Transplant time in So-Cal

[epicure3]

I vote no. Don't do it.

[palmazon]

that's a joke - Meathead & I are buddies...

[palmazon]

and 'Meathead' is another joke altogether

[Ashton]

While poking around, I found this statement from Dr. Henry Donselman.

ashton

Palms are subtropical or tropical plants. Their rate of growth and establishment in the landscape is directly related to air and soil temperatures. The growth of the roots of most palms begin to slow dramatically when the soil temperature drops to 65 degrees F., and new growth almost totally stops below 60 degrees F. My friend and colleague at the University of Florida, Dr. Alan Meerow writes in his 1992 book, Guide to the Landscape Palms, "Many palms exhibit reduced root function at soil temperatures below 65 degree F, thus winter planting should be avoided." He also states, "Palms establish more quickly if transplanted during the spring and early summer when soil temperatures are on the increase."

From work by Dr. Timothy K. Broschat and myself, we know that when palm roots are severed when the palm is dug, that the majority of the roots die back to the trunk and have to be replaced with new roots that develop from the root initiation zone at the base of the trunk (that is, the cut roots don't branch and continue on growing). Anything that we can do to hasten the replacement of these roots will speedup the establishment of the transplanted palm. Note, this does not apply to containerized or boxed palms.

From our palm research we have found that there is a window of time for planting palms. This "window" is when the soil temperatures are beginning to warm-up in the spring (mid-March to April in southern California) and extending through the fall (mid-October to November in southern California). In Central California the window is about a month shorter overall. This same planting window is valid in Las Vegas, but I also try to avoid the month of August and the first two weeks of September, when air temperatures are routinely above 100 degrees F. Florida and Texas have similar "windows" depending on the latitude in these respective states.

The planting window is the "best" time to plant, but doesn't mean that all palms planted in the winter will die. It just means that the palm rootball will set in the planting hole for an extended period of time with little or no new root development. This cool time of the year is also our rainy season in California, compounding the problem with the palm roots being inundated with water and cold soil. These are perfect conditions for secondary root pathogens like Pythium to develop and further weaken the root system.

[Ashton]

I also came across this article written by Alan W. Meerow and Timothy K. Broschat.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP001

[BS Man about Palms]

What Ashton? You didn't believe me when I said it?

[palmazon]

& we all know when Billy-Vanilli makes a suggestion, he means business...

[Ashton]

What Ashton? You didn't believe me when I said it?

Of course I believe you pumkin. I'm just trying to foster dialogue and gather a variety of thought and opinion.

Out of curiousity, what percentage of palms at your 'Container Ranch' were dug and transplanted?

ash

[LJG]

[MattyB]

Actual photo of Billi Vanilli planting a palm.

Girl you know it's true

ew ew ew

I sniff glue

[Kim]

I want to change my vote from "full speed ahead" to "some now and some next May". I was thinking back to your experiences over the last two winters and thought, hey, what's the rush? Big palms=big bucks=big pain if they die. How much pain can one person take? And then there's the spouse thing, they don't always understand why we spend $$$ on things that die and leave big empty spots in the garden. I don't want to see you quit palms in frustration and start growing roses. Interesting articles, Ashton.

P.S. I have planted palms and I have removed palms (the dead kind), but I have never transplanted a palm.

P.P.S. MattyB, you have way too much free time on your hands.

[DoomsDave]

Actual photo of Billi Vanilli planting a palm.

Girl you know it's true

ew ew ew

I sniff glue

[DoomsDave]

and 'Meathead' is another joke altogether

"'Give me 'dat!' your own damn self up your [expletive]!"

[BS Man about Palms]

Out of curiousity, what percentage of palms at your 'Container Ranch' were dug and transplanted?

ash

ONE, Done "just' as I was getting into this palm thing. A Howea forestiana transplanted from one spot in my front yard to another in about Feb-March about 3-4 years ago.

It's dead and gone now. See, I do have some personal experience....

[BS Man about Palms]

& we all know when Billy-Vanilli makes a suggestion, he means business...

At one time my hair WAS that dark.

[palmazon]

Bill, you're a good sport

besides keeping this thread alive, I was pointing out your 'bad rap' is undeserved -

lip-synching someone else doesn't necessarily signify a lack of talent

(and at least you have hair...)

[palmazon]

I'm trying to figure out the voting: 13+4+9=34?

I demand a recount...

[PALM MOD]

I'm trying to figure out the voting: 13+4+9=34?

I demand a recount...

Danny --- FYI,

Before you vote, you have a choice of actually voting, or to just view the voting ("Null Vote"). So if you choose to view the voting, it is counted as a vote, but not for a particular choice. It also registers you as having voted so you can not then cast a "real vote."

The purpose of this is so that someone can't first look at the results, and then vote after being influenced by the ongoing voting.

[DoomsDave]

Ah!

I didn't vote, so I just viewed the results . . . .

comprende . .. .

[palmazon]

thanks Mod - I figured something of the sort (anything to keep this thread alive)

& I hope your nephew's gag reference to sniffing glue doesn't bring the wrath of the almighties upon this thread

Incidentally, have you any opinion on this matter? Digging/transplanting this late in the summer, I mean - or perhaps your alter ego Dypsisdean has a suggestion to offer, hmmm????

[DoomsDave]

doink

[freakypalmguy]

I'll bring my truck over and we can just hook em up and yank em out. They will be juuuuuust fine. I proooomise.

[Dypsisdean]

perhaps your alter ego Dypsisdean has a suggestion to offer, hmmm????

Danny,

I don't think there is any question that transplanting in Apr/May/June is the best option for Ashton's location. No worry about Santa Anas, and a plus to have warming days and nights. Now the nights will begin cooling progressively faster. The real question is, how is Ashton doing in the patience department? This is not a good hobby for those with little patience.

One other thing I don't hear mentioned much at all --- is the length of the day. Plants have a keen ability to recognize whether days are getting longer or shorter. With the longest day being June 21, anything planted before then will recognize their energy source is still on the increase. However, at this time of year the days are shortening. And at your latitude they are shortening at a fairly rapid rate. Most talk is always centered on the warmth factor, when the actual amount of light (in duration and intensity) needed for photosynthesis has to be an important factor as well.

[DoomsDave]

doink@!

[palmazon]

Good point, D'dean - I, too, have also considered the decreasing daylight factor