Buying a Rostrata

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:52 pm

Anyone know any online places where I could purchase a good sized Yucca Rostrata besides Collector Palms and Alligator Alley?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:48 am

try cal-plants on ebay.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:34 pm

I bought my Yucca rostrata "sapphire skies" from Plant Delights Nursery in the Carolinas...(north ? south? I can't remember!)

Good customer service, great quality.

Looking forward to seeing what you buy.
Barb

Jova · Post by **Jova** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:21 pm

I'm definitely going to be following this thread, since I've been trying to find a good place to buy one of these as well... Found lots of places that sell them, but the prices just seem ridiculous compared to everything else I've bought.

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:39 am

Thanks for the info!

I found out Cal-Plants has now changed to "cactusbylin.com". They do not have any Rostratas but they have good size Thompsoniana's for sale. I hear the Thompsoniana is more cold hardy than the Rostrata? Anyone know if there is any truth to that? I might go with one of those instead.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:41 am

I have found them to be about the same.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:09 pm

That's encouraging, Aaron.

But my big rostrata--after winter with no heat, just lots of blankets in a box--might argue the point.
It looks awful, and is drying up in front of my eyes.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 8:22 pm

If you do get one make sure it is not a yucca rigida. Some places will sell it as rostrata, but they are not cold hardy.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:40 pm

Cactusbylin is a good seller. Victor is his name, I bought a thompsoniana from him recently and am extremely pleased with it. He sells on Ebay also. I have kind of kept it a secret until I decided if I wanted to buy more (selfish!). $89 for an over 4-foot tall trunked yucca?!?! Mine is a beauty and I'd recommend the seller for sure. I'm actually going to buy another from him shortly. I hope the pictures come out right on this site. It worked on Gardenweb...

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00583.jpg>

Before its haircut just upon arrival...
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00569.jpg>

The planter it went into by the pool. Basjoos will be elsewhere this summer... Another large trachy going in soon also. Needle palm got relocated (it survived MN winter without heat, just covered by garbage can).
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00455.jpg>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:04 pm

That beauty was ONLY 89 dollars?????

Boy oh boy, we Canadians sure get ripped off big time...that is--IF-- we can find jaw-dropping beauties like that!

mnpalms...very nice tropics poolside!

Barb

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:33 pm

That's a heck of a deal for $89! Thanks for posting pictures. I'm patiently waiting for the soil temps to warm up here before buying one. Would it be better to pot it the first year before putting it in the ground?

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:44 am

Thanks for the compliment Barb. I'm hoping to make it even better this year. Another similar planter will be devoted to my basjoos. They looked so good by fall I couldn't bear to let them die back and winter in ground. They are wintering at a store I own and they have put out so many pups that I now have about 10 of them over 5 feet tall. The original mama is pushing 12 feet. It was 9" tall when I originally planted it in April 2009 in that planter. Its pups have big pups now... They multiply like rabbits! Sorry you guys up in Canada get so ripped off. You would probably cry when you hear what I'm paying for a second larger trachy like the one in the picture. The worst part is the shipping charge which is nearly $100... We zone-pushers in the upper midwest get kind of cheated also because we have to have everything shipped though. Those in the southern 1/3 of the US are lucky to find all the cold-hardy tropicals at places like Lowes and Home Depot for cheap. They won't carry them up here.

It is my understanding the thompsonianas transplant very easily (this is my first one). So far it has lived up to the seller's claims. I got it in early March and potted it. Planted it in ground a couple weeks later. At that time my soil temps were getting close to 50f. It was used to that soil temp already by being in the 3-season porch where daytime temps get very warm, but drop off quite a bit at night. I used plenty of root hormone and believe it or not it appeared to have started to root into the cactus potting soil in the pot in just the couple weeks. I took great care in planting it in ground though, 20% organic potting soil and 80% sand/pea gravel for the entire hole below the area the roots took in the cactus potting soil. nearly 5-feet deep hole by nearly 4 feet wide. I think it will do just fine there. I don't think I'd be too worried about planting it right away. Just get some good root hormone (Schultz Take Root works wonders for all plants and trees in my experience). Soil temps at or above 50f should be fine. These come from Las Vegas. They are used to the cool weather right now. Cool at night, luke warm in the day coming out of their winter.

I kind of wanted to plant the yucca in a place where it would not end up under the trachy(s) enclosure just to see if it can take a MN winter but it just ended up looking best in that planter which will get fully enclosed this winter because of the second trachy going in there (December through the first week of March). My y. filamentosas in the front make it through our winters no problem and without any protection at all.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:01 am

Yea Kory
With the spring(March)we are having you almost have to plant stuff,upper 70s this week
and nothing much cooler than 60(highs) all the way through the next 15 days -here....
what a incredible spring! Yucca looks great!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:24 am

Thanks Jim! Yeah the forecast here is similar. 60s and 70s all week, even mid 70s by mid/late week. Some local guys are hinting at some 80s even... My new big trachy will arrive Friday- weather will be perfect for planting! The 15-day Accuweather shows nothing under upper 30s a few nights but mostly 40s and 50s overnight. Speaking of yuccas, I'm considering a y. linearifolia also. I have a line on a nice one with trunk and they appear to be pretty rare in the market. The blue variety. Tempting...

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:04 am

Thanks for the tips on planting this thing! I just ordered one tonight. Looks like I'll be out digging in the next couple of days.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:12 am

Excellent Ryan. You will love it! It is strange, there is not really a lot of info on the y. thompsoniana species out there. Some say it is more hardy than the rostrata, some say it is a little less hardy, some say it IS a rostrata, not a diffferent species. Whatever the case, it is a very cool looking yucca. What I do know is that it grows further north (in the wild) than rostrata and also at higher elevations. Also they tend to form two smaller heads rather than just one larger one. Please post some pics once you get yours planted.

Jim- I thought of you when the thompsoniana seller was discussed. I'm not sure if you have looked into what all he sells, but he sure has a TON of cactus species. Cactusbylin on Ebay or coldcacti.com. You should check him out if you have not yet done so. Then again maybe not, it would be easy to blow the whole summer's plant budget pretty quick...

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:18 pm

I plan on planting my Yucca in a raised cactus bed that im going to start building tomorrow. I was reading that you really only need something like pea gravel and builders sand (not the fine stuff) mixed together. Will that be ok for the Yucca?

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 am

I'd mix in some good potting soil or compost. Not a lot, but some. I went with about 20% soil/compost and the rest coarse sand and pea gravel. I think the yucca will be happy with that based on the reading I've done. I assume you are getting yours from Victor/Cactusbylin like I did. Good call, he is a great seller. I am curious however, did you look into that Alligator Alley place also? My friend is interested in maybe getting something they have on their site but they don't seem to return emails. I wonder if they even have those items in stock anymore? One more thing, if the ground is still cool where you are, you should dig the hole early and use this recent warm weather to speed up the ground warming in the spot. Keep your backfill/gravel/soil indoors until planting so it is warmed also. My ground temps are about 60f right now. I've been moving mulch in the morning and again in the evening so the sun warms the areas I want it to. Ground in those areas is running nearly 10f warmer than the norm. I have a large hole dug for my new trachy which is on its way also. Same plan as I recommended for your yucca, a boost in ground warmth. I cover the hole with a big piece of plywood at night if the lows are forecast to get under 50f. Good luck and please post pics when you get your new baby in the ground!

Oh and if you can get some rooting hormone I highly recommend it, especially when planting a bare-root plant. Victor will include some pellets in the box with your yucca which are a soil/root aid. I still think rooting hormone is better though. I used both...

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:05 am

Cover the hole with clear/opaque plastic it will get up to 100(f) on a warm sunny day under there

I will check them out Kory,I did just add 11 new barrels and 2 new Opuntia pads,so for the most part the cactus bed is maxed out

Keeping a Yucca in a pot the first year is recommended if they arrive bare root.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:41 am

Hey great idea about the plastic Jim! Now why didn't I think of that myself... I know they recommend to pot them first but a combination of anxiousness and reassurance from the seller forced me to plant mine. I think I'll be covering my trachy hole with plastic this afternoon for sure. Mid/upper 70s today here!

rp4111 · Post by **rp4111** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:46 pm

Thanks again for the info!

The guy that runs Alligator Alley did email me and said he has shorter ones than pictured but fatter trunks. They charge a $5.00 flat fee for shipping if you order through there website. Otherwise I think he said $17.95 for shipping if ordered by phone.

PalmsNorth.com

Buying a Rostrata

Buying a Rostrata

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