Nj Palms Posted May 11, 2019 Report Share Posted May 11, 2019 I finally got plantable size Needle Palms. They were 55$ for both and free shipping couldn't resist this amazing deal. I just wanted to know if they would have any problem with temps being below 5° one night this winter. They are 3 years old and each plant has 4 suckers.They come from nearby Pensacola so I am assuming they have seen temps sub 20°. I can easily protect them with frost cloth and pine needles. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks! 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted May 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2019 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben OK Posted May 12, 2019 Report Share Posted May 12, 2019 (edited) Congratulations. I think they look great. Leggy...but great. I'm sure they've probably been in a lot of shade. The first year you might want to try to keep snow and ice out of the growing point just to be safe, but 5F shouldn't be a killer for established needle palms. They have been grown for decades at both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Zoos, which are both zone 7a areas. They've seen below 0F at both locations and survived. I'm not saying they will be happy with those temps, but they can grow long term in 7a areas from what I have observed. Good luck with them. Edited May 12, 2019 by Ben OK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivistonaFan Posted May 12, 2019 Report Share Posted May 12, 2019 Sorry to hijack this thread, but it is very convenient to ask something about my needle palm which I received a few days ago. it looks very different from those of Nj Palms. Yesterday it was very windy and I perceived that this particular plant isn't very wind tolerant. Does it look healthy enough to be planted outside sometime soon? I will slowly acclimatize it to the sun and maybe it will produce more rigid fronds than it has today. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted May 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2019 3 hours ago, LivistonaFan said: Sorry to hijack this thread, but it is very convenient to ask something about my needle palm which I received a few days ago. it looks very different from those of Nj Palms. Yesterday it was very windy and I perceived that this particular plant isn't very wind tolerant. Does it look healthy enough to be planted outside sometime soon? I will slowly acclimatize it to the sun and maybe it will produce more rigid fronds than it has today. Looks like once it gets out of that small pot it will take off. Looks fine to plant in 7b-8a your temps may not even go below 5° I would plant it as soon as ou have time and get I growing! Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm05 Posted May 13, 2019 Report Share Posted May 13, 2019 16 hours ago, LivistonaFan said: Sorry to hijack this thread, but it is very convenient to ask something about my needle palm which I received a few days ago. it looks very different from those of Nj Palms. Yesterday it was very windy and I perceived that this particular plant isn't very wind tolerant. Does it look healthy enough to be planted outside sometime soon? I will slowly acclimatize it to the sun and maybe it will produce more rigid fronds than it has today. This looks almost exactly like mine, but with less fronds. In my experience they aren’t wind tolerant, I suppose it’s due to their understory nature. Over time they should get tougher once the plant adjusts to the conditions of wherever it’s planted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm05 Posted May 13, 2019 Report Share Posted May 13, 2019 On 5/11/2019 at 5:47 PM, Nj Palms said: I finally got plantable size Needle Palms. They were 55$ for both and free shipping couldn't resist this amazing deal. I just wanted to know if they would have any problem with temps being below 5° one night this winter. They are 3 years old and each plant has 4 suckers.They come from nearby Pensacola so I am assuming they have seen temps sub 20°. I can easily protect them with frost cloth and pine needles. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks! That does sound like a pretty good deal. I don’t see them having an issue with temperatures under 5°F as they look fairly mature and will have had ample time to establish themselves. But keeping them dry and shielding them from cold winds would go a long way in ensuring their survival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted May 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2019 I have another question. Has anyone had experience of deer eating these palms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtopalmsMD Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 I had one 15 gallon needle in my driveway for a a couple of weeks last April before I got to planting it. Deer often travel down my driveway to nearby wooded lot but did not seem to nibble. I also leave windmill, Mediterranean fan and pindo out in winter months to get sun during day and leave out over night whenever its above 20. Have never seen any signs of deer or rodent damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtopalmsMD Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 I bet I bought two needles from the same place. They arrived in 1 gallon pots (sort of...one of the two fell out during shipping). I moved them 4 gallon pots immediately. My plan was not to plant them but leave them in pots winter them in a protected southern exposure bringing them into an unheated garage when it is predicted to get below 10 F or if ice storms are predicted. Questions: In zone 7a what would be the best sun exposure for these guys in pots? All day? morning sun from 8am till 1 pm? sun from about 11am till 3Pm? Other? In winter will full sun and only brought in to unheated garage for 10F or below (or really high winds) a good idea for young needles in zone 7a? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted May 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2019 10 hours ago, newtopalmsMD said: I bet I bought two needles from the same place. They arrived in 1 gallon pots (sort of...one of the two fell out during shipping). I moved them 4 gallon pots immediately. My plan was not to plant them but leave them in pots winter them in a protected southern exposure bringing them into an unheated garage when it is predicted to get below 10 F or if ice storms are predicted. Questions: In zone 7a what would be the best sun exposure for these guys in pots? All day? morning sun from 8am till 1 pm? sun from about 11am till 3Pm? Other? In winter will full sun and only brought in to unheated garage for 10F or below (or really high winds) a good idea for young needles in zone 7a? Many thanks Just keep the roots from freezing for more than about 12 hours. If you can put c9 lights around the pots to keep warm that would be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted May 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2019 I planted them about a week ago and they have been growing great. Put some Palm tone around them for a boost. Deer have not even neared them. Hoping for the best. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtopalmsMD Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivistonaFan Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 How do your two needle palms look now? I guess your winter was warmer than average on the East Coast of the US. Winter here was pretty mild too (some said "non-existent") which is very beneficial to get my needle palm established. Because summers here aren't as hot and long as yours (here: official 30 years average high in July and August about 26.5°C - in recent years probably even cooler than some mediterranean parts of the UK), many needle palms in Northern Europe can't establish themselves and slowly decline. That's why I planted it against a wall in a semi-protected spot next to a Trachycarpus fortunei. It hasn't lost a leaf since it got planted, but has even grown three new ones. It has still only one sucker growing, maybe there will be more soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivistonaFan Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) Not too bad considering its reputation of being unbearably slow in cool climates: Early September 2019: November 2020(minus one and a half fronds if you want to compare it with early September 2020). It has even flowered for the first time and set some seeds Edited November 28, 2020 by LivistonaFan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climate change virginia Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 would I need to protect it in my zone "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESVA Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 17 minutes ago, climate change virginia said: would I need to protect it in my zone No, don't need any protection. I'm borderline 7b/8a and have got one in my yard that's about 4 feet tall. One in a while a nearby nursery gets them in. Could have bought ten 3-gallon plants for $30/each a couple years ago but I procrastinated. This one gets a little shade from the house and a gingko tree. Might dig it up and divide it sometime, but the needles are wicked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climate change virginia Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 6 minutes ago, ESVA said: No, don't need any protection. I'm borderline 7b/8a and have got one in my yard that's about 4 feet tall. One in a while a nearby nursery gets them in. Could have bought ten 3-gallon plants for $30/each a couple years ago but I procrastinated. This one gets a little shade from the house and a gingko tree. Might dig it up and divide it sometime, but the needles are wicked. could I prune it a good amount so it dosent look like a big bush of grass "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 On 4/19/2020 at 2:01 PM, LivistonaFan said: How do your two needle palms look now? I guess your winter was warmer than average on the East Coast of the US. Winter here was pretty mild too (some said "non-existent") which is very beneficial to get my needle palm established. Because summers here aren't as hot and long as yours (here: official 30 years average high in July and August about 26.5°C - in recent years probably even cooler than some mediterranean parts of the UK), many needle palms in Northern Europe can't establish themselves and slowly decline. That's why I planted it against a wall in a semi-protected spot next to a Trachycarpus fortunei. It hasn't lost a leaf since it got planted, but has even grown three new ones. It has still only one sucker growing, maybe there will be more soon. Just saw this now a few months later. Sorry. They grew well the summer they were planted and we had a very warm winter with only a low of 16F all winter. They sadly spear-pulled most likely because of moisture but they have grown back and recovered well. In fact they are still pushing out a bit of growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nj Palms Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 On 11/28/2020 at 11:27 AM, climate change virginia said: could I prune it a good amount so it dosent look like a big bush of grass Needles wont need protection in your 7a. Maybe just the first year or two after being planted if they are small. They get huge here and in Virginia. The Virginia Palm Society Group on facebook shows hardy palms and subtropicals in Virginia. Lots of large and mature specimens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climate change virginia Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Nj Palms said: Needles wont need protection in your 7a. Maybe just the first year or two after being planted if they are small. They get huge here and in Virginia. The Virginia Palm Society Group on facebook shows hardy palms and subtropicals in Virginia. Lots of large and mature specimens. I will check that out "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtropical LIS Posted December 1, 2020 Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 Just a note of caution... I've experimented with needle palms for about 12 years now. The fronds are pretty trough once the palm is established, and annual 7a lows or even -10 F windchills or so are not too damaging, however, moisture in the crown in winter can kill the palm because of the freeze/thaw cycle many of us in zone 7 deal with. Unlike sabal minor, which has a tight spear and keeps most moisture out, the open spear of Needles tends to collect moisture in winter. While needles do become hardier to this problem as they get bigger, the main spear can of die, leaving the smaller pups (or suckers) around the base of the palm. Seems you never get a bigger palm to grow. I lost a few this way. My biggest is going on 8 years old, planted under the eave of the house....it has handled lows down to -4 F (2018) , windchills near 0 F, snow, ice..etc, never any spear pull. A safe bet might be a little overhead moisture protection in the wetter parts of zone 7. Here is mine...about 8 years old: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe NC Posted December 1, 2020 Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 On 11/28/2020 at 11:27 AM, climate change virginia said: could I prune it a good amount so it dosent look like a big bush of grass https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/44138-single-trunked-rhapidophyllum-hystrix-pictures/ Check out the above thread on "Bull Needle Palms" or single trunk needles that dont produce many (any?) pups. I have seen a very large one in person, and its trunk was like a barrel covered in spines. I tried to keep one of mine pruned into a single trunk, but it really really really wants to have suckers so I gave up. I have no idea how you would get your hands on a non-clumping needle, but they don't look like a "big bush of grass" for sure. However, you don't have any pups as back up if you loose the main stem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivistonaFan Posted November 28, 2021 Report Share Posted November 28, 2021 On 11/28/2020 at 4:21 PM, LivistonaFan said: Early September 2019: November 28, 2020 November 28, 2021 After this year's cool summer, growth is less noticeable (although it still produced 4 leaves). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivistonaFan Posted December 15, 2022 Report Share Posted December 15, 2022 On 11/28/2021 at 12:45 PM, LivistonaFan said: November 28, 2021 After this year's cool summer, growth is less noticeable (although it still produced 4 leaves). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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