PVC pipe saves palms!

[Cindy Adair]

It was like a crime scene, but with a happy ending!

Deep down below the giant Metroxylon where only those wearing hiking boots (and willing to get muddy) dare to go, I encountered this scene. A happy little Dypsis prestoniana and a Normanbya normanbyi were looking perfectly normal as if nothing had happened. In fact, the Normanbya which had looked yellow and in need of feeding now looked green. Not a leaf on either palm looked worse for the wear.

However, a tree that had fallen had clearly broken and rolled at least 12 feet (down the hill of course) landing stuck against some trees on the other side of these small palms. Note the photo with my boot for scale and the photos with a depression where the log was in April. I remember sitting on this log as it seemed completely stable and slowly rotting in place.

I saved the hero, a simple PVC pipe that bent to allow the tree/log to go over leaving the little palms unscathed. I later replaced it with a new straight pipe. It will never unbend and deserves to retire to a place of honor on our porch. Those things are tough!

The PVC near the second palm leaned and helped out too, but didn't pull the load the first one did in my opinion, so it's still on duty.

You can hover on the small photos for titles.

I had only thought the PVC pipes served to make the tiny palms visible and hold the aluminum labels. This PVC pipe was willing to sacrifice itself to protect its tree.

No kittens, but a heartwarming story nevertheless.

[Kostas]

Good to see the palms ok after the log passed! The good thing with seedling palms is that they bend when something falls on the or someone steps on them(I have even had the same species with you experience it,Normanbya normanbyi...),so they escape major damage! Indeed those PVC tubes seem to have given them the slight clearance they needed to bend under the rolling log without damage! Great to see

[Cedric]

Your Normanbya looks just like my Wodyetia seedlings, I threw a ton of seed, couple of sacks all over the place and many germinated and are happily growing. Unfortunately my single germinated seed of Attalea cohune seedling that was looking so encroyable with its first proper leaves didn't survive a large badly placed dog paw, never mind a rolling log. They either shnap or bend over obligingly.

I think South American palms are a bit neglected in the present Dypsis fever and are in need of a renaissance, there are so many brilliant magestic marvelous species for your garden and everyones!

[BS Man about Palms]

Yay for the happy ending!

[Cindy Adair]

From Cedric:
"I think South American palms are a bit neglected in the present Dypsis fever and are in need of a renaissance, there are so many brilliant magestic marvelous species for your garden and everyones!"

I must admit I'm not immune to "Dypsis fever " either! Just haven't finished organizing that set of photos yet....

[HorsesnPalms]

Bless their little hearts! Thanks for saving them. You are now their hero.

[_Keith]

Of course, now they own you, so you must care for and protect them for the rest of their lives.

[Cindy Adair]

I think that means I should leave work and family right now and grab the first flight back to PR to check on them again. A cecropia leaf could be trying to smother them right now or an evil vine strangling them. Sigh.

[_Keith]

  On 8/30/2013 at 9:52 PM, apaandssa said:

I think that means I should leave work and family right now and grab the first flight back to PR to check on them again. A cecropia leaf could be trying to smother them right now or an evil vine strangling them. Sigh.

As we would say here in Cajun country, "well, meh yeah"

[Moose]

I love happy endings!