Washy update :

[WSimpson]

Here's my Washy a couple days ago . It's in another gear now that I've had some 90'sF . I stopped fertilizing it for fear it'll get too tall to protect too soon . 

My new website has lots of girls in the pictures , and I'm selling palms now . My company is called Ty Ly  ( Ty Lie ) . Just kidding  ; no new company  , but Shaylen still likes to model  lol ! 

Only 10 seasons ago :

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Will Simpson

[amh]

That is incredible growth.

About 3 feet a year? 

 

[UK_Palms]

How tall is she to give us some perspective? The 25-30 footer washie makes her look about 4'11 or something. 

I'm not too bad with heights, but that is reaching the point where I would not be willing to go up there to protect it anymore. If yu slip off that ladder, or if it gets blown over while you are on it, then it's goodnight Vienna. I weigh 260 pounds and fell off a ladder from only about 8-9 foot up last autumn, while securing a gutter. I landed on grass but nearly broke my shoulder, back and neck. My back actually landed on the ladder. I still have pain in my shoulder now too, where it hit the ground. I couldn't imagine going 25-30 foot up a ladder to protect that thing. Too risky. 

[WSimpson]

I hire some guys to protect it . It is getting up there though . 

She is 5' 3" according to her license . 

Will

[WSimpson]

On 6/3/2022 at 5:01 PM, amh said:

That is incredible growth.

About 3 feet a year? 

 

Thanks ,

It's almost growing too fast .

Will

[DreaminAboutPalms]

That palm is getting so tall and becoming such a legend given its height and location that I’m pretty sure people on this forum would contribute a bit each year to pay for a professional to risk it all and get up there and protect it! 
 

I think robustas are actually some of the best palms to zone push with IF you don’t mind protecting them, because they grow so damn quick, and don’t need multiple growing seasons to recover from defoliation . Even in Iowa where growing season is less than half a year, the people that have grown mature ones them report at least a foot and a half to two feet of growth annually 

[NBTX11]

Looks to be between 25-30 feet.  Not surprised.  I planted a small Washingtonia Robusta in 2004 or 05 and by Feb 2021 it was well over 40 feet tall.  Only to be killed by the Feb 2021 freeze.  It had to be cut down in sections it was so tall.

Looks great.

 

[NBTX11]

19 minutes ago, DreaminAboutPalms said:

That palm is getting so tall and becoming such a legend given its height and location that I’m pretty sure people on this forum would contribute a bit each year to pay for a professional to risk it all and get up there and protect it! 
 

I think robustas are actually some of the best palms to zone push with IF you don’t mind protecting them, because they grow so damn quick, and don’t need multiple growing seasons to recover from defoliation . Even in Iowa where growing season is less than half a year, the people that have grown mature ones them report at least a foot and a half to two feet of growth annually 

Two feet per year, more like 3.  I had one go from essentially 1 foot tall to around 45 feet tall in about 16 years before it was killed in Feb 21.  It was a monster to cut down.  The guy I hired had to take it out in sections.

If we had another 5-10 years this thing would have been well over 60 feet tall.  Oh well.... 

[DreaminAboutPalms]

12 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

Two feet per year, more like 3.  I had one go from essentially 1 foot tall to around 45 feet tall in about 16 years before it was killed in Feb 21.  It was a monster to cut down.  The guy I hired had to take it out in sections.

If we had another 5-10 years this thing would have been well over 60 feet tall.  Oh well.... 

1.5 to 2 feet per year in colder climates where they have to be wrapped up for months at a time.

central Texas it’s like 3 feet per year if they get enough water. They truly are like weeds, they’ll keep on growing even without supplemental water. With the exception of big freezes they do as well as the native plants 

Edited June 5, 2022 by DreaminAboutPalms

[Las Palmas Norte]

I've always had mixed feelings about tall Washingtonia robusta and the proportion of fronds and crown size, and the trunk height.

[WSimpson]

16 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

Two feet per year, more like 3.  I had one go from essentially 1 foot tall to around 45 feet tall in about 16 years before it was killed in Feb 21.  It was a monster to cut down.  The guy I hired had to take it out in sections.

If we had another 5-10 years this thing would have been well over 60 feet tall.  Oh well.... 

 

3 hours ago, DreaminAboutPalms said:

1.5 to 2 feet per year in colder climates where they have to be wrapped up for months at a time.

central Texas it’s like 3 feet per year if they get enough water. They truly are like weeds, they’ll keep on growing even without supplemental water. With the exception of big freezes they do as well as the native plants 

 

16 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

Two feet per year, more like 3.  I had one go from essentially 1 foot tall to around 45 feet tall in about 16 years before it was killed in Feb 21.  It was a monster to cut down.  The guy I hired had to take it out in sections.

If we had another 5-10 years this thing would have been well over 60 feet tall.  Oh well.... 

I have to protect it about half the winters here  , but sometimes the forecast is wrong and I protect it years that I didn't  have to , like last winter in fact . 

I might be able to protect it for 4 more years and then I don't know . I'll need a really  tall ladder or a cherry picker . It will just start getting exponentially harder a some point .

Tifton hardy palmetto to Shaylen's right . Never protected .

Will

Edited June 5, 2022 by Will Simpson

[PalmTreeDude]

That’s a tall palm! I have one that I want to try again but I’m not sure where to put it, I already protect one palm (my king palm) and I don’t really want to go all out on protecting another, but I may stick it up against my house and see if I can protect it somehow that way, I’m not even really wanting the height I just want some trunk and some big fronds! 

[WSimpson]

1 hour ago, PalmTreeDude said:

That’s a tall palm! I have one that I want to try again but I’m not sure where to put it, I already protect one palm (my king palm) and I don’t really want to go all out on protecting another, but I may stick it up against my house and see if I can protect it somehow that way, I’m not even really wanting the height I just want some trunk and some big fronds! 

I have a 3  small potted Filibustas that I got from Knikfor  . The seed source was a palm in Fayetteville , NC  that has   survived  there  for quite a number of years unprotected . I think he might sell you some .  He posts here often . They are pretty hardy .

Thanks ,

Will

Edited June 5, 2022 by Will Simpson