Fatal mistakes

macario · Post by **macario** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:05 am

Man I screwed up. I went outside today because I had a bad feeling and checked on the palms. The sabal palmetto is still green and ready to be uncovered. I went into the cold frame and to my horror my butia looks fried. The leaves are all windburned. The trunk is green and the leave stems are green but the leaves in the bud area looks burned too. I found the side of the cold frame flapping in the wind. After getting a closer look the tie downs were lifted out of the ground. It may have been like this during the whole week that it was 0f everynight. My male trachy thats on the same side also has lots of leaf burn. My female trachy on the other side looks a little wind beaten but she looks the best out of the bunch.

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:10 am

It almost makes me sick. After all the work you put in. I hope that you can find a way for the Butia to survive.

Allen

macario · Post by **macario** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:05 am

Thanx allen. I broke out the concentrated fungicide. I completely covered all three palms. I completely covered the bud areas 3 times. I fixed the area of the cold frame. When I fixed it I noticed almost right away a 15 degree raise in the temperature in the coldframe. I wrapped the butia some to keep it extra warm. We will see what happens If I can save it. The one thing that is good after all of this is the butia has 2 1/2 almost 3 years of good root growth in the ground.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:19 am

Oh no!

What was the lowest temp during that time?
Did you have strong winds?

Your yard looked like plantings were relatively sheltered from a tall fence.
Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:24 am

Well barb when the wind get blowing off the lake it comes from all angles. Its not very often but I do get some nasty east winds off of the lake michigan. I have no idea how long it was like that. If it was a week it saw 0 to 7F at night.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:30 am

Mike, that's really s****y.
Both Trachies should pull through.
Hope for a miracle.
Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:44 am

Thanx barb. When spring hits and they get a lots and lots of rain they should perk back up and after some leaf trimming. I really liked the butia. My wife said just replace it but I would rather bring this one back but it looks so awfull I am filled with doubt.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:52 am

I'd hang on (but get another just in case).

You never know, Mike, your Butia COULD become "the one that made it", and everyone will want its DNA in their Butia, not unlike the Meyer Lemon.

(The cup's half-full, versus -empty)

Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:34 pm

Well I have some great news!! Today I went to the " stump " that was my pindo palm. I had to cut all the stems and leaves off and it kind of look like a brown stump. I noticed that the bud area had pushed up almost a whole inch!! I am so happy! I bought the other pindo thinking it was through. I put 3 flood lights on the "stump" and the temp has been around 100f for 14 days now. You can see clearly divides in what will be leaves and even the hint of green. Thanx for the kind thoughts. Now what to do with the other capitata and the eriospatha??

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:34 pm

Mike, great news...glad you waited.
What were your lowest temps/number of days that the pindo survived?

Are the others fried?
Barb

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:56 pm

Fantastic. I'm sure that you will find a place for them.

There is always room for more palms.

Allen

macario · Post by **macario** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:50 pm

Well barb Inside the enclosure it was down to 0 degrees every night for almost 2 weeks. Again I really dont know how long the cover on the cold frame was loose. Seeing the butia all freeze dried I figure it was a while. My trachys are toasted as well

. I removed all of the leaves they where that bad. I am supprised its growing back so fast. I heard stories how it takes some palms a whole season to recover. I am VERY!! GREATFULL!! I am Glad you told me to hang on barb. I was ready to yank it out of the ground.

Allen you are very true!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:48 am

Mike, I learned to "hang on" from other people on this forum.
And they were right.

I cannot believe your trachys didn't make it...
I'd especially hang on to those...if anything makes it, a trachy should.

What were your lowest temps outside the enclosure?
Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:05 am

well Barb my hi lo said it was -3f . There was 1 week it was awfull. This was the worst winter for me in a LONG time. We didnt have much snow and everything was not protected from the snow like it normaly would have been. IT was dry and bitter cold for almost 3 weeks straight. Even one of my sabal minors died. All the palms I thought would make it got damaged or dead and the 2 palms that shouldnt have made it did! My sabal palmetto has leaf tipe burn nothing else and my butia fried but is bouncing back. Also my trachys are pushing out green leaves now too.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:14 pm

Mike,
-3F = -19C. My coldest was three days at -16C 3F.

You're right...the lack of snow did the damage.
We had very little snow compared to other years until near the end of winter, when we got a fairly big dump.

I'm glad you didn't lose more plants.
You'll just have to buy more palms to group together for next winter's protection

Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:51 pm

Here are some pics of some of the damage palms that turned up tp be real survivors. This was a terrible as winter as we could get and I hope the winters get better lol. The first shows the butia growing back 2 leaves both growing in opposite sides.

<img src="http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/40065 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="100_0946">

You can see the 2 seperate leaves pushing out. You can also see where the leaf material was burned real bad. I cut t he top flat all of this is new growth all from the last week or 2.

<img src="http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/31274 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="100_0947">

It has pushed up about 5 inches with in the last 10 days or so

<img src="http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/15255 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="100_0948">

And this is my about 10ft palmetto who took lots of winter cold and is still hanging around. Its pushing out the second leaf and the 3rd is raising up out of the bud. If you remeber it bloomed in the winter but all of the flower stalks burned of and died. If it could take this past winter the rest will be much easier.

<img src="http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/8523/ ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="100_0951">

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:58 pm

Mike
that Butia is a true survivor, looking good after what it went through.
Half an inch a day growth...wow.

Just superficial damage on others, it appears.
And that palmetto is amazing at 10 feet. Congrats!
Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:46 pm

Thanx barb. I will feal much better when a few full leaves make my stump look like the Butia I have grown to like very much.

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:33 pm

Maccario there is nothing better than scaring a palm to near death to make it regrow to make equilibrium which I`m sure you already knew. I`ve scared more than a few to get the desired results the next spring. All were in pots until the ones in the ground this past winter. I think that BC will thrive for you this spring and summer. Show us updates as to how it does.

John

PalmsNorth.com

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