What Do You Think?

[mjff]

I moved six large Jubaea chilensis from CA to Texas.  They were planted 07/27.  Several weeks later I had to cut about 20 dead fronds off one.

[mjff]

This is the tree after I trimmed the dead fronds.  None of the fronds were dead when it arrived.

[mjff]

Of the six this is the only one with a crown that is sparse enough that I can crawl up and take a look around.  Last Sunday I crawled up there with a Sharpie, and marked the base of some of the new fronds.  It is pushing 5 new fronds, and they are growing at a rate of about 2.25" per week each.  At that rate it will produce 6 new fronds per year.

I have some field dug Chamerops that did the same thing, lost a bunch of old fronds, than promptly shot out a bunch of new fronds to replace them.  Do you think that is what is going on here?

[fastfeat]

Was wondering how these were doing Martin...

Got to figure you were going to lose some fronds, given the size of the trees and the trauma of being dug. I'm no expert on moving this species, but I'd say the specimen shown looks pretty darn good. Elongation that you diagrammed can't be bad.

Post some more shots of the place as you can.

[mjff]

(fastfeat @ Sep. 02 2007,15:23)

QUOTE

Was wondering how these were doing Martin...

Got to figure you were going to lose some fronds, given the size of the trees and the trauma of being dug. I'm no expert on moving this species, but I'd say the specimen shown looks pretty darn good. Elongation that you diagrammed can't be bad.

Post some more shots of the place as you can.

I should probably add that all the fronds that died were the oldest ones, and the tree movers did not remove any live fronds when they dug them.  This tree lost a lot more fronds than any of the others though.  The tree next to it hasn't lost a single frond yet, and it is the same size, and has the same size rootball.

I'm encouraged by all the new growth on it.  I figured if it was still in shock from the move it would just be sitting there or growing much slower than nearly a foot of new frond per week.

[Patrick]

Dude! It looks pretty good to me! I'd be worried if it wasn't growing at all!

Are you giving it any sort of soil amenities to ease the shock of the move? I usually like to use b complex or something....

In the first photo, I'd like to draw your attention to the new leaf that's coming out of the top that's opened up. It looks very healthy- not dried out at all. No droop, no wilt. I don't see anything that would concern me- but I'm no specialist!

[palmdudetx]

Martin,

I agree with the other replies you have received. It seems as if the movers did an excellant job of digging and transporting them to you. At this point I would not worry too much.

Marvin

Southern Waller County,Tx.

zone 9a

[mjff]

This one just worried me because of the large number of fronds that died compared to the others.  I really haven't done anything special for them.  I added a little Superthrive to their first watering, but haven't done anything else.  I haven't even watered them in almost a month, but that's because we got 5.5" two weeks ago and another 1" yesterday combined with temperatures that aren't even getting out of the 80's for highs.  I have actually been more worried about them being too wet.  A week ago I was able to push a 3/4" diameter steel pin about a foot into the rootball by hand.  When I pulled it out it was very wet, so I skipped watering last weekend.

Does the rate of growth I'm seeing seem fast or slow or about right for a Jubaea of this size?

[NBTX11]

Don't know the growth rate of Jubaea, but I agree with the others.  Looks like transplant shock to me.  I wouldn't worry about it yet.  As long as it is pushing new fronds at a decent clip, you are good to go.

[Alicehunter2000]

I had a large B. capita that did the same thing. It eventually lost about 75 percent of its old growth. The ones that did survive look a little ragged. But also like yours new growth looked good and it continues to push out new spears. Don't be too shy with the water. Since the rootball was cut it doesn't have the same uptake that it did before. Of course you don't want it to be waterlogged either but don't assume that because it is a fairly drought hardy species that is doesn't need the water after transplantation. I made the mistake of not watering Phoenix, Chamerops and Butia in the past thinking ............... Oh they are drought tolerant.........Almost some costly mistakes. Then again, I am in almost pure sand here.

[Nigel]

(mjff @ Sep. 02 2007,16:11)

QUOTE

 Last Sunday I crawled up there with a Sharpie, and marked the base of some of the new fronds.  It is pushing 5 new fronds, and they are growing at a rate of about 2.25" per week each.  At that rate it will produce 6 new fronds per year.

Martin, can you explain your maths calculation please , I think you have added 2 + 2 and made 1..... I could be wrong !

It seems to be growing exceptionally fast for a new transplant to me.

[mjff]

Nigel,

Each of its fronds are about 96" long.  It is pushing 5 fronds at a rate of 2.25" per week, so 5 x 2.25" = 11.25" of new frond per week.  11.25" x 52 = 585" of new frond per year.  585" / 96" = 6.09 fronds per year.  This of course assumes that it grows at its current rate during the winter, which it probably won't here in TX, but I was trying to annnualize its current growth rate.

[Nigel]

Ahhhhhhh sorry I didnt read your message correctly , I thought it was per day.

Here my Jub will grow at similar speed through the growing season, but in a hot spell where it can be 27c by day and holding above 17C at night it is capable of pushing around 10 inches spear in a week, this only ever happened for a 3 week period last July but the growth was phenomenal.

I have a simpler way of estimating growth , I measure the `spear gap` that is the distance between one spear tip and the next ,e.g.  if its 12 inches and it grows 3 inches  a week it would grow a new leaf every 4 weeks.

[Kris]

Dear Martin  

They appear like rock !

very happy they are doing fine...

love,

Kris  

[DoomsDave]

Wow!

You did it!

Glad to see you got them.

They look wonderful.  They're so full of energy with all that sugar inside them, almost like a sweet nuke.

My experience is they move right along, never look back.

Nice job planting, too.

So, you had to hack a few fronds.  It's making new ones, as it makes new roots.  They speed up with age; I'm sure Gary Levine will have some sage comments as well.

dave

[mjff]

Quick update on the Jubaea.  It has lost 3 more fronds, but continues pushing spear at the rate of 2.25-2.5" per week.  It doesn't appear to have plans to shed anymore fronds.  The other trees are all doing fine.  The fruit is ripening on one of the largest trees, and I have seed from it soaking.  My business is booming, so I haven't had much time to get on here.  I guess that's a good thing, I've got to replenish my cash reserves after paying for the trees and move.

Finally, got the entry to the ranch landscaped.  I will post some photos of it in a few days in a new thread.

[PalmGuyWC]

Martin,

I have 4 nice sized Jubaeas, one with about 25 feet of woody trunk.  Something I've observed is after the first couple of weeks in the spring and some warm weather, the lower two ranks of fronds rapidly turn brown, so don't be alarmed if this happens to yours next spring.

I usually saw off the brown fronds as close to the trunk as I can, but I can't safely reach the lower fronds of my tallest one with a ladder. The old boots remain on the trunk for about 2 years, then they are eaisly pulled off which gives the illusion that the trunk has grown about 2 feet. I'm always amazed at how many bugs and even earth worms live in the debris that has collected in the old boots. I don't know how earthworms get up that high on the trunks, but they do. Even with the slightest rain the old boots collect rain water which makes a nice enviroment for creepy crawleys and this speeds up the deteriation of the old boots.

I'm told they self clean when they get older, but I've never allowed the old dead lower fronds to remain on the trees. I guess I'll have to now since they are getting to high to reach. All of mine have nice full crowns and I would estimate they grow about 10 or 12 new fronds a year, about as many as they shed in the spring.

My Washingtonias are tall enough now that they catch the wind and self clean during our winter storms and strong winds. I guess this will eventually happen with the Jubaeas.

Dick