Hi All-
Thought I'd post some newer pictures of the palms you helped me out with a few weeks ago. I took everyone's advice and started watering much more and it seems to have worked very well. All the palms still look a little sad but the new growth on all of them is green and healthy looking. I am using a soaker hose every day for a half hour and a good regular hose watering every other day. We have had a very hot dry summer with low humidity. It's unlike any I can remember, it's usually very humid here for most of the summer, so I think that has had something to do with it. Next year hopefully will be back to normal. The biggest problem I am having now are grasshoppers. Even with applications of Sevin, they are still eating away at everything.
Trachy 8/28/2010
Today (Notice the nice healthy frond coming out)
Sabal Minor "4" 8/28/2010
Today
Sabal Minor "2" 8/28/2010
Today
Closeup (Nice green frond coming out)
Dwarf Cavendish 8/28/2010
Today (With 2 new pups coming up)
The following are the rest of my palms that I never posted pics of
Sabal Minor "1" Today
Sabal Minor "3" Today
Marc,
first of all, thanks for the photos! I know uploading them here is a bit of a challenge, but we all love our "palm porn" 😆 here.
Second, you have had great results in the past few weeks. I also had an extremely hot August and plants in general sulked (my term). All of my plants are enjoying September now that highs are merely in the low 90s oF and lows are just 70 oF or so! 😀
I am definitely a novice and so hope that more experienced palm growers will chime in to give both of us tips.
As for me, I have stopped the watering. My soil is plenty moist. I plan to give some potassium (0-0-60) and epsom salts (for magnesium) but am not sure when to do so. I might give some root fertilizer (high in phosphorous + root hormone IBA) but am not sure which if any should get it.
As for winter, the general consensus seems to be to keep 'em dry. And out of the wind. Neither of us gets the super cold our buddies up north get, so I think all of your palms will get through the winter if you follow the advice on this forum.
--Erik
Marc, wow have they ever recovered!
The med fan palm is especially impressive.
The trachy hates dry soil and hot hot weather and high winds...looking much better.
As to fertilizer in prep for winter, I found the following good discussion (gets really good about halfway down the page).
It's not about palms, but valuable info nevertheless.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg1219432917684.html
Barb
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If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
Marc
Palms have made a nice recovery but some of the Trachys and Sabals are still struggling,
hope they pull out of it.
I have a C.cerifera that still has closed leaf pleats,so we shall just have to wait and see.
Good luck!
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Erik
I would do that now-if you are going to-the K treatment can cause a growth spurt
so do it now are don't.
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Jim,
have you already done your potassium treatment? Any suggestions on amounts?
Weather here is still above average. Warm, wet soil, too. All plants growing great. (Well, all but a few....)
--Erik
Jim,
(Well, all but a few....)
--Erik
Yea,I know the one you mean 🙁
I did it a few weeks ago and then did the Epsom salts a week later-
in coordination with the rainfall.
I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of K in 5g buckets-mixed well.
Epsom I spread on top the soil when soaking rain is forecast,
I would do it soon,like yesterday-you don't want weak/pushed growth going into fall.
I will move my schedule of fertilization up at least a month next year.
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Thanks!
We're going to get a good rain Friday so I'll do it this evening, or at least tomorrow.
--Erik