Winter update

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 10:49 am

Hi everyone.

Sorry I haven't been on in quite some time. Here's a few pics of some of my palms (the big ones) over wintering in the house.

My two monster queens are doing quite well now after they took a terrible beating in the spring. They are coming back strong. All the rest of my palms are doing good as well with the exception of my inevitable spider mite issue.

Spindle

coconut , phoenix, foxtail and 5 large queens

I will take some more pics and share

Mark

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:43 am

Here's some more.

Spindle & Washy

Adonidia

Queen

Coconut

Phoenix R's

2nd largest Queen

Adonidia

Phoenix R

Adonidia

Phoenix R & Adonidia

Trachy

Phoenix R

9 Adonidia (I think) seedlings, Triangle

Adonidia, seedlings, Phoenix R, Trachy

Phoenix R's

Keeps me busy... how many more days till spring 62?
Mark

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:17 pm

Everything looks very healthy-quite a jungle in there!

I am guessing your not married

What do you have in the cages ?

Monkeys

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:33 pm

Jim,

Thanks!

No. Not married. Divorced 2 years now. Cages are for the bunnies. I had 2 bunnies but lost one back in Dec. Now I just have one but will probably adopt another.

Mark

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:52 pm

Oh for heaven's sake NOW I remember who had the Queen palm leaning on the sofa because it was too tall!!!!! (actually I think there were two leaning).
It was you, Mark.

...Now I've forgotten WHO it was that asked about it.

Fabulous specimens, Mark.
Those Queens have grown so much since we last saw them.

And the Christmas palms are new...good looking specimens.

You've got ALL THAT for one bunny?
That's one spoiled wabbit.

Thanks for the updated photos.
Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:19 pm

That's my kind of living room!! Great palms.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:00 pm

Barb,
it was I who asked--I wanted Mike (sidpook) to see these. Hopefully it will save him from spray-painting his next year.

Don (tropicman) might also be interested.
And I have to admit, I am, too. Winder if W would let me get away with that....
--Erik

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:04 pm

Very nice stuff! great plants! hey does anyone else ever have the problem of their tall queen palms getting dry at the end of their fronds in the house in winter???

tropicman · Post by **tropicman** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:12 pm

Very nice looking palms!
Looks like next year,your gonna have to lay them down to overwinter,or cut hole in ceiling,and put a light in the attic!!!!
Or do what I did plant them in the ground.
Right now I have a coconut,2,Majesty and a Triangle palm all over 10 ft,and my tallest greenhouse is only 12 ft,also a big bird of paradise well over 10ft too!
If my 15ft queen makes it,I might try some others in the ground over winter.
I got several Cuban Royals coming along as well,and some Xmas palms,will be huge in a couple years,and I don't have any more room to add on!
Are you composting any of the rabbit pellets?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:55 pm

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

Barb,

Yep. I'm the crazy one managing two unmanageable palm to big to bring/ Stand inside. Yes there were two but the one can actually stand with the fronds all against the the 12 foot ceiling.

Christmas palms.. One I've had about 7 years the other 2. They really did good outside over the summer. Everything did.

Spoiled wabbit. That's an understatement!

Eric,

Thanks for PM-ing me to get an update. I missed this site.

Sidpook,

I only have issue with mine drying out when I spray for mites with water alcohol and dishsoap mix. Otherwise they do good. Bugs it my big problem. I guess you have that when you have 40 palms in the house.

tropicman,

I'd love to plant in the ground but I just know I'd lose them. They are way too large to protect and I feel safer know they're safe. (except from bugs)
I need something like the atrium at Navy Pier! That would be nice.

Mark

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:13 am

Mark,
Those atrium pics are stunning...OMG!
You've got 40 palms indoors?

What I'd give for a 12 foot ceiling! I could buy 13 foot palms.

Adorable bunny...good that he eats cardboard and not palms.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:44 pm

Looks like a nice little buddy to have.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:24 pm

Nice palms.

damir · Post by **damir** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:51 pm

nice palms, i agree. what is lowest temp in that room? since coconut is not cold tender.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:15 am

Yes. 42 palms inside. 9 are seedlings.
Isn't that atrium awesome.

Actually Sambuca (bunny) will and has eaten palm the palms. They are mostly bunny proved. The big ones in the great room are all fenced in.

Keep the house at 72 though it may drop to 70 in there at night and on sunny winter day it gets up to 76. I've heard that coconut's are very hard to keep indoors but I've had very good luck now for 2 years. I think it mostly due to the light I get in my house. Many large windows and its quite open.

Mark

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:40 am

Mark, that atrium takes my breath away, so beautiful.
...naturally you weren't taking pics of the cute girls

Sambuca the bunny, cute name.
Fortunate for your palms they're not related to beavers

The big things for Cocos are light and humidity so you're doing something right.
Misting frequently is a pain with wood floors...I've got drop sheets under my Foxtail, Bottle, 3 Triangles and BoP to protect the floor.

All palms go outside for the summer, I presume.
Barb

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:25 am

Barb,

I wish I had the time to mist all mine but they're too big and there's too many. I do it when I see the mites taking over which is right about now.

Yes. They all go out in late spring/ summer. A bit over 3 moths to go. Fighting the f'in spider mites till then. Many went out for a hose blast on 12/31/10 when it was 50 deg. but I'm noticing the mites on my queens now.

Hopefully we'll have a warm spell again so I can take them out and blast them again.

Come on spring 57 days!!

Here's some pics from spring:

This Phoenix has grown a lot since this pic

You see my battered queen in the back

Couple others. Everything looks so small in these. It was late spring

Mark

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:09 am

Anybody else having trouble opening Mark's links?

His photohost might be down?

noticing the mites on my queens now

John gave me a good tip the other day.
Says to push a garlic clove or two, point down, completely into the soil.
My big Foxtail's got spider mites too so I'll try garlic.

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:11 am

His links work for me.
No mites this year (knock on wood). I used neem oil last year, but not yet this year after reading Jim's posts.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:12 pm

so putting garlic into the soil will help keep them away???

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:05 pm

Garlic? Really?

Can't imagine it would work on really large palms but I guess its worth a try.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:21 pm

I bought a whack of garlic today, the house'll smell like a sausage...a very big sausage

And I love garlic, H hates it.

John swears by it, maybe it'll keep scale and mealybugs away too.
Just plant the point DOWN, or else you'll have a garlic farm...hmmmm (why not?!?)
Might keep Erik's cat from peeing on his palm too!

Anyway, the links work great (my wireless mouse batteries were dying)

Ah, Mark, those pictures!!!!

That pool photo I remember well, with queens on each side of the stairs.

The battered queen didn't look too bad Mark, the odd bent frond was probably removed anyway.

Oh that gorgeous Phoenix!

I'm off to plant garlic under the big Foxtail...

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:24 pm

I'm trying the garlic thing.....If teh palms die, at least Ill have fresh garlic for free...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:54 pm

So you're planting it point up, Mike?

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:10 am

lucky1 wrote:So you're planting it point up, Mike?

I'll do both for good measure!