Planted large Archontophoenix maxima

[Tyrone]

I had a bit of a dilemna. I had this Archontophoenix maxima that I bought from Rosebud Farm in 2002 from my first palm shipment as a 2 leaf seedling and had grown it up in a pot with the intention of planting it in my front courtyard garden. The courtyard still hasn't been constructed and the palm has now split the pot apart and has put roots out everywhere. It was threatening to fall over and had supported itself by falling on a potted Dypsis pembana. Luckily I put it down on some black plastic and most of the roots had not yet found the soil. I abandoned the idea of planting it in the front garden and decided to plant it almost right where it was. Archontophoenix don't like root disturbance so I had to be careful not to demolish the roots. I decided to lift the slabs and extend the garden bed, and dig a big hole to take most of the roots that had extended to one side of the palm.

[Tyrone]

Dug a hole and luckily missed two of the leach drain tanks which are now decomissioned. It was the only area where I could dig it deep enough, so sometimes you get lucky.

[Tyrone]

Loaded the hole up with 300L of sheep manure and watered in well with humus I removed from one of my fishponds that had been sitting for a fortnight. Perth sand is so gutless so anything organic that binds it up helps.

Hopefully I have not damaged the roots too much and the thing will launch.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Palmə häl′ik]

Happy Palm!

~Ray.

[Tomw]

That’s a great looking tree, the Archontophoenix maxima is one of my favorites. I wonder how big it would be I you had planted it in the ground in 2002?

[ariscott]

I didn't realise how big it actually is... until I saw the photo with you(?) under it... Looks nice... I think it should be fine

Regards, Ari

[Palm Hound]

It's a beauty. I bet it's tougher than you give it credit. I man-handled mine during ground transplant with no problems. Is that a sea of endless potted seedlings in the first photo?

[Tyrone]

That's a great looking tree, the Archontophoenix maxima is one of my favorites. I wonder how big it would be I you had planted it in the ground in 2002?

Probably 10m tall. I gave my sister one that was smaller than this one but she planted it about 4 or 5 years ago. It's about 7m tall now and really fat at the base.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

It's a beauty. I bet it's tougher than you give it credit. I man-handled mine during ground transplant with no problems. Is that a sea of endless potted seedlings in the first photo?

That's good to know. I've flooded the thing. Yes, that is a heap of palms in pots. This big maxima was sitting in amongst the nursery area. I had to clean up and move the nursery plants out of the way to get to this maxima. The good thing is that I now can get more light to my nursery area which is a big plus.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tomw]

That's a great looking tree, the Archontophoenix maxima is one of my favorites. I wonder how big it would be I you had planted it in the ground in 2002?

Probably 10m tall. I gave my sister one that was smaller than this one but she planted it about 4 or 5 years ago. It's about 7m tall now and really fat at the base.

Best regards

Tyrone

I have planted these in three different neighbors’ yards; I only hope that some day they are as happy and good looking as yours!

[awkonradi]

Good work and beautiful palm.

[realarch]

Wow Tyrone, if Ari hadn't mentioned you in the photo I'd never have realized how large the bugger is. Pretty hefty chunk,(the palm ), and you don't look a thing like Frank Zappa.

[Walter John]

What a cracker !

[Kumar]

Lovely! I have a plain jane alexandrae in a large pot but it's growing v. v. fast (more than half as fast again as its twin in the ground) - and I don't know what to do with it

[DoomsDave]

Archie Max is very pretty, with its nice reddish or orangey-colored new leaf. Not like a Chambey, but close enough, and much faster growing.

They grow fast enough yours should forgive any mistakes you made in planting it here.

Keep us apprized!

[Tyrone]

Thanks everyone. I'm very pleased with it myself in the ground the way it is. Looking at it brings back memories of QLD. Going to have to figure out what to plant around it now. Was thinking maybe Licuala ramsayi, but I think I may keep thinking for a bit.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Mike in Nelson]

Got your Aussie safety boots on too!

[Tyrone]

Got your Aussie safety boots on too!

It hasn't been cold in the day here. Got a sweat up planting it.

[James B]

Tyrone I’m bumping this thread. Curious to see how your Maxima is doing almost 10 years later!

[Tyrone]

It’s dead. We moved in 2014 and the tenants we rented it too lit a fire next too it which damaged it, then their dog ate the irrigation and it never got watered one summer. I got there to fix the irrigation and it was dead. The tenant was evicted. We sold the place over two years ago. Real shame really.

[James B]

6 hours ago, Tyrone said:

It’s dead. We moved in 2014 and the tenants we rented it too lit a fire next too it which damaged it, then their dog ate the irrigation and it never got watered one summer. I got there to fix the irrigation and it was dead. The tenant was evicted. We sold the place over two years ago. Real shame really.

Wow that’s ashame. I’ll still be in my current house for at least another 10 years or more but I do expect most of the palms will die as they require at lot more care than what the average person is willing to commit.

[DoomsDave]

6 hours ago, Tyrone said:

It’s dead. We moved in 2014 and the tenants we rented it too lit a fire next too it which damaged it, then their dog ate the irrigation and it never got watered one summer. I got there to fix the irrigation and it was dead. The tenant was evicted. We sold the place over two years ago. Real shame really.

Bummer.

But, you can always plant new Slapsie Maxies at your new place. Hope you do. If you want, I have some seeds!

[Tyrone]

10 hours ago, James B said:

Wow that’s ashame. I’ll still be in my current house for at least another 10 years or more but I do expect most of the palms will die as they require at lot more care than what the average person is willing to commit.

I think people will look after what they appreciate. If the next person was the right kind of person they would look after it. Luckily the people we sold too loved the garden. I didn’t really want to move away. We moved for family reasons which is another story but where I moved too was actually on the bottom of my list of places in the world to go. But the place we got was an under appreciated jewel in the area. So I can’t really complain.

[Tyrone]

10 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Bummer.

But, you can always plant new Slapsie Maxies at your new place. Hope you do. If you want, I have some seeds!

Thanks Dave. You’re very kind and generous.

Actually I have planted some maxima here next to a stream area that flows in winter. They’re a bit slower to take off down here though.

Well grown Archontophoenix are beautiful palms. Luckily they like my humus rich soil and abundant moisture. Also I can plant whole groves of them which I couldn’t do in the old place. I’ve got a heap of myolensis coming along in the shadehouse. A grove of them would be lush. 

[Tyrone]

Also my sisters A maxima which was the twin of the now deceased one would be probably 12-15m tall now with a butt the size of a happy Roystonea. I'm waiting for that one to fruit and hope to grow heaps of them. Its flowered a couple of times and aborted the flower or the flowers just fell off without producing. It's practicing I think.