Planting sabal minor along a creek in the Piedmont

[NCFM]

I had some extra sabal minor seedlings lying around so I decided to throw them in the ground along a creek that runs through my property.  Do deer eat sabal minor?  If so, these might be in trouble

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by NC_Palm_Enthusiast

[WSimpson]

I should collect all the seed from my Minors  and throw them around into woodlands etc . 

I always plan to spread them around but  I forget to  until they are all coming up in my yard lol .

Will

[teddytn]

19 minutes ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

I had some extra sabal minor seedlings lying around so I decided to throw them in the ground along a creek that runs through my property.  Do deer eat sabal minor?  If so, these might be in trouble

 

That’s the right idea, supposed to be their native habitat right, near water. You ever seen any monsters like the Gary holler ones?

[NCFM]

7 minutes ago, teddytn said:

That’s the right idea, supposed to be their native habitat right, near water. You ever seen any monsters like the Gary holler ones?

Yes they naturally occur in swamps and along rivers,  although I live about 60 miles west of their native range.  The largest sabal minors I've ever seen were actually at Gary Hollar's nursery in New Bern.  He has some absolutely massive specimens he planted back in the '70s,  but they still aren't near as big as those huge, trunked wild ones he has pictures of on his website.  I'd love to go see those in person someday

Edited April 30, 2021 by NC_Palm_Enthusiast

[teddytn]

9 minutes ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

Yes they naturally occur in swamps and along rivers,  although I live about 60 miles west of their native range.  The largest sabal minors I've ever seen were actually at Gary Hollar's nursery in New Bern.  He has some absolutely massive specimens he planted back in the '70s,  but they still aren't near as big as those huge, trunked wild ones he has pictures of on his website.  I'd love to go see those in person someday

That would be worth a road trip for sure, might have to hit you up for directions!

[Sabal King]

Great job on the placement!  I like doing more natural planting spots as much as I can.  I just got 12 S. Minors (3 yrs) and have some along my culverts in our property, and I'm going to put a few on the back of the property where water naturally goes as well.  Can't wait to see these in a few years!

So I don't know if it's deer, but I have been planting a lot of 3-5 yr palms, same setup yours with rock around them as a border.  The first two nights, something chewed off a few young leaves from a couple, so I went out to HD, got a big roll of chicken wire, and now everytime I put down a palm I make a chicken wire cage, use some of those landscape pins to hold it down.  Absolutely no problems since then.  They're only 12" tall but they have been out for now for many many weeks and from 60+ palms, not a single nibble.  It's a pain in the butt and in my case, necessary.

Whatever this is doesn't go after something that's older and more woody, just the fresh young growth.  It's between a deer, rabbit, or squirrel. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by tlow

[NCFM]

53 minutes ago, tlow said:

Great job on the placement!  I like doing more natural planting spots as much as I can.  I just got 12 S. Minors (3 yrs) and have some along my culverts in our property, and I'm going to put a few on the back of the property where water naturally goes as well.  Can't wait to see these in a few years!

So I don't know if it's deer, but I have been planting a lot of 3-5 yr palms, same setup yours with rock around them as a border.  The first two nights, something chewed off a few young leaves from a couple, so I went out to HD, got a big roll of chicken wire, and now everytime I put down a palm I make a chicken wire cage, use some of those landscape pins to hold it down.  Absolutely no problems since then.  They're only 12" tall but they have been out for now for many many weeks and from 60+ palms, not a single nibble.  It's a pain in the butt and in my case, necessary.

Whatever this is doesn't go after something that's older and more woody, just the fresh young growth.  It's between a deer, rabbit, or squirrel. 

I did some searching on the internet and it seems of the three, rabbits are the most likely to eat palm seedlings.  We have quite a few of them around here so I might have to steal your idea lol

[Sabal King]

15 hours ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

I did some searching on the internet and it seems of the three, rabbits are the most likely to eat palm seedlings.  We have quite a few of them around here so I might have to steal your idea lol

I know it's silly, might look stupid for a season but I have noticed once they get out of that really tender stage, rabbits or whatever this is aren't interested.  At first, I just used the whole height of the chicken wire, so some of my towers around palms are 2' then eventually I started cutting them in half (there's a halfway wire for reference) and even at that halfway size, nothing has been eaten.  Whatever it is, doesn't bother messing around if it's literally not in front of it.

I've observed squirrels creeping around my palm seedlings, but I really do think this might be rabbits.  We have some big ass rabbits down here in Texas.

[Swolte]

The deer have allowed all my minors to grow (and mine are a bunch of spiteful gluttons that have even attacked cycads).

[Chester B]

It’s rabbits. I hate them. They like to “sample” plants. 

[NCFM]

4 hours ago, Chester B said:

It’s rabbits. I hate them. They like to “sample” plants. 

If they start messing with mine I would be tempted to put a few snares out for "pest control" lol.  They're overpopulated here anyway

[The7thLegend]

It's those pesky wabbits!!!

[amh]

I'll resurrect this thread with my observations. Deer will occasionally browse Sabal minor, but only one bite. However they do like to browse Sabal uresana and the chamaedorea genus, causing destruction and death to the palm.

[NCFM]

On 12/2/2021 at 1:52 PM, amh said:

I'll resurrect this thread with my observations. Deer will occasionally browse Sabal minor, but only one bite. However they do like to browse Sabal uresana and the chamaedorea genus, causing destruction and death to the palm.

This year the deer took a couple bites out of one of my washingtonia robustas, but to my surprise they left those minors I planted along the creek alone. No issues with rabbits either so far

[amh]

17 hours ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

This year the deer took a couple bites out of one of my washingtonia robustas, but to my surprise they left those minors I planted along the creek alone. No issues with rabbits either so far

I'm contemplating using Sabal minor for a natural deer fencing.

[RJ]

On 12/4/2021 at 9:20 PM, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

This year the deer took a couple bites out of one of my washingtonia robustas, but to my surprise they left those minors I planted along the creek alone. No issues with rabbits either so far

I’ve got a few natural minors on my property and lots of deer. Always passed on them. 

[Manalto]

You've inspired me to find a spot to naturalize the S. minor seeds that I've collected from my property, where they have now populated the entire rear perimeter. I love the way they look, weaving through big old camellias and citrus. For the past few years I've thrown down the whole fruiting structure where I'd like to get new plants and it has been more successful than I could have hoped for. Now all I have to do is wait for them to grow. This is the first year collecting seed and I have about three or four pounds. 

I thought to offer the seed here to anyone who might like to try some but time got away from me and things are starting to ferment. I will next year, however, if there's any interest. I don't think there's anything particularly special about these S. minor, except that they're tough as nails.

[Chester B]

9 hours ago, Manalto said:

I thought to offer the seed here to anyone who might like to try some but time got away from me and things are starting to ferment. I will next year, however, if there's any interest. I don't think there's anything particularly special about these S. minor, except that they're tough as nails.

I'd be up for that, I have a nice small pond/boggy area that serves as overflow for a large pond and water fall in my HOA.  They would look perfect growing down there.

[Manalto]

4 hours ago, Chester B said:

I'd be up for that,

PM me your address. I'll send you some of this year's stinky seed if you like, and if it doesn't germinate, we'll do it again next fall.

[tjwalters]

S. minor is naturalizing just fine here in MD, z7a.  I have 5 fruiting minors around the yard and seedlings are coming up all over my yard, my next door neighbor's yard.  Even the yard across the street and down one house had a couple nice sized seedlings - probably several years old.  This photo is from Jan, 2018.  I'll try to get a current photo this weekend.