Up-potting 1 year old Foxtails

[lucky1]

Fortunately the unfinished basement has a concrete floor for the mess ahead:

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/535 ... 5661ec.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04274" />

It's been a toss-up whether to up-pot early and risk root trauma, or leave them until after their second flush and not be able to get them out of those tall skinny "cups". I opted to wait until after the second leaves had emerged.

First, there were two dead ones that sunburned very badly this summer.
I wanted to see what the roots looked like, with no green spear having emerged.

Expecting rotten mushy brown roots, I was frankly amazed to see only white fleshy (good) roots.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/535 ... 876b39.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04279" />

Getting these palms out of the cups was going to be tough.
Want to keep the tall cups for the next batch of germinating seeds, but they have a flange inside at the bottom 1 inch that roots cling to, and cutting at the outside soil line with a bread knife wasn't loosening the most important part of the roots at bottom:

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/535 ... cc3103.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04285" />

After several more passes with the bread knife, roots were still holding fast at the bottom. Darn!
Even turning cup upside down and smacking the bottom wasn't freeing the roots.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/535 ... c0e025.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04287" />

Starting with a smaller seedling, this guy took a heck of a beating, lots of root trauma, which bare-rooted the seedling.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5201/535 ... f23b79.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04289" />

Not good, so gave it a B Vitamin soak before potting up:
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/535 ... 32c393.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04291" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/535 ... 2cf5e4.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04290" />

So unfortunately...have to cut the cup bottoms to invert and slide seedling out.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/535 ... 923ea3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04294" />

Oops, knife can't go in too far without cutting circled roots. Cutting the plastic took a lot of "elbow grease"

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/535 ... 3d0a31.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04309" />

The next one worked out better with roots intact. The rootball slid out nicely when inverted, maybe no transplant shock (hoping).

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/535 ... 8a39b6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04310" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/535 ... e1b527.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04313" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/535 ... 529cb1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04316" />

The potting soil I'm using, recommended by John (okanagandesertpalms):

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/535 ... 6e075d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04277" />

Going from this size to this size:

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/535 ... 7fc7fc.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04283" />

Beer-jug soil transfer into a big plastic lined tub works great:

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/535 ... b9384c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04284" />

Having practised on the little guys, time to move to the nicer specimens:

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/535 ... e94b2d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04305" />

A few hours of hard work and a sore back and job's half done.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/535 ... 0184e3.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04318" />

Hmmm...wonder if I can still re-use those cups...maybe duct-tape a container to the bottom?
<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/535 ... 4c0f67.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04303" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/535 ... 41df75.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04304" />

Gives whole new meaning to the term "J-roots" for the next batch

Have labelled the palms that had root damage, also the ones that hopefully had no root trauma. Will be interesting to see how much of a factor that'll be in their growth.

Thanks for visiting my messy basement...
Beer-jug potting ended with a beer...canned beer


Barb

[igor.glukhovtsev]

Oh, boy! Your are doing something so incredible!

[lucky1]

Thanks so much, Igor.
When I first saw a mature Wodyetia bifurcata, I simply had to have one...or 25

Received some very fresh seed, just picked by two members (from two trees) of a plant society in Florida.
The seeds popped in 5-6 weeks around this time last year.

Barb

EDIT: This is the picture http://www.atree4me.com/images/foxtail_palm.jpg

[tropicman]

Great looking palms Barb.
I sometimes use the same size cups,I prefer the Styrofoam ones but use the hard plastic too,I take scissors and cut down the sides,usually the roots are circling the bottom,and it pops right out.
Looking good!

[lucky1]

Thanks Don.
I was trying to save the cups...had paid for new, unused ones, think it was 80 cents each if I recall.

I would've preferred styrofoam cups because of their ease of seedling removal, but couldn't find any the size of those Big Gulps from 7/11 (9.5 inches).

Or maybe I should just have a Slushy every day in the summer to get them free.

Barb

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Great work, Barb! On another note, you've just reminded me of how much I'm going to hate the day (or month) where I'll have to start repotting thousands of seedlings

[lucky1]

Thanks Cameron...

going to hate the day (or month) where I'll have to start repotting thousands of seedlings

the downside to getting good at this hobby

Make sure your batteries are charged up; we want lots of pics please!

[TimMAz6]

those are some really cool looking seeds & palms. Nice 'play-by-play' with all those photos!!

[lucky1]

Thanks Tim...

Play-by-play is my diary in case anything goes sideways in a month.
Will be able to look back and say "oh, what a dummy...that's what I did!"

By the way, have you ever seen a Wodyetia (foxtail) seed close-up?
Nature's artwork!

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/427 ... af569d.jpg" width="500" height="379" alt="DSC03257" />

Barb

[TimMAz6]

those seeds/palms are so cool......kinda remind me of a mini coconut.

[TerdalFarm]

Nice close-up!

Thanks most of all for the detailed photographic step-by-step. I'm just getting into starting palms from seeds and have so much trouble visualizing the written instructions on see online.

As Don suggested, I plan to look for the 1 liter styrofoam cups for my little Sabal started a year ago.

[canadianplant]

Good job barb!!! They look really good.........

Good idea on the bug gulp cups ( we unfortunalty dont have 7 11 here in ontario any more ). I use the big yogurt cups, which seem to work quite well.

As for the bottoms, try a few layers of newspaper. Its bidegradable, and the roots if their too long, will pop out the bottom, letting you know its time to repot!! Maby try using paper towel tubes if you wont leave them in too long ( theyll decompose eventualy). Its a good way to start soem plants that dont liek their roots disturbed. Take the tube, and stick it in the ground..... no root stress!!

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Hey Barb those young ones look great. Nice to see you got that good soil. All that care transplanting you`ve done now will pay dividends for those palms. Too bad they were so difficult to get out of the cups. I`ll have do the same as you now. I`m waiting till spring to transplant the one you gave me last summer.

John

[lucky1]

waiting till spring to transplant the one you gave me last summer.

Spring is probably better, but those cups are full of roots.

Thanks for recommending that Mix #4...fabulous stuff.
Certainly a lot cheaper and better product than what I was buying previously.
The aggregate in the mix is a real bonus, as I don't have to buy perlite any more

Just a reminder John: these guys sunburn badly, even in morning-only sun, which was disappointing.

Barb

[Dean W.]

Great Photos!

What is the Thrive alive beneficial for?[/b]

[lucky1]

Thanks Dean, nice to see you back again.

Thrive Alive and Superthrive are heralded as being tonics for plants especially at transplant time.
It doesn't replace fertilizer, use in addition to regularl fertilizer program.

http://www.technaflora.com/products.php?product=16
http://www.superthrive.com/gallon.html

It's like a plant stopping to have a beer! Good for it.
Barb

[Dean W.]

Thanks Barb, I'll have to get a bottle next time I'm at the garden center and try it out. I have heard different things about it in the past and wasn't sure what to expect.