them, but there are roughly 34 palms in that photo.  That doesn't even count the 15 or so Agaves, bananas, sagos and miscellaneous fillers. 

Oh, I completely missed this photo. That is one great collection of palms! Really cool! This gives me hope that my OCD might be cured sometime in the future too. Also, I wonder how many truck loads of fertilizer you have to use to feed them all lol 

[Merlyn]

The soil in most of my yard is surprisingly good for being in sandy FL.  It's had 30 years of oak leaves rotting into it.  Many of them only need a micronutrient dose and grow okay without fertilizer.  I use 3 or 4 bags a year in several small doses, but only the really "hungry" ones like the Majesties and Foxtails really require it to keep looking good.  The front yard is mostly "generic" palms, the backyard is where I am growing the more unusual palms.  That's because I get to sit on the back patio and look at them all the time.  

[dmalysh]

27 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

The soil in most of my yard is surprisingly good for being in sandy FL.  It's had 30 years of oak leaves rotting into it.  Many of them only need a micronutrient dose and grow okay without fertilizer.  I use 3 or 4 bags a year in several small doses, but only the really "hungry" ones like the Majesties and Foxtails really require it to keep looking good.  The front yard is mostly "generic" palms, the backyard is where I am growing the more unusual palms.  That's because I get to sit on the back patio and look at them all the time.  

Im so jealous.. my backyard is probably a quarter of the size of your front yard. Lol but, man, after I paid a visit to my local Lowe's store and saw these THREE 2 feet tall pygmy date palms growing in one pot for just $144... my OCD started to dissolve... I can not sleep now, I can't stop thinking about them lol The temptation is so high, I can not resist any longer lololol I think it is not a problem to load that pot on my truck, but won't be easy to get it down, so I would have to brutally dismember the roots right in the bed of my truck and that is where I feel super nervous.. I just dont want to see my babies die on me ever again

 

 

Edited April 13, 2019 by dmalysh

[dmalysh]

28 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

The soil in most of my yard is surprisingly good for being in sandy FL.  It's had 30 years of oak leaves rotting into it.  Many of them only need a micronutrient dose and grow okay without fertilizer.  I use 3 or 4 bags a year in several small doses, but only the really "hungry" ones like the Majesties and Foxtails really require it to keep looking good.  The front yard is mostly "generic" palms, the backyard is where I am growing the more unusual palms.  That's because I get to sit on the back patio and look at them all the time.  

Please, tell me more about your special babies in your backyard? You got me curious.  I love majesties to pieces... but.. maybe I will have one or two or three plus a bunch of adopted horses when I move to the  deep country outside Houston when I get all saggy and old lol 

[Merlyn]

It's a long list, but the larger ones are Copernicia (Baileyana, Fallaensis and Macroglossa hybrid from NatureGirl), Beccariophoenix Alfredii, Chambeyronia (Macrocarpa and watermelon Macrocarpa), Allagoptera (Caudescens and Arenaria), Kerriodoxa Elegans, Dypsis Pembana, Arenga (Micrantha, Engleri, Pinnata and Australasica), Attalea (Cohune and Phalerata), Livistona (Mariae, Speciosa and Jenkinsiana), Sabal Mauritiiformis, Zombia x Coccothrinax hybrid, and a couple of Patric's hybrids, Butia Yatay x Jubaea and the reverse Jubaea x Butia Yatay.  I also have a bunch of young and grown cycads from ChuckG, Tom Broome and NATEtures Domain.  There's also a bunch of seedlings like Copernicia Prunifera, Ptychosperma Macarthurii, Caryota Gigas and Dictyosperma Album/Rubrum.  

None of these are truly "rare" or really difficult to find, but I'm fortunate to have some local PT members and MB Palms around who grow things other than Sylvesters, Queens, Pygmy Dates and Foxtails.  Or maybe I'm not so fortunate, given the state of my bank account! 

[dmalysh]

2 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

It's a long list, but the larger ones are Copernicia (Baileyana, Fallaensis and Macroglossa hybrid from NatureGirl), Beccariophoenix Alfredii, Chambeyronia (Macrocarpa and watermelon Macrocarpa), Allagoptera (Caudescens and Arenaria), Kerriodoxa Elegans, Dypsis Pembana, Arenga (Micrantha, Engleri, Pinnata and Australasica), Attalea (Cohune and Phalerata), Livistona (Mariae, Speciosa and Jenkinsiana), Sabal Mauritiiformis, Zombia x Coccothrinax hybrid, and a couple of Patric's hybrids, Butia Yatay x Jubaea and the reverse Jubaea x Butia Yatay.  I also have a bunch of young and grown cycads from ChuckG, Tom Broome and NATEtures Domain.  There's also a bunch of seedlings like Copernicia Prunifera, Ptychosperma Macarthurii, Caryota Gigas and Dictyosperma Album/Rubrum.  

None of these are truly "rare" or really difficult to find, but I'm fortunate to have some local PT members and MB Palms around who grow things other than Sylvesters, Queens, Pygmy Dates and Foxtails.  Or maybe I'm not so fortunate, given the state of my bank account! 

Omg.. coperintia is so dope! Lol palmpedia is pretty too, omg.. all others..  you are such a palm nerd and I love that lol thanks for all the names.. I will spend a weekend googling all the names lol how many acres is your backyard to fit all these beauties?!?!?

[Merlyn]

Palmpedia is a great resource for browsing an photos, the editor "Edric" is a member here.

Some of those palms you might be able to grow in Houston, but the record low in that area seems to be around 10F.  That's brutally cold for most palms, way colder than many will tolerate.  A lot of them won't handle our "typical" winters here of a few nights of 25-30F, so definitely take a look at minimum temperatures in your area before spending a bunch of $$ on palms!  I'm okay with some leaf burn every winter on my palms, but I'd really rather they didn't flat out die in the first cold snap!   

[Jeff985]

26 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

Palmpedia is a great resource for browsing an photos, the editor "Edric" is a member here.

Some of those palms you might be able to grow in Houston, but the record low in that area seems to be around 10F.  That's brutally cold for most palms, way colder than many will tolerate.  A lot of them won't handle our "typical" winters here of a few nights of 25-30F, so definitely take a look at minimum temperatures in your area before spending a bunch of $$ on palms!  I'm okay with some leaf burn every winter on my palms, but I'd really rather they didn't flat out die in the first cold snap!   

Houston’s climate can definitely be volatile. On average we’re 9a-9b, but occasionally we’ll have what the meteorologists refer to as a 30 year freeze. We had one just over a year ago in January 2018. Most of the queens survived that especially southern and eastern parts of the area (closer to the gulf and the bay). Also I’ve seen many Pygmy survivors in those areas. I haven’t seen any pygmys in the western parts of the area like Katy that survived that. Because of these 30 year freezes I don’t spend a lot of money buying large zone pushers. All my large palms are hardy to my zone or below (sabals, p. Sylvestris, and one large queen). I do however have many zone pushers that I bought small for not a lot of money. I have pygmys, foxtails, and archontophoenix. I know that someday, maybe even next winter, another 30 year freeze will come along and take them out but odds are it will be a while. I will probably even move before it happens again. I’ll enjoy them until then. 

[dmalysh]

12 hours ago, Merlyn2220 said:

 

 

Edited April 13, 2019 by dmalysh

[dmalysh]

1 hour ago, Merlyn2220 said:

Palmpedia is a great resource for browsing an photos, the editor "Edric" is a member here.

Some of those palms you might be able to grow in Houston, but the record low in that area seems to be around 10F.  That's brutally cold for most palms, way colder than many will tolerate.  A lot of them won't handle our "typical" winters here of a few nights of 25-30F, so definitely take a look at minimum temperatures in your area before spending a bunch of $$ on palms!  I'm okay with some leaf burn every winter on my palms, but I'd really rather they didn't flat out die in the first cold snap!   

Thanks for the great tips! I am not planning to live a thousand years, but I definitely want to give my trees a good and healthy start and make sure they don't succumb to any freeze event that happens here every 30-40 years.