Update on trunk cut Trachys

Astonishing!
If I had seen this 14 months ago, I bet I'd still have my Washies.
If you haven't yet, please share this on EPS. The whole palm world needs to know about this potential to save "dead" palms.
--Erik

Nice job Jim! You have a lot of patience!! It pays off in the long run though, eh! Most people would have pronounced them dead long ago.. Nice to see they are coming back nicely!

The whole palm world needs to know about this potential to save "dead" palms.

Yes, I agree.

Well done, Doctor Jim!

Congrats, Jim! Great job, all my respects to you; this was a lesson to all of us.
Rob

Interesting that they recovered so well. I wonder if they would have recovered without intervention? Probably not, but someone (maybe me) should really test to see if they can...

Simply awesome Jim, you the man! I'll be interested to see how these trachies develop over time. How will they look next year? Short but fat/stubby trunks? Your findings are very important to the palm community no doubt. A few more years of experimentation, you should be able to re-write the "Palms won't grow here" book. Seriously. Awesome job man!

Jim- I almost forgot, I'd love to see pics of your itinerans next time you get the chance to post pics. I'm thinking about putting mine in the ground tomorrow, or at least the one which will be in the most shaded area anyway. Can't wait to see what they do...

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement everyone!

Paul
I can say for sure(without a doubt)they would not have come back.
These palms were rotted very close to termination,a few of them did not come back.
In the case of the 2 largest ones,we are talking about over a foot of rotted trunk
for the spear to have to overcome,the warm weather(you would think would help)
was increasing the spread of the rot at to fast a pace to outgrow,opening up the
crowns halted that immediately and got the spears what they desperately needed light /air.

Kory
It's pretty clear looking at the growth so far(which is not really visible in the pics)
that by no later than next year,you won't even be able to tell they were cut!:lol:

My guess is these will recover fully and at least put out as many leaves as last year.
It's hard to tell but there are petioles (without leaves on them)that have also come out
which puts their "leaf" total at 3-4,so they are keeping pace with all the ones that weren't trunk cut-
good news as this was my main concern with these,after they started to grow.

I will post some pics of the Bananas,Brugs,etc on another thread.

O.K.
I will just do it here since the people I was going to show them to have posted here 😆

This is the Itinerans in the sunnier spot Kory-

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Shadier(area) Itinerans

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The Brugmansias-a few of the leaves are 16"long and 10" across! 😯
didn't know they got that big-they are in a similar spot to where the Castors grew

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My 2 Thai black banana plants-these were only 2-3" when I planted them,
they are really starting to blast off now! I wouldn't be surprised if they are the fastest this year but
the Itinerans should have something to say about that.

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Abyssinian has put out 5 new leaves already and is seriously moving now

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Thai giant(Colocasia)these can grow to 8' in one season from this size-
this is another that is really moving in the warm sticky weather.
Also got a Alocaia Borneo giant(same size),not pictured.

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G.manicata-establishing itself.

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Castor beans are ahead of last year

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Another picture of Brugs and Siam ruby starting to move -finally!

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Thanks for looking

Looks great Jim! Thanks for posting the itinerans pics. It's hard to tell in the pics, which of them seem like they have grown the fastest? The shade or sun? I'm going to get mine in the ground tomorrow and I'm still debating exactly where I'll place them. Like you I was planning on one being in a sunnier spot and the other more shaded. If these are truly the "gigantea" (sp?) ones I've read about they like to be under the canopy in tall forests. I think mine are happy enough in pots and recovered from shipping that it will be safe to plant them in ground now.

Jim's outstanding success with palm surgery gave me the confidence to try it on my dead/dying Butia capitata and P. roebellenii.

The Jelly Palm's spear pulled as soon as I began cutting.
Seems the 3% peroxide treatments weren't applied often enough.
Lots of rot the further I cut, and then it stank to high heaven at the bottom! Yuk.
Am really sad to lose this one.

Next, the 3 trunked P. roebellenii:
One spear pulled, the others I started cutting away. Nothin alive here.

One more pic of each in better days.
Jelly:

P.roebellenii:

Barb

Oh Barb,
I'm so sorry about the Butia. It was so beautiful. I know how sad I would be. You have my sympathy.
--Erik

Jim,
great new photos.
Brugmansia leaves are huge! Those were in the ground all winter, right?
Castor bean: great. Not sure if my chickens would live long enough to learn to leave them alone, so I'll take a pass until Bill tests them for me with his girl-friends hens. 😆
Gunnera: keep the updates coming all Summer. That is your plant I'm most excited by this season. --Erik

Sorry Barb 🙁

Kory
Right now the one in the slightly shadier spot is looking better-hard to say though as they are both
just moving into a new growth faze/spurt.

Erik
I tried overwintering some Brugs,they were probably to small-didn't make it-
these are from a seller off e-bay,bought in early April I believe.
Gunnera seems to be one of those plants that does a lot of underground
growth first but the bulb is getting much bigger.

Jim looking great. I have a couple to try the saw on. Barb maybe you waited to long to do the cutting?

John