Finally starting a garden

[Than]

The time has finally come, after years of waiting. Today I planted the first palms (and other plants) in my new garden. 

Since the local soil was very alkaline, I added two truckloads of highly acidic sand soil (pH 3,8) I bought and then i mixed it with the local soil. Hopefully it will work. There is very little organic matter in it but I put worm castings on top of the soil every time I plant something and I will keep adding compost from my compost maker. 

So here are my pioneers. I know that some of them will not make it but some may do and I am very excited!

 

 

[Harry’s Palms]

Good start there . We learn by trying so hopefully those will be success stories. Good luck , Harry

[kinzyjr]

3 hours ago, Than said:

The time has finally come, after years of waiting. Today I planted the first palms (and other plants) in my new garden. 

Since the local soil was very alkaline, I added two truckloads of highly acidic sand soil (pH 3,8) I bought and then i mixed it with the local soil. Hopefully it will work. There is very little organic matter in it but I put worm castings on top of the soil every time I plant something and I will keep adding compost from my compost maker. 

So here are my pioneers. I know that some of them will not make it but some may do and I am very excited!

Good luck, Than.  Palm Gardening is an emotional journey as much as it is an intellectual, physical, and experimental one.  Hopefully in your case, more successes than failures.

[Mazat]

7 hours ago, Than said:

The time has finally come, after years of waiting. Today I planted the first palms (and other plants) in my new garden. 

Since the local soil was very alkaline, I added two truckloads of highly acidic sand soil (pH 3,8) I bought and then i mixed it with the local soil. Hopefully it will work. There is very little organic matter in it but I put worm castings on top of the soil every time I plant something and I will keep adding compost from my compost maker. 

So here are my pioneers. I know that some of them will not make it but some may do and I am very excited!

 

 

the two of us near lake constance wish you every success, Than.

and we are confident that it will work out. patience brings roses.
“Patience brings roses” is originally the title of a poem by Wilhelm Wackernagel (1806-1869). Today's interpretation on the Internet, however, is: "Basic statement that sufficient time is important for the success of a matter.

[Than]

9 hours ago, Mazat said:

the two of us near lake constance wish you every success, Than.

and we are confident that it will work out. patience brings roses.
“Patience brings roses” is originally the title of a poem by Wilhelm Wackernagel (1806-1869). Today's interpretation on the Internet, however, is: "Basic statement that sufficient time is important for the success of a matter.

Thank you so much. And beautiful saying! 

[PAPalmtrees]

Your new garden is gonna look beautiful

[tinman10101]

good luck.  we all started the same way and how much we all have learned since then. get ready for an amazing journey.  just remember for every amazing palm garden that exists, there are hundreds of palms that were killed in trial and error.

cheers

tin

[flplantguy]

Im wishing you the best! Super exciting to get them planted, plus the other emotions as they grow lol. I have been reading that biochar is a great way to add pore space and nutrition, you could add it to the soil before you mulch to help add some goodies and provide a home for good microbes.  I'm interested in seeing how it goes over time for you with that soil change.

[Than]

53 minutes ago, flplantguy said:

Im wishing you the best! Super exciting to get them planted, plus the other emotions as they grow lol. I have been reading that biochar is a great way to add pore space and nutrition, you could add it to the soil before you mulch to help add some goodies and provide a home for good microbes.  I'm interested in seeing how it goes over time for you with that soil change.

Never heard of biochar, I will look it up. I will have to check the pH regularly and intervene if necessary. Let's see.

[happypalms]

Congratulations, before I got my property I was renting, and my whole backyard was full of container plants. When the landlord asked me about them I said I was building a house and that was my future garden. I know how you feel it’s a proud moment well done. Build yourself a nice deck and in 25 years time sit on that deck and be amazed at what you have created. 

[BayAndroid]

Good luck, Than! 

 

I am starting a new garden right now as well. 

[Than]

31 minutes ago, BayAndroid said:

Good luck, Than! 

 

I am starting a new garden right now as well. 

Good luck to you too! Is it a big one, what are you planting? Any photos? 

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Hi Than 

Congratulations on starting your new garden 

I started my garden mostly from seed in 2008

 

[BayAndroid]

9 hours ago, Than said:

Good luck to you too! Is it a big one, what are you planting? Any photos? 

I haven't started yet, I'm just getting situated in my new home. The lot is about 10k sqft, but there's not a ton of  growing area, so I will see how much I can fit in. I'll be posting some stuff when I get a chance.

[Than]

Nice. I also wanted to have some time to settle first before I start planting but it's already May and I wanted to give them as much time as possible to establish themselves before next winter. 

My plot is only 5000 square feet and some of it already has orange and lemon trees which I kept for canopy (and fruit) and some of it is near the retention wall (property is on a slope) so planting near it is tricky. 

[BayAndroid]

Awesome, i'll eagerly follow your journey. I feel you on the fact that it's May and things should be in the ground as soon as possible.. We'll see. 

[Cindy Adair]

Congratulations! Looking forward to following your progress.

[Kim]

Exciting times! Keep a record of your plantings, both written and with photos. It will be a helpful reference to have several years from now when you forget when a particular palm was planted, and so on. Plus the changes over the years are fun to look back on (see Tassie-Troy's photos!).

[Than]

On 5/6/2025 at 7:11 AM, happypalms said:

Congratulations, before I got my property I was renting, and my whole backyard was full of container plants. When the landlord asked me about them I said I was building a house and that was my future garden. I know how you feel it’s a proud moment well done. Build yourself a nice deck and in 25 years time sit on that deck and be amazed at what you have created. 

25 years?? Jeez, I hope I can ripe the fruit of my efforts a bit sooner than that; I am not young anymore hehe. In 25 years I'll be 70.

[Than]

On 5/7/2025 at 11:01 AM, Tassie_Troy1971 said:

Hi Than 

Congratulations on starting your new garden 

I started my garden mostly from seed in 2008

 

Beautiful. May I say your house looks so different than anything I have seen? So Australian. If you built it here people would be so curious hehe

[Mazat]

1 hour ago, Than said:

25 years?? Jeez, I hope I can ripe the fruit of my efforts a bit sooner than that; I am not young anymore hehe. In 25 years I'll be 70.

Than, we will stay young with our passion for the plants 🤗😄

[mlovecan]

That Cuban Royal is just the right size. Follow Doomsdave advice on "magic yellow liquid" on a daily basis and that thing will become a rocket. Mine went from that size to triple that in a single year.

[Than]

9 hours ago, mlovecan said:

That Cuban Royal is just the right size. Follow Doomsdave advice on "magic yellow liquid" on a daily basis and that thing will become a rocket. Mine went from that size to triple that in a single year.

Never heard of the magic yellow liquid. I'll look it up now. I hope Roystonea can survive my cool and wet winters.. zone 9B (9A maybe) here..

[Phoenikakias]

At this size it is at least almost a goner. Pray for a following mild winter. You do not need the yellow liquid, just plenty of water during coming summer.

[Than]

19 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

At this size it is at least almost a goner. Pray for a following mild winter. You do not need the yellow liquid, just plenty of water during coming summer.

I am aware that many of these plantings have slim chances of survival but I have no space or desire for pots anymore, so...

[Navarro]

No esperes más a plantar los arboles 

[Than]

20 hours ago, Navarro said:

No esperes más a plantar los arboles 

Ya he terminado. Ahora tengo que plantar solo las pequeñas plantas como las cordylinas

[Navarro]

Si te sirve de ayuda yo estoy cultivando laurel para plantarlo en toda la cara norte a modo de cortina para paliar un poco los vientos fríos de invierno por qué son  de hoja perenne y como árboles de dosel enterolobium contortisiliquum y hura crepitrans

[Navarro]

Cuanto antes plantes los arboles antes podrás experimentar con palmeras raras 

[Than]

8 hours ago, Navarro said:

Si te sirve de ayuda yo estoy cultivando laurel para plantarlo en toda la cara norte a modo de cortina para paliar un poco los vientos fríos de invierno por qué son  de hoja perenne y como árboles de dosel enterolobium contortisiliquum y hura crepitrans

El laurel crece rapidamente? Hay muchos especies de plantas con ese nombre. Cuál es lo que cultivas tú?

[Navarro]

No lo sé la verdad , los planto mi abuelo y algunos miden más de 10 metros , tengo muchos voluntarios que son los que transplantare y terminar de cerrar el perímetro , supongo que serán laurel nobilis , lo que leí es que sus raíces no son invasivas con las otras plantas ni con el hormigón , no son muy lentos pero tampoco cohetes 

[Than]

7 hours ago, Navarro said:

No lo sé la verdad , los planto mi abuelo y algunos miden más de 10 metros , tengo muchos voluntarios que son los que transplantare y terminar de cerrar el perímetro , supongo que serán laurel nobilis , lo que leí es que sus raíces no son invasivas con las otras plantas ni con el hormigón , no son muy lentos pero tampoco cohetes 

Me has dado una buena idea pero no voy plantar laurel porque crece muy lentamente. Voy a plantar ciprés leyland

[Than]

On 5/14/2025 at 2:26 PM, Navarro said:

No lo sé la verdad , los planto mi abuelo y algunos miden más de 10 metros , tengo muchos voluntarios que son los que transplantare y terminar de cerrar el perímetro , supongo que serán laurel nobilis , lo que leí es que sus raíces no son invasivas con las otras plantas ni con el hormigón , no son muy lentos pero tampoco cohetes 

Al final voy plantar laurel! 

[SeanK]

True that Bay Laurel is slower growing than Leyland Cypress. However, the cypress gets ugly after about 20 years. It is very large but a temporary hedge. I had mine removed last year.