Satakentias love rain and wet conditions

[sonoranfans]

Lots of rain recently(last 2 months ~20") has brought the palms which are wet lovers alive.  They are putting out new leaves and dropping old ones faster than I have seen previously.  OF these palms, the satakentias just glow.  I have (2) with just under 8' clear trunk and they are getting nice color on the crownshaft as well as that nice dark foliage.  These were not damaged significantly in hurricane Milton last october.  Ken Johnson delivered these 2 palms about mid 2019 with 2-3' of clear trunk.  They have grown 5-6 feet of trunk but more recent growth is most impressive in caliper of the trunk at the bottom of the crownshaft, its ~8" .  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Looking Glass]

Yours look great!  they definitely love a wet year.  When I researched these I noticed that where they come from in Japan, it rains like every other day.  They do like a constant flow of water, without being swamp dwellers of standing water.   

After a record setting year of rain, we have now had 2 years of drought, and despite frequent irrigation and weekly hand soaks, and plenty of potassium and fertilizer, mine are looking a little beat lately.   We continue to be behind for the month and year here.  
 

 

[realarch]

Tom, Looking Glass, those look terrific? Really nice color on the crown shaft, we could use a bit of your rainfall, things here looking parched. 

Tim

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, realarch said:

Tom, Looking Glass, those look terrific? Really nice color on the crown shaft, we could use a bit of your rainfall, things here looking parched. 

Tim

At this point I will brag and say it’s been the wettest year I have ever seen in my area. Even the ducks have had enough rain! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

Oh my word it doesn’t get any better than those magnificent palms. I just planted three in a row near my greenhouse entrance now I think they will be a little crowded by looking at those mothers! 

[sonoranfans]

I will admit that during the dry spring when we didnt get much rain these were getting30min 3x a week from the auto irrigation timer and when it was particularly hot and dry I ran the rainbird on them manually as well.  Last 10days watering ahs been on rain alone.  Rain is great for palms because when droplets fall in the atmosphere they absorb N2 gas which is then absorbed through leaves as well as roots.   Ken said to plant them in half day shade and they will emerge to the sun as they grow as they do in habitat.  He also told me to water liberally and use florikan palm special which I have done.  I have a third one I grew from a 4" (total length) bare root seedling and it was recently planted as a 15 gallon palm on august 14 and has been rained on almost every day since.  Here is the young one.  It does see  a couple hours of overhead sun now and will see 3-4 hrs of western summer sun next year when the sun goes back up north again.   

[Harry’s Palms]

These are beautiful . Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

😍😍😍😍😍

 

I've completely forgotten what rain is, though. 

[Fusca]

@sonoranfans Tom, I really have a hard time deciding which of your palms I like best but this is definitely one of the contenders!  😃

[sonoranfans]

11 hours ago, Fusca said:

@sonoranfans Tom, I really have a hard time deciding which of your palms I like best but this is definitely one of the contenders!  😃

Yeah its hard to pick one, but with all the hurricane damage to my copernicias I find the satakentias very uplifting.  No hurricane damage and seemingly getting better color every year.   The fruiting ones I saw in Kens yard were overwhelmingly beautiful, mine don't have as much purple, but each year they get a little closer.