Home Depot windmill Palm

[Colin1110082]

Hello, so right now I’m zone 6 the last remnants of winter are melting, we actually had a frost yesterday but we had 65 degree weather as the high. It was beautiful and I hoped you all enjoyed the eclipse. Anyways, many daffodils and such are now coming up, meaning the planting season is coming before we know it. I said a while ago I was going to buy some palms online, and I am going to buy off Home Depot because they are cheap and Home Depot I’m 99% sure guarantees the palms no matter what. Anyways there are these 1 gallon 2 pack windmill palms. They seem big on the picture, but when you look at the reviews they seem small. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Online-Orchards-1-Gal-Windmill-Cold-Hardy-Palm-Tree-2-Pack-SBPM001/322669103
I just want someone to look at the reviews would these be too small to go in the ground? I might put one in a large pot and one in the ground but I’m not sure I just want someone to see if maybe these ones might be too small to put in the ground. They also have larger options at Home Depot. The other places just don’t have guarantees, are super expensive, or are bare root. I am just worried I will kill it because this is a new for me. Thank you very much for reading, more questions will come once the palms come in 😂 

[kbob11]

Hello from Worcester!  I would recommend looking for a larger size to plant.  You can do it at 1 gal but it will be trickier.  I was vacationing in Myrtle Beach a while ago and picked up a 15gallon for $150.  I planted it in the spring and 5 years later it’s 9-10’ tall.  I have tried planting a 1 gal Trachy waggy and it died with similar protection.  Shipping is always going to cost you so I usually plan to save space in the truck when venturing down south.  

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/9/2024 at 6:58 PM, kbob11 said:

Hello from Worcester!  I would recommend looking for a larger size to plant.  You can do it at 1 gal but it will be trickier.  I was vacationing in Myrtle Beach a while ago and picked up a 15gallon for $150.  I planted it in the spring and 5 years later it’s 9-10’ tall.  I have tried planting a 1 gal Trachy waggy and it died with similar protection.  Shipping is always going to cost you so I usually plan to save space in the truck when venturing down south.  

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Alright then, they have larger varieties on home depot I just hate to buy from somewhere expensive and that doesn’t guarantee the plant. Do you think if I potted it first then planted it at the end of the summer or early fall? Maybe by then a new frond or two might’ve pushed out. I think palmpeii nursery has larger varieties for cheaper price but they don’t guarantee and they ship bareroot.

 

[kbob11]

Whatever you do plant asap.  It needs all the sun and heat it can get to establish before winter.  Also it’s going to be hard to “guarantee” any palm tree especially one in New England.  That being said windmills, needles, and sabal minors are as close as you are going to get to a guarantee.  Even then I have to protect each winter.

[Leelanau Palms]

Those are small palms. I would either pay up for larger palms or grow these up in pots for a couple of years. My trachies have grown very well from a small size to 3-4 ft in pots this way. 

[Leelanau Palms]

Here they are

[Leelanau Palms]

Latest

[Colin1110082]

Those are very nice palms! Yeah the two pack palms are quite small, so I will probably buy one large one and maybe another smaller one to have in a pot just in case. How much growth do you think the small ones will get in one summer if potted? Thank you for the replies

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/9/2024 at 9:26 PM, Leelanau Palms said:

Latest

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Those are very nice palms! Yeah the two pack palms are quite small, so I will probably buy one large one and maybe another smaller one to have in a pot just in case. How much growth do you think the small ones will get in one summer if potted? Thank you for the replies

[Colin1110082]

Would these ones seem to small?https://www.buypalmsonline.com/product-page/5-year-old-windmill-palm

[Leelanau Palms]

  On 4/9/2024 at 9:46 PM, Colin1110082 said:

Would these ones seem to small?https://www.buypalmsonline.com/product-page/5-year-old-windmill-palm

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Palmpeii palms are probably larger than those from HD. I have planted mine in Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil (blue bag) and kept them in large-ish pots along the way. They have been outside in the summer with generous water. The heavier potting soil helps to keep them from tipping over in the wind. I slow down on watering during the winter and keep them in a cooler location inside. I've used Osmocote plus and also occasionally Miracle Grow for acid loving plants when they are growing fast. In fact, mine are so large now I either need to sell them or winter them in the garage.

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/9/2024 at 11:10 PM, Leelanau Palms said:

Palmpeii palms are probably larger than those from HD. I have planted mine in Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil (blue bag) and kept them in large-ish pots along the way. They have been outside in the summer with generous water. The heavier potting soil helps to keep them from tipping over in the wind. I slow down on watering during the winter and keep them in a cooler location inside. I've used Osmocote plus and also occasionally Miracle Grow for acid loving plants when they are growing fast. In fact, mine are so large now I either need to sell them or winter them in the garage.

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Do you think the Palmpei palm could go directly in the ground?

[Leelanau Palms]

Seems unwise in a cold weather climate

[Colin1110082]

Alright, thanks for the help. I’ll just get a larger one. I would still love to hear any thoughts, once again thank you!

[Leelanau Palms]

No problem. Keep me updated. I'm growing up some small waggies to try in my windy location.

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/10/2024 at 12:00 AM, Leelanau Palms said:

No problem. Keep me updated. I'm growing up some small waggies to try in my windy location.

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Do you think these would be big enough to go right in the ground? It’s cheaper than the two pack and I would be willing to gamble with a Bulgaria a fairly large one with that. Once again I don’t mind potting up the little trachies, easy to protect.

[Leelanau Palms]

McCurtain sabal: ok to go in the ground, but sabals will grow slowly.

Trachycarpus 1 gallon: probably too small for the ground, honestly. Btw, everyone here would agree that the 'Bulgaria' label is a marketing tool--not any more hardy then a regular fortunei.

[Colin1110082]

This seller also has small rhapidophyllum for sale could snag one of those. Those are pretty small so they would definitely need to be potted up

[Leelanau Palms]

Yes, best advice is to grow them up to larger size first in a cold climate. Needles are harder indoors then trachys

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/10/2024 at 7:50 PM, Leelanau Palms said:

Yes, best advice is to grow them up to larger size first in a cold climate. Needles are harder indoors then trachys

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The problem is the south side of my house is not very wind protected besides one spot which i’m saving for the trachy. I would still protect the sabal on cold windy days. Would this be a problem is s.minor wind friendly?

[Leelanau Palms]

Trachy: larger fronds will bend in the middle in the wind - not fatal but changes appearance.

Needles:  can bend and shred in the wind. Tend to grow compact in sunny areas and more resistant to wind as they settle there.

Sabals: ask @Allen and @Sabal King about wind tolerance, but less susceptible when small I believe.

This all pertains just to wind (apart from time of year)

[Colin1110082]

Yeah the protected spot i’m saving for the windmill because it would be my favorite palm and the one I would care most about. I think I heard needles can tolerate shade because they are understory. I have a place where I could possibly grow one, it’s protected from the wind and is on the south side of my house, just has a big shrub blocking sun for a few hours 

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/10/2024 at 8:48 PM, Leelanau Palms said:

Trachy: larger fronds will bend in the middle in the wind - not fatal but changes appearance.

Needles:  can bend and shred in the wind. Tend to grow compact in sunny areas and more resistant to wind as they settle there.

Sabals: ask @Allen and @Sabal King about wind tolerance, but less susceptible when small I believe.

This all pertains just to wind (apart from time of year)

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The seller responded and said “If you plant in full sun or use a fertilizer with the nitrogen and potassium being about the same number, wind should not be a problem.  Most damage occurs from lots of freezing rain events.”

[Leelanau Palms]

That is a mixture of accurate and inaccurate information. I will address when I can sit down at my laptop.

[Allen]

  On 4/10/2024 at 8:28 PM, Colin1110082 said:

The problem is the south side of my house is not very wind protected besides one spot which i’m saving for the trachy. I would still protect the sabal on cold windy days. Would this be a problem is s.minor wind friendly?

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Sabal minor is very wind tolerant. 

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/11/2024 at 2:43 PM, Allen said:

Sabal minor is very wind tolerant. 

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That’s perfect then! I would think so because everything’s under ground with them. Yeah this spot gets plenty of sun just out in the open. The wind protected spot I’m saving for the windmill like I said. Thank you 

[Leelanau Palms]

  On 4/11/2024 at 11:31 AM, Colin1110082 said:

The seller responded and said “If you plant in full sun or use a fertilizer with the nitrogen and potassium being about the same number, wind should not be a problem.  Most damage occurs from lots of freezing rain events.”

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Good care, including fertilizer, will increase the hardiness of palms and speed their recovery from damage. Wind in any season can bend and tear windmill palm leaves. I have witnessed this personally in my windy yard. The changes to the fronds are mostly cosmetic. Fertilizer will not prevent this wind damage. A sunny location may result in more compact, somewhat more wind resistant leaves, but damage can still occur. The weight of ice on any palm can damage fronds. Trachycarpus can succumb to cold, but also especially to winter moisture (such as "lots of freezing rain events" but also cold rain and snow) getting into its crown triggering rot.  Factors which favor winter survival: favorable location, larger/more mature trachy at planting time, good care during the growing season, and protection of the crown from winter moisture. Of course, if your location is cold enough, then survival would depend on protection and supplemental heat as depicted in @Allen's videos. 

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/13/2024 at 9:30 AM, Leelanau Palms said:

Good care, including fertilizer, will increase the hardiness of palms and speed their recovery from damage. Wind in any season can bend and tear windmill palm leaves. I have witnessed this personally in my windy yard. The changes to the fronds are mostly cosmetic. Fertilizer will not prevent this wind damage. A sunny location may result in more compact, somewhat more wind resistant leaves, but damage can still occur. The weight of ice on any palm can damage fronds. Trachycarpus can succumb to cold, but also especially to winter moisture (such as "lots of freezing rain events" but also cold rain and snow) getting into its crown triggering rot.  Factors which favor winter survival: favorable location, larger/more mature trachy at planting time, good care during the growing season, and protection of the crown from winter moisture. Of course, if your location is cold enough, then survival would depend on protection and supplemental heat as depicted in @Allen's videos. 

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My plan is to use insulation board around the tree and wrap the inside with christmas lights and use a thermocube when it gets to cold. We get cold or freezing rain events from early november to mid april so i might keep the lights on it all year around and take the box of in the end of March, the easy thing about this one is that you can take the lid off when ever so if we have a nice 60 degree day in February then I can take the lid off.  As far as fertilizer i’ll worry about that when planting, they have all sorts of different palm fertilizers and soils I can just look it up what is the best one. I have done this a little before and people were mixing compost and other stuff in there to promote better growth.

[Colin1110082]

  On 4/13/2024 at 9:30 AM, Leelanau Palms said:

Good care, including fertilizer, will increase the hardiness of palms and speed their recovery from damage. Wind in any season can bend and tear windmill palm leaves. I have witnessed this personally in my windy yard. The changes to the fronds are mostly cosmetic. Fertilizer will not prevent this wind damage. A sunny location may result in more compact, somewhat more wind resistant leaves, but damage can still occur. The weight of ice on any palm can damage fronds. Trachycarpus can succumb to cold, but also especially to winter moisture (such as "lots of freezing rain events" but also cold rain and snow) getting into its crown triggering rot.  Factors which favor winter survival: favorable location, larger/more mature trachy at planting time, good care during the growing season, and protection of the crown from winter moisture. Of course, if your location is cold enough, then survival would depend on protection and supplemental heat as depicted in @Allen's videos. 

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this but would these ones be too small to plant? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ornamental-Windmill-Palm-in-3-Gal-Grower-s-Pot-THD00098/312502029
https://www.northeastohiopalmtrees.com/product-page/windmill-palm

[Leelanau Palms]

Those look better. Keep in mind there's no magic cutoff size. Larger=higher survivability 🙂

[Leelanau Palms]

Did you buy palms?

[CoconutHead]

My response may be several months late, but I bought two of those two packs from Home Depot last spring. They are small, but the price was right. I’m zone 6b in Pennsylvania. By the fall I planted two in the ground and two I left in pots and brought inside, kept in my basement. The ones in the ground survived the winter. I pushed some mulch up around the base of the crown and the few nights it got into the single digits, I put a cardboard box over them and a blanket on top of that. They had some frond damage (spotting) but lots of new growth is coming in now. They are doing very well. One of the ones in the pot is by far the outperformer of the four. Maybe that one is an exceptional specimen, because it has the same conditions as the other one in a pot.

[Colin1110082]

  On 7/11/2024 at 2:46 AM, CoconutHead said:

My response may be several months late, but I bought two of those two packs from Home Depot last spring. They are small, but the price was right. I’m zone 6b in Pennsylvania. By the fall I planted two in the ground and two I left in pots and brought inside, kept in my basement. The ones in the ground survived the winter. I pushed some mulch up around the base of the crown and the few nights it got into the single digits, I put a cardboard box over them and a blanket on top of that. They had some frond damage (spotting) but lots of new growth is coming in now. They are doing very well. One of the ones in the pot is by far the outperformer of the four. Maybe that one is an exceptional specimen, because it has the same conditions as the other one in a pot.

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Lol, that’s okay. I ended up buying mine from etsy. Glad yours are doing well.