Kansas Tropics

Kansas Tropic Man · Post by **Kansas Tropic Man** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:51 pm

Here is our attempt at creating a tropical feel in Kansas

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vk3 ... leid=en_US

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:52 pm

Kansas Tropic Man
Nice! 'bout as tropical as you'll find in most of Kansas.

Cheers, Barrie.

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:31 am

Very impressive.

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:54 pm

From a fellow Kansan, looks great. But too much work for me to dig them up in October

I just keep them in pots and plant them.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:44 pm

Hey Kansas Tropic, congrats! What a tropical yard you (and presumably Cathy) have created!
Very nice, and a GH that'll be chock full come winter.

Beautifully done, nice colours and textures, and those huge "elephant" plants.

Is that a trunking dracaena/yucca/elata in one of the pics?
What age is it?

Have you grown all this stuff since they were small?
Barb

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:04 am

Nice yard, Kansas Tropic Man! Alot of maintence work, huh?

Dean

Kansas Tropic Man · Post by **Kansas Tropic Man** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:02 pm

Barb....I thought it was a Madagascr Palm but after researching it I am not sure. They are commonly sold in plant stores under that name. I do not think it is a true palm but a succulent. If anybody has an idea I would like to know.
We buy alot of our plants in the winter time when stores are trying to get rid of inventory and keep them in the greenhouse. My greenhouse will be so full this winter I probably won't have room to employ this strategy. My wife Cathy is really into hibiscus so we always have lots of hibiscus overwintering in the greenhouse along with everything else. Last winter was our first winter and I learned so much by trial and error that I feel I will be better prepared this winter. I have acquired several citrus trees this spring so I will have to have room for them as well as my coffee tree.
I definitely learned the optimum time to start our annual bedding plants as I started them to early last winter.

Dean ....It is really not alot of maintenance or maybe I enjoy it so much it doesn't feel that way. I am really hoping my palms make it through the Kansas winter outside and I have been examining everyone's shelters. I still don't have a fixed idea of a design so I am still in the planning stage on that. I know the Windmills and Needles will survive without shelter but I want to avoid leaf burn and defoliation and general weaking of the plant. The W Robusta will need shelter along with the Chinese Fan and Pindo.

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:21 am

Looks like you got the palm and tropical bug. Watch out soon you might have a serious addiction like some of us here

Everything looks great. Do you get any comments from your neighbors?

John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:09 am

Hi,
This is a Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lamerei):

Looks like your trunking specimen might be some sort of Dracaena, but other folks here know way more than me.
Could be a trunking yucca ??? (my new passion)

Your (and Cathy's) love of tropical plants shows!

Well done.
Barb

Kansas Tropic Man · Post by **Kansas Tropic Man** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:24 pm

John....I think my hobby has passed the addiction phase. I would label it an obsession. I think my neighbors are a little concerned for me. Seriously this has become a passion for me. I think what drives it is trying to grow species of plants outside of their normal growing zone. I have coined a name I call extreme gardening.
I hate think what I have spent monetarily in this pursuit. I used to be obsessed with golf but this is so much more relaxing and stress free plus I have the added bonus of sharing this with my wife albeit she is not quite as consumed as I am.

Barb...I am sure it is not a Madacasgar Palm. I do know this species I am growing is not tolerant of the cold and will die at below freezing temps. I will dig these up to reside in the greenhouse for the winter. I am interested in Yucca's and have several species growing and need more information on the cold hardiness of each species. I do know that just west of Wichita there are native yuccas that are almost an evasive species for the cattleman in their pastures. I am extermely interested in the cold hardiness of Spanish Dagger and whether it will survive a Kansas winter unprotected outside.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 4:15 am

Kansas Tropic...

What size green house do you have, and if you heat it? simple space heater and thermocube?

I'm asking because I just bought and built a 6x8 greenhouse from Menards on a concrete slab on the south side of my house. I wasn't planning on trying to over winter plants(potted palms I have) this winter as I don't know what to expect for temps.

my plan is to put a small fan driven heater in there attached to a thermocube to turn on/off. My goal is to not let it get any colder than say 32 deg in the winter nights.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Scott/Omaha

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:29 pm

Very nice.

PalmsNorth.com

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