PalmsNorth.com

Your temps today, are a typical january for me. Double the socks, and fill up on coffee and some homemade soup LOL

This should make you feel better, your temps wed - monday

5°C 1°C 4°C 9°C 14°C 5°C

lucky1 wrote:Charles, I might hire someone to do that just so I could get on with the gardening project.

And you could keep an eye on the work while you're out there...

Re the earth tones...good plan, goes with everything you might plant.
We've got 30+ year old "orangeish" bricks at the front entrance, also a double-flue wide chimney in the same (yuk) color.
No point in painting one if you can't do the other, right?
Barb

Would be nice, but money is a finite resource around the L'Etat Lord. I have to hire someone to remove this hideous aluminum siding. Hopefully, the originally wood will still be usable.

And painting is something I actually am capable of doing reasonably well.

ROBRETI wrote:Way to go , Jacklord!!!! I hardly wait to see the pics. Palms and Camellias, oh man.... I guess Sabal would be fine in shade, eh?
Rob

I was thinking Sable. Get a small one and see if it can cut it there.

AFter having some more time to think about it.... These are my plans to sping/summer:

- Repot half of my houseplants ( thats like 50 bags of potting soil )
-Create the cactus bed for the chollo and opuntia ( mabey some yucca)
- Create a new bed ( about 10x10) in teh low shade/high sunlight area
-plant the miscantus, and about 100 other assorted pots of stuff ill have
- finish up the bed with the wegelia and bamboo to create a somewhat keyhole garden
-trim the out of control lilac trees ( havnt been touched for 10 years)
-tame the caragana hedge that hasnt been touched in 15 years
-Help my dad weld together the new metal frame pergula
- Acidify the soil around my azalea ( coffe ground and pine multch, and azalea fert)
-control the phyllostachys growth
- I have about 100 pounds of veggie scraps frozen in the back portch, waiting to be dumped into the compost..........

and another 20 things.....

Sabal would be fine in shade, eh?

Summer 2010 edition of The Palmateer states "S.etonia and S.minor look best in light shade...longer petioles attained under more shady conditions."

remove this hideous aluminum siding.

Recycled aluminum is worth big bucks around here. The installers of our alum. soffits went around and picked up all (and I mean ALL) the little scraps of aluminum from around the saw!

Erik why is it only -5C with a thermocube?

Jesse, do nurseries in your area stock Sunshine Aggregate Plus Mix #4 soil? Professional soil mix 3.8 cubic feet. 107 litres!
John in Kelowna recommends it, uses for all his palms.
I just bought one $23.00. Cheap
The bale was so heavy, couldn't get it out of the trunk without help!

Acidify the soil around my azalea

Monthly applications of epsom salts (avail at drugstore) are cheap and easy, works faster than mulch.
Quite the list you have.

Id agree with barb about the sabal ( not experience, just reading). They usualy grow in the forest, in sunnier areas. I think the term is "open shade".

Metal here is crazy right now. I read an article that silver prices exploded, or are set to. People have been stealing power lines, and copper etching off of grave stones. Even i helped out a buddy with some scrap and got 10 bucks profit for a half dozen copper motors.

Ive never heard of that soil. I havnt seen it as far as im aware to the nurseries close to my house ( walking distance to canadian tire and home depot). Ill definelty take a look for it this year, seeiing as im going to the bigger nurseries to look for some trees possibly. That sounds like a big brick of peat moss. It would probably be good to amend my soil with it anyways ( and pot some things up in).

Ive read alot about people doing this. But for some reason i cant wrap my head around salting soil being good LOL. But im going to have to try anything. It looked a bit sad before it got owned by wet snow.

canadianplant wrote:Id agree with barb about the sabal ( not experience, just reading). They usualy grow in the forest, in sunnier areas. I think the term is "open shade".

Metal here is crazy right now. I read an article that silver prices exploded, or are set to. People have been stealing power lines, and copper etching off of grave stones. Even i helped out a buddy with some scrap and got 10 bucks profit for a half dozen copper motors.

Ive never heard of that soil. I havnt seen it as far as im aware to the nurseries close to my house ( walking distance to canadian tire and home depot). Ill definelty take a look for it this year, seeiing as im going to the bigger nurseries to look for some trees possibly. That sounds like a big brick of peat moss. It would probably be good to amend my soil with it anyways ( and pot some things up in).

Ive read alot about people doing this. But for some reason i cant wrap my head around salting soil being good LOL. But im going to have to try anything. It looked a bit sad before it got owned by wet snow.

Yea the Sable (or maybe a Needle instead) will be an "experiment" to say the least. But I should mention that it gets a very health dose of morning sun. Its worth a try. I am also going to insert lava rocks. I want to drill a hole or two in them and have ferns actualy growing in the rocks.

When my Trachys were growing at my parents' house, one of them was on the north side. While it grew slower than the other two, it did very well. It was the first to be transplanted and is now the star.

Bring a truck and you are welcome to the scap. Beer is on me.

The aluminum siding removal guys should give you a credit on their bill for the scrap.

Your sabal will be fine in morning sun.
You'll be watering those ferns planted in lava rock pockets 4 times a day

Trachies love a cooler environment, especially one that's not exposed to wind.

beer?...starting the car now, Charles

Barb

Wait till Spring, Lucky. Then we can drink it by the Palms.

you have yourself a deal

Cant wait to see some pics!!

I now have a small almond tree to try and grow. Since there is a ban on unprocessed almonds from california in the states, I have to assume the almonds here were from out of the continent. Should be interesting as to what i get.

canadianplant wrote:Cant wait to see some pics!!

I now have a small almond tree to try and grow. Since there is a ban on unprocessed almonds from california in the states, I have to assume the almonds here were from out of the continent. Should be interesting as to what i get.

Interesting. I guess you are protecting it? Will it produce any almonds?

The odds are, its from a hybrid parent. To find the hardiness on them its a bit tough, it seems really varied. Im talking abotu sweet almonds ( white flowered). usualy suggested to zones 7-10, but ive found some sites saying it can take zone 5 ( domesticated types). So its a gamble, but one im willing to try. As much as I dont like to kill plants, i payed 35cents per almond, it isnt a big loss in the money department ( the best thing abou this experiment!!) Im not sure if ill get almonds.. one way to find out!!

I know bitter almond ( pinkish flowers), are generaly more cold hardy. My grandma has one. 3 years old, and remains to be a stick ( exposed part of the yard, no protection its at the very edge of survival here with no protection, but it comes back every year, and has suckerd a bit).

If all goes well, ill have some eucalyptus, paulownia, tetrapanax (ricepaper), pommagranete and the almond. Im going to be protecting them like some people protect the basjoo ( small changes fer plant cause their all different of course), but generaly speaking, im going to get foam pipe insulation and wrapt the trunks and what ever branches i can save, and multch the hell out of the roots ( i easily got 4 bags of leaves from one ash tree, and theres 20 on my street...... leaves for multch and protection are no problem!!)

All of these trees are generaly regarded as dieback perennial, or 70% die back in zone 5 or warm 4 ( which i am glad to say I am in dispite the general data of my city says) but im hoping to save some trunk to get some good regrowth in the spring. IF i do it right, ill create a mini forest edge.

Congratulations on your daughter's wedding Barb. You may just enjoy the flowers....I am mad for them!

Thanks Mike, looking forward to hearing that A F T E R the event!

I love seeing bright beautiful flowers at other people's property.
Just not impressed with them here, so I've covered every square inch of soil with vines or mulch.

The vinca groundcover was my worst idea, I have to chop at it with a mattock every year.

I have a few flowers (shown about halfway down this page).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope ... 262728864/

Barb

I will chime in here.For spring I have a second Bismarkia waiting for me as well as a second queen palm.(both 30 gallon) Im lucky, the place I buy my plants from is willing to bring in whatever I want that they can get there hands on. My wish list includes a 30 gallon australian tree fern and a couple more 30 gallon mexican fan palms. My winter protection plan has so far worked like a charm. Inground heating using 300 feet of pipe, a pool heater and pump is keeping the soil toasty. I have above ground heat and everything remains planted in the ground within insulated heated buildings that will be removed in the spring.Jelly palm has put out 3 new fronds since the snow fell.Bismarkia is not showing signs of to much growth but also isnt showing any signs of deteriation. Spring cant get here soon enough.
dave

You know its cheating if you use a heater LOL im kidding..

ITs amazing that even with heat you can get anything to grow in the peg LOL. You really should take some pictures man.

cedardave, yes yes pictures please.
Or did we see them before you covered everything up?
Sorry can't remember.

The nursery that brings your plants in...who/what/where/when/how?
Or is it a secret?

If you're keeping a Bizzie happy in Winnipeg in winter, we need to see/know more please.

Barb

lucky1 wrote:Thanks Mike, looking forward to hearing that A F T E R the event!

I love seeing bright beautiful flowers at other people's property.
Just not impressed with them here, so I've covered every square inch of soil with vines or mulch.

The vinca groundcover was my worst idea, I have to chop at it with a mattock every year.

I have a few flowers (shown about halfway down this page).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope ... 262728864/

Barb

Cool pics BArb........I too have vinca....EVERYWHERE! OY!

Thanks Mike.
Heck if we each grabbed a branch of our vinca, they'd probably meet in the center as one plant somewhere mid-continent.

Cedardave,
what you are doing is so cool. Er, hot. I too want photos!
IMHO, the heat you are using is no more "no fair" than my watering when it is 100 oF and windy down here.
And yes, I use heat for palms down here in January. Just on palms, though--the house is heated with wood.
--Erik

lucky1 wrote:Thanks Mike.
Heck if we each grabbed a branch of our vinca, they'd probably meet in the center as one plant somewhere mid-continent.

They are insanely prolific here too. Although I do like them for groundcover on the side of the house where not much else grows and also behind the shed by the trash cans.

PS I'm up ungodly early today to fly down to Fort LAuderdale/ Miami for a four day weekend in the warmth! Yay!

After and before pictures... I cant seem to find the inbetween . You get the general idea though.

We should call cedardave plywooddave

Great job on the winter structures.
Ceramic heater inside? Christmas lights? or all that hay?

How many years have they been in the ground?

Gorgeous plants...that Bizzie is sooooo blue
Nice sizes! Is that palm in 8th pic in flower? can't see but looks like a C.humilis?
Great butia too!

What is that K-Star box on your irrigation system? not a time clock or pump, obviously.
Nice landscape!
Are the neighbours going to get on board and do the same thing?

Thanks for the great pictures, plyw....er....a....cedardave.

The K-Star is a 5 kilowatt pool heater. The pump and heater push foodgrade antifreeze thru 300 or so feet of underground pipe that coils around the root balls of each plant in the buildings. I have 35 bales of straw surrounding the plants. I figure this will help keep some moisture in the soil as well as add some insulation for them. The entire planting beds were dug up and have styrafoam insulation boxing in each root ball with lots of room for them to grow.So the ground heat rises and helps warm the air. I have skylights on top of each building to allow for some light....probly could have used supplimental light inside as well but didnt think of that at the time. Each building also has a ceramic heater to help keep things warm, as well there are watering ports on the sides(not seen in the pics). The tallest building has the butia capita as well as a small oleander and the bismarkia. The shorter building houses 2 windmill palms , a couple more oleanders a european fan palm and a couple bananas.The plant you think may be in flower ...if its the one directly in front of the window its just a simple mock orange. Finally..the neighbors never get tired of looking at the yard. Its pretty unique to have the tropics in winnipeg all summer. As you can see from the first couple pictures, its pretty unexciting here all winter long.

cedardave, that is crazy cool.

My big plans are to win the lotto and head south.

Im jelous, winnipeg is 2 zones lower then I am LOL

Grats dude!!!