Explosive filfifera growth in Albuquerque

[Dpalms]

Wanted to share two pictures of my filiferas I planted back in July 2023. I sprouted them from seed in my greenhouse in fall of 2021. They both had trunks about the size of my thumb and were less than a foot tall. They are planted way too close to my building but face due south and get rainwater from canales above.  Hindsight I should’ve planted them right in the middle but was worried I’d never be able to walk around them ( still prob won’t be able too soon!)

Exactly one year later the fronds on the palm  are up to my shoulder and I’m almost 6 ft tall. I water them deeply twice a week in the summer and use palm gain fertilizer twice a year.  Can’t wait to see how much more they explode by end of the summer!

[Las Palmas Norte]

That's impressive. Well done. It's gonna be crowded in there.

[SailorBold]

That's awesome... !   Nice..! those are going to be beautiful trees..no doubt.  There have been nice filiferas around that pop up here and there and they get removed..  as long as there's no foot traffic don't see any problems there.. !

Cool!

[SailorBold]

Those are growing way faster than mine did..

[Dpalms]

Do you guys think I should move them/transplant them more to the center of the pathway or just leave them be?

Im near the Abq airport and we did see one night in January dip into the mid teens. The metal building probably holds some heat for it in the cold. 

[Dpalms]

Here’s some others I planted at the same location that are doing well also. From left to right - Filifera, Trachy , Chamerops 

 

[jwitt]

Do not move til early next spring.  I'll explain later. 

[jwitt]

Here is a 5 gallon bucket for scale.  The trunk is still thickening.

I will still post my thoughts on why not to move now, with reasons. 

[jwitt]

First, I must say your palms are impressive and look very nice.  Those fat trunked trachies, wow!  Are you getting those locally?

That space is really too small for a filifera. They become huge! My thought on that. 

As you grow them from seed, I am sure you are aware of the incredible roots. This species is all about roots in my mind/experience.  That root structure can be larger that the crown, so maybe 25'x35'(?). That and it's ability to hibernate(dormant) is where it's ability to withstand drought comes from.  So that "drought tolerance" is really only temporary, at least in our climate.  They will eventually wither away, or growth slow very substantially after some time. At least in our climate.  

Why I would not move now: I think of filifera as water pumpers. On a hot sunny day here, you can feel a discernable temperature difference (drop) when putting your hand near the spear, even near a large leaf. That is evaporation. I don't feel that on meds or trachies. 

So knowing your rapidly growing filifera is going to be dug up, that root system(damaged and now much smaller) will not be able to support what leafage is currently present.  The leaves are going to die back and you will be left with(if lucky), a spear, maybe 2 small new leaves.  Now it is November. ......

That has been my experience transplanting in June.  It is now July. 

I have not hurricane cut. But the end product is the same. 2-3 year recovery. 

If you were to seed in place now and transplant those palms, the seeded in place would be larger in 5 years than your transplanted palms.  Much larger.  That is my experience. 

All about the roots. 

In our climate. 

A side note, my 1 year seeded in place Rayado palms are currently 18" high.  No protection/fertilizer,  other than rock/leaves.  I have able do this, in our climate(seeded in place/no protection) multiple times. So it works and is repeatable.  I also will plant multiple seeds and make a self protecting grove,  and then thin in a couple years.  

This is 11 years seeded in place with 1 transplant.  It has a fifteen foot horizontal spread by fourteen feet tall, and still getting larger.  

[Las Palmas Norte]

I think the trunk alone, eventually could fill that gap between the building and fencing.

[jwitt]

@DpalmsI would put  med's in that strip.  I would move the filifera next spring when daffodils bloom.  

Meds are much slower/manageable.  

 

[Ltapia]

Definitely would move those filiferas lol .

[Sabal King]

Beautiful!  I’ve got a filifera that has been in the ground for now a second season, sailed through our winter and has absolutely exploded with ground.

i tend to agree with all of the above.  I planted two last spring… one 5 gallon with smaller rootball and this survivor that was maybe breaking out of liner size.  Liner size made it through winter while the big one spear pulled and never came back.  You’d think bigger = stronger but again, getting them in early,  letting them take off in place and establish roots there in that spot is key.

[Harry’s Palms]

The above advice is good . My experience with Washingtonia is limited to Robusta and I’m in Southern California , about 20 miles from the ocean . They are weeds here. They pop up in peoples yards , cracks in sidewalks , and anywhere the seeds can find soil and water. I still love them and have one …..way down at the bottom of my hill. It was a volunteer in one of my neighbors yards , probably about 4’ tall. He saw my yard and assumed I loved palms (don’t know where he got that idea😁). And dug it up , jammed it in a bucket , and left it in my courtyard. It is now very large . It is not near as large as Filifera get but I would not put one near a pathway like that , it will block access. Harry

[RFun]

Honestly, there probably isn't a palm that is better suited for that area than a pure Filifera sourced from the warmer regions of Southern New Mexico.

[Palmfarmer]

On 7/12/2024 at 8:00 AM, SailorBold said:

Those are growing way faster than mine did..

it is probably "more" Robusta in his palms. It can be really hard to see how the genetics develop when they are that small. 

I had a smaller Washy with few thorns, The fronds had deep cut, gray green color and it had tons of hair. People here thought it was around 80% Filifera. 

A few years later it has very few Filifera traits left and Is skinner than the one I bought as Robusta besides it. There is definitely some Filifera in it but it looks like 20% now. 

[NorCalWill]

What is the width of that strip between the fence and your building?

[Dpalms]

The pathway measures 4-1/2 feet wide. It is on the side of my warehouse and nobody ever walks on this pathway 

[SeanK]

8 hours ago, Dpalms said:

The pathway measures 4-1/2 feet wide. It is on the side of my warehouse and nobody ever walks on this pathway 

Isn't a filifera crown about 10 to 12 feet wide?

[Dpalms]

13 hours ago, SeanK said:

Isn't a filifera crown about 10 to 12 feet wide?

That sounds about right to me. I’ve seen plenty of filfiferas up against walls and structures.  If it becomes an issue I have the equipment to move it but seems like after it grows above 7 ft it’s just a trunk and you’re walking under the canopy.  What other concerns might you like to share with it being in that narrow of a strip? Will it impede the development of the palm?

[Ltapia]

Any update on the palms ?

[Jubaea_James760]

On 9/7/2024 at 3:37 AM, SeanK said:

Isn't a filifera crown about 10 to 12 feet wide?

15 to 20 feet easily. I seen some exceed 20 feet.