Christmas update 2013

It dried out some so I managed to take a few pics. I also screwed up my laptop and cant upload to photos directly, sorry.

my princep through the window.

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Windmills with no protection.

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Sabal minor Savannah Ga. from yucca do 2nd yr no protection for 3 yr old palm.

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That c. cerifera is the one you got in the blue pot? If not where did that one come from it does have fantastic color. Id like to have one myself.

Mike, thats the blue pot. I would love to find some more, but havent seen them for sell in blue pots for a couple yrs.

Do most people have problems with the "cold hardy" blue pot palms surviving?

For some odd reason I found two needle palms at a local nursery here in Omaha. Bought one mid season at fill price of $50 and the other that never sold towards end of season (august) for $25 in 3? gallon pots. Planted them in the ground. One on South side, one on NE corner both close to house. Both had just a barrel covering them. Both died right away into spring.

I had one other Needle that I got from Phil, that had been in the ground for 1 winter with just heat tape around root ball and it's a growing fool, and looks great to this day. Other than the heat tape, it too only had a plastic barrel over it for the winter.

Its hit or miss I guess. I have 10 minors, 7 windmills, 2 needles, 1 chammy, 1 cerifera and 1 CIDP( not in ground ) that are all doing great. Now the one needle did pull the first yr and is talking forever to recover. You can actually see it behind the savannah ga minor photo above. Not much to see, and I didnt really expected it to live. But its tough as can be now and unprotected.

Just remembered a post I posted to another forum a few yrs back. Wish I still had the photo, but due to over head watering at lowes the blue pots there had spear pull in July. Seemed like every chammy I checked pulled. I bought 2 pindos that yr that lasted 2 weeks in the ground.

I sent a email to corporate Lowe's to ask why they don't have cold hardy palms at my store and they had the store manager call me just today saying he's from the SW so knew of the palms I mentioned and said he was going to call their supplier on Friday to see if they were available to be shipped to the store in the spring. Promised a call back on Friday or Saturday. If it would work out SWEET! and will let memebers here know the outcome so other members that live in the midwest and northern states can get a better variety than the dreaded Majesty palms

We didnt get blue pots here either, and I thought it strange until I went to the beach. When they didnt have any palms I knew some was going on inside lowes mamgement. Not just a local thing.

The Lowes up here only carry the Ph. Roebelenii's. But then again, they are not cold hardy one bit. Mine is toast, I'll be uploading a video soon. I've even tried to find some one-off's across the border in Buffalo, either at Depot or lowes... none.

Yea, those are like $9.99 around here in 3 gallon? pots. For the hell of it, I did plant one in the ground and have roots heated by heat tape, and a string of 25 Christmas lights around the base covered by a 55 gallon plastic barrel with a plexi glass cover. So far....it's doing well although I think it did get too dry and warm in there as the fronds look green still, but on the dry side. I've been giving it SMALL amounts of water and now have a open 1 gallon milk jug of water sitting inside the enclosure to help with humidity. If it makes it? It should have gained some cold hardiness. We'll see in a few months...........

Awesome, I may give a try next fall. I like your approach.
Ours sold for $65, 5 gal. On the bright side, I still have my receipt for a replacement 😉
It's worth a shot.
I'm uploading a video from my YouTube channel. You'll have a better idea.
D

If I was going to have to protect a palm for life I would definitely be killing nicer palms.lol Already killed my hesper and takil this year. Next year I am planting my other princep and my bismarkia.

That's great! I have access to many smaller bismarkia's 5 gal. I have no experience trying those in z6b. In N.C., I'm sure you'll have success. They are everywhere in colder zones of FL.
Bizzies are beauties! Let me know how it goes....

A Bizzy in the ground where you two are at?? I didn't think they were all that cold hardy. I just have one small one I got from Phil last year and I keep it in my small greenhouse and it just trudges along slowly.

I did get some Bizzy seeds from the club in Florida and am having great success germinating them.

If I was going to have to protect a palm for life I would definitely be killing nicer palms

Couldn't have said it better myself, Chad.

That's why I planted my Brahea armata, with its twin in a pot in the cold building just in case the other croaks.

But I remain undecided on my Bizzie, Nannorhops ritchiana and arabica, Phoenix, Brahea etc etc etc.
Might be cheaper to build a 10-foot-diameter plexiglass domed area after all.

Barb