Question about palms in zone 6a...

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Jova
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Question about palms in zone 6a...

Post by Jova » Fri May 14, 2010 10:55 pm

I live in zone 6a southern Indiana. I've tried palms for 2 years now with marginal success. What I'd like to do is plant palms that could possibly survive in my climate unprotected (or protected very minimally) once established. Last year I planted two trachy's, a needle and a chinese fan palm. The needle was unscathed, one of the two trachy's isn't doing well now, and the chinese fan palm is now in a pot and looking dead as a doornail. Other than needle palms, is there anything else that I could grow here, sited in a good spot, that would grow with zero or minimal protection after the first few years? The main reason I ask this is that right now, I'm really into the whole gardening thing, but in the future, I'd like to know that if I slack off a bit on the winter protection, I'd like to still have plants that could push through. Thanks in advance for all responses!



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hardyjim
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Post by hardyjim » Sat May 15, 2010 8:26 am

Sabals
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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Sat May 15, 2010 4:12 pm

Yep, sabals for sure. The bigger the better.

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Jova
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Location: Terre Haute, IN (zone 6a)

Post by Jova » Sat May 15, 2010 5:46 pm

Thanks for the replies Bill and Jim... I've been trying to find a good place to buy a sabal for the last two years with no luck. Even on ebay the only thing I ever find are seeds or seedlings. Any recommendations on a place where I could buy a larger one?

JackLord
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Post by JackLord » Sat May 15, 2010 8:03 pm

Jova- IMHO Sabals are a bit difficult via mail order or finding them at Home Depot as they seem to be invariably small or hard to transplant.

My advice, and I am contemplating it myself, is to do a road trip down south and bring back the biggest, fattest Sabal Minors you can find.

I have four. Two were HD finds and are doing well, more or less, but growing slowly as is inevitable. I just grabbed two bigger ones via mail and they are looking a bit distressed.

So...I have a cool cousin down in Myrtle Beach. It may be time to rent an SUV, visit family, and hit the nurseries down there.

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TerdalFarm
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Post by TerdalFarm » Sat May 15, 2010 8:32 pm

I'm with you, Jack.
I recently planted two Sabal mexicana I bought on a trip to Dallas last October. Very cheap at that time of year.
So, Jova, you have to take a vacation anyways. If you don't have an SUV/minivan, rent one for a road trip down south either now or in October. Every nursery has a website/Facebook site these days so you can research sales ahead of time. My advice on palms is to buy big as they grow slow up here. Think of 15 gallon as small :D
--Erik

KirkCO
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Planting the pot in the ground

Post by KirkCO » Sat May 15, 2010 8:40 pm

I've heard this is a method to bypass transplant shock. As long as there are holes at the bottom of the pot, the roots can escape from there. I am in Aurora, Colorado, (a suburb of Denver), and plan to protect a few palms this winter which I planted, (pot and all). Just an idea.

lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Sun May 16, 2010 7:20 pm

Hi Kirk,
I'd drill extra holes in the pots if you do that.
It's worth exploring that method.

Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

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hardyjim
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Post by hardyjim » Mon May 17, 2010 11:53 am

Pot planting is a good technique in warmer/drier areas but is supposedly
not a good plan in areas where quick establishment is critical.

I believe Francko a mentioned in Palms won't grow here and other myths
that palms planted this way do not grow roots outward enough and did not
establish themselves as fast as palms planted "normally."

This technique would probably work best if the pot degraded in a year where the
palm could establish it's feeder roots eventually-but not to slowly.

You could leave the bottom open so the roots could grow downward
thus availing said roots to unfrozen soil and deeper moisture?

I personally wouldn't plant anything in a pot I didn't plan to lift.

With forethought,it would be best to have starter palms in tree pots
(you know,the really deep pots)so they would already have a deep root system.


I have a small Trithrinax that has about 18"deep roots when I planted it.
I think this helped the fried foliage recover this spring,it had access to "the center of the earth":D
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... rfield.gif" alt="Click for Fairfield, Iowa Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

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