Hardy Palm and Subtropical Board

Hardy Palm and Subtropical Board
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Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/26/2019, 12:11 pm

I found this little Trachy a couple weeks ago in my yard . It was probably from a male Taylor Form Trachy and an unknown stiffer fronded female . Today , while digging this one , I found another smaller one in a less than perfect spot up next to the trunk of a Cycress tree . I'll get it later this year or next .

First , I go straight down and back up with the shovel . I don't pry or disturb the rootball at all :

Then I dig straight down and up all around the plant still not prying or disturbing the rootball :
.

Once I have gone around it 100% I pry it up with a solid a ball :
.

Potted up :
.

Free Trachy . It's never experienced this much sun . If it could talk it probably would say , " What is this bright stuff ? " . I've already put it back in the shade so as not to burn it since it's only been in deep shade until today :
.
The reason I documented digging up the palm is because sometimes I see horrible jobs of digging up plants , usually on other websites , where the rootball is all disturbed with no soil on the roots . Some people probably pry too early and before going all the way around the plant first .
Maybe a couple of people learn a little bit from this documentation and can dig plants a little better by trying this technique .

Here's another one I potted up , and I found about 15 more :
.

I used to think these were Sabal minors but I now think they are all Trachys . They are hard to see except for that big one , but I counted about 15 under this Cypress :
.

For some who haven't seen this picture before , those naturalized Trachys are probably from the male on the left ( Taylor Form ) and the female to the right of it .
.

Thanks ,
Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Just dug my naturalized Trachy :

Posted by Jim Wilmington DE 7a <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=Jim+Wilmington+DE+7a' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/27/2019, 10:56 am, in reply to "Just dug my naturalized Trachy :"

Those of us who grow palms in marginal areas where they are typically not seen measure success through a series of "milestones." Simply getting a palm to survive multiple winters is perhaps the most basic of these. Then, having your first palm flower stalk. Lastly, seeing your palms successfully create offspring on your property.

At my place, I've had more Sabal Minors pop up than I can shake a stick at. No Trachies yet because one, I only have one Trachy, and two, it hasn't flowered yet anyway.

I have two Needles that have produced lots of seed over the years, but I have yet to see one spontaneously germinated seedling in either of my yards.

Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a
Last 30 Years Avg. Winter Low: 7.50F
Last 20 Years Avg. Winter Low: 8.35F
Last 10 Years Avg. Winter Low: 8.40F
Favorite Palms: Species: Phoenix Canariensis / Genus: Sabal

Re: Just dug my naturalized Trachy :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/27/2019, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Just dug my naturalized Trachy :"

It was a surprise for sure , seeing that little palm back in that deep shade .
I'm trying to think of what milestone I have left that I want to see in the next couple of years .

I want my Mekong Giants to flower and produce bananas . They may never flower because they seem to lose their corms every year . ( Unlike Musa basjoos that often have mature corms that regrow their trunks after winter ) . Mekongs start with just a new juvenile shoot every spring . They may need a more mature corm in order to produce bananas .
I have had Musa basjoos produce fruit .
I also want to see if my Washy will flower too .
I'm pretty sure my Butia odorato will bloom next year and produce fruit , and that will be a milestone . I've had Butias flower before but that was when they were small and they don't produce fruit on small plants . I'm ready for some jelly lol .
I'm sure there are other milestones I want to see soon but I can't think of them now .
I've had a Thailand Giant EE naturalize from a seed in a seed pod from a plant growing in my yard . I looked at the soil and saw a small plant a few years ago . I dug it up and planted it later . That was a surprise !
Thanks ,
Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Added picture :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/27/2019, 12:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Just dug my naturalized Trachy :"

My naturalized Thailand Giant EE on 6/24/2011 . I see seed pods on my Thailand Giants from time to time and evidently a seed from a pod germinated through the mulch :

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by Tommy Nashville-Miami <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=Tommy+Nashville-Miami' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/27/2019, 4:53 pm, in reply to "Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Nice Will!

"Oh, Dixie Land, I hope you understand
When I miss my Tennessee Home
And I've been away way too long
I can't see this world unless I go
Outside my Southern Comfort Zone"- Brad Paisley

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/28/2019, 9:04 am, in reply to "Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Thanks Tommy .
It was a nice surprise .
Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by Jim in Iowa <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=Jim+in+Iowa' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/30/2019, 9:33 am, in reply to "Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

I wonder if one of those is in a spot where you could let it grow????

They say the hardiest Trachy is one that sprouts from the ground...
would be a fun theory to test........because looking at the larger plant -it must have gone through at least one winter(exposed) -right?

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 9/30/2019, 2:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Jim ,
I would let one grow naturally but they are in so much shade I feel like I should move them . I may find one in the future that I just let grow from its original spot . Those that have naturalized are so close to the mother plant too . So it would get crowded . I'll think about letting one grow naturally . Maybe one is in a spot where I could prune the plants that are shading it and allow it to stay put .

All the Trachys are exposed in the winter since I don't protected them .
I only protected the Washy last year but some winters I would want to make sure that the Med Fan is protected and my big Butiia some winters . And I would protect that Tifton Hardy Palmetto some years .
Thanks ,
Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by Jim in Iowa <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=Jim+in+Iowa' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 10/1/2019, 9:05 am, in reply to "Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Well....think about how much cold that little plant saw exposed last winter and probably
the winter before as well....as I am sure you know, the little palms
are no where near as hardy.

I was just looking at your lows the last 2 years...I saw 14-16F last
winter and 7F the winter before....if those little palms made it through that, there may just be something to the theory.

Edit Jim

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 10/1/2019, 12:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Yes , I remember planting Trachys from pots and even in mild winters the spears pull for a few years . Taylor Forms even more , for some reason , take a little longer than other varieties to harden off . Funny that they are so hardy once they get more mature thankfully .
Two winters ago was the 8 days below 32F event that Gary of Gary's Nursery said was the longest stretch below 32F in recorded history for him and for here . It also hit 7F twice during that 8 day period .
So those seedlings made it through that winter .

Wilmington had only a low of 12F that winter , but 3 days were not above 32F including a high temp of 30F , 31F and 32F during that 8 day period , so there was definitely a line of super cold air that I was in , and New Bern was also in ( Winston-Salem and New Bern averaged the same temperatures during that period . New Bern is usually milder than me ) A little bit further south wasn't that bad .
Thanks ,
Will

Edit : I got the numbers for Wilmington , and while bad , it was no where near as bad as my location or New Bern .

................. High Low
12/31/17........ 39 29
1/1/2018....... 30 19
1/2 ....... 34 18
1/3....... 36 17
1/4....... 35 24
1/5....... 35 17
1/6 ...... 31 13
1/7....... 32 12
1/8........... Back into the 50'sF

I had highs some of those days in the 20'sF . Wilmington stayed an 8A that winter , but with that stretch of temperatures it would be considered a cold 8A for there .

Winston-Salem ( Greensboro airport ; The Weatherunderground stopped showing my city history I guess because it's so close to Greensboro . I had only 8 days below 32F not 9 days . Tell that to my Palmettos named Shaq and Curly lol ) :

High Low
12/31/17 ........ 31 21
1/1/18........ 26 13
1/2....... 30 9
1/3 ....... 30 14
1/4 ....... 28 16
1/5 ....... 29 10
1/6 ....... 26 8
1/7 ....... 28 17
1/8 ........ 43 19

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Edit Jim

Weatherunderground ditched a lot of info including the forecasters
discussion(you have to go to NWS site for that )....they used to
be my go too site but they are a shell of what they used to be....

I wouldn't mind trying a seed in the yard somewhere here just to
try this out but I think there is plenty of proof in those numbers
and small palms....amazing!

Re: Edit Jim

I had a NAO winter probably in 2010 when my lowest low was about 15F . My palms laughed at that winter even though for a few weeks it seemed that most of the highs were like 36-41F and lows were 23F- 27F and sometimes colder than those highs and lows . It was cloudy and dismal it seemed like forever , but all the palms didn't mind that kind of cold at all . Compare that to that 8 day cold snap when the Palmettos were toasted .

Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by Rob Cookeville Tn <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=Rob+Cookeville+Tn' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 10/5/2019, 8:16 pm, in reply to "Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Will I love those naturalizing palms in your tropical gardens. Its always been a pleasure and a privilege to see your majestic palms too! Your a good gardener and got it down to a science.

part of the community for 23 years

z7a Tennessee

Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :

Posted by WSimpson NC <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/info/user=WSimpson+NC' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on 10/9/2019, 3:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Just dug a naturalized Trachy + I dug another one , and found more plants :"

Thanks Rob .
I'm glad I'm out of my defibering period ( sort of like Monet's blue period . At least he was making pretty paintings ) . I will still defiber Trachys but I killed 4 nice trunking Trachys by defibering them too high and cutting off too much herbaceous petiole bases . I was defibering juicy parts up near the crown .
Now I will only cut off only dead petiole bases . I really hate how I screwed up those 4 awesome Trachys .
Live and learn .
Will

Winston-Salem
Ten year lows: 15F 19F 20F 5F 4F 15F 7F 8F 14F 19F(2020)
10 Year Average Winter Lowest Low 12.6F ; 30 Year 12.16F
Profession:Trachy Defiberer and Palm Spear Puller (free estimates)

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