Correcting ones planting mistakes

[redant]

Over the years I have had tons, this is my recent correction.  I had planted these Veitchia montgomeryana from seedlings I had uprooted about 17 years ago. Been great palm, easy growers, very tropical looking IMO, went through my cold spells without blinking. Then they got so tall getting the seeds off them was problematic, they like all the sunshine palms I have also lean to the east to get the morning sun I guess, making them even more troublesome for my pool enclosure. I committed today to correct the error I made 17 years ago lol. I do mis them but I have a billion seedlings from them so I'll just plant a couple somewhere else. Gave me 17 years of enjoyment though. 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Wow that is a shame but you have to do what needs to be done 17yrs of enjoyment is a beautiful thing. The fact you have to delete so many palms where some of us just want some to get big one day 

[GottmitAlex]

Magnificent palms! 17 years? Those are rockets!

 

[redant]

3 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Magnificent palms! 17 years? Those are rockets!

 

I have a bunch of mature ones around the yard but always loved these 3. 

[redant]

5 minutes ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Wow that is a shame but you have to do what needs to be done 17yrs of enjoyment is a beautiful thing. The fact you have to delete so many palms where some of us just want some to get big one day 

My big fear became that they would take down the screen enclosure during a hurricane.  I have a bunch of flamethrowers so I'm thinking 3 of them a bit further away from the enclosure. They are slow as snails so I should be good for a long time.

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

1 minute ago, redant said:

My big fear became that they would take down the screen enclosure during a hurricane.  I have a bunch of flamethrowers so I'm thinking 3 of them a bit further away from the enclosure. They are slow as snails so I should be good for a long time.

I absolutely understand the hurricane worry and C.Macrocarpa or Hookeri is a great replacement. Not sure i could cut them down haha may have to tie them off during a hurricane =/ 

[palmfriend]

Wow! I got to admit Veitchias are getting more and more up on my personal favorite list -

they look so beautiful! 

However, what has to be done has to be done - all the best for the replacements. I am 

sure they are going to look great, too!

 

Best regards from Okinawa

Lars

 

[Darold Petty]

I am close to editing (remove) a large, trunked Rhopalostylis.  Cannot any longer tolerate the large fronds crashing down, breaking small plants below.

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

41 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

I am close to editing (remove) a large, trunked Rhopalostylis.  Cannot any longer tolerate the large fronds crashing down, breaking small plants below.

Now thats a shame such beautiful palms and sooooo slow to grow =/ 

[redant]

9 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

I am close to editing (remove) a large, trunked Rhopalostylis.  Cannot any longer tolerate the large fronds crashing down, breaking small plants below.

yeah I know that feeling, hence my culling the royal herd as well.

Edited August 18, 2019 by redant

[Merlyn]

Yep, I had a friend try and convince me that I should only plant self-cleaning palms.  Sure, it's convenient when they are 30 or 40 feet tall...you don't have to climb them to trim them.  But the fronds fall whenever they feel like it, and crush anything below.  I'm cutting down the last of my ~40 water oaks in a few weeks because they drop big, heavy branches all the time.  I dragged all this stuff out of the front yard after a single 20 minute storm.  The biggest chunk was about 8 feet long and 150lb and just barely missed taking out my baby flamethrower in the front yard...grrrrr....

[GottmitAlex]

9 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

Yep, I had a friend try and convince me that I should only plant self-cleaning palms.  Sure, it's convenient when they are 30 or 40 feet tall...you don't have to climb them to trim them.  But the fronds fall whenever they feel like it, and crush anything below.  I'm cutting down the last of my ~40 water oaks in a few weeks because they drop big, heavy branches all the time.  I dragged all this stuff out of the front yard after a single 20 minute storm.  The biggest chunk was about 8 feet long and 150lb and just barely missed taking out my baby flamethrower in the front yard...grrrrr....

I believe there nay be an argument to be nade against your premise. 

Usually with self cleaning palms, not always, but as a clock, whenever the oldest leaf reaches 6 o' clock, it will drop. 

Of course with very harsh winds/hurricanes and what not, a leaf which may be at the 3 to 5 position just may detach, fall and injure someone. Or worse.  Trees on the other hand, will do more damage (weight, positioning of the branch, etc).

In short: try cleaning a washie at 16+ ft.

Unless you want a den of bats, cockroaches and/or mice. True story.

[Merlyn]

I didn't mean to suggest that either type of palm is inherently bad, just agreeing that there's a possible benefit to non-self-cleaning types.  I have a 10 foot a-frame ladder and a 10 foot pole saw, so I can easily get to 20-25 feet for frond cutting.  Anything beyond that will be a challenge, but that won't happen in my yard for at least 10 more years.   

I completely forgot about my neighbor's 80 foot tall water oak...yesterday I was out digging my revised garage-side bed and I heard some random cracks around noon.  I looked around and didn't see anything, but about 3pm a giant 30-40 foot long branch came crashing out of their oak and landed right in the middle of their driveway, about 5 feet behind their truck.  Normally they park a nice Audi SUV in that exact spot, that 500+ lb branch would have utterly destroyed it.  Last night my neighbor asked me who I was using to take out my oaks...apparently they've had enough of those monsters too!  Judicious editing is sometimes a good idea!

[palmsOrl]

Besides, water oaks and laurel oaks are the two worst trees in Central Florida during the hurricanes.  Better to go with other choices and remove them. 

[PalmCode]

I'm getting ready to cut down this Washingtonia we planted around 13 years ago. It's becoming a nuisance by blocking out our winter sun. Wish I had done it sooner.

[redant]

On 8/18/2019 at 11:05 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

Yep, I had a friend try and convince me that I should only plant self-cleaning palms.  Sure, it's convenient when they are 30 or 40 feet tall...you don't have to climb them to trim them.  But the fronds fall whenever they feel like it, and crush anything below.  I'm cutting down the last of my ~40 water oaks in a few weeks because they drop big, heavy branches all the time.  I dragged all this stuff out of the front yard after a single 20 minute storm.  The biggest chunk was about 8 feet long and 150lb and just barely missed taking out my baby flamethrower in the front yard...grrrrr....

With several hundred palms in the ground I'm really glad 90% are self cleaning. I'll take the crushed stuff below over risking my life and using my days getting up on a ladder and trimming palms. I do have a silky saw for the seed, that's more then enough work right there.