Should I Plant It or Wait?

[PalmTreeDude]

I keep having this mental debate with myself whether or not I should plant my Sabal minor seedling in the ground now and just throw some leaves over it in the coldest parts of winter or wait for spring. The one thing that keeps making me want to plant it now is that I am afriad that if I do not plant it now and let it go through its first winter outside that it will lose cold tolerance. Any suggestions? Would you plant it now with protection or would you wait? It is a Sabal minor 'Arkansas.' 

Edited September 12, 2018 by PalmTreeDude

[Chester B]

I'd wait.  The larger they are the better tolerance they have to cold.  If you plant it now it won't even have time to establish which I see as another negative which could spell the death of the seedling.  Why not let it get bigger inside over the winter and plant it early spring so it has 6 months to get established.  I feel that cold tolerance is primarily genetic so your not "weakening" it in any way.  I have a bunch of seedling Sabals, needles and trachys that I plan on bringing inside in November.  

[PalmatierMeg]

Wait until spring. It will need a full growing season to establish itself. This recent business of "obtaining/losing" a palm's cold hardiness is, IMO, just so much malarkey thrown out here to increase people's angst. Sabal minor has had eons to adapt to its environment, i.e., it is what it is. For us to think we can affect its survival just by moving it indoors or outdoors at a specific moment gives us more influence than we deserve.

[RaleighNC]

If you can give it some decent light, you can keep it growing all winter, while at best it will stall all winter outdoors. In my experience growing Sabal for an additional winter indoors under lights will give it more of a size gain than over a year's worth of in-the-ground growing here in Raleigh. Since Sabal minor is such a slow grower, the extra growth is worthwhile. You might not get the same gain if the plant is already large. My experience is doing this with smallish seedlings.

[newtopalmsMD]

I’d wait.  Last year I had a Trachy and a European fan palm each in 3 gallon pots. (Home Depot end of summer clearance). Left them out on south side of house (plenty of sun) with plenty of room temperature water.  When night temp was predicted below 20F I moved them into an unheated garage.  Then back outside next morning if it warmed a bit. Each have put out multiple new fronds this summer.  No leaf damage at all. The matching trachy I planted survived with no leaf damage (planted on east side of privacy fence and used cage covered in frost cloth and c9 lights when temps below 15F) but fewer new fronds and smaller in summer) I Plan on same winter strategy this year.  Zone 7a. Olney Maryland. 

[newtopalmsMD]

Oh and I moved them under shelter to avoid snow and especially the freezing rains we had in March. “Plenty of water” meant watered enough to keep dirt moist to the touch. 

[mdsonofthesouth]

@newtopalmsMD My parents live in Brookeville/Olney and I have been trying for a while to get them a palm to grow there. Might just go over and plant one without asking 

[mdsonofthesouth]

On 9/12/2018, 5:47:04, PalmatierMeg said:

Wait until spring. It will need a full growing season to establish itself. This recent business of "obtaining/losing" a palm's cold hardiness is, IMO, just so much malarkey thrown out here to increase people's angst. Sabal minor has had eons to adapt to its environment, i.e., it is what it is. For us to think we can affect its survival just by moving it indoors or outdoors at a specific moment gives us more influence than we deserve.

 

This!!!! I understand that a plant "hardens" off for winter and such, but the genetics of the plant are what they are and thats why some plants thrive and others die. 

[kinzyjr]

6 minutes ago, mdsonofthesouth said:

@newtopalmsMD My parents live in Brookeville/Olney and I have been trying for a while to get them a palm to grow there. Might just go over and plant one without asking 

You know that if you happened to be carrying a bucket full of sabal minor seeds and they scattered because you tripped ... that's technically an accident

[mdsonofthesouth]

4 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

You know that if you happened to be carrying a bucket full of sabal minor seeds and they scattered because you tripped ... that's technically an accident

 

I like the way you think!

[PalmTreeDude]

I wish I had a bucket of Sabal minor seeds! Preferably one of the hardiest varieties (McCurtain, Northeast North Carolina, Arkansas, Northeast Texas...) I would try to germinate about 30% and probably end up throwing the other 70% around the woods and swampy areas here (that are just missing the Sabal minor!) and wait. 

[kinzyjr]

1 hour ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I wish I had a bucket of Sabal minor seeds! Preferably one of the hardiest varieties (McCurtain, Northeast North Carolina, Arkansas, Northeast Texas...) I would try to germinate about 30% and probably end up throwing the other 70% around the woods and swampy areas here (that are just missing the Sabal minor!) and wait. 

The good news is that the fruit/seeds of sabal minor should be getting ripe soon.  Time to grab a bucket

[PalmTreeDude]

42 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

The good news is that the fruit/seeds of sabal minor should be getting ripe soon.  Time to grab a bucket

I would be grabbing a bucket of seeds, but none of mine are big enough to produce seed yet! 

[mdsonofthesouth]

Yeah I'd do the same around here if I had a bucket of them lol

[NC_Palms]

On 10/2/2018, 4:41:15, PalmTreeDude said:

I wish I had a bucket of Sabal minor seeds! Preferably one of the hardiest varieties (McCurtain, Northeast North Carolina, Arkansas, Northeast Texas...) I would try to germinate about 30% and probably end up throwing the other 70% around the woods and swampy areas here (that are just missing the Sabal minor!) and wait. 

Come on down to NC and collect your own seeds.  

[PalmTreeDude]

1 hour ago, NC_Palms said:

Come on down to NC and collect your own seeds.  

I was actually seriously considering doing that. I heard there is a population in Elizabeth City. The thing is, I don't know exactly where, and I would need a completely free day (all for some Sabal minor seeds, which if I could get a lot of them, it would definitely be worth it to me).

Edited October 5, 2018 by PalmTreeDude

[NC_Palms]

54 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I was actually seriously considering doing that. I heard there is a population in Elizabeth City. The thing is, I don't know exactly where, and I would need a completely free day (all for some Sabal minor seeds, which if I could get a lot of them, it would definitely be worth it to me).

If you want hardiness I would actually consider going further south to the Belhaven area. This area is a cold pocket and due to the phosphate, these sabal minors will trunk. 

[PalmTreeDude]

20 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

If you want hardiness I would actually consider going further south to the Belhaven area. This area is a cold pocket and due to the phosphate, these sabal minors will trunk. 

I have seen some lows of the area and it gets pretty cold there yet you would think it would be a warmer climate, but I guess that makes the plants harder! 

[NC_Palms]

4 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I have seen some lows of the area and it gets pretty cold there yet you would think it would be a warmer climate, but I guess that makes the plants harder! 

Yet Belhaven still is a zone 8a climate. Typical subtropical flora and fauna like sabal minors, Spanish moss and American alligators are quite common. Just further east to Swanquater and you’re in a zone 8b climate!