Cyrtostachys renda

[xerophyte_nyc]

I understand that the Red Sealing Wax Palm isn't the easiest palm to grow unless you live in Hawaii or Thailand, but i am giving it a shot, indoors most of the year of course.

Given that they seem to have a preference for wet, boggy conditions - how is this accomplished in a pot? I don't think it would be a good thing to let a pot stand in water for too long, at the very least it should be drained and replaced; but how often - every day, every 3 days, once a week?

Anyone out there with experience trying to simulate a constantly wet potting substrate?

x

[tew]

I live in Baltimore and have been growing one in the house, under lights for the past two years. It is in a pot which stands in a bowl of water constantly. When the water level in the bowl gets low, I simply fill it up. It is slow growing but maintains it's rich green color with no brown tips!

[JD in the OC]

Down here we grow them outdoors in pots filled with water. The water is usually changed weekly. Indoors, you may have more problems with rot and disease so, you're probably good with every 3 days. Distilled water will give you better results. And make sure you mist the leaves or use a humidifier.

JD

[xerophyte_nyc]

Thanks for the responses!

I was planning on coating the leaves with anti-stress 2000, an anti-desiccant polymer that degrades over time but is semipermeable so gas exchange is normal while reducing transpiration. I believe this can simulate a humid atmosphere even if ambient relative humidity is low.

x

[Mark_NoVA]

Indoors I water about 1x/week and mist. Frequency can depend on the kind of potting mix you have. I know some others leave in water, but I'm worried about other problems developing in the soil.

Also, perform a search--there was a similar thread recently.

[PalmatierMeg]

These palms are practically aquatic but I understand someone not wanting to leave it sitting in water 24 hrs a day. But rather than only top-watering I suggest setting the plant in a pan of water for an hour or so a couple times a week. That way the palm can absorb water thoroughly. Drain excess water and mist foliage regularly. Watch for spider mites.

A grower here in FL insists that this palm must be treated monthly with a Mancozeb-based fungicide when outside temps fall below 70F (Dec thru March in S FL). This is because the lipstick palm is highly susceptible to a cold weather fungus and must be sprayed thoroughly, including soil, to prevent infection during winter. I am trying to find such a fungicide on the internet because I haven't found it locally. But I got a couple months to get ready; other people don't. I got my lipstick last spring, so it hasn't faced winter in Cape Coral yet. Fortunately, it is potted, so I will be able to move it indoors on cold nights.

[MTM Palms]

  PalmatierMeg said:

These palms are practically aquatic but I understand someone not wanting to leave it sitting in water 24 hrs a day. But rather than only top-watering I suggest setting the plant in a pan of water for an hour or so a couple times a week. That way the palm can absorb water thoroughly. Drain excess water and mist foliage regularly. Watch for spider mites.

A grower here in FL insists that this palm must be treated monthly with a Mancozeb-based fungicide when outside temps fall below 70F (Dec thru March in S FL). This is because the lipstick palm is highly susceptible to a cold weather fungus and must be sprayed thoroughly, including soil, to prevent infection during winter. I am trying to find such a fungicide on the internet because I haven't found it locally. But I got a couple months to get ready; other people don't. I got my lipstick last spring, so it hasn't faced winter in Cape Coral yet. Fortunately, it is potted, so I will be able to move it indoors on cold nights.

I live in Ft. Myers and have 4 large sealing wax (6-8 ft) in the ground. This will be there first winter. I experimented last year with two one gallon and one 3 gallon in the ground and they survived well. However, they are in semi-protected areas from the house or canopy of other trees and I am two blocks from the river. I did also superthrive, daconil, and liquid copper all of these before and after the cold. Wish me luck this year!

[Z4Devil]

Generally they say C. renda (or lakka) is difficult to handle ... following my experiences I would say it is true BUT:

Wax palm has a chance definitively if you ensure

- enough water

- a warm location

Wax palms do not really like full sun or much light. Okay, total shadow is also not recommended. Extremly important is a high humidity, try to set this as priority #1.

Some months ago I bought 6 seedlings from a German seller ... in the German temperate zone they have their problems. But now they are doing quite well.

The other 31 seedlings ordered in Hawaii are of better condition and are growing faster. About 25 seedlings of this order show the 2nd leaf within 2 (!!!) weeks - an unbelievable success for an European loacation.

Photos are following, promised.

Best regards, Verena

Edited September 17, 2009 by Z4Devil

[John in Andalucia]

Verena, Cyrtostachys renda thrives in full sun!

[Z4Devil]

  John in Andalucia said:

Verena, Cyrtostachys renda thrives in full sun!

Hi, John -

not always.

Just to make it clear: seedlings prefer shadow or semi-light locations, the Hawaiian seller recommended half-light for them; a larger wax palm may love the full sun.

Okay, we are talking about seedlings and smaller wax palms, but the most of us are trying to grow exactly this group, don´t we?

I must say that the recommendation is correctly, for Germany it works. Do not have any experiences with sub-tropical or tropical locations. In Spain you are privileged people.

My seedlings are growing more than well ... and I assume it could work the next years. Will keep you updated.

Best regards, Verena

[John in Andalucia]

  Z4Devil said:

  John in Andalucia said:

Verena, Cyrtostachys renda thrives in full sun!

Hi, John -

not always.

Just to make it clear: seedlings prefer shadow or semi-light locations, the Hawaiian seller recommended half-light for them; a larger wax palm may love the full sun.

Okay, we are talking about seedlings and smaller wax palms, but the most of us are trying to grow exactly this group, don´t we?

I must say that the recommendation is correctly, for Germany it works. Do not have any experiences with sub-tropical or tropical locations. In Spain you are privileged people.

My seedlings are growing more than well ... and I assume it could work the next years. Will keep you updated.

Best regards, Verena

A larger wax palm will love full sun, without question.

[palmmermaid]

Last fall I panted a 3 gallon one on the south east corner of my house underneath a downspout. It is mulched heavily and survived the winter last year. I feed it palm fertilizer and an acid fertilizer. It is doing well. Mine gets sun almost all day. Bo-goran has his in the sun. They thrive in full sun in the Philippines and Cosata Rica.

At the nursery we have several large ones in pots sitting in saucers of water. They went through 28 degrees 3 times last February. Only 1 - the tallest one - had any damage. The one at Fairchild is in a pot in the pond.

I think water is the key.

[PalmatierMeg]

  MTM Palms said:

  PalmatierMeg said:

These palms are practically aquatic but I understand someone not wanting to leave it sitting in water 24 hrs a day. But rather than only top-watering I suggest setting the plant in a pan of water for an hour or so a couple times a week. That way the palm can absorb water thoroughly. Drain excess water and mist foliage regularly. Watch for spider mites.

A grower here in FL insists that this palm must be treated monthly with a Mancozeb-based fungicide when outside temps fall below 70F (Dec thru March in S FL). This is because the lipstick palm is highly susceptible to a cold weather fungus and must be sprayed thoroughly, including soil, to prevent infection during winter. I am trying to find such a fungicide on the internet because I haven't found it locally. But I got a couple months to get ready; other people don't. I got my lipstick last spring, so it hasn't faced winter in Cape Coral yet. Fortunately, it is potted, so I will be able to move it indoors on cold nights.

I live in Ft. Myers and have 4 large sealing wax (6-8 ft) in the ground. This will be there first winter. I experimented last year with two one gallon and one 3 gallon in the ground and they survived well. However, they are in semi-protected areas from the house or canopy of other trees and I am two blocks from the river. I did also superthrive, daconil, and liquid copper all of these before and after the cold. Wish me luck this year!

Good idea about Daconil, etc. Your lipsticks may do well so close to the river. My house is on a freshwater canal. Still, I am leery of risking mine to temps below 45-50. They are expensive to replace. I have a seedling I germinated in spring 2008. It is now on its 3rd leaf. Talk about slow.

Verena, perhaps your lipsticks do well in shade because it is more humid there? They love humidity. I kept my 7g in the front yard in the blazing FL sun. It did okay but looked kind of bleached out. So I moved it into the back yard shade garden and its leaves are now dark green. Even the trunks have gotten redder.

I am also trying to germinate some other Crytostachys species. Wish me luck because I haven't had much with these seeds (only 1 lipstick germinated out of about 20).

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

  PalmatierMeg said:

These palms are practically aquatic but I understand someone not wanting to leave it sitting in water 24 hrs a day. But rather than only top-watering I suggest setting the plant in a pan of water for an hour or so a couple times a week. That way the palm can absorb water thoroughly. Drain excess water and mist foliage regularly. Watch for spider mites.

A grower here in FL insists that this palm must be treated monthly with a Mancozeb-based fungicide when outside temps fall below 70F (Dec thru March in S FL). This is because the lipstick palm is highly susceptible to a cold weather fungus and must be sprayed thoroughly, including soil, to prevent infection during winter. I am trying to find such a fungicide on the internet because I haven't found it locally. But I got a couple months to get ready; other people don't. I got my lipstick last spring, so it hasn't faced winter in Cape Coral yet. Fortunately, it is potted, so I will be able to move it indoors on cold nights.

Meg, Dithane is mancozeb based, and available in a lot of places...although i have yet to see any evidence that supports the claim that fungicide is helpful...but who knows?

I have mine totally immersed in my pond in a 15 gal pot, and it seems to like it...been there 18 months.

Rusty

[palmsOrl]

I've always grown mine in a tub of water so that about half the pot is submerged. In my experience, C. renda likes full sun, but I'm sure this is different for seedlings. I also give mine hollytone for acid loving plants. PalmatierMeg, what other Cyrtostachys species are you trying? I recently started some C. loriae, and C. elegans, and have high hopes.

-Michael

[PalmatierMeg]

  palmsOrl said:

I've always grown mine in a tub of water so that about half the pot is submerged. In my experience, C. renda likes full sun, but I'm sure this is different for seedlings. I also give mine hollytone for acid loving plants. PalmatierMeg, what other Cyrtostachys species are you trying? I recently started some C. loriae, and C. elegans, and have high hopes.

-Michael

Michael, I'm trying C. elegans & C. microcarpa, maybe 1 other. I'll have to check. But my C. rendas have given me fits with germination.

[Kris]

Here are some visuals of the one growing in our garden,its not putting new growth but the leafs are drying up now & then.and iam watering it daily !

To the best of my knowledge goes they hate chemical based fertz,they get burnt very easily using it..

Love,

Kris.