Washy Recoveries - Houston

[strongbad635]

This washy is recovering very nicely from our cold event last December!  Photos are from 9 January to 8 March.

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by strongbad635

[strongbad635]

Here is the baby brother right next to it!

[Alex Zone 5]

Nice, what damages 🙈🙈

[Allen]

That is crazy fast!

[Las Palmas Norte]

Around here the center spear is the first to go, which is lethal in nearly all cases. The seasons change too slowly for recovery from damage.

[Axel Amsterdam]

46 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Around here the center spear is the first to go, which is lethal in nearly all cases. The seasons change too slowly for recovery from damage.

Yes, in Holland and the UK as well. The spears rot and they slowly die. If you want to mimick the Houston examples you need to warm up the palm right after the cold event to get the spear moving even only by an inch. This will usually prevent the rotting process from happening/spreading in the spearzone. I know this is counterintuitive because people think a palm is hardier in sleepmode but in my experience, in our type of climate with months of zero growth and high humidity, forced wintergrowth after a freeze doesnt harm them and keeps the spearzone healthy. 

[Allen]

6 hours ago, Axel Amsterdam said:

Yes, in Holland and the UK as well. The spears rot and they slowly die. If you want to mimick the Houston examples you need to warm up the palm right after the cold event to get the spear moving even only by an inch. This will usually prevent the rotting process from happening/spreading in the spearzone. I know this is counterintuitive because people think a palm is hardier in sleepmode but in my experience, in our type of climate with months of zero growth and high humidity, forced wintergrowth after a freeze doesnt harm them and keeps the spearzone healthy. 

This is exactly why the spears rot.  not moving

[Las Palmas Norte]

I can certainly agree with the two above statements. The trick of course, is getting Washingtonia to start growing mid winter. I have seen guys growing them to some pretty impressive sizes with overhead protection. This method keeps rain, frost and snow off the central growth point which seemed to be beneficial so long as winters didn't get too severe.

[Las Palmas Norte]

9 hours ago, Axel Amsterdam said:

Yes, in Holland and the UK as well. ...

Those growers in the UK don't have any issues with Washingtonia. There's 1,000's of pics posted here that prove Washingtonia is like a weed.

[Axel Amsterdam]

True, but i never cover mine and only push them with some heat after more prolonged frosts and it works. If you tie christmas lights around the trunk and wrap bubble plastic all the way to the petioles it will start to grow after a few days. The trick is to leave some space between the plastic and the trunk and to close the top as much as possible with rope. 

[Axel Amsterdam]

5 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Those growers in the UK don't have any issues with Washingtonia. There's 1,000's of pics posted here that prove Washingtonia is like a weed.

😉

[UK_Palms]

13 hours ago, Axel Amsterdam said:

Yes, in Holland and the UK as well. The spears rot and they slowly die. If you want to mimick the Houston examples you need to warm up the palm right after the cold event to get the spear moving even only by an inch. This will usually prevent the rotting process from happening/spreading in the spearzone. I know this is counterintuitive because people think a palm is hardier in sleepmode but in my experience, in our type of climate with months of zero growth and high humidity, forced wintergrowth after a freeze doesnt harm them and keeps the spearzone healthy. 

While I agree with most of this comment, I certainly wouldn't be drawing up comparisons with the UK pal. There aren't any long term Washingtonia in Holland, besides those that get protected/wrapped with covers and given heating aids during events like 2018 and 2021. You pay a steep price for being attached to the continent.

Obviously they don't grow everywhere over here either, but the whole south coast and London has more than you can imagine. Even the Robusta's are totally undamaged on the south coast after this awful winter we had. The ones in central London look totally undamaged as well. No need for covers or heating aids, even on small ones.

The only reason mine have struggled and look like crap is because they were still pretty small and because I live 35 miles inland in a known frost pocket with no urban heat island either. My ultimate low here was -8C / 17F. The ultimate low at Falmouth was only -1C / 30F. I can't wait to move away somewhere milder, then I won't have this issue.

[Axel Amsterdam]

I and probably many others have heard this story about London and the south coast all before so no need to replay and i am not your pal. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

1 hour ago, UK_Palms said:

...I can't wait to move away somewhere milder, then I won't have this issue.

Something tells me you'll still have issues.

[UK_Palms]

1 hour ago, Axel Amsterdam said:

I and probably many others have heard this story about London and the south coast all before so no need to replay and i am not your pal. 

Stop making references then constantly, or drawing us UK folk into the conversation. Your animosity and jealously is obvious now that the palm scene in the south of England is completely leaving the Netherlands for dead nowadays. It is worlds apart. You have made it personal now with this comment and some of your other posts.
 

53 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Something tells me you'll still have issues.

Evidently not. I will be moving to a 9b/10a zone on the south coast where the possibilities are endless. Even after this dog awful winter, many exotics are thriving beyond belief there. These pictures were supplied of the Parajubaea Cocoides at Lamorran Gardens in Cornwall today, courtesy of Jake. A coconut substitute. Where is the damage? Exotic plants are flowering there even. It is arguably 10b there most winters. This god awful winter still comes in at 10a there still in Cornwall. This isn’t the Scilly Isles either.

[kearney102]

I love that garden so much and not jealous one bit here on the south east of England!! What temperatures do Robusta's need to get growing? Looks like a great recovery ❤️‍🩹 

[Robert Cade Ross]

Sadly the Bismarck at the Lowe’s in Webster (south Houston) appears to basically be dead while the robustas have completely recovered also saw two baby Sylvester date palms & 3 triple trunked pigmy dates ….