Lets share some Palm growing "don'ts"

[trioderob]

lets share some tips about things that might not be too good of an idea -God forbid you want to keep your palms alive

I kick it off- some might not agree - this is just my feedbackback

1) dont transplant a palm in dead of winter unless you are in the tropics - it could develop rot and die

2) dont let a palm grow into a multiple and then years later cut it back to a single - it could develop rot and die

3) dont plant a palm too deep or.......you guessed it

4) dont hold back on water during the critical period late Oct to mid Dec in Cali ....Santa Ana winds could kill it

5) dont let a palm get too light in color....something is wrong and quick treatment is needed

[Neil C]

Don't cut off anything that's green.

Don't buy every single different species of palm you can find when you first start out. We've all been there!

Don't buy a palm that has zero chance of success in your region unless you own some kind of climate controlled biodome like at Kew gardens.

Regards Neil

[trioderob]

Dont plant a seedling of something slow unless you have the extra 10 years to wait

Dont underestimate the power of man made fertilizer when it comes to really cranking out fast growth

Dont underestimate the real costs of growing a palm - water and fertilizer can add up fast

Edited December 15, 2016 by trioderob

[Pando]

1 hour ago, trioderob said:

this is just my feedbackback

[iwan]

54 minutes ago, trioderob said:

Dont underestimate the power of man made fertilizer when it comes to really cranking out fast growth

 

Don't underestimate the power of man made fertilizer to quickly kill a potted palm, especially Butia archeri, OUCH!

[kinzyjr]

2 hours ago, trioderob said:

lets share some tips about things that might not be too good of an idea -God forbid you want to keep your palms alive

I kick it off- some might not agree - this is just my feedbackback

1) dont transplant a palm in dead of winter unless you are in the tropics - it could develop rot and die

2) dont let a palm grow into a multiple and then years later cut it back to a single - it could develop rot and die

3) dont plant a palm too deep or.......you guessed it

4) dont hold back on water during the critical period late Oct to mid Dec in Cali ....Santa Ana winds could kill it

5) dont let a palm get too light in color....something is wrong and quick treatment is needed

Addendum:

6) Thou shalt not plant Jubaea in humid climates.

7) Thou shalt not deny thy zone.  If it requires protection, provide it.

8) Thou shalt always monitor the weather for warnings about severe weather, and overreact rather than not react.

9) Thou shalt Know thy soil type, and amend when necessary.

10) Thou shall not spread disease by cutting green material or failing to sterilize your equipment.

Now all we need are some stone tablets...

[DoomsDave]

Don't plant tall palms under wires 

[doranakandawatta]

Don't believe that nature will always stay friendly with your plants. wildlife and biodiversity may want to change your garden design.

[Steve Mac]

And for those new to the forum, who have not learnt already,

don't ever pay any attention to any of my advice. 

[wimmie]

That's a real good advice. Steve.

[Mandrew968]

Don't plant common S#$%!

[hbernstein]

Don't plant palms near a natural area that can become invasive exotics, e.g. Ptychosperma elegans and my most accursed species of the week: Phoenix reclinata.

Don't plant palms that are dangerous to maintain, e.g. Phoenix reclinata! If it can't kill you quickly, then it will stab you and try to kill you slowly via infection and septicemia. 

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

1.  dont dig up small sabals on the side of the road in florida.  most or all will die within a month

2.  queen palms are overused in south-centeral florida.  try something more unique.  foxtail, king palm, cocos ect

3.  pick coconuts before hurricanes  we all know the consequences.  

4. do not get majesty palms for houseplant unless you have lots of water

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

Mother Nature always wins.

[Pal Meir]

A further addendum:

Thou shalt not hug and kiss your beloved palms too much!

[Jdiaz31089]

12 hours ago, Neil C said:

Don't buy every single different species of palm you can find when you first start out. We've all been there!

Don't buy a palm that has zero chance of success in your region unless you own some kind of climate controlled biodome like at Kew gardens.

 Been there! Too late for me! I have stuff that won't stand a chance in the ground here. 

[doranakandawatta]

3 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

A further addendum:

Thou shalt not hug and kiss your beloved palms too much!

particularly Pheonicophorium !

[PalmTreeDude]

10 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

1.  dont dig up small sabals on the side of the road in florida.  most or all will die within a month

2.  queen palms are overused in south-centeral florida.  try something more unique.  foxtail, king palm, cocos ect

3.  pick coconuts before hurricanes  we all know the consequences.  

4. do not get majesty palms for houseplant unless you have lots of water

 

In responce to number one; and that would be me. That car parked on the side of the road in (for me) the Hilton Head area of S.C. where everyone drives by and is probably thinking "what the #@%! is this dude doing?" Mine died, or as I thought, but came back after two months. 

18 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Don't plant tall palms under wires 

So true!

 

[Phoenikakias]

On 15/12/2016, 2:59:06, hbernstein said:

Don't plant palms near a natural area that can become invasive exotics, e.g. Ptychosperma elegans and my most accursed species of the week: Phoenix reclinata.

Don't plant palms that are dangerous to maintain, e.g. Phoenix reclinata! If it can't kill you quickly, then it will stab you and try to kill you slowly via infection and septicemia. 

I should have been dead since long ago!

[Phoenikakias]

Do not plant wannabe big palms to closely to each other. Do not grow more than one individual of a thirsty sp in same pot and later in same hole in the ground. Do not believe that palms are sort of industrial products, which should look exactly identical to each other. Never rely on the belief that an every "100 years cold spell"  is only a life time incident. 

[hbernstein]

Don't plant too many seeds in a com-pot thinking " Oh, I'll just separate and repot them once they get a little size on them."

[DoomsDave]

On 12/16/2016, 5:51:21, Phoenikakias said:

Do not plant wannabe big palms to closely to each other. Do not grow more than one individual of a thirsty sp in same pot and later in same hole in the ground. Do not believe that palms are sort of industrial products, which should look exactly identical to each other. Never rely on the belief that an every "100 years cold spell"  is only a life time incident. 

100 year cold spell is delusionally wishful thinking.

Instead, divide by 10.

round down to your lifetime.

divide by half

 

 

[Patrick]

On Thu Dec 15 04:59:06, hbernstein said:

Don't plant palms near a natural area that can become invasive exotics, e.g. Ptychosperma elegans and my most accursed species of the week: Phoenix reclinata.

Don't plant palms that are dangerous to maintain, e.g. Phoenix reclinata! If it can't kill you quickly, then it will stab you and try to kill you slowly via infection and septicemia. 

I wish I had invasive Ptychosperma here in NorCal.

In California do not set up overhead sprinklers on your Braheas, Butias, Trithrinax, Jubeas (If you can fit plural of said species) etc... Crown rot sucks.

[kinzyjr]

8 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

100 year cold spell is delusionally wishful thinking.

Instead, divide by 10.

round down to your lifetime.

divide by half

 

 

Or just look up the record low, and assume you'll get that every year if you want to be a lazy prude LOL.

[Danilopez89]

1 hour ago, kinzyjr said:

Or just look up the record low, and assume you'll get that every year if you want to be a lazy prude LOL.

Lol! Let's not be that guy... 

Let us push the limits. Let us grow coconuts where they don't belong...

[Phoenikakias]

Pushing the limits has a certain price in personal  effort, money and time.

[BS Man about Palms]

If you have a prime microclimate, don't waste space with common palms...

[PalmTreeDude]

Don't plant palms in the yard were the dogs run entless you set up a little fence around them until they get bigger.

Edited December 31, 2016 by PalmTreeDude

[palmfriend]

I have got another one:

Don't forget to label all your seed packs, germination bags and pots and young seedlings immediately

after purchasing, repackaging, repotting etc.etc.etc.. Once lost of what is what will take years of grow

to be clarified again...

Best regards 

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Don't gift away a rare sun-loving palm to a neighbor just to watch the neighbor leave it potted in her shaded porch to sulk for years. 

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Don't plant a roystonia too close to the ocean's salt spray. 

[kinzyjr]

On 12/31/2016, 1:23:23, Danilopez89 said:

Lol! Let's not be that guy... 

Let us push the limits. Let us grow coconuts where they don't belong...

I have a coconut palm in zone 9a... check... LOL

[Hammer]

On 12/14/2016, 9:07:09, iwan said:

Don't underestimate the power of man made fertilizer to quickly kill a potted palm, especially Butia archeri, OUCH!

DON'T use compost in pots with palms.  Unless you enjoy root rot.

[atlantisrising]

Never believe the sweet seduction, "One more species and I'm done".

[sbpalms]

Know the limits of your climate. Don't expect a Cyrtostachys renda to survive a Minnesota winter.

[rprimbs]

If you're growing something marginal in a pot.. then don't leave it outside during the winter assuming that 'this' winter will be different.  In California these are things like coconuts, lipstick palms, durians, mangosteens..

[ThePalmNovice]

Great topic! LOL, I've only been planting palm trees for a few months and I'm already guilty with a lot of these.  I'd actually be guilty of doing a few more if I didn't read this thread beforehand. Namely...

dont transplant a palm in dead of winter unless you are in the tropics - it could develop rot and die

Guilty. Although with winter still in the 80s this year I hope to get away with it.

 dont let a palm get too light in color....something is wrong and quick treatment is needed

One of off my Adonidia's got this way, I think my sprinklers might have been over watering it at night. I've been taking care of it better now. 

Don't buy every single different species of palm you can find when you first start out. We've all been there!

Yep that's me, although I don't think I'm going to be able to stop with this one.

dont dig up small sabals on the side of the road in florida.  most or all will die within a month

queen palms are overused in south-centeral florida.  try something more unique.  foxtail, king palm, cocos ec

Double guilty. I dug up a small Queen Palm from a roadside woodland area and brought it with me back to South Orlando. Fortunately it seems to like where I planted it and is currently growing like a weed. Even if it's far overused it's still a respectable tree in my eyes. I guess I shouldn't try that with a sabal however. And to think I had one in mind just the other day too. 

 

 

 

 

 

[BS Man about Palms]

On 12/14/2016, 7:55:26, Neil C said:

Don't cut off anything that's green.

Don't buy every single different species of palm you can find when you first start out. We've all been there!

I agree with your first one Neil, BUT I would have to argue on the second... or maybe add a caveat. Many species of Dypsis or New Cal palms came around "only once" or extremely rarely, I am quite glad I bought some stuff that I did as it has not been available since...  but to add the caveat, if buying a species that seems "new, or seems to be rarely available", leave in the pot until you have a good idea how to grow palms or a decent idea of how to grow THAT one palm you just got. 

 

Particularly in clay soils, but still applies to many soils, a line I came up with is .... "You want to introduce your palm to the soil, not SUBJECT your palm to the soil".. ....(Mound planting does a nice introduction on the heeled stuff)

[palmislandRandy]

Don't forget to permanently label your palms (we're all going to get older!)

[_Keith]

Don't grow palms that don't grow in your zone.