Local Arizona Thread

[aztropic]

December,January,February, a good watering every 2 weeks is plenty;even for newly planted palms. They will not be growing or establishing during the cooler weather, and excess water may even cause roots to rot.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[wase471111]

thank you again for the helpful tip; I guess I'll start to phase back the watering plan for the new trees this weekend, when its supposed to drop to 60/40 for temps

[96720]

Are you serious royals and chambyronia only need water once every 2 weeks 

[aztropic]

wase471111 only has planted desert type palms but I have a dozen royals planted in the ground in Mesa,Arizona between 10 and 23 years old and have learned every other week watering over our winter is more than enough.When our palms are not actively growing,they don't require much additional water.Also,our winters are also some of our rainiest times of the year and you actually may not need to add ANY additional water during those months.

Chambyronia has proven itself as a poor choice for our valley, (just too hot) and is not a long term candidate for any in ground planting.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[wase471111]

19 minutes ago, aztropic said:

wase471111 only has planted desert type palms but I have a dozen royals planted in the ground in Mesa,Arizona between 10 and 23 years old and have learned every other week watering over our winter is more than enough.When our palms are not actively growing,they don't require much additional water.Also,our winters are also some of our rainiest times of the year and you actually may not need to add ANY additional water during those months.

Chambyronia has proven itself as a poor choice for our valley, (just too hot) and is not a long term candidate for any in ground planting.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

awesum tree and photo man!

[96720]

I have probably 20 royals and a chambyronia if I can cut the water to 1 a week my water bills will be happy. My chambyronia pushing a new frond not usually this much color with this much heat.

[wase471111]

I know its been said that trees out here pretty much stop growing for the time being, but my bismark and my mule palm are pushing new fronds out now; the bismark has pushed 3 giant new fronds out. in the last 2 weeks!

should I still reduce the water I am giving them, even though they are actively still growing, or continue to water as usual, until they slow down, or, at the least, until the temps finally drop out of the 90's and 80's?  Supposedly this is the last week it will still be summer out here, so I am sort of confused...

thanks!

[aztropic]

Ambient temperature will dictate how much water you need to apply rather than an exact date on the calander.

Usually,things cool off considerably in December,and that's when you can back off on the water.When our night time temps are back in the 40's,you'll notice most of our palms will stop growing.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[xoRudy]

1 hour ago, wase471111 said:

I know its been said that trees out here pretty much stop growing for the time being, but my bismark and my mule palm are pushing new fronds out now; the bismark has pushed 3 giant new fronds out. in the last 2 weeks!

should I still reduce the water I am giving them, even though they are actively still growing, or continue to water as usual, until they slow down, or, at the least, until the temps finally drop out of the 90's and 80's?  Supposedly this is the last week it will still be summer out here, so I am sort of confused...

thanks!

Temperatures are still getting in the high 80s to low 90s here in Maricopa AZ. Everything in my yard is putting out new fronds as well from royals to bismarckias to copernicias. I plan on cutting back the water this week. Temperatures are declining this week. It’ll definitely get down to low temperatures come post thanksgiving. I would continue to water as normal until we hit thanksgiving.

[wase471111]

thanks guys, that makes alot of sense to just follow the thermometer and not the calendar...I can't believe the size of some of the fronds that have shot out from the bismarkia and the Mule palm in just the last week...

since 5 of my trees are newly planted in the last 2 months, I just want to make sure I dont overwater them, OR under water them...once they are established, which I assume means 6 months in the ground, they can be treated more like "established"  trees, and not like "newly planted" ones..

Edited November 21, 2020 by wase471111

[wase471111]

bis has been growing nicely for the last 2 months; 2 large new fronds since then..

 

[xoRudy]

Green Bismarckia finally coming back after losing all its leafs and almost dying over the summer! Let’s hope it gets through the winter now......

[wase471111]

19 minutes ago, xoRudy said:

Green Bismarckia finally coming back after losing all its leafs and almost dying over the summer! Let’s hope it gets through the winter now......

what caused him to lose all its leaves? I know it was super hot, but I thought these guys can take it..

[xoRudy]

20 minutes ago, wase471111 said:

what caused him to lose all its leaves? I know it was super hot, but I thought these guys can take it..

The Bismarckia Comes in two different colors or “forms”. Green and silver. The silver ones are a lot more hardy to heat and to cold than the green bismarckias. The silver bizzy is way more common due to their hardiness, so to have a green one is a bit more rare but it’s harder to take care of. So my bizzy lost all of its leafs in the summer this year do to the extreme heat.

[xoRudy]

@wase471111 here’s a picture of a adult green bizzy.

[wase471111]

wow, thats a gorgeous tree!

interesting that the green variety responds differently to high temps...

[96720]

What is the most tropical looking palms you grow and how much sun do they take?

[96720]

Are these Florida growth rings or Phoenix growth rings

[aztropic]

Phoenix growth rings with a steady watering cycle.Here's mine in Mesa,Arizona to compare.

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[wase471111]

Is that a store you own, or your back yard?  

[aztropic]

Backyard hobby grower. Mostly concentrate on rare slow growing Caribbean palms like Coccothrinax,Copernicia,Hemithrinax,Leucothrinax,Pseudophoenix,Roystonea,Sabal,and Thrinax species.

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[wase471111]

4 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Backyard hobby grower. Mostly concentrate on rare slow growing Caribbean palms like Coccothrinax,Copernicia,Hemithrinax,Leucothrinax,Pseudophoenix,Roystonea,Sabal,and Thrinax species.

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

 

you must have a gigantic back yard; you've got more pots than some stores I have been in..nice!

Edited December 31, 2020 by wase471111

[96720]

Those growth rings look great all of yours look great in my jungle some look great and maybe ones a few feet away don’t look so great 

[aztropic]

The ones that don't look great probably are not getting enough water for whatever reason.Rocky planting,compacted soil that doesn't absorb water,sloped planting where water just runs off,dominant plant next to them stealing all the water,too much shade? Royals are an easy to grow species in metro Phoenix,with a permanent planting on the east side of something to protect them from our extreme summer sun as young plants.

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by aztropic

[AZJakeB]

@aztropic

 

How do I get you to come look at my palms and save them?  I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.  

Edited January 1, 2021 by AZJakeB

[aztropic]

PM me.  I am always happy to take a trip to share my 25 years of palm growing experience! I am always working on providing tested, rare, (generally Cuban) palm species to fellow Arizonans that I grow from seed. If I can grow them,you should be able to, too!

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[Meangreen94z]

Looking great overall AZtropic, your backyard looks like mine 

[96720]

Actually the one that the growth rings don’t look so good is in a flat area that always seems to be wet the two that look the best are on slopes one above the big palm and one below it 

[aztropic]

So remove the ugly one already. It apparently has bad genetics. It happens.Easy to grow new ones from seed.Stop by and I'll give you a new 1 gal replacement for free. Happy to spread palminess where I can.

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[MKIVRYAN]

Nice to check in here and see whats happen in AZ.  

[96720]

It is not ugly it is actually my favorite royal just the growth rings are close.

[wase471111]

gorgeous tree!

[96720]

I asked before about growing thrinax ekmaniana aztropic said it would grow in full sun. I am planning on planting it and I guess it’s not that common of a palm so I’m looking for advice on any special advice about soil and water.

[96720]

Is anyone growing foxy lady palms in Phoenix?

[2AZWildcats]

I have some old queen palms in my backyard near the pool.  I inherited them with the house.  It has really been a struggle to get them to look 1/2 way decent.  I suspect that they are on their last legs.   I really like the look of palms in the yard as they provide some vertical interest.  I was wondering how mule palms would work in place.  I know they are more cold hardy but how do they hold up when we have brutal summers like we did last year.  One more question,  if I take out the queen palms, can I place the mules in the same location?   I am in the Scottsdale area.

Edited January 26, 2021 by 2AZWildcats

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, 2AZWildcats said:

I have some old queen palms in my backyard near the pool.  I inherited them with the house.  It has really been a struggle to get them to look 1/2 way decent.  I suspect that they are on their last legs.   I really like the look of palms in the yard as they provide some vertical interest.  I was wondering how mule palms would work in place.  I know they are more cold hardy but how do they hold up when we have brutal summers like we did last year.  One more question,  if I take out the queen palms, can I place the mules in the same location?   I am in the Scottsdale area.

Welcome to the forum 2AZWildcats.. Any snow up your way yesterday/ this morning?

Yes, Mules will hold up -far better than Queens- in our heat.. and are far easier to care for/ keep looking nice. 

As far as placement.. I myself might not put new palms where the old Queens were removed, unless you're careful to be sure none of the stump/ saw dust from the queens is left behind ( may contain spores of harmful fungi you don't want in your soil, even if Mules/ any other palms planted in the place of the Queens are less susceptible )

Hopes this helps..

[2AZWildcats]

I am just north of Cactus  and I did not get any snow but I know they did up in the Troon area,  plus there was plenty in the McDowell's.   Weird to see snowy mountains in AZ.  

I was thinking that probably putting them back in same location may not work.   Thanks for the info.

[96720]

I’m not really sold on mules if every summer is like this last one my mules did not like last summer, other summers have not been a problem but this summer sure was.

[wase471111]

I dont think ANY living thing "liked" the last summer..

[GeneAZ]

I've lived here in the Valley since 1963, and we've never had a summer with as many brutal days over 110F.  I think it was 52 days over 110F.   Many more days than that, if you count 105F and above.   I even saw multiple large barrel cactus and saguaros just melt and collapse in the wild undeveloped desert several miles east of Troon. My summer was largely spent keeping many things shaded and all things hydrated.  I'm still exhausted.