Leave Covered, or Un Cover

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:37 pm

Everybody is probably aware due to my bugging everybody, but my Robusta is covered in the "Iowa Robusta" way.
I am looking at the 10 day forecast after tomorrow and am thinking of unwrapping the Robusta and let it harden off.
I am prepared to unwrap, then if it gets cold again, I can put the X-Mas lights on the tree again and cover with a plastic trash can.
Here is the 10 day outlook...http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/U ... undeclared

PLEASE advise.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:15 am

Don't forget about sun burn, the sun can kill as fast as the cold, you might try exposing it a little at a time? It is such a guessing game with the weather, what ever you do is probaly best.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:21 am

Hi folks. Yup, think I belong here. Love palms and cycads and am determined to push my zone (a big stretch).
Will try to post pic of my T.fortunei (wearing a blanket).

I don't think that worked...[/img]

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:23 am

Sorry...

pic didn't work.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:31 am

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:03 am

wes - I'd uncover the palm and be prepared to cover when temps dip. I think with it being wrapped it will get too hot and possible moldy if you allow it to heat up too much. Good luck.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:36 pm

Nice Windmill palm lucky1. Looks like a poncho or sarape on that palm!

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:40 pm

Thanks, Barrie, but I flipped when I saw the size of your palms at such a young age. It's obviously your experience that shows. Mine is 30 years old, I repotted it two years ago. Bought it as a little 4-inch plant in Vancouver.

I've never had the courage to have it winter outdoors (like the brave folks here). Just brought it outside early February; the building is unused in winter and kept at about 45 degrees F.

But after seeing them snow covered in Vancouver and Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia...I realize I'm a chicken.

My dream is to wake up one morning...in zone 10...without having travelled (the bright side of the dark cloud called global warming).

Okanagan desert-palms · Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:03 pm

Lucky1 welcome to zone denial. Nice to see more people from the Okanagan interested in palms. You are doing something right to have that palm for 30 years. I bet if planted it would just explode with growth.
John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:59 pm

Thanks for the nice welcome. Zone denial...that's the best description.
"...if planted it would just explode with growth"...but then I'd have NO life at all, I'd be spending my days hovering over it to keep it warm."

Geez, I had told myself "no more palms" when lugging them in and out twice a year.
But after reading posts on this wonderful site, I'm off to the nursery tomorrow with my new list.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:34 pm

How many palms do you have that you had to tell yourself "no more palms"?
Do the Okanagan nurseries stock palms at this time of year?

Cheers, Barrie.

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:16 am

Well I unwrapped and I was amazed at how dry it was in the spear and how there was no mold anywhere. I did not use a fungisied (sp?) or anything else on it. Emerging spear has a lil green on it. Hope this weeks warm temps get it going.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:53 am

Barrie, I only have two left of the many I've tried over the years. Most succumbed to neglect, I admit, and they always had problems with spider mites when they overwintered in the too-warm house. But this site gives me renewed hope (and lots of cultural advice for which I say "thank you" in advance). Especially now that I have this other unused and barely-heated building in which they are doing well in winter.

This site has rekindled my long-lost passion for these magnificent plants.

After I get back from the nursery today

I'll post a pic of my other remaining palm (it has a few problems).
Art Knapps in Vernon always has a good, but pricey, supply of palms. A shipment has arrived at Swan Lake nursery, but I didn't see tons of palms. Bought a 5-foot Canella (wild cinnamon tree) there last month for $59.00 which seems to be doing well after repotting. If I had more time, I'd head to Kelowna, have always loved their well-stocked nurseries.

But now, I'm on a palm hunt! Gotta dust off my Visa card.

It's +4C and sunny today, I may take fortunei's poncho off.
kansas, wonderful that your wrapping worked so well.
Ciao for now.
Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:21 pm

Just back from my nursery trip! Wonderful 3 hours, followed by a forbidden greasy hamburger. Life is good!

Was looking for a needle palm, none to be found in Vernon. Here are my purchases:

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:45 pm

still gettin' the hang of posting images...

Sago was $40.00 at Home Depot (while Art Knapp's, same size, were $70+)

Here's my years-old poor Sago barely making it:

Can anyone ID these other two purchases?

No tag. Clerk suggested its common name might be Ladyfinger palm (?). Price $45.00

I think clerk said it was a Neanthebella. She said these like to be in dry-ish soil, assuming good humidity. Price $24.99

And, yup, couldn't resist the Anthurium either. Needed a good home. Price $13.00

As expected, Art Knapp had some spectacular palms...but out of my league pricewise.
A 4to5-foot Kentia in a 12" pot was $349.00; Fishtail 12" pot was $189.00.
3 gallon Areca $60.00, and a nearly 6 foot tall Kentia was $440.00 (in a 14" pot).

Both Walmart and Home Depot had 5 foot tall Majesty Palms on, dirt cheap, at $16.99, but I had read somewhere on these discussions that a Majesty is pretty troublesome indoors. So I passed.

Now to my other old palm (name unknown) with problems:
It was bashed around during a vicious windstorm last Fall right after I had repotted it. Now 4 months later indoors, it's still crooked. See the exposed roots at base, they're very woody. I'm afraid to try to stand it back up straight in case these exposed woody roots break off. What would you experienced folks do? Maybe just turn it the other way into the wind when it goes back outside?

The birds brought all the clover into the pot while on the patio.

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:52 pm

The last palm is Date palm. More than likely a CIDP. I would repot it. They are very hardy palms.

The first palm, not the sago looks like Rhapis excelsa (Lady palm).

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:27 pm

I agree with Laaz, although the term "hardy" for the Okanagan region won't apply. You're probably 2 and a half zones out of range for Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm).

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:33 pm

Thanks folks, what's a CIDP?
I'll add their proper names to my pics next.

Anybody have an answer to that pic of the old wind-whipped palm leaning, and with roots exposed?

And Barrie, yup, "two and a half zones away" is a nice change from "half a bubble off plumb"...If I may use YOUR phrase, that describes my situation: two and a half zones away from paradise.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:09 pm

OK got it...CIDP Canary Island Date Palm.
Thks. Barb

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:21 pm

hehe... Sorry I'm not familiar with the BC zones. I'll have to take a trip up that way (In the summer

)

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:08 pm

I'm sure you'd love the Okanagan, Laaz. Our south of the border friends spell it Okanogan in their valley.
But hey, you're in gorgeous country, too. Aren't both Carolinas famous for their gazillion golf courses?

There's only one pre-requisite to visiting: (language) Nice palm, [/i]eh? ha ha.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:05 pm

Been quite awhile since I've been around the Okanogan region. I keep saying I gotta get off the "rock" and head inland to re-visit that region. Smokin' hot in the peak of summer but arid. lucky1 you should try some of the desert tropicals that are discussed on this forum.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:12 pm

Yup, at 13 inches of rain a year (2 inches of which doesn't even land here because of the wind, ha ha), it's definitely semi-arid. I'll post pics of some of my succulents later, but am afraid to fill up the pipe with images!

Cheers, Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:23 pm

Fear not! Post your pics.
Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:57 pm

Thanks for that good advice yesterday to repot...all three were dry as a bone, and the CIDP's stems were very loose.
They look happier already.

Hope everyone's enjoying this nice weather.
Cheers
Barb

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:58 pm

Barb you will not find any needle palms here in the Okanagan nurseries. I`m sure they have never heard of such a palm

.If you want to buy one here is where I bought three last Oct. Be forwarned they are not cheap. www.millionplants.com

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:19 pm

Needle palm 7gal $160.00 Ouch !!! And 7gal Trachy @ $125 ? You gays up north are better off having the palms shipped up near the border & then bringing them in yourself. These prices are crazy expensive !

I can buy a 15 Ft Sabal Palmetto for $125. Yes I know they are common here, but hell those needle prices are just stupid !

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:42 pm

Better yet... http://cgi.ebay.com/Rhapidophyllum-hyst ... dZViewItem

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:55 pm

OK Desert Palms, looked at that Ontario site...that's probably why I didn't see a Needle during my nursery jaunt yesterday!

Bet your 3 Needles are super, do you have a pic somewhere on this site? Noticed they had a Takil for only $9.99, cheap! Do you have yours outside all winter (zone 6b - 7a)? By the way, Kelowna is 35 miles south of Vernon. How'd you swing those nice zone numbers?

We're, I believe, a 4b or 5a, but you know how interesting zone maps can be. I'm still looking for one that'll show me in Zone 10!

Laaz, you think that's pricey? You missed my price-checks yesterday: 6foot tall Kentia $440. 12-inch pot Fishtail $189.
Your prices are cheap. Get one to the border? ha ha, you've not heard of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, have you?
A palm would flower before we got it through, especially now that Sudden Oak Death fungus has been found in California...Canadian inspectors, I've heard, are turning everything back if it's in soil. It'd be faster to move south

In today's RONA flyer, they've got 1gal pics of tropicals for $9.99 !!!!! and one of them was a palm, I don't know which one.

Yes we pay a lot for palms...and then we pay a lot more just to keep them flourishing!
oops, can't post. Server interruption...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:58 pm

Laaz, just saw the eBay link. A 4-inch Needle for 5.00 (and likely $50.00 to get it here from Texas, ha ha).
No mention that a phytosanitary certificate is included (that can be a long hassle).
I wonder if the Millionaire Ontario site has an eBay store...will look.

Okanagan desert-palms · Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:11 pm

Barb here is a photo of my three needle palms.
http://groups.msn.com/OkanaganPalms/sho ... PhotoID=75 As far as our zone in the Okanagan we used to be a zone 5 back in the 60`s now the Valley is a zone 6a in the north to 7a in the south. Here is the zone map year 2000.
http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/i ... yer=cities

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:43 pm

Thanks for posting the pic...so that's what Needles look like. They're gorgeous, and I'll keep my eyes open for one (even though I'm not off to Ontario anytime soon).

Yippeeeeee, we're in 6a!!!!! thank you, thank you for that map. I could never get it to zoom far enough to figure it out (I'm 8km east of Vernon), and that's where a bunch of "colors" collide

A friend last year went to a "garage-moving sale", and the woman said "so, you like plants? Come in and you can have your pick..." She ended up buying most of the owner's plants because they were heading out of town. I was so envious, she got a whack of neat plants for $100...made two trips to haul them home.

But my friend doesn't have a green thumb, so...

maybe I'll get 'em just before they die. I didn't see a Needle among them, tho. Darn.

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Leave Covered, or Un Cover

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