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Poland: I lost all my palms in the ground

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:05 pm
by Godfryd
Hi, it's very sad but I've lost All my palms that I had in the ground.
Trachycarpus Fortunei, Takil and Naini Tal.
Not by cold temperatures (max -24C) - they just rotten...
I tried to plant them on the top of small "mini hills" - but I see now it was not good enough.
My ground is in 90% pure clay. It keeps much water on my backyard. I realize now that if I want to keep some palms & yuccas in the ground I have to solve my water-caly problem first.

My palms:
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and the water level in my ground - in last week.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:49 pm
by lucky1
Oh, Godfyd, I am so sorry for your loss. :cry:

Clay is horrible for palms and yuccas.

I feel your loss.
Barb

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:43 pm
by DesertZone
That sucks. :x
Find some gravel, stone, or broken concrete build a big mound and I bet you will have much better luck. :wink:

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:12 pm
by TimMAz6
sorry about your palms. It appears you have a very high water table? If so you'll need to create a taller mound.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:32 pm
by bgodwin1987
I am sorry for your losses it's really horrible.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:04 pm
by Cameron_z6a_N.S.
Godfryd, this is sad news. Not to give you false hope, but the one thing I would suggest is to at least try cutting the palms down to the trunk, and see if any growth progresses. You should see some shots on the EPS forum of T. fortunei after this past winter in Holland.

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:42 am
by JackLord
That is a lot of water. My soil is dominated by clay and I live in a small valley formed by a creek. So it is very wet as well, but not like yours.

I would do what DesertZone recommends. Also, I sometimes dig the hole for a plant and then dig another hole at the bottom and fill it with gravel. This creates a drain of sorts.

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:36 am
by hardyjim
You may want to lift them and check the roots...cut off dead material and pot up with root stimulator.


If the roots are dead you will see it up top last.

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:12 am
by igor.glukhovtsev
Godfryd, sorry man for the things have happened. I would you suggest following Jim's way finding if the plants are goners. And keep exoting anyway!

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:11 am
by Godfryd
One of my potted Chamaerops humilis strted to bloom. It's very first time to me to see that process - so I have some questions:
1. Is it male or female form?
2. What to do with it? Nothing? wait and see? Collect?

Can you help me?

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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 12:04 pm
by Henoh_Croatia
Looks like female inflorescence. You need male pollen for successful pollination. Sometimes, but very rare, C. humilis develop hermaphroditic flowers.
My C. humilis v. cerifera also looks like female.

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Article about C. humilis pollination
http://personal.us.es/maliani/publicaci ... ncipes.pdf

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:27 pm
by Godfryd
Thank you Henoh!

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:18 am
by hardyjim
Did any of your palms come back?

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:20 pm
by Godfryd
Unfortunately not. I stopped buying new palms, I started to dry my backyard. First I have to do that and then I can think about new plants.

Yesterday I finished to make a outline for a little water-magazine :) I left a miniature Island - and my kids love it :) They want there a mini sand-beach :)

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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:12 am
by hardyjim
Good luck

My Bulgarian Trachy finally recovered-I will try and get a pic

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:09 am
by sidpook
So sorry about the loss of your palms...UGH!

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:43 am
by Corrosion
Man, that suxx but I know how you feel, I lost some stuff this winter aswell.. Get some decent soil and a raised bed would be a good idead. My trachy came just trough its second winter without no problems, also waggy from its first winter. Trachy scares me because its gets bigger quite fast and I have to make bigger cover every year :D But I believe proper winter protection method will do the trick, with cover, x.mas lights etc, Jim and others have shown some style for years :) Anyway hang on and dont give up.

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:34 am
by Godfryd
No palm in the ground yet but this time but I'd like to show you my frontyard - picture taken today.

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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:14 am
by igor.glukhovtsev
Godfryd, your house and plants nearby remind me a fairy tale of Charles Perraultю Great!

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:50 am
by sidpook
Very nice! They look healthy. Hope you have a milder winter. :)

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:37 pm
by lucky1
What lovely healthy plants, Godfryd.
And there's a beauty in the front left of photo! Very nice.

Since you have such a high water table/clay, would it be convenient for you to have palms only in big pots?
Then you can take them indoors during winter.

The bananas look very very good! :D

Barb