How did the nurseries fare?

[doubravsky]

It hit me watching the news talk about tripling of prices for citrus. How did the palm nurseries down San Diego County fare through all of this... both home based and more official types? I know Dave and Steve are talking significant losses.. (sorry guys... feel your pain).

Will the prices of palms be significantly affected? I'm now thinking replacement may take a lot of looking and more scratch than the initial purchase...

any thoughts>?

[BobbyinNY]

I'm VERY curious to know this as well.... One of the biggest tropical nursery distributors to the Northeast, Monrovia, is based in Cali.

[Mats]

Seaside Palm Growers and Plant Depot are in the San Juan Creek valley in San Juan Capistrano which gets very cold.  Seaside is 1 mile from the ocean and they only had minor damage.  The palms were OK although they did have some minor discoloration on the Roebelenii's.  Their Aolocasia's that weren't under shade cloth were thrashed but will recover this spring.  Their Philodendron Evansii's that weren't under shade cloth got burned but will be fine.  

Plant Depot is 3 miles further inland and thus colder, but they didn't suffer that much damage either.  Most of their tropicals are under shade cloth and that protected them.

I went to Briggs (San Marcos) and Plant World (Escondido) yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see their losses weren't too bad.  Briggs has lots of 15 gal., 24" and 36" boxed King palms and they were fine.  Tropicals like Schefflera, Tibouchina and Cuphea that were out in the elements were toast.  Dwarf Arboricola were OK.  Bougainvilleas were tip burned but will recover.  They had removed some damaged stock but the bare areas were few and far between.  Both of these nurseries have their tender tropicals under shade cloth and again, that provided adequate protection.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

I was discussing this with another nursery owner yesterday. I think that my cold hardy stuff that made it will be more valuable, for two reasons: People that are replacing frozen plants, will look for cold hardy replacements. Also, the overall reduction in plant stock available to landscapers will be reduced, even if temporarily(due to damaged palms waiting to be retail again).

[BobbyinNY]

That devastation has hit here also... Orange juice at the grocery store last night was double what it usually is..

[tropicalb]

and my guess as to what type of palm people will buy  to replace their damaged palms?

why....queens of course.

Can't you just hear the conversation:

"See Jim...i TOLD ya you shoulda planted queen palms...look at mine..they look FINE!"

[epicure3]

(BobbyinNY @ Jan. 18 2007,12:04)

QUOTE

That devastation has hit here also... Orange juice at the grocery store last night was double what it usually is..

Which is very interesting Bobby since almost none of the California orange crop goes to juice. It all gets sold as fresh fruit due to the usually high quality. Sounds like Tropicana is trying to slip one over on us.

???

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Juice oranges come mostly from Brazil, some from Florida.

[Alan_Tampa]

Florida and Brazil supply juice oranges for the most part.  but OJ is a commodity and the CBOT has spoken.

Alan

[gsn]

(epicure3 @ Jan. 18 2007,14:24)

QUOTE

Sounds like Tropicana is trying to slip one over on us.

Tropicanna the new orange OIL!!!

Just like gas prices, go UP overnight,but I have never seen them come DOWN overnight! ???

[BobbyinNY]

Which is very interesting Bobby since almost none of the California orange crop goes to juice. It all gets sold as fresh fruit due to the usually high quality. Sounds like Tropicana is trying to slip one over on us.

I think it's the exace same thing as when they started charging people more money for the gas that was already at the pumps.....    

My orange tree is growing, and, by next year, I'll probably have enough to supply my house

[Dave-Vero]

Cycadcenter reported a lot of damage at the nursery. 22.1 degrees.

http://www.cycadcenter.com/

[Cycadcenter]

Yes,  we got hit pretty hard especially along the golf course.

The broard leaf brachychition all have defoliated with the top foot frozed and dead already.  the B. rupestris (bottle trees) have no damage at all.

Basically in the cycad areas.  

One field of taitungensis in a cold drain area got burnt,  up on the slope are fine.

Most of the green encephalartos are toast but will come back OK,  the blues generally faired well especially the ones in the ground.

Bruce