I am in Zone 5 and have had some experience w/ Minors. What I have found is that Minors in the Summer LOVE LOVE LOVE wet feet. I water mine every single day last summer (too early this summer yet) and got two leafs from June to August.
These trees grow naturally in swamps, so water them, water them, water them.

Thanks for that hint.

I read once already that Sabal minors grow in swamps but also on open wood land. So, I didn't pay to much attention to their watering needs.

But then I have just another question: should I do this during winter as well?

I've never seen any Sabals in their natural habitat. Are those Sabals that grow in swamps soaked with water also during the winter time? When a freeze comes then it gets icy around those Sabals?

Now I am mostly going by the McCuratain County ones, but as Winter slowly moves in, the "swamps" kind of drain out. Its not real soggy around them.
I hardly water anything in the winter while they are resting.

OK, this makes sense then. So, I'll water them when it's getting warmer. The warmer it gets the more water they will receive.

Sabal Minor start growing very fast when the temperatures are 85+ F and the lows down't fall below around 78F. Water them every day when its this hot and use a slow release fertilizer (will release more fertilizer at higher temperatures).

I don't have any Nannorhops but I've they should be kept as dry as possible and placed in well drained soil.

Thanks for that info, too.

I only read once that temperatures should "exceed 77F" for Sabal minor to grow.

I thought only when I planted it that it doesn't matter if it doesn't grow much (the plant is already 3 feet high) but missed the fact that all sort of things like wind or lack of water leave their traces on the leaves, so they need a replacement.

Do you also know what is the minimum temperature for them to grow at all?

The Chamaerops humilis I planted 8 years ago is actually in the shade on a relatively dry place and grows even when temperatures are below 65F. Even in a cool summer it's producing 3 to 5 leaves.

The Nannorhops are are in a sunny and well-drained place, but in this case I read actually after planting them that they are quite picky about cold together with wet soil. This winter was warm and dry, but generally it's the opposite here, so I see myself building a roof out of plexiglas next winter as I have done once for my cacti collection. 🙄

Sabal minors do grow here in the swamps, but are not always in standing water. In the winter, our dry season the areas they grow in are usually dry. We also never really get ice - over. We may have a day or two when ice will form a thin layer, but is gone the next day. Heat & humidity is the key to getting decent growth out of all Sabal varieties.

Dilbert ~ Hello and Welcome! I've had some S.minor in the ground for the last month or so and have been keeping an eye on growth. Below 21C seems to be when they just about stop growing.We have had a cool start so far, rarely getting above 27C. The one in full sun has also put on the most growth.

Steve

I live in a climate that is very close to yours in the UK. We can grow minors here but they do grow slowly however they do grow in a warm, not hot summer area like ours and do not mind the cool wet winters.

However Nannorhops is a different story. Although cold hardy they hate wet winters and usually form molds in the spears that kill them
Better siuted for areas like South Carolina and Florida.

Thanks for all the very useful replies.

I think for the Nannorhops I will build some cages with plastic foil that serves in spring and cooler times of the summer as a green house and can be used as a frame for a shelter against rain in the winter as well.

Maybe I'll build such a cage for the Sabal for the cooler summer days as well.

I really didn't want to revive the times when I ran around in the cold nights like a maniac to maintain a dozen heated shelters, some of them 8 ft tall. 🙄

That's why I didn't plant any palms for 8 years, but now it seems it has got me again. 😆 😆 😆

At least, it's without thermostats and bulbs and the like ... 😆

Hey Dilbert.

I remember Jim that grew a needle palm and sabal minor.
We are in zone 5 and makes it extremly difficult to grow them.

Jim said that the sabal did not like our summer do to the Strong
southwest wind that blew of lake ontario and kept us cool.One wind reached 110 km/h

In 2004 the summer did not get higher than 22C and stayed
around 19-20 all summer.The sabal died in the summer do to strong thunderstorms and cold air.

Our summers can get close to yours but here its humid that makes it feel warmer
and it can go to close 50C in the humidex. The Air temperature could be around 35C.

As for the needle palm, Died in the fall do to heavy rain around 150 mm and cold front passed
and dropped the temperature to -5C because it was wet and it froze. but it survived -26C (Dry)

Your plans should work well. The palms could be on south wall for more heat. Your doing a great job

In my area its just not a good area to do it.

Hi Yuccaman,

that is also important info. It looks really that serious as I feared.

The point is that those palms are here growing on its limits not from the cold hardiness in winter, but from wetness in winter, and overall from the lack of heat in the summer.

I started also looking up the weather underground pages for Afghanistan and Arkansas. When I see that in Arkansas are now night lows around 70F and here it was at noon 55F, then is this simply ridiculeous.

I selected the Sabal mainly to fill a spot where even a Chamaerops humilis would be to bulky and due to it's cold hardiness. The Nannorhops's also to fill a small space ("they won't grow much and if, I'll prune them" 😆 ) nearby a small wall where is the warmest and sunniest place albeit a bit exposed to wind.

But I didn't consider the real needs of this plants. As they're fortunately small, a temporary green-house-like construction might help.

It's funny, but I don't have Trachys anymore here in England despite the fact that they are growing even in November and are, apart from Chamaerops humilis, the only palm that is well-suited to this climate here. Because it doesn't need heat. Maybe I should get one. 8)

dilbert, welcome to the forum.

If you're still undecided about getting a trachy, ask Wes from North Van to post a pic (he'll know which one...I couldn't find it).

That picture will knock your socks off, and you'll run out and buy two or three!
PS--many others here have wonderful trachys too 😀 I'll just remember THAT pic until the end of time!

Barb

TrachyCarpus and Chamaerops humilis are great palms for England. Your right they do not need much heat.
Here its to warm for them with the amazing like Vietnam (Example) humidity.

In your area you had some extreme heat waves over the years. Our highest was 41C and humidex 58C

I think you do experince humidity but its not to bad.
Here I have to worry about winter spring summer fall for palms.

Smaller plants do die more in the cold than larger palms so I would plant a bigger one
so it will have more cold hardiness.Small ones I would build a greenhouse for them.

Arkansas is like in the south central of the united states and they get amazingly hot there.
Some places average summer is like 34C.Afghanistan has temps around 40C all summer. 😯
but its dry heat.

I hope you do have hot summer and also for me so I don't lose more plants. I still lost now $1000.00 worth of plants
do to my crappy climate and hardiness zone.

The have to sell trachys for england because its one of the best palms for their climate.Chamaerops humilis
is great too. So get one 😀