John,
I stuck my two triangles out in full sun. They seem OK. Is full sun a problem for them?
Barb,
I killed my one previous attempt to grow Cocos and I blame full sun/low humidity/dry wind (a few years ago).
I have a chance to buy a sickly-looking yellowing Cocos specimen, but hate to buy another just to watch it die.
So, what do you think about these in full sun and dry winds? --Erik

Erik, my triangles (I have 3) fry in the sun, so get only morning sun for a couple of hours.
They're looking crappy this year with soft-bodied scale from being indoors an extra month this winter.

Cocos needs high humidity, which is tough to duplicate in most locations.
So I mist it a couple of times a day, and sit it near where sprinklers run at night.
But lately it's had to come indoors again.
Between the robin pooing on it, and the cold, it's getting a lot of attention.

Just think of Hawaii...great heat, great humidity...I even mist the husk that shows halfway on the plant pot.
With good humidity they can handle full sun no problem.
Lower the humidity and they don't do well.

Better more humidity than not enough.

I've killed a couple in the past, so this one's on a short leash.

Barb

It's been inside again just when temp dropped too low...the last four days.
Other than that it's in full sun, misted twice a day.

I think it hasn't burnt from full sun because I had it under the red/blue light thingy all winter in the basement.
Just a guess...but maybe?

Yup, my 3 Triangles fry every year in the sun...brutal.
Wish the sun would cook the scale they're infested with. 😈

Barb

I have to slowly aclimatise my tropical palms to full sun and takes up to a month. The sun is 50,000 times as strong as any artificial light or indoors. We also have uv protection in our windows so they are protected all winter. I think we have this same discussion every year. You think I would learn by now with mine LOL 😆

John

My 3 Triangle Palms are the worst, and never get acclimatized to the sun.
They spend all summer on the east side of patio, under a roof, with max 2-3 hours of filtered sun on them.
One little goof and their leaves are crispy. 😕
Pain in the rear end....

Re your windows/UV protection comment...we replaced all our windows about 5 years ago.
The previous ones were metal framed, leaked like a sieve, but did the plants ever do well in front of them.
Now we have UV protection in the windows...doesn't get as bright in the house anymore. Poop!
The window manufacturers obviously know nothing about plants!

I think the hint we need to take from all this is that our palms--from seedling stage--can't be babied in the shade, even if we want them to stretch.

Glad yours kick in to loving the sun in a month, John.

BTW John, how's your 6 foot Foxtail doing?
Mine's outside...in the shade 😆 😆 😆

Barb

Barb that foxtail palm is doing awesome. It has been among the easiest to look after indoors and out. I transplanted it a month ago and is really taking off now. I`m glad you picked it up for me. Here are some pics of what to do and not when bringing palms outside in the spring. You think I would learn by now? 🙄

http://okanaganpalms.multiply.com/photos/album/42/Okanagan_tropicals_May_28th_2011

John

Holy toodles, John, that foxtail is gorgeous.
Looks great on your entry porch.

Mine's got one brown frond 😕 probably from spider mites from indoors.
Haven't repotted mine yet, but need to.

Q: I've been wondering if I should risk trying to separate the three foxtail stems (gently via a water bath...).
Too chicken so I've been putting it off.

Remember years ago Lazz said there's little root separation damage when separating them in a big bucket of water?
It'd sure be nice to have three single ones the same size.

Thanks for the pic updates.
The small amount of cold damage...is that from having them out in April when it got so bloody cold again? (surely not from inside the carriage house).

Palm 017.jpg is that another Hyophorbe?
My Bottle Palm has a 4 foot long spear but I think it has some cold damage from being on the patio during this cold. 👿

Barb

Barb I`m to lazy and skittish to spend the time to separate the individual foxtails. I only have one and don`t want to risk losing it. Barb that brown damage is all to do with taking the palms from in the house from bright window,not carriage house and into full sun to early "not cold damaged". I thought the Washy`s at least would be able to handle it. The rest my washy`s were fine full sun day one. Pic .017 is a pic of my Cattail palm another easy to care for palm. I`m going to have to put sticky notes now on burnt palms."Remember what happened last spring?" 😆

John

only have one and don`t want to risk losing it

Yeah, good point.
I'll pot mine up as is.

Wow, that was from bright indoors to full sun, huh?
The little bit of sun we got anyway 😆 😆
Maybe because they weren't permanently outside in March like other years? that extra month or so?

Cattail palm...the only thing I can think of is Cataractarum Palm.
Had one (and killed it) 😕
I think your leaflets are far too large for it to be a cataractarum palm.
But it's gorgeous, so I'd love to know what it is.

Cat palm here:
http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Chamaedorea/cataractarum.html

sticky notes now on burnt palms."Remember what happened last spring?" icon_lol.gif

Actually, not a bad idea at all. 😆

Barb

Barb I have no idea what type of palm I have then? Maybe someone on the forum can tell what it is? I`ve got to learn more about tropical palms. This hobby is endless.

John

Yup, John, it'll be interesting to discover what it is.
Will have to do a bit of sleuthing 😕

OK...I lied about Cocos nucifera not getting sunburn.

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5790076321/" title="DSC04752 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04752"></a>

Damn!

Barb

Barb it doesn`t take much full sun or part sun to burn a tropical palm but you knew that already. Every year I manage to burn a least 2. They now stay on my bright porch for 2 to 3 weeks before part sun and onto full sun. I was at Rona the other day and talked to a couple who were buying tropical palms for their pool patio. They were just going to put them out without adapting them slowly. Told them how to not burn them. Now they are going to buy some of my Washy`s. I`d be surprised if no one on this board knows what type of palm this is? Anybody know what it is PN people? Thanks.

http://okanaganpalms.multiply.com/photos/album/42/Okanagan_tropicals_May_28th_2011#photo=5

John

Great that you were able to prevent their burning their new purchase, John.

Yippeeee that they're buying some Washies from you.
Hopefully they'll join PN and show us their protection methods come October.

My guess about your beautiful mystery palm is a young Chamaedorea radicalis.

Anybody else?

Barb,

Your such an inspiration when it comes to growing palms. I think I may have toasted some leaves on my Ebay bought coconut palm by sitting it right next to a sunny east facing window and turned a couple of the fronds to crispy ones. Only middle fronds are still green, but have since adjusted the vertical blinds so sun is now diffused. I keep it warm and humid enough to grow in there for the winter.

Now trying my luck with coconut seeds themselves. Just at the soaking in water point now.

Thanks Scott,
Hell, at my age, I've bought--and killed--plenty.
You start to get the hang of it after spending all those dollars 😉

I don't think you can toast a palm through glass (UV is filtered out to varying degrees).
But I'm really good at killing/frying them outdoors in summer.

Your middle fronds remaining green is good, as that's where the next spear will emerge.
I bet your yellowing fronds is left-over trauma from shipping, probably exposed to some cold.
or getting tossed around by bored postal workers? 😆

Cool you're starting a couple...might speed things up if you put the container on a germinating (heat) mat.
They usually heat up to only about 70 F, but that's like a warm Hawaiian rain on the fallen Cocos seeds, i.e. perfect.
I've never tried that; it'll be interesting to see them pop.

Barb