Large Howea Forsteriana transportation

[PsyPalm]

Hey all!  

I'm buying a fairly large (3m) Kentia for a client and was wondering if anyone here had any advice or experience transporting a palm that size (attached a pic from the seller for reference).  I rented a panel van and my plan was to just seal the dirt in the pot with newspaper and duct tape and then tie all the fronds up together and put it in the van sideways, lmk what ya'll think haha.  Thanks in advance!

[2hp]

How long a trip will it be?
 

Use plant velcro to bind the fronds more gently. I would avoid full horizontal. See if you can angle the pot inside a box or other support. Go fronds in first from the back for easy removal. 
 

Good luck!

[PsyPalm]

@2hpgreat advice! I’m only transporting it ≈25miles so it’s not going to be in the van for very long, gonna do it tomorrow fingers crossed! I’ll update the thread with pics once I’m done 

[Darold Petty]

I have transported several 24 inch boxed Howeas from San Diego to San Francisco. 

Fully horizontal is fine for this small palm*, start with the palm horizontal, while facing the pot, walk backwards with the petioles under one arm as you wrap them  tightly with plastic or string.  If the palm is completely withing the van then there is no need for further wrapping.  With larger ones exposed to freeway wind I wrap them with porous fabric (not plastic) until they resemble an Egyptian mummy. 

*Anecdotal comments say that fully trunked Howeas with many feet of trunk can suffer damage to the apical meristem during horizontal transport. 

[PsyPalm]

Wanted to update the thread on this, was a successful journey overall!

Here's the palm when we picked it up, human for scale:

The journey wasn't too long so I just gently taped the fronds together:

And here she is after a good cleaning/staking and placed in my clients entryway atrium:

Gonna wait a bit before I change anything regarding the pot situation, I just left her in the plastic pot she came in for now and placed it inside a nice ceramic pot so she can acclimate to her new home before any root stresses are introduced.  But other than that I'm happy with how it came out, client is thrilled

@Darold Petty that is pretty freaking awesome transporting a boxed howeas in the back of a Tacoma, major props! 

[piping plovers]

8 hours ago, PsyPalm said:

And here she is after a good cleaning/staking and placed in my clients entryway atrium:

That palm is beautiful and looks fantastic in that setting.  I once transferred one that size plus 3 other 5-footers.  In rav4, 400 miles.  Prepared like you did and let the fronds lay where they wanted.  Forsteriana conveniently collapses like an umbrella; belmoreana not so much—stiff buggers.

[sashaeffer]

Such beautiful palms.

[wimmie]

Two years ago I moved my forsteriana from my livingroom to the salesdepartment of a toolswholesaler. The palm simply outgrew the space in my house. The total height was 5 meters and I moved it in my Ford Mondeo! The palm is still mine and I go watering it twice a week. 

[piping plovers]

29 minutes ago, wimmie said:

The palm simply outgrew the space in my house. The total height was 5 meters and I moved it in my Ford Mondeo!

That specimen is fantastic.  Beautifully grown.  Whatever you are doing, you are doing it right!   Looking at your pot I’m wondering now if mine is over potted.

[wimmie]

Mine is on water(hydro)culture!