Can I water it now?

[lucky1]

My 30-year old fortunei has only been outside in its pot (on top of 1" styrofoam) for a month or so.
Hasn't been watered since Oct.
I think it needs water. Our days are milder +4 to +10, and nights -1 to +2. What do you think?

[oppalm]

stick your finger in the dirt down several inches, if its dry I'd water sparingly. no need to soak it, but don't let it dry out either.

[lucky1]

Dry as a bone, it was like pushing my finger into cement that's almost set! Ouch!
So it got a pail of water.
I think I heard it say "thanks"
There are 2 spears on their way up (for the last couple of months) that'll likely appreciate the water, too.

[Barrie]

"Hasn't been watered since Oct" wow! I know things are different here cause ours are doused from Oct to March in the seasonal rains on the west coast. I'd water that palm but good! Is that palm still wearing the poncho?

Cheers, Barrie.

[lucky1]

Until this year I had always kept it inside the cold (barely-heated) building all winter where all my plants spend winter.
The low temps made watering almost unnecessary, even up against the south windows.
Since I started keeping all my plants in that building, my 30-year old jade has bloomed like mad. They never did well in the house, too warm and dry with a woodstove, I suppose.

Yours get doused all winter? I thought you folks had said to keep rain off the spears in the winter

I took the poncho off, here it is naked again.
The soil had pulled away from the pot, so I gave it two more buckets of water when I was taking these pics.



It's 12 C now...fabulous.

Oh, another thing.
Had to go to Home Depot today... but didn't buy anything as there's nothing new from the last time.
What I did notice, though, was that there were a LOT of plants, palms included, whose tag said TROPICAL FOLIAGE.
No names, nothin'...are nurseries getting lazy?

[Laaz]

What I did notice, though, was that there were a LOT of plants, palms included, whose tag said TROPICAL FOLIAGE.

Welcome to the world of Home Depot / Lowes / Walmart.... I just got back from Lowes, they have a 12 Ft Foxtail palm in a 7 gal container with the same TROPICAL FOLIAGE tag & a $96 price tag...

[lucky1]

Jeez, a Foxtail...kinda pricey (glad I didn't see it at MY store, ha ha).

So what do nurseries do? As they start loading trucks with orders, they say "this truck's going to Wal Mart (or Lowes, or Home Depot), so pull all the names"? I can't imagine these same "no name" tags arrive at resale nurseries that way...

I can see NOT naming all those little 2.5" pots with various "thingies" in them...you know, like Stonecrop, akebia, pteris, etc., BUT a palm unnamed? That's sinful...

[Laaz]

Nurseries have the palms divided into sections & know what they are selling. It's the store that gets the plants in & tags them with that label. When I was in high school I worked at a Lowes. We had the tags ready back at the receiving dock. We would unload the trucks & snap tag many plants with the same tropical tags...

[lucky1]

I didn't know resale nurseries did their own labelling...interesting. Thanks.

When I was in high school I worked at a Lowes just a few years ago, huh?

[oppalm]

i remember high school - it was just 25 years ago. I worked at KMart in the garden shop and developed a fascination with plants and trees. Had a great manager , named "Big Jim", that cared for all plants like they were his grandchildren.

Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart does the same thing here in Kansas City, tropical foliage is a generic tag for almost every plant on the floor. Most of the employees working in the garden centers don't know a marigold from a pear tree, so don't count on them for information.

Sorry about the rant - as I get older I get angrier.

[lucky1]

You are a youngster my high school days were almost 40 years ago.
People who had a Big Jim in their early working years were very fortunate, and they would've passed on not only their love of the topic and deep understanding, but also a strong work ethic (so lacking today).


don't know a marigold from a pear tree ha ha, that's about it. What a sorry state of affairs. Maybe the next generation (and the one in between us...of course) got picked up by aliens and had their brains sucked dry
It sure seems like it...from the girl at the McDonalds window (who's never learned the word "thank you") to the guy gluing a PVC joint in your leaking irrigation system, they're dumb as a sack o' hammers. And they don't care that you KNOW that (that's what really blows me away). You'd think they'd try to hide it...

I'm with you on the rant, feel better already.
Barb

[Alchris]

I wasn't going to post anything and try to take the high road.

Ah to hell with it.

My high school years are about 40 years ago like yours Barb.

I had to try to train them up until a few years ago. They actually are not stupid. They save themselves for the internet, bars and parties and just don't give a damn. I was surprised how smart they were when you gave them a week to perform or you would fire them. But as soon as you are out of sight their attitudes go to hell again. You could fire them by the hundreds but their replacements would be just as bad.

Allen

[lucky1]

Yup, Allen, they've majored in "deviousness/laziness". And just think...won't be long until THEY'RE making decisions governing US in our "older" age.

Getting back to topic that's why we're happy now! Coz we're spending quality time growing palms.

Thanks for rant sharing.
Barb

[Wes North Van]

Trachycarpus fortunei love the winter rains. Perhaps this is why they are so successful here in the lower mainland. We do not protect them from the rains. These palms need lots of water but they do not like sitting in water so the soil must drain well.

[lucky1]

I had wondered how these palms would do so well in Vancouver...if the spears had to be protected from winter rains/freezing. Guess I read things wrong.
Some folks have such elaborate "houses" around theirs, though, for winter protection, they wouldn't get any rain on them.

Anyway I soaked mine yesterday until water ran out the bottom, and then a final bucket with added fertilizer.

No wonder those two "new" spears have been just "sitting there" since October!
Thanks for the tip to water in the winter!

[Barrie]

Hi lucky1 ... ya these Trachycarpus are a "plant 'em and leave 'em" type palm here. The old tall palms (30'+) would never be afforded the luxury of a rain canopy. Those cold regions would however need the "houses" or enclosures you mentioned.

Cheers, Barrie.

[oppalm]

I have protected my T Fortunei all winter and plan on keeping a plastic hut over the top when the rains fall this spring, unless you folks can talk me out of it. It is just 2 years old, maybe 18" tall / no trunk and I think its planted a little low. My plan was to dig it up in April 2007 and plant it about 6" higher. My thought being that as low as its planted the water will pool around the stem and I don't think thats a good thing. Your thoughts?

[lucky1]

oppalm, even though your idea protects the spears from rain, wouldn't water from the surrounding area still drain toward the roots if they're planted too low?

barrie...got it finally (doesn't take me long...only about 2,000 questions).
Yup it would be pretty tough to cover a 30 foot specimen, but a great photo opp!

So (to recap) those of us in areas where hell actually freezes over should NOT water it in winter, likely because of damage freezing/thawing, etc.

So those of you (lucky beggars) near the 49th/coastal areas can grow 30 footers without even looking at them in the winter?

Life isn't fair.

[Barrie]

lucky1 ... here's a few pics of some taller ones around the region, and you guessed it, no rain canopy.
Cheers, Barrie.

[lucky1]

Barrie, those are stupendous...from the Island???
I've also seen great palm pics from your place...

To think I left Vancouver 30 years ago (what was I thinking )
Oh yea now I remember...the 2 hours to work, and the 2 hours to home each day, didn't get out of second gear for 11 years!

Now that I live in the Okanagan with its breath-sucking dry summers (we've got wild cactus on our property), and bone crackin' northwest winter winds, I want to seriously grow palms. Nuts, I guess.

[Barrie]

lucky1 ... here's how the pics show in the previous post.
#1. Gorge Point Pub (Victoria)
#2. South Nanaimo
#3. Seattle
#4. Nanaimo
#5 & #6. Vancouver

Maybe west rather than east should have been your direction to get away from the city commute. Island life is great!
Cheers, Barrie.

[nucci60]

i have been following our great new weather scroll all winter on this site. I ss now how Vancouver can grow these wonderfull trachys. They may not have the best all around weather all tear, but those warm winter temps are great. The prolonged cold we had in the eastern Canada and new england areas make me dought we will ever be successful with this palm long term. We keep trying, though.

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Great pics I`ve seen a couple of those before me thinks. I always bring some photos of the palms along English Bay Vancouver when I go south in the winter or people would think I was less than sane (some already do) I am always amazed at their first reaction ,rolling of the eyes ect. The inevitable next statement is I never knew palm trees grew in CANADA. Well we would never group the whole United States without asking what state they were from. I explain about beautiful British Columbia and how are climate differs from most of the rest of Canada. I still keep in contact with a few that have made the trip up to B.C. . Guess I`m just proud of where we live. Thanks for sharing those pics.
John

[oppalm]

lucky1 - the plastic tent over my Fortunei is big enough that the water is diverted away from the plant and far enough away that it drains away. I am still inclined to dig it up and plant a little higher just so I don't have to worry about the sometimes cold spring rains damaging or drowning the plant.