Hi all,

Are any of you having success growing palms under pine canopy? Most of the available shade on my property is under several big, spreading Monterey pines and tall eucalypts. I know that pine canopy is the natural habitat of Sabals in the S.E. U.S. but I would like to hear of any successes or failures (especially from So. Cal. growers) before I start experimenting with my Chambeys, Hedyscepes, Burretiokentias....etc.

Thanks,

Greg

The falling pine needles break down and create an acidic soil. I believe it would be an excellent area to plant palms.

Keep in mind that I am a palmaholic .

Moose

I have about an acre in pines . I started planting Trachycaprus Livistonas Rhapis etc as understory.

I did this in the 1990s when we were getting horendus frosts in Northern FL... I started thinning them out about 10 years ago. They served there purpose for frost protection but eventaully got so big that they started shding many plants. You have to be careful when you fell them as I have lost a few fairly tall Trachycarpus --- Now I just do it with come-a-longs to guide the falling.

Good luck

Ed

Greg. Mardy Darian told me the other day about how he started his canopy almost 40 years ago. He bought 99 cent Pines and put then everywhere. He said it was the biggest mistake. He said each one cost a few $1000 to remove now. His second biggest mistake was his eucalypts. I guess if thats all you have, then you must run with it. His garden has had no ill effects to being able to grown palms like the ones you want to with his pine and Euc canopy. Just thought I would pass it along.

palmgrover has a few palms in his socal garden planted under a pine(b.armata & d.pembana) & they are looking great!

Hmm. We grow Pine here in FL for profit.

It's a no-no to cut them in some areas of N.FL

Their worth money. My buddy got charged like $25ea for a few saplings he cut at the hunting camp in Chiefland...

He was clearing a 'shooting path' and the property owners found out the saplings had been cut, and they wound up charging him in the long run...

~Ray.

Hold on here just a minute. You have the tall trees already there! Not like your going to cut them down is it?

So like you say the real question is what will grow under them. Come on guys give him a hand. Len? A little help here? Do I have to come out there again and figure this out? Let me know, us Southerners may be your only help? hey Jeff ready to go?

Quail Gardens is a botanical garden in Encinitas and it has very large Torrey pines with many different plants growing under them including palms and cycads. They all seem to be doing great. With pines they get so large that you can continue to limb them up and your palms will never out grow your canopy. Aaron

Pines make great canopy. My neighbor has huge pine trees as his canopy and the understory palms do great under their protection. He's limbed them up so there's lot's of room to grow under. You'll have no ill effects trying to grow palms under pines.

Thanks guys, I'm stoked to hear that they'll work for canopy, this gives me a lot of filtered light and they can easily accomodate some 20+ foot palms.

Greg

Monterey pines are falling prey to pine pitch canker. They say 85% of all Pinus radiata in California will die from it and opportunistic pests. Take good care of what you have but be choose wisely what you plant for the future.

As most people from the south should know... Saw Palmettos, Sabal Minors and Needle palms all love to grow under pine trees!

I have 50' + Pine trees that drop long pine needles on my plants making them look very messy! Regards, Randy