Amazing Gardens trip

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:34 pm

We do travelogues here occasionally. My palm trip today was shorter than most but very interesting.
I cut out of work at 11 am today after starting early. It was good to get up early as our morning low was 78oF.

I called Bryan Swinney of Amazing Gardens (http://www.amazinggardens.com/site_index.html) to confirm Sabal "Louisiana" sizes. It was >90oF by 11 am, and my old pick up doesn't have AC. I wanted to know if the palm would fit in W's station wagon (the "new" 10-year-old one I bought her in January as penance for being in Belize when we had out coldest weather in decades). She smiled and said, sure!
Turns out her AC doesn't work, either.

The trip takes two hours. It was approaching 100oF when I arrived.
Here is what the store front looks like:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XX ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH11k ... AG0190.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/ ... e">amazing ga</a></td></tr></table>

It is in a low-income part of town; nearby was one of those bars that advertise topless girls and $1 beer. I think you can appreciate my love for palms in that I passed on that offer and went straight into Bryan's business instead. It was a cool 80oF inside. Huge assortment of reptiles for sale and yes, Alligator.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:38 pm

Bryan runs a reptile business. The palms out back are a side-line.
He does have several Sabal "Lousiana" out front. Here is how they looked a few years ago:
http://www.amazinggardens.com/bryan_front.html

Here is how they look now.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rU ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH11O ... AG0187.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/ ... e">amazing ga</a></td></tr></table>

It was sad but not surprising that he lost some of his well-established palms this winter. What shocked me was that two flowered and set seed despite being dead. I have more photos of that in case anyone is interested. I did not know palms could do that.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:42 pm

Here is Bryan showing me his plastic greenhouse behind his reptile store. The palm I bought is in the door way, where he had set it out for me.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EB ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH10o ... AG0182.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/ ... e">amazing ga</a></td></tr></table>

Here he is loading it into W's station wagon:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1A ... site"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH11q ... AG0191.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/ ... e">amazing ga</a></td></tr></table>

It has a north Texas Sabal minor in there, too.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:50 pm

Here are the Sabal in the back of W's station wagon:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/em ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH11x ... AG0192.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm/ ... e">amazing ga</a></td></tr></table>

--Erik

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 5:03 pm

To bad his palms bit the dust. I sure would like to try seed from the survivior.

Nice palm you you bought!

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 4:12 am

What a tough palm that survivor must be! I've never seen, or heard, of a dead palm flowering... Is it possible that the stalks are a year old? Does the flower stalk not grow from the same growth point as the leaves?

Nice Sabal! Looks like you got a bonus palm too!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:06 am

Nice haul Erik

Just remember next time that you can't leave the palm in the car while
your checking out the ***** bar

Looks like you got a freebie in the pot with that one!

Did you say the beer was only a dollar?

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 2:16 pm

Thanks, guys. It was a fun day.
Aaron,
Bryan is a good guy. If you emailed or called him, I am sure he would get you seed from the palm of your choice. He also has a bunch of seedlings for mail order sales. He is passionate about cold-hardy palms.
Paul,
I am also baffled by the phenomena. Seriously, two different Sabal "Louisiana" sent up flower stalks and set seed this Summer despite no apparent living foliage. I'll start a new thread on the topic of winter damage/recovery and post my photos from Amazing Gardens. If you (or anyone) wants more details, call or email Bryan. He has been growing cold-hardy palms commercially for ~20 years and so knows way more than I do.
Jim,
I must be getting old. I didn't stop and go in for a, uh, a cold one. And after spending US$40 on gas, US$5 on McDonalds and US$200 on palms, US$1 for bad beer was out of my budget. Good thing W has excellent home-brews here at the house....
--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:25 pm

Erik, yes you are getting older

Besides, W's beer is likely more hygienic

The surviving Sabal is one tough palm, any flower stalk on that one?
Could it be that the roots haven't totally died for the flower stalks to emerge?
Interesting phenomena if the palms are indeed dead.

Great looking purchase!
...and yes, a free palm is in there too.
Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:18 pm

Barb,
W took this photo for you so you can see what this old man looks like:

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pn ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TH8Ep ... AG0196.jpg" /></a>

The roots are coming out the bottom of this trash can. I have a seriously deep whole to dig.

Anyway, I am in love. The leaves have that split look, kind of like the "fishtail" Xate' palms (e.g., Chameadorea ernesti-augusti). Also, in full sun, it is blue, more than Butia and nearly up there with Bismarckia and Brahea.

Oh yeah, W likes that I come home for her, uh, beer.
--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:49 pm

Suck it in, Erik, the palm's showing you up

Thanks to W.

It does have quite the blue tinge, what a great size.
And those roots are desperate to get into good loamy soil.
Lots of water the first couple of weeks should help it settle in nicely.

Congrats on a super find.
It'll be good to see what this one will do next year.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:03 am

TerdalFarm wrote:Barb,

Oh yeah, W likes that I come home for her, uh, beer.
--Erik

Sure your wife's name isn't Jane there Tarzan?

I bet she didn't give you a lap dance though??????

but hey,if the beers good and your in love.......
sounds lke the perfect woman!

O.K. back to palms-

Talk about survival growth,what better example than a palm using it's last
stored energy to put seeds out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is possible the palm could regrow from the core next year,
Sabals do tend to have deeply buried growth points but it may have exhausted it's last
reserves for survival-

man,you know it's a bad winter when 20 year old Sabals die from cold
as far south as Oklahoma.

I think wet/cold was the killer this time,bad combination for cold hardy palms.

Erik-

your Sabal Lou will probably turn even darker blue now that it's in the sun!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Very nice Erik!

I really enjoyed reading through this post. It was cool to see Bryan's operation too, glad you took those pictures. I just bought his last two live oaks that he had from Quartz Mountain. Very nice guy to talk with on the phone.

That's a great sized Louisiana too, was that the one from picture number 1? Either way it's found it self a good home for sure, and hopefully the winter is more favorable then last year for you guys and it breezes right through for you. I'd cover it just to be on the safe side which I'm sure your going to do anyways.

Looking forward to seeing it planted in it's new home.

Bill

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:03 pm

Thanks, Bill.
It was a fun day.
Bryan makes his living selling reptiles. He has a good business--lots of customers.
Cold-hardy palms are a passion, not a living, for him.
He said he enjoyed talking to you, too, about the oaks.
It was neat to have a conversation with someone who could throw out a phrase like, "...takil, really naini tal..." and not feel like he had to ask if I knew what he was talking about. He could leave the whole "Chinese windmill palm" and "Trachycarpus" part out. I am pretty sure he is the only palm vendor in Oklahoma like that.

Some of you like yuccas. He has some amazing trunked Yucca that came through this past winter untouched. I don't know if he can ship those big ones, but you can call and ask. Or just drive there. And get some cheap, uh, beer, down the street.

--Erik

ScottyON · Post by **ScottyON** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:01 pm

Are you starting a new trend, topless with palms?? Who's next???? haha..

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:08 pm

Scotty's next.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:14 pm

Darn. Was hoping you'd volunteer.

--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:19 pm

Just look up sag in the dictionary...

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:23 pm

screen actors guild?
I didn't know you were an actress, too.
--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:25 pm

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:19 pm

I got it in the ground this evening, after work.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eS ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_r-MvN4jW1sE/TIGMe ... AG0199.jpg" /></a>

There is a tape measure there set to 1 meter but it is hard to see.

We topped out at 80 oF and no humidity, with a nice north breeze.

I put it just barely east of the pygmy date palm (which will obviously have to come in). I can see these Sabal from my bedroom window, and so like my needle palms it should be a palm I can see on winter mornings.

I find the physical act of planting rather hard. There is the hole to dig, of course. The soil in this spot was a rather nice loam; a bit more clay than I'd like, but not bad, and a fair bit of sand. Very dark and rich. I put compost in the bottom. I did not add fertilizer to the hole as I put some the pot on yesterday, before a big rain last night. Also, the soil looked really rather good, all the way down.

I cut the pot (= trash can) all the way down and around so I wouldn't have to stress the roots tugging it out. It was planted in near sand. That partially fell away, which disconcerted me. I also bent a petiole at the base (visible in the foreground) which upset me. Should have been more careful.

I then watered it (per Barb's suggestion). I then re-set it slightly as it leaned (left in this photo) after the watering. This photo was taken after that. So, it is now nearly straight.

The "bonus" N. Texas Sabal minor is on the right in this photo.

As you can see, these two Sabal are very blue -- much more than I expected.

--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 2:39 pm

Looks great there, Erik.

Glad the temps have moderated for the Sabal's first day in the ground.
the roots probably mostly held together as you took it out of the pot; it'll be fine, especially with immediate watering.

Great view you'll have from the window each day.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:30 pm

Kick Ass Palm Erik!!!! That looks fantastic in the ground, I love it!

To many, many years of good luck

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:08 am

Nice Erik

Hope it does well for you,in the future maybe you could
use some application of root hormone, super thrive, palmbooster etc, to encourage root growth.

Nice haul and I 'm sure (if I didn't mention it already)
your palm will become even more blue in full sun

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:39 am

Thanks, guys. Yeah, looks very blue in the full sun.
Jim, I recently bought this stuff at the local nursery that the salesman says is good for roots.
It is a concentrated liquid you dilute. It is 5 - 15 - 5 fertilizer with a bit of IBA "rooting hormone."
Is that what you're talking about?
I bought it for that sad yellowing Sago I dug up and potted but the salesman said it would be good for all my first-year plants in the ground.
Any thoughts?
--Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:25 am

The salesman is correct.
The middle number (15) is Phosphorus, good for root development.
And the N and K numbers at 5 is good too, for early September (so you don't get a lot of green growth so close to....er.....a......w i n t e r (ouch!)

I used Thrive and Superthrive years ago trying to save a Licuala and while repotting some others.
Never saw any miracles.
Or maybe mine would have died earlier if I hadn't applied the stuff.
Don't know.

Barb

Okanagan desert-palms · Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:55 pm

Erik that S. louisiana looks great. I think your a head of the game with the large size it is for making it through the winter. I have two S. Lou. five 5 gal. planted since May. I only wish I could get some the size you got from Alligator alley. That root booster you bought sounds like it is the same formula that I use for my palmshttp://www.homehardware.ca/Products/ind ... 5_15_5_1kg . Since you still have a couple of months or more till it gets cold that should help it get through it`s first winter. Congrats.

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:08 pm

That palm looks amazing planted.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:57 am

Sounds like the right stuff Erik-

I wonder how your Sabal will do in the wind there.

I like planting in mid summer(even though it's not now

)the soil is warm
and the roots will jump right into gear and be happy with their new digs-

Looking good.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:43 am

Oh yeah, we got wind. Just 20 mph right now but picking up. TS Hermine is on its way so we'll have a very tropical week!

I have a few of those BLEs still to put in the ground on this delightful labor day. --Erik

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:07 am

TerdalFarm wrote: TS Hermine is on its way so we'll have a very tropical week!
--Erik

We may even get some of that T-storm moisture up here.

Maybe you will finally get a break on the water bill with 4-5" of rain

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:21 am

Yeah, I see those models (here is a link to one set)
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tr ... ml#a_topad
showing you getting whatever I don't soak up!

It already feels tropical here: overcast, humid, warm but not hot.
All the plants should love it this week.
---Erik

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 9:12 am

TerdalFarm wrote:Yeah, I see those models (here is a link to one set)
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tr ... ml#a_topad
showing you getting whatever I don't soak up!
It already feels tropical here: overcast, humid, warm but not hot.
All the plants should love it this week.
---Erik

You can have it all!

We have already had our yearly rainfall +

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:48 am

Grats on the palm dude. IT looks way happier already. The colour caught me off guard, didnt look that blue in the first couple pics.... Great find.

Hope everything survives the rain

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:26 pm

Thanks. Yes, much bluer than it looked in that greenhouse photo.
It has held up surprisingly well to wind and rain for a greenhouse plant so far.
Hermine is just giving us steady rain so far--no significant wind. --Erik

PalmsNorth.com

Amazing Gardens trip

Amazing Gardens trip

Parking lot

Sabal "Louisiana"

Sabal in transit

old man and palm

Re: old man and palm

In the ground

Wind

Re: Wind