Red Tahiti dwarf replacement(s) arrived!

[GottmitAlex]

Based on the size of these, I'm guessing they're from the same batch that I and @PalmatierMeg (among others)  ordered last year.  These guys are huge. You can see semi-pinnate leaves on them.

I have the last plot ready for one. The other will be kept in a large 15gal pot as a backup. 

Just waiting on the lava sand from AZ. 

It will come in handy for winter. I employ usually 3/4" to 1" as top dressing for the cocos.

Here's hoping!

Here are some pics:

danke

[HtownPalms]

That's a sweet looking little coco seedling!

[GottmitAlex]

I did not notice ut once I took the off the moist newspaper which was covering the roots, well, the roots engolfed the top portion of the husk even stick out 1/2 " above.  So I cannot plant this coco half way. Unfortunately I am going to have to bury the husk completely and then some. 

I also planted it as close to the pavement as possible. (Of course I left about 6 inches thinking about future girth growth)

Edited August 16, 2019 by GottmitAlex

[Rickybobby]

Looks good Alex 

[GottmitAlex]

Here's the potted one:

 

[sandgroper]

Great stuff Alex, they look very healthy mate. Are they expensive to buy? I've never seen them for sale here.

[GottmitAlex]

12 minutes ago, sandgroper said:

Great stuff Alex, they look very healthy mate. Are they expensive to buy? I've never seen them for sale here.

Thanks Dave. Yeah, last year they were going for $59 USD. This year, $89 USD I imagine the markup is due to their considerably larger size. I still think they're from the same batch from last year. I could be wrong. 

Here's a pic from last year's  Red Tahiti dwarf (R.I.P.)

[GottmitAlex]

Another picture of how it looks after applying salt. (Today's pic, replacement Red Tahiti dwarf 08/16/2019).

And as the label says: Salt Works !

(South Bay Salt Works)

@Tracy. Thank you for a wonderful product!

 

 

[palmsOrl]

Your palms look great Alex.  I hadn't realized you were getting seedlings.  I think you have a good plan for success this time.  In my recent experience, they like lots (not a toxic amount) of fertilizer even at this size.  Dynamite is working incredibly well for me.

 

[Josh-O]

I love the dedication!!!!

 

[GottmitAlex]

Hope this guy doesn't burn. 

I placed it in front of the south facing wall of the house along the other potted palms.  IR thermometer readout of the wall is 50C and the floor is 45C.  Just watered it. As I do with all the potted palms along that wall, I will water them a second time at sunset. 

 

[sandgroper]

They are quite resilient to heat, I've seen them growing in the north of our state where temperatures get extreme and they seem to tolerate it very well. That really is a great looking palm Alex, the colouring is magnificent. 

We are in the depths of winter here, my coconuts have virtually no protection this year and although they're looking a bit ragged they've tolerated our winter quite well. I'm convinced the silver roofing insulation makes a huge difference,  it doesn't help at all during the night but it really reflects the sunlight during the day and warms the palm up by several degrees in comparison to the outside ambient air temperature. I don't think they'll ever look as good as the coconuts do up north but I'm confident that they're going to survive long term now.

[GottmitAlex]

@sandgroper Thank you!  Come August 30, I will expound on the protection, err, non-protection issue regarding cocos in my latitude.  Short story: this past winter I did not protect my two green malayans. They look pristine. 

I know you'll do well with your cocos. 

(Keep us updated, Bitte)

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by GottmitAlex

[palmfriend]

Alex,

all the best with your new babies - and, I got to say it - I envy you! 

I wish I could order whole plants from Hawaii.... 

Please keep us posted,

best regards 

Lars

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

30 minutes ago, palmfriend said:

Alex,

all the best with your new babies - and, I got to say it - I envy you! 

I wish I could order whole plants from Hawaii.... 

Please keep us posted,

best regards 

Lars

 

 

Will do Lars, will do.

Thank you

[GottmitAlex]

Sure enough the sunburn is beginning to show. 

Watering it twice a day. 

Hopefully it will acclimate by the next two new leaves.

 

[GottmitAlex]

Just as reference:

2:15PM PST. Ambient weather:  90F/32C 

Here are pics of localized temperatures.

The wall, the ground and the leaf of the palm.

 

 

 

[palmsOrl]

Back in June when it was so hot, dry and with scorching sun all day one of my coconuts got a sunburn spot just like that, but I didn't worry about it.

[GottmitAlex]

1 hour ago, palmsOrl said:

Back in June when it was so hot, dry and with scorching sun all day one of my coconuts got a sunburn spot just like that, but I didn't worry about it.

Thanks! 

[GottmitAlex]

[palmsOrl]

Love that red coloration Alex, your palm looks very happy.  What is growing next to it?

[Palmaceae]

Looking great, I hope this one does better for you.

Here is my Red Tahiti Dwarf after transplanting it from Cape Coral to St Pete.

 

[GottmitAlex]

24 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

Love that red coloration Alex, your palm looks very happy.  What is growing next to it?

Thanks Mike. It's a D. plumosa. Compliments of @DoomsDave. I threw 4 or 5 seeds two years ago in the garden and three germinated. Two were stepped on by a cat and a worker while being blades of grass.

This is the survivor. It's in nasty clay soil. 

 

[GottmitAlex]

15 minutes ago, Palmaceae said:

Looking great, I hope this one does better for you.

Here is my Red Tahiti Dwarf after transplanting it from Cape Coral to St Pete.

 

OMG! What a gorgeous garden! Your red Tahiti is looking fantastic!

 

[Palmaceae]

Thanks Alex, just moved in and transplanted my smallish palms from Cape Coral to St Pete, so starting all over again!

[DoomsDave]

On 9/2/2019 at 3:15 PM, GottmitAlex said:

my baby!

[Ilovepalm]

19 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

my baby!

Is this cocos?

[GottmitAlex]

16 minutes ago, Ilovepalm said:

Is this cocos?

He's referring to the small Dypsis plumosa adjacent to the coco nucifera in the picture.

 

[GottmitAlex]

It's growing nicely!

 

[GottmitAlex]

Update: as you can see from the first coco photo in this thread, how the roots were over the husk. Hence the reason for me to bury the complete husk for this planting.

Well, you can see roots protruding in these latest pictures. I guess because of the daily irrigation. 

Im going to give it an inch of lava sand (from Acme company in  AZ) as topsoil. But not until winter.

 

[GottmitAlex]

[GottmitAlex]

Oh, unlike the malayan dwarf (semi-dwarf) cocos, the red Tahiti dwarf is a true dwarf as is the Fiji dwarf. These stay small and slender for the longest time. 

 

[GottmitAlex]

The only coco which I will protect this winter is the small red Tahiti dwarf. 

I'm not going to tent it. Just drape a tarp atop of it.  I will activate the 125w brood lamp and the 60w full spectrum cfl only if it gets below 10c.

Here are some pictures of the framework to afix the tarp.

Btw, the tarp is to deflect cold rain from getting into the coco's meristem and root system and not because of any freeze/sleet/snow etc. 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by GottmitAlex

[GottmitAlex]

[RyManUtah]

How exciting 

[sandgroper]

Give the silver roofing insulation a try Alex, I swear by it, it really reflects the sunlight and warmth onto the plant if you put it behind the palms on the fence.

[GottmitAlex]

35 minutes ago, sandgroper said:

Give the silver roofing insulation a try Alex, I swear by it, it really reflects the sunlight and warmth onto the plant if you put it behind the palms on the fence.

I will give it a try. If anything on the other side. Remember, the fence is blocking the southern exposure to the cocos. Hence the mirrors I employ etc.  

[sandgroper]

1 hour ago, GottmitAlex said:

I will give it a try. If anything on the other side. Remember, the fence is blocking the southern exposure to the cocos. Hence the mirrors I employ etc.  

I forget south is where the sun is in your part of the world. Lol.  My coconut faces north which is where the sun comes from here, fortunately I have nothing restricting direct sunlight onto the coconut so for me putting the silver insulation behind the palm reflects it back onto the tree. There might be no point in you putting it behind your palms mate. I'm interested in your mirror set up Alex, I assume you place these in front of your palms to reflect the sunlight back onto your palms, I've seen the lights you have but I'd really like to see your mirror set up if you get a chance mate. I've thought about doing something with mirrors but haven't as yet. 

[GottmitAlex]

28 minutes ago, sandgroper said:

I forget south is where the sun is in your part of the world. Lol.  My coconut faces north which is where the sun comes from here, fortunately I have nothing restricting direct sunlight onto the coconut so for me putting the silver insulation behind the palm reflects it back onto the tree. There might be no point in you putting it behind your palms mate. I'm interested in your mirror set up Alex, I assume you place these in front of your palms to reflect the sunlight back onto your palms, I've seen the lights you have but I'd really like to see your mirror set up if you get a chance mate. I've thought about doing something with mirrors but haven't as yet. 

 

[GottmitAlex]

21 hours ago, sandgroper said:

I forget south is where the sun is in your part of the world. Lol.  My coconut faces north which is where the sun comes from here, fortunately I have nothing restricting direct sunlight onto the coconut so for me putting the silver insulation behind the palm reflects it back onto the tree. There might be no point in you putting it behind your palms mate. I'm interested in your mirror set up Alex, I assume you place these in front of your palms to reflect the sunlight back onto your palms, I've seen the lights you have but I'd really like to see your mirror set up if you get a chance mate. I've thought about doing something with mirrors but haven't as yet. 

Here's the technique.