Digging And Potting A Foxy Lady

[Butch]

You guys may be tired of talking about this palm, as I have brought up a couple of times before...

I will be out of town for a couple of weeks, but would like to dig up and pot up this palm, when I get back... I should have done it earlier in the year, but life got in the way (Laziness)... The palm is 3" at the base and about 5' to the top of the newest spear.... I have a couple of 20" X 20" pots I could put it in... Big enough?... I also have a knock-down 24" X 24" X 24" square planter that came with a palm from Jungle Music... I also have a huge 41" , 15cu ft round pot... I would prefer the smaller pot for mobility, but if it's to small, I'll up-size... Also, about planting mix...The palm is growing in s commercial planters mi, but I have no more of it... I plan this to be just until the plant can stabilize, then I'll put it in the ground... As I said, this digging and transplanting is all new to me (Except for some up-sizing of potted palms) ... I'd really like to not kill this beautiful palm... Any help with the process would be appreciated...

Thank you,

Butch

And thanks to Mike Evens (and others) with some advice in the earlier post..

 

[joe_OC]

Easy transplant.  Get as big of a rootball as possible.  Shouldn't be difficult.  I transplanted one with 6' of trunk.  No issues at all.  

[Palm Tree Jim]

What Joe said is solid advice above.

[Butch]

 Thanks Joe and Jim... Do you think the 20" X 20" pot would be large enough?

Butch

[Palm Tree Jim]

Hard to say until you dig out the plant. 

However, based on your pictures, the 20 x 20 pot should be big enough for the transplant.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[Butch]

Thanks Jim...I'll keep you updated... Does the pot have to be much larger than the root ball (room to grow)? Or just enough to fit without crowding?

 

Butch

[joe_OC]

You should be good.  Just make sure when you transplant it, that there are no air pockets between the rootball and new soil.  The roots will not grow if it senses air.  I use water to liquify the potting soil while planting.  This helps ensure that all the air is released.

[Butch]

Well I did it!... Tough job for a 71yr old fat guy....

Can you spot any more foxyladies in this pile?

This guy looked different than the other seedlings, so I tried to save it.. Foxy lady?

And lastly I tried to save a variegated one...

I hope I saved enough of the root ball.... It was tough digging, with a water line going right at the base of the tree, and the mother palm, maybe 18" away... Only 12" down and 18-20" across, for the root ball, was the best I could do...

I want to thank everyone that gave advice about this palm on my three separate post about it... I'll keep you posted on it's condition... Now to figure where to put it, once it's over the shock of digging it up...

Butch

[Palm Tree Jim]

Well done.

 

[Mike Evans]

Put them in the shade to recover.