Cleaning up the trunks on indoor palms

Discuss palms you grow inside.

Moderators: lucky1, Alchris, Kansas, Wes North Van, Laaz

Post Reply
lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Cleaning up the trunks on indoor palms

Post by lucky1 » Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:47 pm

Glad to see some dried petiole stems ... so I can prune away.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828895/" title="DSC05167 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6489 ... 00b7_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05167"></a>

Spindle palm is now starting to show a bulge...the spindle :P
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828899/" title="DSC05175 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6489 ... 53cc_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05175"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828901/" title="DSC05177 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6489 ... a34d_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05177"></a>

I wish the Bottle Palm would hurry up and push that new leaf...want to get rid of the older brown fronds.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828903/" title="DSC05178 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6489 ... e75e_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05178"></a>

Not the neatest job...harder than it looks.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828911/" title="DSC05179 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6489 ... 3b96_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05179"></a>

Simply had to get rid of those two big sunburned leaves on the Cocos nucifera.
A new little spear is pushing:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6489828919/" title="DSC05182 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6489 ... 4e5b_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05182"></a>

Also pruned off sunburned fronds from the 3 Triangles, but camera battery died.
Plants look tidier now.

Barb


<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


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

sashaeffer
Large Palm
Posts: 1100
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:09 am
Location: Omaha, NE

Post by sashaeffer » Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:44 pm

Great pics. Looks like your dog is as spoiled as ours.
Scott/Omaha
sashaeffer@hotmail.com

<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... ipes"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... edState=NE" alt="Click for Omaha, Nebraska Forecast" height="90" width="160" /></a

User avatar
TerdalFarm
Palm Grove
Posts: 2983
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:48 pm
Location: Manzanita, OR & Sarasota, FL
Contact:

Post by TerdalFarm » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:46 pm

Thanks for sharing.
I pruned off most of the sun scorched fronds when I brought palms in.
I do want to trim the bottle bases like you do. I'm putting that off into January--some cold night.
Strangely, several palms have moved spears lately, with the triangle opening a frond over the weekend. :shock:
Anyway, back to the bottles: any tips/suggestions?

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:42 am

Yup, that dog's got a good life, Scott. :D

Erik,
All my "warm winter" palms flush once they're inside the warm house.
Those in the cold building don't push spears until it's warm again, i.e. May/June.

Re pruning a bottle, the trick I learned from someone on the internet was to firstly cut off the totally dry and brown petiole near the crown.

Then from the top, gently pulling away from the trunk just enough to get a hand pruner or drywall (handsaw) to cut without cutting into the main stem, split the dead leaf stem VERTICALLY, pulling down to where you'll make that "bottle cut" horizontally.

Several vertical cuts for each stem works best for me.

The drier the spent leaf, the better.
Just don't cut into any green part.

I'm still getting the hang of it, but it gets a little easier each year.

Barb
Last edited by lucky1 on Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


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

User avatar
oppalm
Small Palm
Posts: 694
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:48 am
Location: KS - zone 6

Post by oppalm » Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:04 am

your bottle palm looks great. I gave up on mine. It never held more the 4 fronds at one time and looked horrible at the end of winter. Made the decision to get rid of it. I love the bottle (palm that is) but sometimes you gotta make tough decisions. Everything looks good in your cellection. the dog loks like he/she may be protecting the palms from your pruning eye.
Kent in Kansas
where it's cold in winter (always)
and hot in summer (usually)
<object width="290" height="130"><param name="movie" value="http://www.wunderground.com/swf/pws_min ... sh&lang=EN" /><embed src="http://www.wunderground.com/swf/pws_min ... sh&lang=EN" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290" height="130" /></object>

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:25 am

Thanks Kent!
never held more the 4 fronds at one time
Yeah, unlike other palms, Bottles never have many, even in habitat where they hold, at most, five.
Too bad yours is gone...I'm growing mine for the bottle, not leaves :lol: :lol:

The dog likes lying under the palms...fortunately she's female so never any "marking" of her palm territory.

Palms have to be rearranged...just to get guests in the door for Christmas dinner. :reindeer:
Running out of "palm places"...

Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


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

sashaeffer
Large Palm
Posts: 1100
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:09 am
Location: Omaha, NE

Post by sashaeffer » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:27 am

Running out of "palm places"...

I know what you mean! and I want at least two more yet.
Scott/Omaha
sashaeffer@hotmail.com

<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/fin ... ipes"><img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... edState=NE" alt="Click for Omaha, Nebraska Forecast" height="90" width="160" /></a

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:30 am

We all need to win a lottery to get a proper palm house...
Me first.

:fart:

Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


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

Cameron_z6a_N.S.
Large Palm
Posts: 1269
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:30 am
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by Cameron_z6a_N.S. » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:16 am

Nice pics, Barb. The bottle palm may look a bit messy, but at least it's got the "bottle" looking trunk! :lol:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... /71601.gif" alt="Click for Shearwater, Nova Scotia Forecast" border="0" height="60" width="468" />

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:45 pm

Yeah, Cameron that messiness is from the near-fatal toxic fertilizer application last year.

You're right though...I'm growing it for the bottle, to hell with the top. :happy5:
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


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

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest