Is there a temperature threshold where palms stop growing?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Watching my thermometer bottom out around 48F tonight stinks. Made me wonder, when do palms stop growing?

[Tassie_Troy1971]

" Is there a temperature threshold where palms stop growing? "

yes its called Tasmania !

[osideterry]

Count yourself lucky... my forecast lows are in the high 30s for 8 of the next 10 days.

[PalmatierMeg]

Watching my thermometer bottom out around 48F tonight stinks. Made me wonder, when do palms stop growing?

True, but 43F stinks worse. On my way to bring the lipsticks inside.

[DoomsDave]

Watching my thermometer bottom out around 48F tonight stinks. Made me wonder, when do palms stop growing?

The answer is . . . .

[DoomsDave]

. . . . it . . .

[DoomsDave]

. . . depends!

On which palm, not the undergarments!

Some palms love the cool, like Trachies, Rhopies and Ceroxies.

Bet Darold knows some more, in his never-ending Mark Twainian summer!

[gsn]

the answer is....

depends on the palm and how tropical it is!

I would think a coconut would stop growing way before butia?

also I think the ground temp would have more to do with the actual growing of a palm ,rather than the air temp,but what do I know?

[Zeeth]

Watching my thermometer bottom out around 48F tonight stinks. Made me wonder, when do palms stop growing?

True, but 43F stinks worse. On my way to bring the lipsticks inside.

We'll have the same lows tonight. Any colder and I'll start having to bring stuff in, from now on I'll be watching the forecasts

[Kostas]

In my garden in Pyrgos I see a lot of differences in growth rates from my different species according to the time of year/tempratures. Bismarckia and Livistona rotundifolia have almost stalled for me now while Trachycarpus fortunei, Acanthophoenix rubra,Syagrus romanzoffiana, Archontophoenix alexandrae and Ceroxylon amazonicum are in full growth mode! Great growth are putting my Howea fosteriana too! Now that I better think of it, almost all my palms are having close to peak growth right now,some better than summer! Others are a little slower now though like my Washingtonia robusta, still growing fast but not lighting fast as before.

Our lows are between 7,5-12C at this period and we still have 21C dailly high

I hope nothing damages for you

[bubba]

Bill, I have always heard that Coconuts discontinue photosynthesis at 50F.

[John in Andalucia]

Low "duration" is also a key factor, isn't it? Presumably plants shut down once they stop receiving a good dose of heat during the day. That's my greenhouse theory, anyway. I'm keeping mine above 14C/55F this winter.

[Ken Johnson]

I here 75 for us Bill. with most species. Syagrus and Copernicia alba are exceptions.

My Heddy looks good though! Chatham Island Rhophie too!

[Pivi]

My Heddy looks good though! Chatham Island Rhophie too!

You wish!

[PalmGuyWC]

I don't know about the tropical palms, but I've determined that most of my cold hardy palms stop growing when the mean night temps. fall below 50F. They also seem unable to absorb nutrients below 50F. and I never fertilize in the spring until I detect some growth, otherwise the fertilizer will burn the roots. Tracheycarpus might be the only exception and seem to grow when it's below 50F.

Dick

[Davidl]

It depends on the palm and the duration of the cold. Some palms like bismarkia seem to never stop here and palms like Copernicia seem to slow way down in the cool winters. Coconuts are very slow in the winter and I believe all my palms slow somewhat.

[Palmy]

My parajubaea species grow throughout the winter even if the temps are in the 30's/40's in the nights, 50's/60's in the days. They grow very slow in the winter, and just slow in the summer, but they still grow. I think this is a special case though...

[MattyB]

My Heddy looks good though! Chatham Island Rhophie too!

You wish!

I'm afraid not Pivi. I've seen them with my own eyes. They're little guys in pots still but they're still alive. Ken put them right by a narrow walkway and insisted that Paul and I brush up against them multiple times so that our California magic rubs off on them. That's not the only thing he requested we rub up against. I declined. Paul said I can't talk about this.

[Moose]

William - as a general rule most tropical palms cease their nutrient uptake when the root temperature reaches 60 degrees F. Thus the slowing of the growth. That is why mulching is so important - to insulate the roots. Of course with so many species available, there are exceptions to the general rule.

[Moose]

[epicure3]

My tropical palms such as Veitchia, Roystonea, Foxy Lady and Ptychosperma seem to favor air temp over soil temp for some growth (as long as the soil temp is not much below 58F). My soil temp in the coldest part of the yard sits at 58F (1' down) yet the air temps have been b/w 75F and 80F for about 10 days. They have been growing but much more slowly than in the summer. I haven't really notice the growth on my Hyophorbes.

[Kathryn]

I've found that many palms stop growing when the temperature drops below 28ºF and never seem to start growing again.

[_Keith]

I've found that many palms stop growing when the temperature drops below 28ºF and never seem to start growing again.

[Palm Guy]

Most of my palms are still growing but at a reduced rate thanks to the 'artic blast' that includes Veitchia, Hyophorbe, Wodyetia, Coco, Adonidia, Chambeyronia and Tropical Dypsis. I think the general guideline is that tropical palm root growth stops at soil temps below 64F, top growth does not stop just decreases significantly (unless their dead or severly damaged). Temperate palms may actually speed up at those temps. My Rhopies, Hedys and Jubaeas are actually growing much faster these days (albeit still slow for my taste).

[DoomsDave]

0 degrees F? For sure . . . . .

[Gallop]

13 nights below freezing as off today @ 8 to 10hr periods , lows between 20 and 21F .BXP throwing new spears like crazy about 4' specimen in the ground , same for the JXS 3' in the ground still pushing new growth. My C alba were pushing new growth like mad as well, but are toast now. All unprotected and exposed no overhead canopy. Also of note my 3' tall P tor tor has surprized me with the same new growth and showing no damage. My 4' tall D decipiens in the ground are showing minor damage. L nitida no damage @ all these are tough.

Regards,

Gallop

[Moose]

13 nights below freezing as off today @ 8 to 10hr periods , lows between 20 and 21F .BXP throwing new spears like crazy about 4' specimen in the ground , same for the JXS 3' in the ground still pushing new growth. My C alba were pushing new growth like mad as well, but are toast now. All unprotected and exposed no overhead canopy. Also of note my 3' tall P tor tor has surprized me with the same new growth and showing no damage. My 4' tall D decipiens in the ground are showing minor damage. L nitida no damage @ all these are tough.

Regards,

Gallop

Good news and good information.

Thanks Gallop!

[chris.oz]

" Is there a temperature threshold where palms stop growing? "

yes its called Tasmania !

Troy,

Spot on. It gets hot enough here, but the fact that no species of palm is naturally growing here indicates they are not viable.

Sometime in March they stop growing and dont start again until October. Thats 5 months growth period, so I came to the conclusion recently you have to make sure they grow lots of leaves in that time and fert to the max.

[trioderob]

what about this angle on the subject:

lets say the temps are low - but the total hours of sun per day is very high.

vs much less sun and higher temps ????

if it was 60F outside and you had 12 hours of unblocked sun would that be better than a day

that was 80F and the sun was out for 2 hours ?