Regenerated Sabal coming soon

[LeonardHolmes]

I picked out and paid for a regenerated Sabal palmetto from Kitty Hawk Garden Center last week.  I picked the fat one in the middle.  The root ball is 3' across.  It will get installed in another week or so.  Apparently they "wash them down like pilings" - meaning that they dig the hole with a jet of water rather than a shovel.  It's going into soil that is basically sand.  I get the impression that they plant them lower than they were before.  The soil is sandy enough that this probably works fine - despite some research suggesting that planting deeper can contribute to problems later.  They don't prop these palms. 

I'm a little nervous about the project.  We don't live there full time, so it'll mean a lot of visits to be sure it's watered.  I'll probably also install temporary drip irrigation to be sure it gets water every other day or so for the first summer.  

Any tips?  I'm sure others here have done this.  The outer banks of North Carolina moved into zone 8b with the latest zone maps, but 20 or so years ago they were  in 7b - so I take that with a grain of salt.  We are not really comparable to Charleston and Tallahassee, even though the zone maps say we are.  

[LeonardHolmes]

Just an update.  It's in the ground.  I buried 25' of soaker hose in the mulch and have a timer set to soak for an hour every day at first.  That should be 25 gallons each time.

It has 12' of trunk, a little over half of that is clear.  Root ball was 36" and I saw (what looked like) new roots when they removed the plastic wrap. 

[LeonardHolmes]

Here are the roots

[NCFM]

Looks great  

[Chester B]

Wow - looks great.  Wish we had some that size available up here.

[teddytn]

Not gonna lie, a little jealous

[Paradise Found]

WOW! What a monster palm/ you scored on this one! 

[Allen]

One nice looking palmetto for sure!  Maybe the best I've seen planted on here.

[DAVEinMB]

@LeonardHolmes love the placement and gorgeous sabal. Opting for regenerated is going to save you 2 to 3 years of waiting for any type of crown as well

[Chad king NC]

Thats a beauty for sure!  

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Good choice on the fatboy for sure. Love the placement of it also. What a statement piece for your front yard 

T J 

[JLM]

Awesome! Lots of new roots growing as you spotted, that beast will more than likely live! Love the planting location too!

[Dartolution]

@LeonardHolmes looks wonderful! Definitely lots of new root growth! They did a good job!

[LeonardHolmes]

On 5/30/2021 at 2:26 PM, LeonardHolmes said:

 Apparently they "wash them down like pilings" - meaning that they dig the hole with a jet of water rather than a shovel.  It's going into soil that is basically sand. 

This part wasn't exactly true.  They dug the hole with shovels but used water to blast the sand back into the hole and make sure there were no air pockets around the root ball.

[EastCanadaTropicals]

On 5/30/2021 at 2:26 PM, LeonardHolmes said:

I picked out and paid for a regenerated Sabal palmetto from Kitty Hawk Garden Center last week.  I picked the fat one in the middle.  The root ball is 3' across.  It will get installed in another week or so.  Apparently they "wash them down like pilings" - meaning that they dig the hole with a jet of water rather than a shovel.  It's going into soil that is basically sand.  I get the impression that they plant them lower than they were before.  The soil is sandy enough that this probably works fine - despite some research suggesting that planting deeper can contribute to problems later.  They don't prop these palms. 

I'm a little nervous about the project.  We don't live there full time, so it'll mean a lot of visits to be sure it's watered.  I'll probably also install temporary drip irrigation to be sure it gets water every other day or so for the first summer.  

Any tips?  I'm sure others here have done this.  The outer banks of North Carolina moved into zone 8b with the latest zone maps, but 20 or so years ago they were  in 7b - so I take that with a grain of salt.  We are not really comparable to Charleston and Tallahassee, even though the zone maps say we are.  

Hatteras is likely a full 8b. 

[LeonardHolmes]

2 hours ago, EastCanadaTropicals said:

Hatteras is likely a full 8b. 

Yea - I agree. I remember reading a plaque at Buxton near the Cape Hatteras lighthouse in the '80s that compared the climate to that of Tallahassee.  I looked around and didn't see any palms (except the native Sabal minors nearby).  I think that other variables (such as wind) make it hard for other palms to survive there.

[CoconutGambler352]

Update pic???

[LeonardHolmes]

2 hours ago, CoconutGambler352 said:

Update pic???

Here's a shot from a Blink camera that lets me see it from my home in Virginia.  I'll be down there again in a week or so and I can send better pics. It has pushed a new leaf and has a bloom spike starting - not obvious on this picture.

[PalmatierMeg]

Beautiful Sabal and looks great there

[CoconutGambler352]

On 7/25/2021 at 8:06 AM, LeonardHolmes said:

Here's a shot from a Blink camera that lets me see it from my home in Virginia.  I'll be down there again in a week or so and I can send better pics. It has pushed a new leaf and has a bloom spike starting - not obvious on this picture.

For the many many years I've been dealing and personally growing etc. Your S. Palm is by far an absolutely Beautiful specimen...I'm really wondering if it's something other than an S. Palm..I mean obviously it's a Sabal. 

[LeonardHolmes]

On 7/25/2021 at 11:01 AM, PalmatierMeg said:

Beautiful Sabal and looks great there

Thanks, Meg.  Great complement coming from a Sabal expert!

[LeonardHolmes]

12 hours ago, CoconutGambler352 said:

For the many many years I've been dealing and personally growing etc. Your S. Palm is by far an absolutely Beautiful specimen...I'm really wondering if it's something other than an S. Palm..I mean obviously it's a Sabal. 

I was impressed with the massive lower trunk when I saw it leaning against a pole at Kitty Hawk Garden Center.  They get them from someone in Florida, and I imagine that they are dug in the field and then held with soil around the root area so that the roots will re-grow before planting.  With other Sabals growing in nearby yards, I suppose it's possible that this one was from a hybridized seed.  If so I sure hope it's hardy in Eastern North Carolina.  I've always thought that a Sabal causiarum would be great to have - and maybe there's some of that in its bloodline.  

[PlantDad]

On 6/9/2021 at 11:54 AM, Chester B said:

Wow - looks great.  Wish we had some that size available up here.

Me too!

[PlantDad]

Thats a nice palmetto. I would recommend fertilizing with a slow release fertilizer that contains micronutrients. A fed palm is healthier and stronger and better equipped to survive winter cold. I have osmocote plus around all my palms to slowly release a broad array of nutrients over 6 months. 

[LeonardHolmes]

11 hours ago, PlantDad said:

Thats a nice palmetto. I would recommend fertilizing with a slow release fertilizer that contains micronutrients. A fed palm is healthier and stronger and better equipped to survive winter cold. I have osmocote plus around all my palms to slowly release a broad array of nutrients over 6 months. 

Thanks!  The nursery put 2 bags of Black Kow composted cow manure in the hole and I have conservatively fertilized it with low doses of Palm Gain (fast acting) and Carl Pool palm food (controlled release).  I never feed palms after 8/1 since I want to encourage them to slow down before winter.  I do use Osmocote plus in all my pots and often in the hole when I transplant.  I'm trying these other fertilizers that I found recommended here and they seem to produce more dramatic growth and deep green color in my established palms. 

Next year I will feed it more.

[PlantDad]

3 hours ago, LeonardHolmes said:

Thanks!  The nursery put 2 bags of Black Kow composted cow manure in the hole and I have conservatively fertilized it with low doses of Palm Gain (fast acting) and Carl Pool palm food (controlled release).  I never feed palms after 8/1 since I want to encourage them to slow down before winter.  I do use Osmocote plus in all my pots and often in the hole when I transplant.  I'm trying these other fertilizers that I found recommended here and they seem to produce more dramatic growth and deep green color in my established palms. 

Next year I will feed it more.

You're welcome! Wow you really set that palm up for success. The manure is rich in organic matter which is going to help keep the soil healthy and those fertilizers are perfect. Keep up the good work and keep us updated. 

[LeonardHolmes]

As requested here are recent photos.  It has not changed much viewed from the yard, but it is trying to bloom.  A good sign, but maybe I should cut the bloom stalks next time I come?  Are they taking energy away from the roots it should be making?  Crown looks sparse when seeing the sky through it, but when I compare it to other palms installed this summer it looks good I think.

[edit - added:]  It is also leaning toward the driveway very slightly.  I doubt that this is really a problem, since future growth should be vertical (right?)

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by LeonardHolmes
Add info about the palm leaning

[Will Simpson]

Looks really good . I found that during warm weather you can water enough . I even shocked Gary Hollar when I told him I watered my first HC Palmetto 3 times a day . He said to cut that back to 2 times a week which I did , but no harm done for 2 months of soaking it . 

Will

[LeonardHolmes]

This one is planted in pure sand, so I'm still soaking it daily.  Maybe it's time to back off to every-other-day.

[Valhallalla]

You might want to remove the emerging inflorescences (bloom stalks). They will be consuming energy that the palm could better use to get itself established.

Great looking palm with a nice burly trunk. Palmettos are as common as dirt around here yet they are still one of my favorite palms. A well grown Sabal is a thing of beauty.

[LeonardHolmes]

Here's an update.  It's been really dry on the outer banks but the soaker hose has kept it growing.  I paid someone to wrap it last winter and they trimmed it first - which I did not ask for. I'll try to take a better pic next time I'm down there,  

 

for.  

[RJ]

6 hours ago, LeonardHolmes said:

Here's an update.  It's been really dry on the outer banks but the soaker hose has kept it growing.  I paid someone to wrap it last winter and they trimmed it first - which I did not ask for. I'll try to take a better pic next time I'm down there,  

 

for.  

Gotta let it fill out for the Lorax look 😎

[LeonardHolmes]

I haven't decided whether to wrap it this winter or not.  Probably not.  If I do I will have someone wrap it loosly near the spear but not trapping moisture.   I am going for that Lorax-natural look.  Here's a view from under the house.  That area is my only really good microclimate, so I have a few things packed in there assuming some may not survive.

[Sabal King]

Incredible!  Sabals are a thing of beauty.  They're absolute tanks too.  You have done a great job with this one and will be rewarded over the years.  Congrats!

[LeonardHolmes]

 

Updated Picture 11/26/22.

[Jack Lord]

Nice! I always hit that nursery when I visit the OBX.  Never bought anything that big though. Seriously, looks great.

[BigBilly]

On 11/27/2022 at 9:47 PM, LeonardHolmes said:

 

Updated Picture 11/26/22.

So how does it look after the December Cold Wave  ? 

[LeonardHolmes]

Here is a pic from yesterday. I did not protect it this year.  

[BigBilly]

Wow it didn't even take damage 

[Allen]

12 minutes ago, BigBilly said:

Wow it didn't even take damage 

18F shouldn't hurt it.  More like 10F-12F or less