New Member question

[danilee]

Hello, Im brand new here. Also I am new to palm planting...just planted 2 majesty palms recently (in tbe last 2 months) and  now I have many questions...

Where / Which forum is the appropriate place to ask these beginner level questions?

 

Thanks,

danilee

[kinzyjr]

@danilee Topic has been moved to Discussing Palm Trees Worldwide.  Please feel free to ask any questions on this thread.  Photos also help experienced growers diagnose issues and provide feedback.  Welcome to PalmTalk!

[SeanK]

5 hours ago, danilee said:

Hello, Im brand new here. Also I am new to palm planting...just planted 2 majesty palms recently (in tbe last 2 months) and  now I have many questions...

Where / Which forum is the appropriate place to ask these beginner level questions?

 

Thanks,

danilee

This subtopic is the correct place for the question. As kinsyjr mentioned, please add photos when you have them 

Two things w.r.t. the palms:

1. Most are grown semi-shade in nurseries. Try to shade them in the hottest time of day.

2. Be generous with water as the warm season has started.

[danilee]

Thank you all for welcoming me abd helping me get to tbe right place.

As I mentioned,  Im a beginner. and I feel I've already made some mistakes.  (Mistake #1, I should have researched and found this group before putting the palms in the ground 🤦‍♀️😎) Oh well, maybe with your help I can fix some things. 

Attaches picture , these 2 Majesty Palms went in the ground about 5 weeks ago. I I have seen new growth on both plants,  which surprised me. I was sure had messed up bad with the one on the left.  The one on the right (the healthier one), has more shade throughout the morning and gets direct sun and heat in the afternoon.  The one on the left (the sicklier looking one), he didn't transplant well, the day after he went in the ground he began to turn yellow, and brown, and you can see the curling fronds, ....

The questions NOW is.....is it too late to move them?

I fear they are too close together,  and possibly also too close to the house. Should I move them at all? Should I replant them further apart? Should  move them both of just the one? Or  ...Let it ride?  Will moving them now kill them? 

 

So, lots of questions really 

I am grateful for any advice. 

Edited Monday at 07:17 PM by danilee

[PalmatierMeg]

They are too close together and both are too close to your house. Majesties get quite large. They are also water and fertilizer hogs. Water but don't fertilize for the next 2-3 months. Before you plant be sure to do some research with a thought for future growth before you place them in your yard. Move them now before they settle in then figure on leaving them in place. Many, if not most, palms respond very poorly to transplanting.

Also, what part of FL do you live in? Very large State with multiple habitats and big differences between Miami and Pensacola. We can't advise you properly if you don't tell us what we need to know to help you.

[Harry’s Palms]

Welcome! The trunk on Ravenea Rivularis get quite large , but I wouldn’t worry about it now that they are planted. Do not be surprised if the fronds burn a bit for the first several months , they are acclimating to their new home . These are water lovers and need a good watering regularly. They grow along waterways sometimes in habitat. The one on the left will soon get very close to the scalloped edging you have so you may want to move that out. I would put more wood chips where the soil is showing . All in all , good job and happy growing with those. Harry

‘This is one I have growing up through the fronds of a Caryota Obtusa. The trunk is tapered more than most palms . This one has a very large base . It will adapt to its surroundings . The two you have may become almost fused at the base eventually.

Two Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana ( King Palms ) that were planted together as juveniles. Not a problem . 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

They are too close together and both are too close to your house. Majesties get quite large. They are also water and fertilizer hogs. 

Move them now before they settle in then figure on leaving them in place. Many, if not most, palms respond very poorly to transplanting.

 

Agree with This...

For reference, here's a couple shots of a smaller specimen back in my old neighborhood in CA.   Tough to tell in the shot, but, width of the crown is roughly 12ft across.  ..and this is still a baby. 






Now think about the two you have,  and where you currently have them planted.. 



If you do a rando " Majesty Palm " search here on the forum,  you'll find several threads w/ shots of just how big they can get, which will give you an idea of just how much space you'd want to give them. 

While it's true that palm roots aren't like tree roots ..in the sense that they typically don't destroy hard surfaces like a concrete walkway ..or the foundation of a house,  palm species with a good - sized trunk width, like a Majesty, probably isn't the best option for so close to a home.. 

Depending on what part of FL you're in,  there are other,  slimmer palm options that would fit in that space better than these. 

For them?..  look over the total space of your property while imagining them larger / more mature..  That will help you decide where they will fit better compared to where you have them now. 

While they're definitely water and nutrient hogs <  ..Love LOTS of  K < = Potassium,  >   they are tough and will take some cold,  ...if you're located in a colder part of the state.. 

Fast growing,  so you won't have to wait as long as you might have to w/ some other palms to see them put on some size. 


Since you've only had them in the ground a couple months or so,  they should transplant fairly easily  since they're just starting to add on new root growth   ..Do have their permanent homes already dug and ready to go   ....before   you move 'em. 

Keep them wet,  and ..if you want to give them anything " fertilizer " after moving,   you can give something easy .. like a compost tea / diluted Molasses ( 1 tbsp. to a gallon of water,  1x a month, for now ). 

..It won't be until -at least- the fall before you'd even consider applying a stronger,  palm special fertilizer. 

Hope this helps.. 

[danilee]

All these responses are so helpful,  Im grateful for the help.  I knew they would get tall, I had no idea they were going to have such large trunks. Those really are massive.....I am looking around my yard to see where else they might thrive.  Once I have done that, then I can consider what kind of Palm to put there in the front of the house. I would like a nice palm or 2 there for a pretty focal point in between the shudders,  but  ...now I know to find a much smaller breed.  Im learning so much already.  

[Merlyn]

@danilee welcome to Palmtalk!  I started here with a few Bottle and Majesty palms around 8 years ago.  My Majesties were planted in AM sun and PM shade, and did fine there.  I made the mistake of moving them into a very sunny spot and they withered away.  

If you want to move them, I'd suggest an AM sun / PM shade spot.  If they've been in the ground for a couple of months then the rootball is probably still 3 gallon pot shaped.  *Most likely* you could scoop them out of the ground and plant elsewhere without messing up the roots too much.  

If you want a small palm there are a few easy choices.  Bottle and Spindle palms are cold hardy if South of the Orlando-Tampa I4 line.  North of there (like me) they are occasionally burnt to a crisp and sometimes die.  Pygmy Dates are a couple of degrees tougher and more likely to bounce back after a bad freeze.  Both are full sun capable in FL.  There are hundreds of species, but not a large number that are small (say under 10ft crown diameter), full sun in FL, and cold hardy to North of I4.  Do you have a particular size or shape in mind?