Finally some growth with warmer temps

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun May 29, 2011 1:07 pm

The new spear on a Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) always amazes me.
It's thicker than my thumb, and 4 feet long.
I love this palm.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772604000/" title="DSC04744 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5270/577 ... 0e47d0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04744"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772603988/" title="DSC04742 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/577 ... 22731a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04742"></a>

The 6-foot tall Grapefruit Tree is finally pushing some growth too:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772604006/" title="DSC04745 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/577 ... de5882.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04745"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772604014/" title="DSC04746 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/577 ... c80a79.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04746"></a>

Want to make a Bird of Paradise grow like crazy? and hopefully flower this year...give it 0-0-40 (Potash).
The new stem has grown 10 inches in two weeks:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5772557708/" title="DSC04735 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/577 ... 560a69.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04735"></a>

And a few miscellaneous flower pics:

Bachelor button:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5771897335/" title="DSC04724 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2066/577 ... 387c5b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04724"></a>

Celosia with sweet potato vine seedling at back:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5771897325/" title="DSC04725 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/577 ... a29a80.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04725"></a>

Peony (forgot which one):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5771720309/" title="DSC04730 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/577 ... 41454b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04730"></a>

This Cordyline? (Red Flag?) is growing like mad.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5771720287/" title="DSC04727 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5067/577 ... e03279.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04727"></a>

Yipppeeeeee....finally warm weather.
About bloody time.

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:58 am

Pretty. Are you gonna overwinter the cordyline?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:19 am

Nice Barb

I like the stripped spear on the palm.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:54 am

Looking good, that Bottle Palm is a beauty!

Steve

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:19 pm

Great pics, Barb! That's a great bottle palm.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:54 pm

Looks great Barb! Didn't know pot made bird of paradise grow faster. What are you grow'n up their? LOL

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:14 pm

Yes, bottles palms are stunning. -- easily the stars of my garden.
They do not mind full sun and high heat with strong winds.

Okanagan desert-palms · Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:53 am

Looking good Barb. That bottle palm is growing great. I wish I still had mine. The bird of paradise should be able to with stand your winds there.

John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:32 pm

Thanks folks, sorry for late reply.

Yes, since Mike's picture of Cordylines flowering, I'll stop treating them as annuals.

Yup, Bird of Paradise (apparently) grows better if it's crowded in a pot, so infrequent potting up seems best.
And it loves Potassium.

Erik, I have to add my Bottle doesn't like the sun.
I'd take a photo of it, but the Palms North forum would be overcome by wailing.

Maybe I have a different sun than you...

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:36 pm

Sun?
Strange. Mine are all in full sun. Fewer hours/day than in Canada, but higher in the sky. Weird. --Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:25 pm

Didn't know pot made bird of paradise grow faster. What are you grow'n up their? LOL

Tim. it only took me half a day to figure out your joke

Potassium. Potassium. Potassium.

Erik, most palms love heat, and I think it hasn't been hot often enough this spring (again).

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:49 pm

And I needed Barb to explain the pot joke.
About the bird of paradise: I don't have one, but W has a traveller's palm she adores (photo). Sort-of related plants.
She keeps asking me to pot it up for her. I plan to do that--tomorrow.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6 ... site"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q0Wc ... C_0066.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm ... site">July Nikon test</a></td></tr></table>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 5:28 pm

That's a nice one Erik.
Sure has grown since I last saw it.

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:13 pm

I'm outside in the cool air (just 92 F at sunset!) making up a wheel barrow of potting soil.
So, add some K, eh?

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 6:01 am

Now that I look at your picture above i do think my plant is also a Traveler's palm...It has gotten so huge and has made about five or six huge babies that I keep repotting and giving away. What do you guys think this is, Brd of paradise or Travelers.????...The stump is 21 in. in diameter and very hard and woody.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:11 am

Erik, I've never been keen on adding nutrients to potting soil.

I know others do it, but it could lead to mistake on quantity.
So I dissolve epsom salts and K in a watering can.
I just don't know enough about strength/weights of ingredients, which could burn roots big time.

Mike, my vote is that yours is a Traveller's palm.

Nice big specimen too!

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:15 am

I thoght it might be. It grows soooooo fast and tall, one of the tallest leaves got knocked off by windstorm in March. But a new one has emerged and now another after that. The pups it sends out are about four ft tall too. Wish I could dsend you al some.

Mike

Happy Canada day, Barb and all other friends from the great white north...And Happy 4th to everyone else!!
Mike

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:22 am

Seems the distinction always includes shredding on the leaves.
I haven't seen BoP do that even in a storm.

Thanks Mike!
Happy 4th of July to our south of the border buddies, too!

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:22 am

Barb,
thanks. I'll put in some osmocote but save the MG and K for watering.
My base is coir, and I have quite a bit of vermiculite and some perlite to toss in. I plan to pass on the compost this year. Skip the sand, too, as I'll have to haul these pots up flights of stairs.
Sid,
whatever it is, lovely!
W bought her traveller's off ebay and it came in a tiny ziploc bag from Hawai'i. It has grown so well. No pups.
Call if you get the chance. W is at work today but I'm home. --Erik

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:36 am

I'm at beach till Monday.....I'll call soon....Hope you are all well!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:32 am

I'm at beach till Monday

They'll soon rename Cape May, to Cape Mike.

Enjoy!
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:10 am

hey mike,

I think you have a white bird of paradise. They can get 30 feet tall. A travallers palm that tall would have the sort of triangle apperance as the triangle palm. Also, I dont think R madagascariensis suckers like yours seem to have. The White BOP are sexy, there was one at the conservatory here thats over 100 years old!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:48 am

Wow, really. They do sucker at the bottom like crazy. I put it in a bigger pot last year and it gave four new plants...fast! I bought this thing off the back of a truck in Philly 10 years ago...and here it is, amazing plant! Thanks for the advice guys,,....

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:28 am

Sry i forgot the latin name, had to look it up.... "strelitzia nicolai", biggest of the whole genus. The flowers can get a foot long, but arent as colourful as the smaller types, usualy, white, and a type of blue black, with some blending of the 2.