Sun, the enemy

Desert plants Photo Gallery

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

Sun, the enemy

Post by lucky1 » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:25 pm

What a weird "spring" we've had.
Cool, damp, but when the sun does shine the temps ramp up 20 degrees in an hour.

Taken a toll on my plants, many get only an hour of diffused sun daily.

Yet look at the sunburn!

3 pics of the little Foxtails:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892271892/" title="DSC04809 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5263/589 ... ed7de1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04809"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681879/" title="DSC04807 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/589 ... 211e05.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04807"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681867/" title="DSC04804 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/589 ... 6d6bfa.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04804"></a>

OK...are you sitting down? :cry: :cry:
It gets worse.

Cocos nucifera:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681893/" title="DSC04808 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5191/589 ... 9bb5ca.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04808"></a>

Bottle palm:
In all honesty, this may be residual damage from the toxic fertilizer application and flushing during late winter.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681863/" title="DSC04803 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/589 ... a03947.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04803"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681845/" title="DSC04801 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5034/589 ... dd59a0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04801"></a>

Fortunately the spear's still pushing and about to open.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5891681857/" title="DSC04802 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/589 ... cf9f21.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04802"></a>

Windstorm cracked surface roots of two Triangle Palms...if I bend them back up, they'll snap..

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892291692/" title="DSC04823 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/589 ... be9176.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04823"></a>

Somebody snapped off the cycad at right, which is as sunburnt as the others.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5892271930/" title="DSC04814 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/589 ... 0e52f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04814"></a>

Might be time to take up stamp-collecting :lol: :lol:

Barb


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TerdalFarm
Palm Grove
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sorry!

Post by TerdalFarm » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:04 pm

Barb, thanks for sharing the pain. That's part of what we,re here for.
Sun damage: I had some of that in spring to triangles and the Caryota. Also, the Washies. All are in full sun now and loving it. I got the bottle palms from the roadside vendor and they were already in sun. So, I think they can handle sun, perhaps after getting used to it. (No idea what the physiological mechanism of that, if it even happens.)
Wind damage: oh, no! Strong winds in late May literally pulled a triangle out of its pot. Now I wonder how the other one survived, as it is planted too high.
Coconut: hmmm...no idea. I guess I think of them as difficult. Need to get our members from Kansas to help....
Cycad: what the heck? How did that happen?
---Erik

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 » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:19 pm

So the issue seems to be "grown in sun".
That makes sense since everything I provide artificial light for during winter indoors is sunburning, even more than last year (with less sun...go figure!) :?

You make an excellent point that there probably/obviously is a physiological mechanism.
So if seeds are started indoors in winter, and subjected to artificial grow lights for 4 or 5 months before it's warm enough to place them outdoors...sounds like they'll NEVER be able to handle sun (versus their habitat brothers/sisters.)
Other than slowly acclimatizing them to sun (I thought I was doing that!), there must be a solution among the scientific minds here.

One can often tell if purchased plants were grown in shade or sun.
I recall your big Sabal with the stretched blue leaves...likely grown in partial shade.

Cycad...visiting children unsupervised :evil:

Yup maybe Don and Steve can chime in re the Cocos.

And I apologize for making such a fuss!
After all Erik you've got pain that makes my complaints puny.
Thank you!

Barb
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