Update on some of the palms- etc

[hardyjim]

Here are some updated pics from 7-27-10
5 gallon bucket in pics for scale-

Thai giant-the biggest leaf is approaching 4',my guess is that the next or one after will reach 5'!
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <img sHrc="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Tetrapanex,Stuttgart Canna and mystery banana.
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10003.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

These Cyathea cooperi are putting out some seriously huge
leaves!
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This second one is putting out multiple leaves at once-
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


Cactus garden
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10007.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

A.americana,Siam ruby,Black Thai bananas and purple Castor bean plants.
I cut the 6' tall Brugs back they were blocking the Siam(etc) and stunting it.
I never planned on them growing to 6+'
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


Castor beans in background are about 9' now <img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Itinerans Banana plant
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Alocasia-Borneo giant starting to move finally-thanks for looking!
<img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

Looks great!
How is Gunnera doing?
Also, are you going to be getting the hot dry weather we have forecast for down here? --Erik

[hardyjim]

Gunnera is holding it's own but the very hot weather has put it through it's paces.

It should recover well in the late summer/fall session.

Finally cooled off here after 97f this afternoon,it is in the low to mid 70s with comfortable dewpoints now.

Supposed to stay warm and summery before it possibly gets hot again by midweek.

[BILL MA]

Jim,
Your yard is really filling in very nicely, it's nice to see everything getting huge since you have such a nice variety of different plant material. That black Thai is looking really good and that itineran too, those were just we little things if I remember right. Your banana population sure has increased this year to, if you need the design plans on how to build a ghetto basement greenhouse just let me know

Where is your princeps that you have in the ground? I was just wondering what it looked like.

Bill

[hardyjim]

Thanks Bill

You can kind of see the Princeps in the front cactus pic right at the bottom
of the stairs opposite the watering can and in between the column cactus.

[BILL MA]

The one closest to the walkway with nothing near it?

[JackLord]

Meshes well. Very good synthesis between the different types.

Will the Castor Bean Plants survive your winter?

[hardyjim]

Meshes well. Very good synthesis between the different types.

Will the Castor Bean Plants survive your winter?

No way-upper 20s finishes them.

That's the one Bill,I will get a better picture of it as well as the others.

[BILL MA]

Looks like a real nice one Jim.

Is that in your climatron?

Also if you could post a up close picture of your Louisiana at the same time that would be nice, I'm assuming it's the one in the front left of the same picture. I like those palms a lot and kinda wish I had a bigger one. There's always next year. By the way I tried to get a Thai Giant yesterday at a logees but they where out. They had a huge one on display!

Bill

[hardyjim]

I will try to get some pics of the S.louisiana and Princeps today along with
an update on the Thai giant

[Cowtown Palm Society]

That Thai giant is amazing ! Those are quite the leaves. Must be loving your temps-everyday I look at your temp., it's blazing and humid usually too!

Nice work!

Duncan

[hardyjim]

Thanks Dunc!

Yea,it's been an amazing summer,this July came in +10f over last year.

Bill here are the pics you requested

My poor princeps,ravaged by WSM is making a comeback.

4" pot for scale-

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/mm220 ... -10001.jpg[/IMG]


Potted one,didn't get a pic of the other 2,they are a little smaller.
Good news,I noticed the one with spear-pull already put out a new leaf,
gotta love the hot weather!






I figured it might recover by the end of the summer-way cool.




Some pics fro around the yard.



Trunck of Thai black banana



Thai black and Siam ruby



Rowe red





Itinerans now 8' tall





Stuttgart Canna





S.louisiana collection,all these leaves are new this year.













Castors now 8-9'
















Thai giants leaf is now 4'

[BILL MA]

Thanks for posting those for me Jim!!!

Those princeps are really nice the one in the ground especially, did you notice a big difference in growth since you popped it in the ground? I'm also glad to hear the spear pulled on is making a speedy recovery.

The Louisiana looks nice and happy too, I bet this winter you'll have much better luck with it. I think I like them because of the pictures of Dons in Oklahoma with the super sized leaves that's so cool! I'll seek one out someday.

Also those black Thai bananas are growing on me more and more every day. I really hope they turn out hard because they are so interesting looking. They seem to be pretty equal right now growing with the basjoos both being from starts. Who knows once they get bigger they might grow faster. The one good thing about the basjoos is they grow fast even if it's not super super hot as so bananas don't. My sikkimensis grows much much slower then basjoo and orinoco.

Anyways thanks for the pics everything is looking great!

Bill

[TerdalFarm]

Since you're taking requests, I am real curious about those Gunnera. From the little I know about them, this heat we're having must be a challenge. The ones I remember from my days in Portland, Oregon, are probably loving the cool summer out there.

My Sabal also look great, so I plan to get more, especially after seeing the success you are having with them. --Erik

[BILL MA]

I'd like to see more pictures from around the farm Erik what do you say

Bill

[JackLord]

It really is an impressive garden. Nice house too.

I can see HardyJim leading stunned visitors around the yard- "Welcome....to Jurassic Park."

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Nice pics Jim! I like the s. louisiana

[Rubtherock]

Awesome... Looks amazing....

[hardyjim]

Thanks guys-

It's been so warm/humid that I don't even spend as much time looking at stuff
not to sad though,the growth is amazing!

Bill-

I think I would get rid of the Basjoos and just grow Thai black and Itinerans-try and find some Saba too.

I think the Thai black are(possibly) faster than Basjoo,maybe Itinerans are too?
The Thai black were 2-3" tall when I planted them,Bananas that can grow fast in cooler temps will always
have a jump on other banana varieties and I think T-black and Itinerans are even better in cool
temps than Basjoo-better looking too!

It will be interesting to see which Bananas are taller by Oct.


I think the Princeps in the ground is a little faster but the potted ones had more healthy leaves to start with,
if the planted one gets a couple more leaves it will be in good shape going into winter.



Eric





The Gunnera is not worth taking a picture of,when it get's some more leaves I will post a picture of it.

[BILL MA]

I agree that the black thai is better looking then basjoo but I'll never get rid of my basjoos.

I just up potted 50 black thai's into 3 gallon pots last night. Twenty more to go! I hope they turn out to be as hardy as basjoo I think they will be. I'll definitely have some biggins ready for next spring.

Bill

[canadianplant]

Very nice dude! Its fairly hard ( in my experience) to find different types of Musa in Canada. All ive found are Basjoo, and some Sikkimesis seeds.

That thai giant is huge:S My esculenta is slow so far, 2 leaves, dispite the hot temps.... Oh well, trial and error...

Your louisiana seem to be doing really good

How often do you have to water?

[TerdalFarm]

Water? I need to 2x/day, but it is so darn hot I tend to stay indoors until sundown.
As for photos, my cell phone/camera overheated before I could take any this morning. I'll try to get out there at 6 am tomorrow to take pics.
--Erik at 103.6oF, with the thermometer still rising.

[canadianplant]

My night temps are staying above 16C... id say thats the low, average... mabey around.......... 18C??, the days are ht and humid........ I know its warm enough for the basjoos to really take off.... but they arent....... so im assuming i need more water. i water a few times a week, which apperantly isnt enough concidering what ive read people watering......

Sry jim if I took over the thread dude.....

[hardyjim]

No worries CP


Bill

As long as the Basjoos come back from winter,they have earned their spot!

[wxman]

Jim -

Looks great. I could never maintain all that you do. I think your winters are a little harsher too.

[hardyjim]

Yea Wx,the winters can be harsh here but we can also be quite mild too.

Our summers more than make up for it though,since the third week of May we have had one day(79f)
where the high was under 80,the growth this year has been absolutely incredible-many nights of
+80f lows.

Canada-

I have watered with a hose maybe 3 times this year(very lucky to have plentiful heat/rainfall together
this year,I think around 7" in May,15"ish in June maybe 8" in July and already almost 2" this month.

I have little wells around by palms so when it rains(or I water) it forms a nice puddle that deep waters the plants-
I am really glad I haven't had to water to much this year as it would take at least an hour a day-esp in heat!

[TerdalFarm]

Jim,
I easily spend an hour a day with the hose. Count your blessings and remember why you love Iowa. --Erik

[canadianplant]

LOL, ive had the heat... and untill recently, almsot no rain.

Between december and march, we usualy see 60-100CM of snow, some times more. From December 09 to march 2010, we seen 30cm of snow. from march till june we got less then 50mm of rain ( usual 100mm easy). The lake is about 10 feet low..., so are most of the rivers and creeks..... ITs finaly catching up, so its been easier on me too . Tuesday, we had 2 inches of rain in 2 hours...... was awsome

Fortunalty I only have 3 garden beds 2 roughly 13x4, and one 5x5, with a few random bamboo planted, so it doesnt take me very long to water... I jsut need to do it alot more LOL

Jim good idea about the depressions in the ground. Those alone can make a big difference. I was thinkin of making deep but thin channels in my beds to make sure the middle holds a bit more water.

[BILL MA]

When it rains it rains right? Wells are only good if you have to manually water 3 times does not qualify as watering

I guess another thing I like to do is water even though I complain about it from time to time.

3 times

Bill

[hardyjim]

I really feel for you guys not getting as much rain,I dreaded the watering when I had to do it!

Almost like work!

[BILL MA]

Watering in the mid 80's isn't anything like watering in the 100's like Erik and Your place

Bill

[hardyjim]

That's true you don't want to be out-even if you are watering!

Here are some pics from around the yard from today(8-6-10) Beautiful day
with lower temps and humidity-back to the 90s tomorrow


Stuttgart-Rowe red



Beautiful Siam Ruby and Thai black bananas-Thai blacks are moving some more serious leafage now





C.cooperi




My Naini Tal at the beginning of the season(March 15) and now(8-6-10)





Thai giant bloom stalk-etc

[TerdalFarm]

Amazing growth on that Naini Tal. Have your Trachies slowed down in the heat like mine have?
Still hoping to see Gunnera one of these weeks....
As for weather, we topped out at a mere 96oF today (dew point just 70oF!) and I was off work so I was outside all day. Nursing a sunburn now but it was worth it as temps are going to be going back up this coming week. --Erik

[BILL MA]

Looking really good Jim! This has sure been a good summer for your plants.

Bill

[BILL MA]

Where's the raja puri? I don't think I've ever seen it in your yard.

[hardyjim]

In the 3rd pic Bill-you can just see one of it's leaves.
I noticed yesterday it's sending up some pups.



Oop,found a pic of it from 7-28-10,to the left of the Agave

[canadianplant]

Those canna are awsome (stuartgart??). How tall are they?

Thos tree ferns in the ground or they still potted?

The trachy looks great! Nice when you see growth like that Same with that thai giant.... i hope to get some growth like that next year on my A. Odora.

Awsome dude

[hardyjim]

Thanks mon-

The Cannas are about 4-5',last year they were about 7'

The Tree ferns are all planted-3 D.antarctica,2D.squarossa,2 C.cooperi.


Bill




Erik

The Trachys have not slowed at all,I credit that to plentiful rainfall.

[TerdalFarm]

OK, better go water again.
My Canna have done well this year, too. --Erik

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Jim great pics. Have your neighbors caught the palm, tropical plant bug yet? Amazing Bananas & palms.


John