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Finally...S P R I N G.

I've wanted to do this new bed since last year.
Today was simply too nice to wait any longer.

Messy area, torn up lawn where the septic tank was replaced last year.
Two cedar stumps need to be chainsawed by H.
H will bring in a turf cutter to get rid of the old lawn, re-levelling, then new turf will be laid down.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/552 ... 7dc68f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04591" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/552 ... d9eb69.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04596" />

They're planted permanently, at last.
Power nearby, so will probably do C-9's and some sort of Teepee protection.

Watered the Trachy in the palm hut...drier than popcorn 6 inches down.
Dismantling takes 3 people and carpenter is still away...darn.
Door has been open for 2+ weeks.
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/552 ... c59082.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04593" />

CIDP and Trachies out of the cold building:
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5211/552 ... 7e7d03.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04588" />

Sunny and beautiful (except during photos)
Barb

Barb -

Looks great! How have the temperatures been the last few weeks there? Are you worried about any late season cold snaps that could take out the washys? Amazing you have no snow up there and I still have 10 inches!

WHAT? You're planting already! The snow has just left us here in the east. NO way I could plant anything for at least a month... Well, maybe I'll plant some stuff in 2 weeks, but don't tell anyone

I see that the fanatics have pulled you to their side... I was hoping you'd avoid the lure of Washingtonia, alas it was not to be. I'm still not going to plant any of mine

Tim, thanks.

March 1st was last cold blast at -11.8 C 10.7F.
Nice before that, and since.
Nights occasionally get near or below freezing.

(Now that I've said that, we'll get -20 and a foot of snow!)

We're on a steep south slope, hotter than the hubs of hell and really windy in summer.
A Trachy wouldn't last a week on that south aspect where I planted the Washies.
Even in winter the area where I planted the Washies + Rostratas is occasionally thawed if it's sunny.

Good point about a late freeze.
I'm keeping the buckets they were planted in nearby in case I have to invert to cover them.

It felt so good to get out there and dig...well maybe if we weren't a rock/shale pit!
Barb

Hey Paul
our postings crossed.

I just HAD to get out there and plant something...anything...and as I tootled around the cold building looking for likely suspects, I could imagine the plants, one by one, going "no, not me...you're gonna get another freeze, so leave me in here"....

Hell, Paul, I was gonna plant my garden last week but the car's trunklid slammed on my hand during a windstorm, so I had to wait a while till it healed.

Re joining the fanatics, ha ha, but this'll be a piece of cake.
Electrical connection, oh, about 6 feet away.
Downspout from roof (if we ever get any friggin' rain) just 10 feet away, I'll rig up some sort of hose attached to the downspout, with "spaghetti hoses" leading to these 6 plants.
Don't you remember that these Washies and Rostratas HAVE BEEN PLANTED, AND REPOTTED TWICE ALREADY? (I'm not yelling, just emphasizing)

Too much work with heavy pots.
Dragging that CIDP out of the cold building even with a floor dolly just about did me in.

Oh, and another reason: It's BC. This time last year the spinach and lettuce was up. Damn. I'm late!

Barb

Im jelous Barb, theres nothing more id like to do right now then get outside.

We still got half of the snow, but its melting really fast. Im hoping in a week well be snowless, and in another week or 2, im hoping to sow some spinach.

They look great!!

Barb,
looks great. Rocky soil and a steep slope should be good for Washy. The W. filifera down in Texas proved their hardiness last month, and of course seeing Jim's W. robusta makes Washy look easy!
I have two W. filifera about that size but I'm planning on growing them in pots for years. They came in for the winter and I am so glad they did.

--Erik

Everybody will be out in the gardens soon enough, with more work than we want

They came in for the winter and I am so glad they did

I understand that perfectly.

My CIDP will live indoors during winter forever (the poor thing).

Barb

Very nice Barb. I think your rostratas will do good.

One more thing--the Trachy hut.
We took down the palm hut over the Chamaedorea the other day. A LOT of work. The third "man" was my 11-year-old.
--Erik

Good luck! In a few years, they will be taller than that trachy!

Good luck Barb!

That's great!

We should maybe take a moment of silence for Paul.......

O.K. long enough.

I would cover those Washys anytime it's around or
below freezing just to be safe.

What are your soil temps right now?

The reason I ask is because I would not water the Washys(unless they are
noticeably stressed) until it's reaching the mid 50s(F) because the roots are
very sensitive,esp with the combo of cool soil/moisture and transplanting.....

In fact,if the soil in the pots was moist when you planted them just leave
them alone for 2-4 weeks,unless it gets warm-70+

Haven't got a thermometer for soil temp, but that area would never grow even perennial flowers because it's so hot in summer.
Soil was dry while digging, the only moisture came from potting soil in their containers.
Watered a bit just to settle them in so I wouldn't have to stomp on sensitive roots.

I read somewhere that--of all palms--Washies can take some cold wet soil versus being too dry.

They'll outgrow the Trachy?
Really?
OK, now I'm really excited at that prospect.

Barb

Nice to see everything planted again LOL. Was the soil amended under those newly planted W.filifera, W.filibusta? They should put on some serious growth with that palm fertilizer you have. Tulips have been popping up here for two weeks now. Time to start planting some palms here as well.

John

Yup, AGAIN, but they'll stay in the ground now!

The soil was only amended with the potted soil around the roots.
Tried to keep as much of that intact.
Planting hole is basically shale and natural 7.2pH soil, which gets so hot in summer, never an earthworm ever discovered.

I can't believe I beat you to palm planting, John.
Your place is warmer earlier than mine.

When should I use the Palm Special fertilizer on the Washies?

Barb

Wow, no snow over there at all. My garden is covered with melting snow at the moment How come your cidp has such a miniature short leaves? Is it a cross with a pygmy date palm? Waitin for the spring too...

Hi Corrosion,

How come your cidp has such a miniature short leaves

You'll laugh when you see what this poor bugger has been through.

More than half the roots snapped off when I tried to repot this 4 years ago.

I'm surprised it has ANY leaves after this treatment:

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/248/1518 ... d967c2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC00455" />

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/151 ... c63e11.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC00457" />

But each year it gets about 2 or 3 new fronds...a new one is pushing now.
Barb

NICE BARB! I've always wanted rostratas...so glad for you to get out there planting! It's so wet here I can't do anything yet, we need a few days of sun.

Thanks Heidi, the "sappire skies" rostrata are such a lovely blue form.

Thanks for sending your mild weather inland, but we could use some rain.
Much of it falls on the mountains around Hope etc. (and the Coq), but only a few sprinkles left in the clouds by the time it gets here. Darn.

Will look forward to seeing your Trachy updates soon.
Barb

Hopefully you'll get some good rain soon! Sure is nice to step out into mild temps now isn't it - AAAHH Spring! Sappire skies hey? I'll have to check out our local nursery for that...maybe my next purchase??

Trachy update soon - it was quite a busy Feb so I can finally get caught up again here.

Hope all is well with you Barb!
Heidi

Heidi,
yes, we want Trachy updates! Mine look awful so I want to enjoy, vicariously, yours as well as Barb's.
Barb,
I like the concept of using W's tractor to help with palms but I'm afraid your photos have convinced me it's not such a great idea.
--Erik

Hi Erik! okay now I'll have to post because the Trachy without a shelter this year is pretty fried up on the leaves - very unattractive, but the other one is looking awesome.


Heidi

One thing you could do with your newly planted palms etc,
is use a root stimulator like Superthrive.

I did this with all the plants I wrenched out of the ground,o.k.
mainly the Bananas but also watered all my indoor plants for like
3 months..basically until ran out.


Rowe red ans Siam Ruby are troublesome in my cool dry apartment
during winter but they really rooted in well this time and are both growing-

I can't wait to get the Bananas outside and in the ground again.

One of my planned plantings will be a Musa Ae Ae,Rowe Red and Siam Ruby
'in a triangle all right next to each other



Barb-your Washys should love that spot,I think one of mine grew 9 leaves and the
other 6 last year...they may both double that this year as I think they have 9-12
leaves already to start this year!

Nice work Barb! I can't believe you are already planting up north. Nice John Deere tractor - I think eventually all of us palm nuts will need one of those.

Paul

ah HA! I looked up Sapphire Skies, also known as Blue Beaked and I remember now coming across that at our nursery and loving it! Gotta get it now

Heidi

Paul,
before you buy a tractor read this thread and make sure your neighbours have a bigger tractor
http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2901
--Erik

TerdalFarm wrote:Paul,
before you buy a tractor read this thread and make sure your neighbours have a bigger tractor
http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2901
--Erik

Holy crap!

9 leaves, the other 6 ????? for one year's growth on Washys?????
Holy Jumpin' Beans
I'd be thrilled with half that amount.
It'll be good to see all your stuff planted out again, Jim.

Paul,
Tractor still needs another pair of hands to keep the roots from ripping apart.
People vanish into thin air when a 200 lb. plant needs repotting.

Yup, Erik's tractor versus tree picture is famous!

Heidi, that yucca will want to be planted in the hottest and driest spot you have.
The closest spot to YOUR place would be MY place.
In Vancouver, I'd recommend the south side of a building near an overhang, but away from downspout.
(Remember I lived there until I got webbed toes).

Barb

Looking real nice! You folks in the lower USDA Zones are putting me to shame. My boys are still in their winter quarters.

Barb Lucky- Are you going to plant that Date Palm outside?

lucky1 wrote:9 leaves, the other 6 ????? for one year's growth on Washys?????
Holy Jumpin' Beans
I'd be thrilled with half that amount.
It'll be good to see all your stuff planted out again, Jim.
People vanish into thin air when a 200 lb. plant needs repotting.

Barb

I'll have to get a count on those today-

they will definitely outgrow a Trachy in a hot climate!

JackLord,
nope, the CIDP will never go in the ground.
Can't keep a big enough area of soil thawed under protection (let alone warm enough above ground) for this beauty.

I'm counting on Washy to outgrow Trachy, but 6 to 9 leaves a season would be impressive.

Barb

CIDP in the ground would be a huge undertaking--heated soil, like Bill does for Musa. Plus a palm hut of course.
Maybe we'll talk you into it in a few years when these Washy are trees!

Barb I would suggest using a root stimulator first for your new plantings. JMO You could use your palm ferts a couple of months from now after the roots have had time to settle in. Look forward to the updates on how they are doing.


John

That palm picture is hilarious Barb!


OBTW


I counted the leaves on the Washys again...13 and 11,so-
1 grew 8 the other 11 leaves last year.

Root stimulator it is, then, especially after reading Jim's 8 and 11 leaves in one year!



Thanks!
Barb

Had to scramble a bit today, heard tonight's low will be -3C 27F after a gorgeous sunny warm day.

Half an hour of fun, throwing this protection together, 35F/45F thermocube with C-9's inside two hastily constructed teepees for the Washy filiferas.
The 35/45 thermocube is perfect for Washies but, as I said before, I think it's too warm for Trachies.

Y.rostrata are just getting inverted plastic buckets with garbage bags over the drain holes.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/553 ... c9f873.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04597" />

Put my remote thermometer in there, and while I was piling soil around the plastic base, temp ramped up to 95 F
Perfect for Washies.

Barb

Barb- We're only just now getting the first flowers of spring here (Snowdrops and crocus). Would you be willing to post some springtime pics for us? I'm getting tired to waiting (I know, it's only march, but I want Magnolias now!)

lucky1 wrote:Had to scramble a bit today, heard tonight's low will be -3C 27F
Y.rostrata are just getting inverted plastic buckets with garbage bags over the drain holes.

Barb

Wouldn't even worry about the Yuccas,if they can't handle 27F...why bother!

That was my thought, too. Heck, I've had potted W. robusta and even Bizzie see that in the past couple of weeks (pots too big to move back inside on my own).
As for the root stimulator, what do you use? The only product I have is a 5-15-5 fertilizer with IBA. Is that what you use or NAA? Or something else altogether?

Paul, nothin' blooming here, Star Magnolia hasn't moved an inch.
I'm not "the flower type", and have no bulbs at all.
At Magnolia's base are junipers (yuck!), shading the ground and delaying root warm-up on sunny days.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5013/553 ... 7c4103.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04598" />

Erik, re "stimulators", have Thrive Alive B-1, which is 1-1-1.5, plus .09% B-1, .5% humic acids derived from Leonardite, Kinetin as cytokinin & ~Naa "a hormone-like substance", whatever the hell that means.

Also have "The Ultimate Thrive", 3% hydrogen peroxide, 2% thiamine hydrochloride, 1% nitrogen, .25% calcium, 2% mg, .001% allantion, .001% sulphur. Hmmmm...interesting about the hydrogen peroxide, huh? And thiamine? maybe we should just throw some cereal on our plants.

Barb