15' Queen for $150??!

[Prairie Palms]

Pinch me, I must be dreaming! A local nursery was selling 15-20' queen palms this year (don't ask me why), but they were around $500...Well, today, they have one left, and apparently they wish to get rid of it...$150 for this beautiful queen!! If only I had a large enough place to keep it inside this winter:( Are queens overly plentiful in nurseries that they feel the need to send them to z7 where they don't stand a chance??

[DoomsDave]

Pinch me, I must be dreaming! A local nursery was selling 15-20' queen palms this year (don't ask me why), but they were around $500...Well, today, they have one left, and apparently they wish to get rid of it...$150 for this beautiful queen!! If only I had a large enough place to keep it inside this winter:( Are queens overly plentiful in nurseries that they feel the need to send them to z7 where they don't stand a chance??

Yes, I think there's a glut of them.

A shame, but at least they grow fast.

That one needs a big atrium, with an even higher ceiling.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

In one word, yes.

[KennyRE317]

there's farms out here that advertise on craigslist for $75-100 for ones that size

[NorthFlpalmguy]

I saw an email advertisement from a central Fl nursery not too long ago for $5 a foot which is about the going wholesale rate.

[_Keith]

Queens, and I love them, are the loss leader of the palm world. I am surprised they don't just give away a 3 foot with every 40 lb bag of fertilizer. And in your climate that palm has zero chance of survival, so they are just dumping them rather than toss them.

[Prairie Palms]

It's sad really...:/ They had at least 20 of them at the start of summer, now they're down to the one...which means 19 people in the Wichita area bought these palms, sending them to their grave...I mean, at least get some Sabals which have at least a *little* of a fighting chance...But I guess, if nothing else, they make great annuals since they go so cheap.

Edited October 14, 2014 by jfrye01@live.com

[Pando]

About 10 years ago I bought two 15' queens for something like $35 each at Home Cheapo. They are now monsters.

[trioderob]

I paid money to get one cut down and hauled away .

[redant]

They will give it it you for free in another month.

[Palmə häl′ik]

Or whats left of it

[Walter John]

One man's King is another man's Queen....so to speak, climatically speaking.

[palmislandRandy]

One man's King is another man's Queen....so to speak, climatically speaking

Good one Wal.

[Jeff Searle]

Ask them as your about to pay them (showing cash in hand) exactly what guarantees come with this purchase. And then after their lieing drool comes out, ask them why......

[_Keith]

Ask them as your about to pay them (showing cash in hand) exactly what guarantees come with this purchase. And then after their lieing drool comes out, ask them why......

They are betting on the odds. Odds are that you'll forget about the 1 year warranty, lose the receipt, or won't go through the trouble of bringing the remains for your refund. Pretty good bet on their part, as I am sure they have studied the statistics, that they win.

[MKIVRYAN]

^ Agreed, the sales people at HD look at me a bit strange when I return dead stuff. I think the look is so you are the cheap guy that actually brings his dead plants back. I buy a numbers of things that I feel I'm more of renting then buying. I guess I'm finally a 1%er!

[palmislandRandy]

It doesn't cost HD anything for returns. They just charge it back the vendor. So few people actually go to the trouble of lost the receipt.

[sashaeffer]

do you have a garage you could keep it stored in over the winter? keep it at a 45 deg angle till spring...

[sashaeffer]

Last year nursery 90 miles away was trying to get rid of larger Pygmy Date palms and Christmas palms(6 & 9ft) tall respectively for $50 each. Went back with my truck and bought one of each. Pygmy date I keep in garage and Christmas palm....we drag in the house much to my wifes dismay because it's so big but there was no way I was going to let them get away for that price.

[Sabal Steve]

About 10 years ago I bought two 15' queens for something like $35 each at Home Cheapo. They are now monsters.

They changed the name a while back - Now it's "Home Expensivo"

[Prairie Palms]

Haha, that's a good thought....I thought about sticking it in my hangar at the airport (about 15' ceiling) but I wasn't sure if it's worth the strange looks...

[Prairie Palms]

Last year nursery 90 miles away was trying to get rid of larger Pygmy Date palms and Christmas palms(6 & 9ft) tall respectively for $50 each. Went back with my truck and bought one of each. Pygmy date I keep in garage and Christmas palm....we drag in the house much to my wifes dismay because it's so big but there was no way I was going to let them get away for that price.

Sounds like the way I ended up with a nice size Washingtonia...Road trip to San Antonio for my brother's college cross country meet, I just had to stop at one of those roadside nurseries on the way home...picked up a 4' washy for $15...sometimes, you just can't let good deals pass by...I would've picked up more if we weren't driving my mom's Ford Fusion....

[sashaeffer]

Always worth the strange looks when a palm is involved!(probably a look of jealousy)

[ghar41]

It's sad really...:/ They had at least 20 of them at the start of summer, now they're down to the one...which means 19 people in the Wichita area bought these palms, sending them to their grave...I mean, at least get some Sabals which have at least a *little* of a fighting chance...But I guess, if nothing else, they make great annuals since they go so cheap.

Our local big box stores do the same...sell palms that will not survive to sometimes unsuspecting (excited and optimistic) buyers. They also offer returns on them if they die though...keep the receipt.

[Ben in Norcal]

It's sad really...:/ They had at least 20 of them at the start of summer, now they're down to the one...which means 19 people in the Wichita area bought these palms, sending them to their grave...I mean, at least get some Sabals which have at least a *little* of a fighting chance...But I guess, if nothing else, they make great annuals since they go so cheap.

Our local big box stores do the same...sell palms that will not survive to sometimes unsuspecting (excited and optimistic) buyers. They also offer returns on them if they die though...keep the receipt.

This year, I saw absolutely nothing at the big box stores except Roebellinis, Fortuneis, Queens, and the odd Washintonia. Terribly boring.

[Prairie Palms]

It's sad really...:/ They had at least 20 of them at the start of summer, now they're down to the one...which means 19 people in the Wichita area bought these palms, sending them to their grave...I mean, at least get some Sabals which have at least a *little* of a fighting chance...But I guess, if nothing else, they make great annuals since they go so cheap.

Our local big box stores do the same...sell palms that will not survive to sometimes unsuspecting (excited and optimistic) buyers. They also offer returns on them if they die though...keep the receipt.

This year, I saw absolutely nothing at the big box stores except Roebellinis, Fortuneis, Queens, and the odd Washintonia. Terribly boring.

Lol...big box stores in Wichita have ravenea, a couple washies, and a couple trachies....that's it...lol

[Sabal Steve]

It's sad really...:/ They had at least 20 of them at the start of summer, now they're down to the one...which means 19 people in the Wichita area bought these palms, sending them to their grave...I mean, at least get some Sabals which have at least a *little* of a fighting chance...But I guess, if nothing else, they make great annuals since they go so cheap.

Our local big box stores do the same...sell palms that will not survive to sometimes unsuspecting (excited and optimistic) buyers. They also offer returns on them if they die though...keep the receipt.

This year, I saw absolutely nothing at the big box stores except Roebellinis, Fortuneis, Queens, and the odd Washintonia. Terribly boring.

Lol...big box stores in Wichita have ravenea, a couple washies, and a couple trachies....that's it...lol

I can't believe that they sell raveneas in Wichita. That's like them selling lipstick palms here (although I would try one if they were available, as you might consider trying something like a majesty palm).

Anyways, how cold is your hangar in the winter? Is it heated? How often are the hangar doors open?

Maybe you could grow a kentia?

Edited October 16, 2014 by Sabal Steve

[Prairie Palms]

Well, they sell the raveneas as house plants, that didn't stop me from planting one in the ground in March, though...Surprisingly, it survived a little frost, but died this summer due to drought...it's still fun to have tropical plants in the ground, if only for a short period of time...but I digress...hangar is heated and stays around 70 degrees at all times...door is only opened when I pull the plane out or put it up, at most, 5 minutes at a time...

[Hammer]

Well, they sell the raveneas as house plants, that didn't stop me from planting one in the ground in March, though...Surprisingly, it survived a little frost, but died this summer due to drought...it's still fun to have tropical plants in the ground, if only for a short period of time...but I digress...hangar is heated and stays around 70 degrees at all times...door is only opened when I pull the plane out or put it up, at most, 5 minutes at a time...

The Ravenea rivularus are about as water hungry a palm as there is. The habitat photos show them growing in water. Hence the name. If your hanger is a constant 70°f and has bright light, man you could grow anything in there!!!

[Prairie Palms]

Well, they sell the raveneas as house plants, that didn't stop me from planting one in the ground in March, though...Surprisingly, it survived a little frost, but died this summer due to drought...it's still fun to have tropical plants in the ground, if only for a short period of time...but I digress...hangar is heated and stays around 70 degrees at all times...door is only opened when I pull the plane out or put it up, at most, 5 minutes at a time...

The Ravenea rivularus are about as water hungry a palm as there is. The habitat photos show them growing in water. Hence the name. If your hanger is a constant 70°f and has bright light, man you could grow anything in there!!!

Oh man, I can see it now...several cocos, royals, and queens in massive wheeled containers...roll them out in front of the hangar in the spring, roll them back inside in the fall...haha;)

[sashaeffer]

My $50 Pindo

$50 Christmas Palm

Great palm deals are out there for us in the real cold challenged states. Like most things it's all about timing.

[KennyRE317]

It doesn't cost HD anything for returns. They just charge it back the vendor. So few people actually go to the trouble of lost the receipt.

if you pay witha card you don't need your receipt, or if you have the original container with the barcode they'll give you store credit

[KennyRE317]

Well, they sell the raveneas as house plants, that didn't stop me from planting one in the ground in March, though...Surprisingly, it survived a little frost, but died this summer due to drought...it's still fun to have tropical plants in the ground, if only for a short period of time...but I digress...hangar is heated and stays around 70 degrees at all times...door is only opened when I pull the plane out or put it up, at most, 5 minutes at a time...

i bought one that was thin and super stretched at the grocery store about 2 years ago, before i got into palms and it was severely neglected and in full blasting sun. the base of it is now probably at least 6" wide and 5' tall, all fronds, with a nice full crown

[Prairie Palms]

My $50 Pindo

IMG_1404.JPG

$50 Christmas Palm

005.JPG

Great palm deals are out there for us in the real cold challenged states. Like most things it's all about timing.

Typo? I thought that was P. roebellini ...nice palms though!

[sashaeffer]

Yes, Meant to type Pygmy Date Palm for first one.

[Hammer]

Well, they sell the raveneas as house plants, that didn't stop me from planting one in the ground in March, though...Surprisingly, it survived a little frost, but died this summer due to drought...it's still fun to have tropical plants in the ground, if only for a short period of time...but I digress...hangar is heated and stays around 70 degrees at all times...door is only opened when I pull the plane out or put it up, at most, 5 minutes at a time...

The Ravenea rivularus are about as water hungry a palm as there is. The habitat photos show them growing in water. Hence the name. If your hanger is a constant 70°f and has bright light, man you could grow anything in there!!!

Oh man, I can see it now...several cocos, royals, and queens in massive wheeled containers...roll them out in front of the hangar in the spring, roll them back inside in the fall...haha;)

Yeah buddy! Now you're talking.

[Dave-Vero]

Ravenea at the edge of a Florida canal with mangroves on the other side (it must be brackish). Brevard County, Melbourne Beach area.

[sashaeffer]

Your lucky to have a hanger to maybe over winter some taller palms in. Can't help but think anyone else renting space there would enjoy it as well to ease the pain of winter time seeing some palm trees.

A lot of us here in Northers states have smaller palms...which will grow into taller ones, so there should be a plan in place to do something with them in the off season, or give/sell them to businesses that have lots of windows and high ceilings.

[Prairie Palms]

My hangar ceiling is 16', so I don't have a whole ton of room, but I have friends with hangars that have 30' of ceiling, so maybe I can work out a deal with them;)) I'm trying to dig up the post (I believe on another forum, maybe palmsnorth) of a guy growing some 15-20' Sabal palmetto in Kansas City...he wraps them up in winter, and unwraps them in spring with a full head of fronds...That's my plan when my washies outgrow the house;)) If I find it, I'll share it with you, might come in handy for you someday as well! Best of luck, and let's wish for a somewhat mild winter for us both!

[sashaeffer]

Sounds to me that you have room for a 16ft Queen! lol

I have high hopes for my S. Palmetto in the ground. It's on the South side of my house. Also have a 4ft Filifera in a pot now, but may find it's way into the ground in the spring as well. Both have about the same cold hardiness, although I think the Palmetto can take a bit colder weather.