More "Prep" suggestions before Pelagodoxa "Surgery"

[BamaPalmer]

Hi, Palm Lovers, palms fanatics, and palm friends:

I have really been getting some wonderful advice prior to my uprooting of a Pelagodoxa palm, temporarily containerising it, then having it over its transplant shock (hopefully!) by the time it is ready to have a way more pleasing home in my yet-to-be-constructed Central Alabama greenhouse in April, 2021.   (Alas, this is my last storm season and winter in South Florida after 40 years here, so the change will be very significant!)  At any rate, several members have given me:  "gold standard" advice about HOW to extricate this 7 ft. tall Pelagodoxa, now growing quite well in our rocky SE Florida soil.  It seems doubtful that the rootball will be much of a "ball" in this 100% fill land, but I will start the root pruning process next week.  Plenty of rain has fallen in the last four days which was a delightful surprise, since this "rainy season" at my location was heretofore been pretty dismal.  I had fertilised all my palms last Sunday, so this rainy pattern timing is wonderful.

My questions are three:  1, After cutting through each section of the planting zone methodically, would it be wise to prepare a solution of rooting hormone "tea" to pour on the dismembered palm root section?  I don't really know what mature Pelegodoxa in-ground's roots look like: a tight ball like a coconut, or a more horizontal and spreading ball but with a big taproot?  Would rooting hormone help the healing process, or is the benefit negligible?  2.  When I finally remove the Pelagodoxa from its' rocky soil home, what should be my planting medium for this variety of palm, when it gets located into its 20-gal plastic container, where it will "live" for about 5 months, before putting it back into the ground, but in the rarefied environment of my new greenhouse?   3. It get full sun for 5-7 hours each day now in the South Florida heat; what exposure would be optimal for this beautiful palm now, in a glasshouse environment (that has an east-west exposure orientation?  Thanks for all your great help and opinions everyone!  You all a treasure to behold.  I am so happy that you all are here, at Palm Talk, and I am not alone in my devotion to the growth of the healthiest palms I could ever grow!  Thanks, so much, again!  Andy.  

[Steve Mac]

Hi Andy, 

Mate, in the absence of anyone better qualified than me, answering you, I would just go with the basics. 

I have no experience with your palm at all. But 

1, I have not found rooting hormone of any benefit in any of the times that I have used it.

2, 'variety of palm' no idea but they always say, "fast draining but don't let dry out". 

3, Sun? no idea you need a local for that.

Sorry, that I could not be of more help.

[BamaPalmer]

Any help is great, Steven!  Thanks, a bunch!  Andy

[BamaPalmer]

Today, I have begun the process of extricating the Pelagodoxa henryana from its rocky South Florida "home."  I am trying a new (maybe better??) strategy.  I brought out the garden hose to the Pelagodoxa site, and I decided to (by hand) move rock/soil away from the Pela's roots while water was entering the planting circle (about 35" within its perimeter.)  While the water was running,  I was able to loosen away about 4 inches of the root + rock + soil "union" and the roots were not too thick nor fleshy but rather, they are (so far) pretty slim (and a very "healthy-looking" ivory-white, with many side rootlets to anchor the 6 year old Pelagodoxa to its planting environment.

I just kept working the water and soil slurry through my fingers and continued to separate roots and rocky soil.  I briskly shook the Pela's trunk back and forth and side to side, and resistance became less obviously as I worked down every inch lower into its environment.  It can bend easily to about a 30 degree angle...that's enough for today!  Time to get conservative, I thought!

I stopped this watery separation process, after the top 3-5 inches of roots had been freed and (since it was now close to 7:45 PM and darkening) I let the water thoroughly saturate my work site, and went to the garage and retrieved 6 clean, white shop terry towels.  I removed the water hose; let the water percolate downward (and the percolation was surprisingly nice for a traditionally minimally penetrable substrate.)  When I could see "freed" roots and no soil now attached for 3-5 inches, I laid the white cotton toweling onto the now amply moist roots and completely shielded them from any sun tomorrow, and any soil washing back over them, due to any possible fringes of Hurr. Laura's "tropical" squally rain bands, on Monday early AM to early PM.  I watered the white shop towels thoroughly to "mate" with the exposed roots.

An educated decision was made to not rush this removal process, as also would have been with the root "pruning" method, (which originally, I thought I would choose) and I already had anticipated convening this process over a 2 month period.  If I can totally avoid the more invasive root pruning method, I will STILL only loosen the soil + roots' bond, an inch or two at a time (per week.)  Next weekend I will be (probably) halfway through this soil + roots' separation process, and as this palm is extremely healthy currently...why louse it up with haste?

I will photographically record the next session (or two) of this gentle separation and re-plantation process so y'all will grasp its success and its delicacy along with me!  It IS an adventure, and so far...a good one!

It will be nice having this incredible Pelagodoxa henryana happy and growing in its new mineral-rich containerized planting medium.  It will be then growing in optimal soil and moisture conditions and when it is again, reunited to Earth, next Spring-early Summer in its Montgomery, Alabama greenhouse, its roots should be bountifully filling this "temporary" home, and Floribunda Palms' Jeff Marcus should be pleased that I properly and lovingly husbanded his precious Pelagodoxa seedling so well for the seven years, under my non-professional care!   (I was a competent novice indeed, though!)  That is a great feeling, I have to concede!  Indeed, it is!!

Today, was a labour of love, my dear palm-loving friends!  I am contented, as is this special and sweet Pelagodoxa henryana, of which, I am pretty confident!  I will sleep better tonight!  Someone is smiling down upon me from somewhere, my dear palm-y friends!  You all gave me the confidence to do this right!!  Thank you, everyone!  Andy.