To stake or not to stake?

[Rogular]

We put a Ptychosperma microcarpum in the ground about 6 months ago now. It’s always been straight, but over the last couple of weeks we’ve had some high winds here (Brisbane, Australia) and I’ve noticed it starting to lean to one side. 
 

This morning I came out and it was leaning even more than it has been. This is my first Ptychosperma microcarpum, and looking at pictures of more established ones, the fronds definitely go out at all different angles, but it seems like the main trunk should stay straight. Is that correct?

I’m attaching some pictures. Should I stake it? If so, what’s the best way to go about it? Just rope it to a star picket hammered into the ground? Or is there a better way?

First picture is what it looks like this morning. Second picture is what I think is the main trunk leaning clearly to the left now… third picture is me like holding it straight like it used to be. 

[Patrick]

I was mistaken, I initially assumed it would be leaning at the roots; then I saw the pictures and it appears to be leaning higher up, near the growth point, correct? 

[Rogular]

7 minutes ago, Patrick said:

I was mistaken, I initially assumed it would be leaning at the roots; then I saw the pictures and it appears to be leaning higher up, near the growth point, correct? 

Yeah that’s correct, it’s about halfway up. About here in red:

[peachy]

I don't think staking will help it to be honest.  I have a Chamaedorea klotziana that has a trunk which makes a U turn halfway up and it is fine, but that was caused by leaning from the base originally. The trunk bending so high up is sounding like a mineral deficiency of some type to me. Each spring I add trace elements to my feeding regime so along with the regular feeding,  I think I have all potential issues covered. Do you do any type of soil amendments ? All the plants in your photo look lovely and healthy so it could just be that plant that is lacking something it needs or getting something it doesn't like.   It's something for you to consider anyway.

Peachy

[Rogular]

11 hours ago, peachy said:

I don't think staking will help it to be honest.  I have a Chamaedorea klotziana that has a trunk which makes a U turn halfway up and it is fine, but that was caused by leaning from the base originally. The trunk bending so high up is sounding like a mineral deficiency of some type to me. Each spring I add trace elements to my feeding regime so along with the regular feeding,  I think I have all potential issues covered. Do you do any type of soil amendments ? All the plants in your photo look lovely and healthy so it could just be that plant that is lacking something it needs or getting something it doesn't like.   It's something for you to consider anyway.

Peachy

Thanks heaps for the advice. This is my first time trying to establish a palm… I’ve lived in rentals that had palms before but they’ve been giants that had been there for who knows how long. 

I planted this garden (including the palm) back in early April, and put down a bunch of compost before I planted. I’ve done a bit of fertilizer once or twice since then, but on reflection maybe not the right type. Reading other threads in here it seems like I want one high in potassium… is that correct? I’ll try to pick some up today and get it around the palm this afternoon. 
 

In the meantime I did end up staking it. Not sure if it will do much, but at least it’s upright again. Pictures attached (plus a couple of pictures of the rest of the garden since you mentioned it)

Thanks again for the advice

 

 

[Merlyn]

@Rogular I think staking it is the right choice.  It looks like the top fronds were over the top of the fence and got blown around pretty hard.  I've seen that kind of damage in hurricanes here in Florida.  Just make sure your strap is loose enough to not constrict the growth point.  You want to "support" the top of the palm, not squash it.  For example, when I have staked palms I tie a really solid knot around the stake and leave a foot of free rope on the end of the knot.  Then I do a single loop around the palm and tie to that free rope end.  That way the top of the palm is supported by a relatively loose loop.  A PTer told me to do it this way ~5 years ago.

 

 

[Rogular]

@Merlyn that’s great advice, thanks so much. I’ll adjust my tying method this afternoon. 

[peachy]

14 hours ago, Rogular said:

Thanks heaps for the advice. This is my first time trying to establish a palm… I’ve lived in rentals that had palms before but they’ve been giants that had been there for who knows how long. 

I planted this garden (including the palm) back in early April, and put down a bunch of compost before I planted. I’ve done a bit of fertilizer once or twice since then, but on reflection maybe not the right type. Reading other threads in here it seems like I want one high in potassium… is that correct? I’ll try to pick some up today and get it around the palm this afternoon. 
 

In the meantime I did end up staking it. Not sure if it will do much, but at least it’s upright again. Pictures attached (plus a couple of pictures of the rest of the garden since you mentioned it)

Thanks again for the advice

 

 

Staking it can't do any harm unless it is tied too tightly. Looks fine in the photo. The rest of the garden is looking good but in time all the plants you have chosen get very big so eventually you will have pull a lot of them out.  Potassium is okay for most palms I think, but the main thing they need is Nitrogen. When you get more experience with young palms you will know if they are lacking in something and not looking their best. My soil is mediocre at best so I am always adding things. Also you have to consider how much time and work you want to put into it.  If feeding is something you only want to do now and then, I would buy some Rooster Booster, it's organic (chook poop) and full of nitrogen and all my palms love it. You only have to dump it around the palm too.  I mix up a brew of Power Feed, Seaweed Solution and Sulphate of Potash and use it every couple of weeks in the peak growing season.  I also chuck in a yearly dose of Trace Elements and if any palms are yellowish instead of a nice green,  at my place that means a lack of something I throw a couple of handfuls of Epsom Salts around the drip line.  I probably do more than is really needed as far as feeding and soil care goes but most of the palms here are in pretty good nick and cause me no grief. So there's a few things to think about.

Peachy

 

[Rogular]

16 minutes ago, peachy said:

Staking it can't do any harm unless it is tied too tightly. Looks fine in the photo. The rest of the garden is looking good but in time all the plants you have chosen get very big so eventually you will have pull a lot of them out.  Potassium is okay for most palms I think, but the main thing they need is Nitrogen. When you get more experience with young palms you will know if they are lacking in something and not looking their best. My soil is mediocre at best so I am always adding things. Also you have to consider how much time and work you want to put into it.  If feeding is something you only want to do now and then, I would buy some Rooster Booster, it's organic (chook poop) and full of nitrogen and all my palms love it. You only have to dump it around the palm too.  I mix up a brew of Power Feed, Seaweed Solution and Sulphate of Potash and use it every couple of weeks in the peak growing season.  I also chuck in a yearly dose of Trace Elements and if any palms are yellowish instead of a nice green,  at my place that means a lack of something I throw a couple of handfuls of Epsom Salts around the drip line.  I probably do more than is really needed as far as feeding and soil care goes but most of the palms here are in pretty good nick and cause me no grief. So there's a few things to think about.

Peachy

 

Thanks so much for the detailed advice!

The plants all getting big was the intention. The view over the back fence for the most part is a giant boring house… so we wanted a giant tropical jungle to screen it a bit if that makes sense?

Or do you mean they’ll get too thick / dense? We’re very new to this. 

[peachy]

5 minutes ago, Rogular said:

Thanks so much for the detailed advice!

The plants all getting big was the intention. The view over the back fence for the most part is a giant boring house… so we wanted a giant tropical jungle to screen it a bit if that makes sense?

Or do you mean they’ll get too thick / dense? We’re very new to this. 

They are very over crowded in the main and that actually retards growth. If you can get to one of the botanic gardens or even Roma St, you will get an idea of how huge some of the plants can get.  In my old garden I had 2 giant bird of paradise plants that hit the 8 metre high and 3 wide mark. Also had a monstera that had to be be cut back to nothing every couple of years.  I have a hi set house behind me and a weirdo perve living in it so I planted tiger grass along the fence line as it grows quickly, mine got to 4 or 5 metres in no time and is 3 metres across.  Spoilt the perve's view so much that he moved out.

Peachy

[Rogular]

Happy to update that after just over a week or so of being staked and having fertilizer down (and a few good days of rain recently too) the palm is standing up straight on its own again.  
 

I actually took the mesh tie thing off yesterday afternoon because it was on a bit tight and was causing the palm to lean the opposite direction. I put a new one on very loosely - it’s actually not supporting the tree at all, but I figure it will help if we get crazy high winds again 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

 

Anyway, thanks so much for all the advice everyone. I think we’ve saved it. 

[peachy]

That is great news.  Yes the wind has been horrendous lately and the 2 big storms didn't help either.  I spent 3 days cleaning and tidying my yard and putting things into prettier pots but the last storm left me with more of a mess than I started with.  I hired a workman for tomorrow and am having a major planting session.

Peachy

[Rogular]

Well a rather unfortunate update: we did not in fact save it. It’s drizzling rain here today and I was just sitting in my outdoor area and heard a crack and the entire top half fell off the palm tree. 
 

It’s not even windy, I think it was the weight of the rain water on it?

I’m posting some pictures. What’s the best thing to do now? Will the tree like keep growing somehow? It cracked clean off. Or is it a lost cause? It seems to have been the main “trunk”…

[DoomsDave]

@Rogular ouch sorry to see!

You tried mate!

I’ve killed many with love or in spite of it in my time. Plant another similar and try again!

[Rogular]

Update time

i spent I think 5 hours (over 2 days) digging the palm out

[Rogular]

I finally got it up and out after 2 days

 

and then dug out a whole group of concrete 

[Rogular]

Now got a new Ptychosperma elegans in the ground: