Huge Trachy Growth & More

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:10 am

Hey Guys,
Here's some resent photos of my yard with one picture from last time I posted about a month ago or so. Just for fun I'm throwing in some pictures from early August last year too. These trachys are scaring me there growing so fast, the angle isn't the same but you can get the gist. I think the one in the middle is going to turn out to be a female since it's not growing as fast as the other two. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed on that one, the two from last year should flower next spring for sure.

Here's the ones from a month ago and yesterday.

Here's the 11 month growth

Here's the oldest trachy by it self 11 months also.

These are just the regular pictures from yesterday
Velutina flowering

Crepe Myrtle just about ready to explode, later then down south but not bad for being this far north.

One of the many sabal minor seed spikes, the other ones coming are way fatter.

Bananas near up against the west side of my shed are rooted in and starting to pick up the pace. These will be monsters by fall!

Some mandavillas growing up the side of my house that I get to enjoy every time I come home, these grow fast and flower a lot.

Back yard overview from above along with my basement over winter ensete maurelli 9 feet, and the in ground basjoo's (much bigger then they look)

Thanks for looking everyone, there was a lot of pictures

Bill

Yuri · Post by **Yuri** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:01 am

Wow, that looks superb! Really impressing!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:37 am

Stunning! what an amazing astonishment.

Rubtherock · Post by **Rubtherock** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 1:05 pm

Beautiful. Love your selections.......

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jun 30, 2010 2:24 pm

Hey Bill
Those Trachys are really amazing,they have grown whole new crowns and the new leaves are
getting huge,with some beautiful color.

That's really cool to see the banana flowering,keep us updated on it's progress through the various stages.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:55 am

What did you do, plant them in fertilizer! Impressive growth!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:05 am

Thanks a lot guys!

It is crazy to look back at them like that. I should have posted a picture from two years ago too I'll see if I have one somewhere.

Paul,
Your not supposed to mix in a 50 pound bag of fertilizer into every palm hole you dig

I really didn't juice them all that much this year either, I used a very small amount of carl pool in early spring (I mean small) and then hit them with a mild dose of 270 three stage feed from florikan when I got back from Florida. They are rooted in big time though, I found trachy roots (Big Ones) 6-7 feet away around a foot deep or so, that helps I'm sure. Same with the washy roots but they where much closer to the top of the soil. I'm going to mulch out much farther then the 6 feet I did last year. Good thing the ground didn't freeze to deep and we had a mild winter since there was no snow cover to speak of.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:38 pm

Unbelievable growth for this time of year

You must've bought a fertilizer company, too!

I saw where the uncles are...under nanas

Man, you've got "the touch".

Great second floor shot of the nursery too.
Barb

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:05 pm

Nice pics Bill. Hoping one day I can have a yard that looks like that!

So your observation is that trachy roots spread out deeper than washy roots? Wondering if thats the reason my washy didn't do well. I think trachy roots can take much more cold and wet than washy roots, and maybe even mild frost in the ground. I don't mulch around my palm boxes in the winter as that would destroy my lawn since the palms are pretty close to the bed edges. Never had a problem with my trachys, though. Start pushing growth right away in late March. Wish it would grow as fast as yours though! I'm working on frond #4 for the season and pushing spears #5 and #6.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 7:41 am

Wx

What did you do with your Washy-is it potted up?

Also,Bill and I were discussing this yesterday-Washy's being desert natives probably have an intense network of
feeder roots near the top of the soil for maximum water uptake,not a good scenario in cooler wetter climate winters
like all of ours.
A lot of people have had problems this year with them dieing/getting spear-pull.

I think the reason mine did well this spring(as opposed to last)is
because I kept it covered and dry until later in April until soil/air temps stayed warm.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 8:22 am

Barb,
Don't tell anyone about the nanas

They are really starting to kick ass now, this week is going to be hot too so away they'll go. It will be a new 6 foot leave every three days I'm suspecting. Thanks for the comments

Tim,
I think that's what did it for sure. If you where to ever try one again you would most likely have the best luck if you did it in the back yard where you could really dial in the protection. Heat cables, huge mulch and a hut left one til May 1, would be your best bet. It's hard leaving the hut on that long but in the long run the benefits are there like Jim mentioned. Stosh in PA did the same thing leaving his covered longer this year and had great results too. It all depends on how far your willing to go I guess and if it's worth it to you? Trachys are just as awesome and a hell of a lot easier to deal with.

Thanks Tim

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:15 am

I look at your backyard pics every day.
Just makes me feel good.

Barb

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 5:45 pm

Jim -

The washy is in the garbage, it wasn't worth saving, lol! I'm sticking to trachys from now on. The are easy to protect. I'm also getting more into different bananas and EE's.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 6:41 pm

Thanks a lot Barb that made me smile.
People are starting to stop, stare, drive away and come back to look some more lately, also a nice feeling.

I work pretty hard at this just like everyone else on this board, it's nice to make others say WOW from time to time

Bill

ROBRETI · Post by **ROBRETI** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 5:55 am

Hey Bill,

This is lovely, so beautiful, so exotic! My favourites are still the ones around your house, like the Natchez, the bull needle, the Gardenias.... Man, I am turning green!!! However, one leaf is coming out on my S.minor after 3 months in the ground, which I account for as a success, ha-ha. My Trachy has pushed out its third one...

Bill, I wish you all the best and let this property serve as an all-time source of envy.

Rob

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:05 am

Rob,
Those are my favorite ones too, I've really got attached to them over the years. It's funny I keep thinking I'll give them less protection every year but it never happens "unless my stupid uncles don't notice the lights are out when I'm gone

" I just can't see myself letting anything happen to them I guess palm huts will be around for the long haul. That's Ok I'm going to make them much more aesthetically pleasing this year. There goes a bunch of the profits

Thanks,
Bill

henry5 zone5 · Post by **henry5 zone5** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:24 am

So nice i love all , BRAVO ! it's generous with much different species all beautifullllllllllll

Thank Bill

Henry

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 10:45 am

Thank You Henry!

Bill

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 6:10 am

I think it's time for another visit! Your garden looks great. Is your banana still flowering?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:06 am

Hey Tim...

Bill will likely tell me to mind my own business...BUT I think he could use some free advertising.

Do you know any TV or newspaper reporters who could do a story on Bill's nursery and his nana and palm passion?
They're probably looking for some "feel good" stories versus the ongoing saga of the Gulf of Mexico fiasco.

Besides, Bill's too shy to contact media himself

(You're welcome buddy)

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 8:22 am

Tim,
It's still making nanas, there starting to fattin up now. The pups are getting giant too, it wont be long before they start making nanas too. Well I pushed the sap button I ordered two of those palms that we where talking about the other day instead of one, what can ya do

There going to be great!

No worries Barb I know your just trying to help

So far the neighborhood has not been pissy so I think I'm going to start pushing a lot harder. I was kind of worried about them shutting me down since my house isn't zoned commercial.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:13 am

since my house isn't zoned commercial.

You don't have to be zoned commercial for a "mail order" business.
Anything goes sideways with the neighborhood, just tell 'em Vietnamese pot belly pigs is Plan B.

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:27 pm

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 6:28 pm

lucky1 wrote:
since my house isn't zoned commercial.
You don't have to be zoned commercial for a "mail order" business.
Anything goes sideways with the neighborhood, just tell 'em Vietnamese pot belly pigs is Plan B.

Barb

hilashes · Post by **hilashes** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 6:39 pm

omg WOW Bill!

HOLY MOLY!! I hope mine are that beautiful in a couple of years! awesome work...blood sweat and tears I see!

Heidi

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:03 am

Very very nice bill! I bet you neighbors see that..... and scowl at the tropics in your yard, that they have to fly south normaly to experience.

Have you noticed an increasingly varied type of wildlife comming to your yard?

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:06 pm

Thanks Guys!

OMG I just looked back at the original post and I'm amazed myself, it looks like a totally different landscape now then it did two weeks ago. I'm glad my neighborhood hasn't quarantined my yard as being invasive yet

I can't imagine what 3 more months will look like!

No iguanas moving in yet canadianplant, but the butterflies seem to like all the colors

Bill

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:09 am

im still waiting for pandas myself.........

PalmsNorth.com

Huge Trachy Growth & More

Huge Trachy Growth & More

so cool Bill!