From Alpha to Omega (Beginning to End)

[DALION]

I managed to get a few more plants in the ground today. I need to pick up the pace and finish planting things so I can put in a drip system. I hope I don't screw up the drip.

Here is a D. plumosa from a 15 gallon pot.

I also managed to get in a 24* box D. decipiens earlier that I don't believe I photographed

I don't know if it needs a little shade at this size but here is a 3 gallon D. onilahensis

I also had to add atleast one cycad so here is a pic of a dioon flushing a new set of leaves

[DALION]

I installed the drip line today. I have not installed any emitters yet but did run about 350 feet on 1/2" line and plan to install the emitted directly into the 1/2" line then spread some mulch. If you guys see a mistake or have some advice please let me know.

Here is the valve

I snaked the line all around

The local inspector came by and had no complaints so I hope it means I did the job right

[BS Man about Palms]

The only thing I would suggest is to break it up into zones... Some Palms will needs more water than others...

Maybe more accurately is that some will need LESS than others...

[Hilo Jason]

Looks great Dalion!

[DALION]

The only thing I would suggest is to break it up into zones... Some Palms will needs more water than others...

Maybe more accurately is that some will need LESS than others...

Thanks for the info. I thought I could "break in up to zones" by using different emiters (0.5gal, 1gal, 2gal) is that not an acceptable way of doing it? I am in no way an expert or better said, I have no clue as to what I am doing and I am just doing what makes logical sense to me but it doesn't mean I am correct. Any advice on this?

[BS Man about Palms]

Dang.. posted a big response and it disappeared into the ethernet..

Sooo. the short version is what I would do differently on mine, and you still could on yours, is to run a "Big palm zone" line, so you can water them as often as you like.. (and not find out that even at that rate, .5 gals an hour is too much for some small palms if they were on the same line.) Use the existing line for your med and small palms.

[DALION]

Ok, I now have to crank out the rest of the garden as soon as possible since I was germinating more than just palms seeds.

I need to make sure this summer is a fruitful palm collecting/planting season since this seed is going to get me to redirect my energy at making a new nursery.

[Lowey]

Congratulations

[Hammer]

Hey congrats!!!!

[Cindy Adair]

Congratulations to you and your wife! As to automatic watering systems, I finally tackled intalling one only for my raised beds last week. I built them almost 25 years ago and now, 3 years from moving, I decided I didn't want to haul around hoses and move sprinklers any longer. Since we hope to keep the Virginia house to visit our kids, I decided it was worth it. Anyway, I got the Raintree set up from the local hardware store. I drilled holes in to the wood sides and trenches (well, my 15 year old son did this part) between each raised bed so grass could continue to grow in between without tripping on tubing. It took about 200 feet of tubing plus individual emitters with lines to some pots. Unfortunately, our well water would clog up the filter quickly so I had to change it to run off city water. I do have some of the higher volume emitters, but haven't added any yet since (of course) it's rained this week. Virginia isn't at all a desert climate but I still think my basil,butterfly plants and many others will enjoy the new system and I wish I done it 25 years ago! I did absolutely no research just made an impulse buy while at the store....

[BS Man about Palms]

Congrats on your recent germination Jose' !!

[Palmlover]

keep up the great work! Garden looking nice!

[Jastin]

Congrats!!! My wife is 9 months with 2.0 and having contractions as we speak.

With your raised beds putting a little more water on the ones that wouldn't really need as much shouldn't be a problem because of your drainage. In a perfect world it would be great to have everything on seperate zones where you could adjust everything and make each one automatic but for hat you right now will work fine.

When i did my retrofit on my existing system I had to work with what I had and that ment for me to have some planters on the same zone as my grass, as long as I kept the sprinkler gph at around the same gph as my drip it worked out fine. Looks really good! And congrats again! It seems like that's the only thing I can germinate!

[DALION]

Jastin, thanks and congrats to you too.

Thank you Lowey, Hammer, BS Man, apaandssa.

[MattyB]

congratulations! Is that a sonogram of some sort of Dypsis seed?

[DALION]

congratulations! Is that a sonogram of some sort of Dypsis seed?

Ha ha ha! Thank you. I think my wife is wondering that too. But, I believe that ultrasound image is the next obsession in my life outside of plants. That "seed" will germinate in the second week of January. It's a good thing that winter is not a good planting time.

[DALION]

With my wife pregnant I am trying to put things in high gear so here are some more plants I just got in to the ground.

I started with a couple negleted Archontophoenix.

A. purpurea

A. tuckeri

I then moved over to a 3 gallon Coccothrinax argentata

I also planted a 5 gallon C. macrocarpa

I then decided to see what would happen with a couple Dypsis palms.

D. ambositrae in full sun from a 3 gallon pot.

Don't know if this is grown in this area with any success but I have had this D. carlsmithii exposed to the elements since 2007 from a 1 gallon to the 5 gallon you see today.

I have mentioned that I like cycads so I put a few more into the ground.

Here is my small Encephalartos frederici-guilielmi

A nice double E. princeps with a newly harden off flushed

And, the last plants of the day are a pair of E. lanatus.

[richnorm]

The only thing I would suggest is to break it up into zones... Some Palms will needs more water than others...

Maybe more accurately is that some will need LESS than others...

Thanks for the info. I thought I could "break in up to zones" by using different emiters (0.5gal, 1gal, 2gal) is that not an acceptable way of doing it? I am in no way an expert or better said, I have no clue as to what I am doing and I am just doing what makes logical sense to me but it doesn't mean I am correct. Any advice on this?

Congrats on the bubba! I am no expert but my system is to use the lowest pressure compensated drippers available (here it's 2LPH) and then just use more than one on large or thirsty plants. I think you can get into trouble using different size drippers on the same line and the variable ones were too much hassle to calibrate. The added advantage of using slow drippers is that you can get hundreds of them on a single circuit (I have well over 200 and still only need to have the tap partly open).

cheers

Richard

[Jastin]

congratulations! Is that a sonogram of some sort of Dypsis seed?

I tried to talk my wife into having our son's middle name be Dypsis but for some reason she didn't go for it

[DALION]

The only thing I would suggest is to break it up into zones... Some Palms will needs more water than others...

Maybe more accurately is that some will need LESS than others...

Thanks for the info. I thought I could "break in up to zones" by using different emiters (0.5gal, 1gal, 2gal) is that not an acceptable way of doing it? I am in no way an expert or better said, I have no clue as to what I am doing and I am just doing what makes logical sense to me but it doesn't mean I am correct. Any advice on this?

Congrats on the bubba! I am no expert but my system is to use the lowest pressure compensated drippers available (here it's 2LPH) and then just use more than one on large or thirsty plants. I think you can get into trouble using different size drippers on the same line and the variable ones were too much hassle to calibrate. The added advantage of using slow drippers is that you can get hundreds of them on a single circuit (I have well over 200 and still only need to have the tap partly open).

cheers

Richard

Richard

I have had a drip system in the front yard in a small "island" planter for several years and there are drip emiters and sprayers tapped into the 1/2" line without any problems.

Leo

[DALION]

Someone on this forum sent me an email to let me know that this thread is boring since I don't have anything (except the xerophylla) that anyone cares to see. I want to thank the person publicly for the comment. So, if what I have say or show is boring please ignore my threads and comments.

Now, I have one question for the person that sent that email. I pay my membership dues do you?

Leo Casanas

IPS Member

[Jastin]

Don't worry about it Leo, Just like you said, if they find it boring then they don't have to read it. I personally love this topic

[Hilo Jason]

They're probably just jealous that they don't have a xerophylla like yours! Keep it up Leo, I love seeing the progress on your place! That's one of my favorite things about palm talk, seeing the constant and ever changing works of art that become people's yards.

[Hammer]

2011 was a bad year for gardens since I had a nursey to contruct... on to 2012.

I must have good drainage just in case it ever decides to rain here. With solid clay soil and a block wall on all sides.. a frech drain sounds good.

Drain goes in.

The nursery (baby not palm) did produce some help.

Now the drain pipe is filled with gravel and wrapped with landscape fabric

Hey Leo, how's the new baby coming along? Any birth announcements soon? I hope all is well on that topic.

I'm planning to plagarize your idea here. I've got an area in the yard that I plan to build a raised bed in over the holidays this year. I'm trying to create a particular look and well a draining substrate in the bed. I'm going to be trying some very marginal palms and root rot is a big concern. Like you, I have a base of clay. I'm curious if you did anything more than the french drain to address drainage under your pumice bed?

The clay, even with the french drain may present that cold wet zone that is deadly to marginal palms. Do you have any suggestions? Did you dig down into the bed and excavate any of the clay? Thanks in advance.

[Alicehunter2000]

Boring?......you gotta be kidding me....if this thread is boring than mine must be drool inducing <---- and not in a good way. It is interesting for me to see someone with such different parameters to work with. You have, clay soil with difficult drainage, low humidity. I have drainage so fast that I need ammendments to hold some water. I really love the hardscaping you have done with the lower front wall, can't imagine how much that must have cost. I always explain to my wife that the outside will be in effect more rooms/square footage of liveable space and the money spent there will be well spent. Luckily she loves palms and plants also....as it appears your wife does. Your children will have some great memories growing up around all the beautifull scenery.

I have one question......what plants are you going to use for wind block....you have Santa Ana winds there don't you?

And also....for all of the California peoples that post here....is it possible that you can include minimum temperatures in your Avitar signature. Guess the same goes for everyone....many don't understand our (zones) .....I realize it is a Meditteranian climate and not sub-tropical..but minimum temps are always helpful for people that are pushing the limits of what can be grown for a particular location.

Congradulations on the baby.....please post more and ignore the jealous Stumphead

[DALION]

2011 was a bad year for gardens since I had a nursey to contruct... on to 2012.

I must have good drainage just in case it ever decides to rain here. With solid clay soil and a block wall on all sides.. a frech drain sounds good.

Drain goes in.

The nursery (baby not palm) did produce some help.

Now the drain pipe is filled with gravel and wrapped with landscape fabric

Hey Leo, how's the new baby coming along? Any birth announcements soon? I hope all is well on that topic.

I'm planning to plagarize your idea here. I've got an area in the yard that I plan to build a raised bed in over the holidays this year. I'm trying to create a particular look and well a draining substrate in the bed. I'm going to be trying some very marginal palms and root rot is a big concern. Like you, I have a base of clay. I'm curious if you did anything more than the french drain to address drainage under your pumice bed?

The clay, even with the french drain may present that cold wet zone that is deadly to marginal palms. Do you have any suggestions? Did you dig down into the bed and excavate any of the clay? Thanks in advance.

The drain is obviously the lowest point but I made sure to slope the native clay towards the drain. As for the clay soil remaining wet or too moist, I did spread some gypsum all over the clay (just in case it really does work) but I have 15-20 inches of fast draining soil for the root to breathe. If the roots spread down and out into the clay I'm sure they will be just fine. You need to talk to Sergio (Got Palms - here on palmtalk). He has tons of "marginal" palms planted into clay with no problems.

My soon to be born daughter won't be here until January.

Thanks and good luck.

[DALION]

Boring?......you gotta be kidding me....if this thread is boring than mine must be drool inducing <---- and not in a good way. It is interesting for me to see someone with such different parameters to work with. You have, clay soil with difficult drainage, low humidity. I have drainage so fast that I need ammendments to hold some water. I really love the hardscaping you have done with the lower front wall, can't imagine how much that must have cost. I always explain to my wife that the outside will be in effect more rooms/square footage of liveable space and the money spent there will be well spent. Luckily she loves palms and plants also....as it appears your wife does. Your children will have some great memories growing up around all the beautifull scenery.

I have one question......what plants are you going to use for wind block....you have Santa Ana winds there don't you?

And also....for all of the California peoples that post here....is it possible that you can include minimum temperatures in your Avitar signature. Guess the same goes for everyone....many don't understand our (zones) .....I realize it is a Meditteranian climate and not sub-tropical..but minimum temps are always helpful for people that are pushing the limits of what can be grown for a particular location.

Congradulations on the baby.....please post more and ignore the jealous Stumphead

Block the wind? Good luck in my yard with trying to do that. I get winds in excess of 40 mph and gusts that reached 70 a few years back. I am not going to worry about the wind because I don't have much of a choice to stop it.

Thanks for the encouragement. I may not have a garden that seasoned palmtalkers want to visit but I like it.

[NApalm]

Gotta echo the other guys on here and say i found this thread pretty interesting. building up the beds and all. Like jason said, one of my favourate things on pt is before and afters and watching how people 'renovate' their yards. Any more progress?

[DALION]

Gotta echo the other guys on here and say i found this thread pretty interesting. building up the beds and all. Like jason said, one of my favourate things on pt is before and afters and watching how people 'renovate' their yards. Any more progress?

I have been spending most of my time with the baby's room but I have been testing some bromeliads. I don't know anything about bromeliads nor how well they take my sunny, hot yard but I will push limits come spring. For now I have planted 4-6 different ones not counting the pineapple tops that have been in the ground for years in my yards.

[NApalm]

Sweet, now that my palms are for the most part all out in the ground, i'm starting to delve into the world of foliage and broms. Its fun putting it all together, but i'm like you, experimenting with broms