Trachyocarpus Purchase from bbrantley Palm Farm

[Alicehunter2000]

Visited Bryant Brantley's farm in Perry, Florida to get a larger sized Trachyocarpus fortunei. I have failed in the past with this species in smaller sizes. Decided to go big and amend my sand with heavy mulch to combat possible nematode affects. So here is the start of the story.

Brantley is a really nice guy and he showed my palmy friend John and I his fields of Butia odorata. I wasn't there for Butia....had my heart set on a larger Trachy and Bryant had a few left. This one was picked and he got to work expertly digging it out.

[John Case]

Something's wrong...there is a guy there smiling while doing a dig out!

[redbeard917]

Nice palm. I have always liked them. Doesn't Perry have somewhat sandy soil? It looks like good rich soil in the photo, but it's not like the red clay in Tallahassee. Trachycarpus does well in that stuff. My point is to reinforce your theory that the palm might do well in your beach sand as long as there is enough organic matter in the soil, too. Also, I have a fig tree growing in my sandy soil that is near the house and heavily mulched and has gotten large. They reportedly have nematode issues as well. A 3 gallon Trachy died here, but that was ~5 years ago. Maybe I should try again now that the soil has had a few years of "sheet composting".

[NorthFlpalmguy]

It was great to meet you David (and John) and to talk palms! I know the T. fortunei has a great home as well as the others.

The only area the Trachys flourish here is that clay loam area close to the creek and the other side that is 10%+ clay soil as well. The others I have tried in the sand diminish quickly.

[Brad Mondel]

Nice find !

[Palm crazy]

Good looking palm, here they grow like weeds and with improvement to you existing soil (add several bags of compost) you should have a winner.

David have you try any of the more subtropical trachycarpus species?

Edited April 28, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Alicehunter2000]

Yes, got 3 princeps, 3 waggies all 1 gallon sized.and a couple of oddballs seedlings oreophylus Manipur and martianus Nepal. They seem to be surviving ok.

Another pic after realizing that I had a shovel and could help; but Bryant almost had the hole already dug...dang...lol.

[Alicehunter2000]

So Bryant said it was time to quit fooling around and proceeded to break out the big equipment.

My buddy John noted the large beautiful Live Oak overhead .....a perfect limb for a Florida panther to pounce from.

[Brad Mondel]

Pics of pronceps?

[buccaneers37]

That is a sweet palm. How did you get it into the hole. Did you have any equipment or was it all muscle?

[Alicehunter2000]

All 3 princeps look about the same as this one. Mealybugs/scale seem to love them....testing some Bayer systemic on some other palms and these may be treated next.

Ah yes....you raised the million dollar question. ....did I use Ancient Alien technology or Conan-like brute force to get the palm to it's final destination. Before we learn the answer...got a couple of more pics. Away she goes! John lends a finger to the ball wrapping process....don't strain yourself John! After wrapping the fronds tightly with wire and a sheet...we took a moment to reflect on a job well done.....Thanks Bryant....I'll take it from here.

[Brad Mondel]

Thanks for the princeps pics. I envy all you have.

[Alicehunter2000]

So after an uneventful ride home and a good nights rest I contemplated my situation further in the morning light.

I opted for the Ancient Alien technology called the wheel to assist.....but how to get it to the wheel...first I pulled

Then I pushed.....

That thing didn't budge! ..... rootball was really heavy!

My wife looked on with doubt in her eyes......time to use the ol' noodle....hmm

[Alicehunter2000]

The ancient art of leverage was used and just like a "Weeble" ....it didn't fall down......now I could spin and roll it towards destination wheel barrel.....but would it hold the massive weight?

The palm sat precariously on the edge awaiting a final push

[Alicehunter2000]

[sashaeffer]

Fun post!

[Straight6tt]

That sucker looks heavy!

[Palm crazy]

Ouch my back is hurting just looking at those pics….Time to call a couple buddy’s and hopefully one has a large hand truck. So what happen next, the suspense is killing me!

[peachy]

My psychic powers are in full force. I actually foresaw the wheelbarrow going A over T before I reached the photo.

Spooky aint it ?

Peachy

[Alicehunter2000]

Leveraging it up attempt

[Ben in Norcal]

OK, it's time to just roll that thing where it needs to go...or plant it where it's at.

[Alicehunter2000]

Right you are Ben....however, the sand you see beneath the palm is not my own.....my sand is approximately 50 ft. Away and the destination is another 100k ft. Beyond that through a maze of vegetation. Time to summon my inner Schwarzenegger. .......

[Alicehunter2000]

The path to be traveled is not easy one but I am on a quest of palmy satisfaction that must not be denied.

[The7thLegend]

I'd be rolling that bad boy on it's side, then stand it and teeter tot step it through the maze.

[Brad Mondel]

Once I moved a 15' Palmetto by wedging a landscape timber under the center of the trunk and by pushing the timber down it acted as a lever and rolled it with ease.

[Ben in Norcal]

I planted the biggest Sago I have ever seen in the flesh, by pushing it with my wife's Audi A3. She was amused. Not.

[Alicehunter2000]

Legend. ...that is what I proceeded to do....about half way in to the backyard....I heard a voice inside my head. It was Scotty...

"She can not take it anymore. ...she's breaking up"

[Pip]

Oh no!

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next stage in this palms journey.

[Alicehunter2000]

Lol....ok so I inspected the rootball and it was intact except for that little bit that came off the bottom corner. My wife said..."your going to kill it if you keep trying to move it" ..... she was right. Guess it will have to be planted where it sits. So I dug down to the good dirt .....

[Alicehunter2000]

The moment had arrived......I eased the palm into the hole and backfield with store bought mulch and some that good soil from down below........

Weary from the battle, I stepped back and screamed! ADRIAN, ADRIAN! ... ..

My wife glared at me....."who is Adrian? .....oh never mind.....the palm looks good"

[Ken Johnson]

OMG

That is exactly the way so many palm freaks do it!

Same learning curve.

Sooner or later?

[Alicehunter2000]

[tank]

Dave,

Use a dolly/hand cart! Soooo much easier. Also, you can slide it into the hole on two (actually 4 work better for positioning) 2x4s or 2x6s. MUCH EASIER. Good for you that Trachys aren't spikey.

[tank]

Looks great, btw.

[tank]

Also, canvas dropcloths or an old sheet are good for holding the soil. Worst comes to worse, you can just cut it off at the bottom. Pretty cheap at any big box store.

[Ben in Norcal]

Looks great man. And I think the placement is good - it will benefit from a little bit of filtering of light in your part of the world...

[Pip]

Awesome it made it and still looks good.

[Cikas]

Looks great.

[Alicehunter2000]

Thanks everyone, really glad it is in the spot it ended up in. Put a loquat tree in the place where this one was going to go originally. Jason, during the same trip to get this tree I moved some big sago in pots....I used my hand dolly and was barely able to move them with help from my friend. This tree was too big to move with a standard hand dolly. If I had one of those big plant dolly with big inflatable wheels ....could have worked...dont have one. Tried using the sheet idea but rootball was still falling apart.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

It looks great David!