Summer recovery...

[The Converted]

Evening all

After what was a long, wet and at times usually cold winter,  a decent start to summer very welcome. 

Despite building a make shift cover to keep off the rain and bubble wrapping the pots to keep out the cold, my first winter with palms did not go so well.  Next Winter will require more thought....

Out of 6 palms, I had 4 that spear pulled between late Feb and early May.  They were promptly treated with Hydrogen Peroxide, with additional treatments over the following weeks. 

Over the last week or two there has been sudden / tentative signs of recovery.   

My Butia Odorata and 2 CIDP's didn't fare too well.  All 3 were badly hit and spear pulled leaving gapping holes.  They were moved under cover for protection and just recently all 3 have started pushing through new spears.  What's a little concerning, is that the ends look brown and they are very small compared to the existing fronds.  Is this something that will improve when new spears push through behind?  I guess the fact that they are pushing something through is a positive sign. 

My Trachycarpus Fortunei was seemingly unaffected and has put out 3 new fronds / spears over the course of late spring / early summer.  The Brahea Armata is a recent addition, and spent the first month or so indoors until the weather started picking up.  I had expected it to be a slow grower, but it's already pushing through 2 new spears, it's clearly happy on a sunny terrace. 

Annoyingly, my small Jubaea Chilensis also spear pulled (one of the first, back in late February).  Until recently it had done nothing, no new spears and no evident signs of deterioration.  Unfortunately, there are still no signs of a new spear (I've been measuring the depth of the hole),  which is even more frustrating now that the others are recovering / growing so well!  What's concerning is that the last frond is starting to look a lighter shade of green with more noticeable yellow / brown tips.  It was repotted back in April, so I carefully removed the pot to check the roots, all of which look healthy.  It would also appear that the roots have grown since being repotted.  Given how hard it is to source a JC in the UK (without spending more than I can justify) I'm really hoping it pulls through! 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Converted]

I'm not sure why the photos have all come out landscape!

[SeanK]

In pots, I wouldn't leave outside colder than -5°C

[Swolte]

On 6/19/2023 at 12:32 PM, The Converted said:

What's a little concerning, is that the ends look brown and they are very small compared to the existing fronds.  Is this something that will improve when new spears push through behind?  I guess the fact that they are pushing something through is a positive sign. 

This will improve. I have had palms with dwarf growth for a few fronds after stressful events. 

Please keep us posted. I hope your JC pulls through.

How cold did it get and are you planning to put any in the ground? Is your property very exposed?

[WSimpson]

Yes , the palm will grow out of those stunted spears in about three more spears . I have a Sabal palmetto that looks your damaged palm . I was afraid mine was a goner because it felt mushy pretty deeply into the crown , but as I stuck a stick down the hole it kept getting shallower and now is flush with the top of the hole .

Will. 

[GregVirginia7]

On 6/23/2023 at 10:36 AM, Will Simpson said:

Yes , the palm will grow out of those stunted spears in about three more spears . I have a Sabal palmetto that looks your damaged palm . I was afraid mine was a goner because it felt mushy pretty deeply into the crown , but as I stuck a stick down the hole it kept getting shallower and now is flush with the top of the hole .

Will. 

My Medi. took a big hit this winter…

It’s coming back but the fronds on the 3’ trunk are half their normal size…it has pushed out 3 new ones so far and they are all small…there are two on their way out now…maybe they will get back to normal soon…

The smaller trunks were equally fried but they are pushing normal sized fronds like crazy so overall, very acceptable recovery!

 

[The Converted]

Thanks everyone. 

Its reassuring to hear that future fronds should be less stunted!  After no signs of life I was surprised how quickly they suddenly started pushing out.  One of the CIDP's is now trying to push out 4 new spears! 

Hopefully the JC will pull through, it's only  around 5 years old, so recovery might be a little slower.  Our garden is fairly sheltered and we're on the outskirts of a large town. so they're fairly well protected from the worst of the weather  Our winters aren't too bad normally, in fact, it's rain that is the biggest concern,  however,  last winter we had 2 unusual cold events lasting 1-2 weeks, with lows of -9 / 15.8f.

I keep thinking about putting them in the ground, but they'll have to wait until our next house move!

GreyVirginia7, that's an impressive recovery in just a few months!