How crazy would I have to be

[JohnAndSancho]

How crazy would I have to be to plant some Caryota Maximus "Himalaya" out here? Obvs talking a few years down the road before they'd be ready for dirt, but I've got plenty of space - and if they survive the winters and end up eventually flowering, they'll be someone else's problem by then. I've read all kinds of conflicting data re: their cold hardiness. I know I've made a dozen posts about not having patience for seeds, but it's seeds or nothing for me right now.

[ZPalms]

zont zo it! @BeyondTheGarden had one but it died and was right up against his house and it was pretty dense and large!

[JohnAndSancho]

4 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

zont zo it! @BeyondTheGarden had one but it died and was right up against his house and it was pretty dense and large!

I've got 6 acres to play with down here. And I saw @DoomsDave's struggles with the stump but I'll probably be palm food myself before it gets to that point. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

In my early, 40 plus years of palm growing, I've tried many palms that I felt showed potential and others I knew wouldn't. My adventurous side has been tamed by numerous palm failures, but I still have a couple palms that wouldn't manage without my assistance. At least these days, the internet provides an opportunity to explore and gain a better understanding, but nothing beats first hand experience.

[JohnAndSancho]

22 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

In my early, 40 plus years of palm growing, I've tried many palms that I felt showed potential and others I knew wouldn't. My adventurous side has been tamed by numerous palm failures, but I still have a couple palms that wouldn't manage without my assistance. At least these days, the internet provides an opportunity to explore and gain a better understanding, but nothing beats first hand experience.

Absolutely. And I've learned that one person's first hand experience doesn't translate to someone else's. Plants are gonna do what plants wanna do, and you can take 5 of the exact same palm and put them in identical situations and get 5 different results. 

[Chester B]

It's not crazy, people plant annuals all the time😁

[JohnAndSancho]

34 minutes ago, Chester B said:

It's not crazy, people plant annuals all the time😁

😂

 

Germinate them, grow them in pots, sell them, keep two and plant one. Got it. 

[NC_Palms]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

😂

 

Germinate them, grow them in pots, sell them, keep two and plant one. Got it. 

This is what I always do haha. I will zone push my heart out but keep one or two just in case if I completely fail. 

[NC_Palms]

Someone once told me to try growing Caryota mitis as a die back since they are much more root hardy than leaf hardy and will resprout from the roots when killed back. Maybe try that species instead. It’s something i’ve been wanting to experiment with. 

[JohnAndSancho]

37 minutes ago, NC_Palms said:

Someone once told me to try growing Caryota mitis as a die back since they are much more root hardy than leaf hardy and will resprout from the roots when killed back. Maybe try that species instead. It’s something i’ve been wanting to experiment with. 

I've got one indoors that's getting beefy. It had some variegation when I first got it but haven't seen any since that first couple leaves. It's rootbound in its Wendy's cup planter now and probably 3 1/2 feet from the soil to the top. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

7 hours ago, Chester B said:

It's not crazy, people plant annuals all the time😁

The few annuals I have self seed and start again the following season.

[Silas_Sancona]

12 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

The few annuals I have self seed and start again the following season.

A Jubea -that completes it's life cycle in 3 - 6 months-  would be interesting.. 🤔

" Annual " Washingtonia would be hideous though 🤷🏼‍♂️