Steve, yup you've got a point re rain and not having to water, and having a flooded basement. 😥
It's either the "devil you know" or the "devil you don't know".

Can you put a temporary roof over the robusta to shed the water?
Heck, even a tarp and bungee cords might be better than danger of crown rot.
Is it a copper treatment you use?

Once your 90 F hits, your plants will grow like crazy... 😆
Barb

Well water,but its still light raining here!
Only have to water plants on the front porch.

Hey Don, maybe you can answer something.
Do you know the pH of your well water?
re your bananas and white bop and palms...obviously they like it, but some people say palms don't like hard(er) water?!

Always wondered what plant-lovers do if, say, the pH is off a bit (from the look of YOUR stuff, obviously that's not a problem!)
How would it affect palms?
Just curious.

Barb

Barb,
I was told by the neighbor across the street,it was 7.0.very akaline is the soil around here,but since I've been composting.my soil has gone from 7.2 to a 6.8.
The well water does leave a calcium deposit on some of the leaves,when it dries a white spot residue will be left behind.
So far the palms don't mind the well water,but over the years the gray cement has turned to a rusty orange looking color.
So it does have a iron deposit as well.

It's good that you've learned it so thoroughly.
Some folks say it's really important.
I just don't know what the "numbers" are supposed to be for various plants.

Like you, our soil is 7-point-something.
Just a tad alkaline.
I have to put Epsom salts around the Oak and Fir Trees to keep them healthy.
Otherwise they get yellow--really chlorotic-looking.
It works.

I just wondered what pH palms and cycads prefer, 'coz I have no idea.
Barb

I really don't know what most palms like,I just make sure they get some micro nutrients and magnesium on occasions.

Don, magnesium IS important, and sure seems to green them up.
Have a good weekend...without storms.
Barb

Thanks Barb,
But don't forget manganese,is just important as well!

Barb, I've tried wrapping to keep dry but that was holding too much moisture in the spear area. Tried a couple shelters , one was knocked down by hail and I still haven't found where the other one ended up.

The other robusta I have in a 20 gallon container is doing fine so it must be a combination of swamped soil and the near constant rain. I've been using hydrogen peroxide, pretty sure it will recover, just don't like to see a setback.
With everything that has gone on in the area this year I'm happy to still have a roof and basement ( even if it now leaks and the basement needs pumping 🙂

Thanks for bringing up the subject of well water, Im on a municipal well system basically. Our town has two wells for a pop. of 300. I can get a copy of the EPA report and see exactly what is in it.

Don - The bananas are in the ground and doing great!!
( one thing that doesn't seem to mind the moisture)

Steve

Steve,
As long as the bananas aren't sitting in water they should do just fine,I just wished these 90*days would hurry up and get here.
I think it rained all night here again,I'm thinking of designing a ark,if all this rain doesn't come to a halt pretty quick!!!!

Don, you're right about the trace elements. Important stuff.

Steve, I recall you had challenges with shelters that blew away. 🙁

I find plants in pots do hold moisture longer than the ground after a heavy rain (though I'd give my eye teeth for rain right now 😆 ).
Seems that water disperses through the soil better than it exits a pot, even with really large drainage holes.
Probably because a pot is a "catchment basin", whereas the ground has so much more area in which to dissipate/expel water. At least that's what someone explained a long time ago.
Can you drag your 20 gal robusta pot to be partially under a roof overhang?
That might help it drain faster than the rain's coming in...
I hope your palm makes it.

Well water generally isn't worse than municipal "piped" water (with all the chemicals they now have to add to keep it "safe").
We're on municipal piped, but in our case we're nearer the beginning of the approx. 10 mile long pipe.

In the winter I notice it smells of chlorine (more than summer).
I asked one of the water guys.
He said that in order for "the numbers" to be within tolerances at the end of the pipe where there's a huge subdivision, they have to put "x" amount in at the beginning.
If the residual tests (at the far end way past me) don't meet the safety standards, they beef up the chemicals, and I actually get more, that's why I smell chlorine (or whatever it's called).

And in summer, when more people are using water, I presume it flows faster in the pipe.
Nevertheless, I pour water into a couple of large plastic garbage cans, let it sit overnight, hoping the chlorine dissipates.

A secondary benefit is that water warms up; it's too cold right from the tap.
My plants hate winter, and never do well for that period.

Steve, I sympathize with roof and basement problems...those are big ones!
Some low-lying homes around here actually have built-in sump pumps.
We're on a big hill and have dust 24/7...also in a huge rain-shadow. Cactus growing on the property...ouch in the dog's paws! 👿

I saw test results for our water approx. 20 yrs ago. It wasn't bad then. I don't think I want to see today's tests. 🙄

Have a good weekend, folks.
Gosh sorry about a too-long post! 😳
Barb

Barb, I keep about 50 gallons of water set aside for the fish tank, They use chlorine in the water here so it's safe for the fish after it sits for a couple days. Have been meaning to st up some sort of rainwater collection system.

This is the robusta in question.

On a brighter note, I just transplanted this little S.minor before all this rain started and it's as happy as can be 8)

Steve

Steve,my t.fort,did the same thing,but when it finally pushed it out,started sending up nice looking ones from that point on!

Jeez, that robusta is a nice size.
I hope your treatments work on it, especially after your hard work.

That s.minor is happy to be outdoors after a pampered life in the GH 😆

Stored water is a good idea I believe for all of us to keep our plants healthy.
I hope chlorine dissipates after, say, 12 or 20 hours. I simply don't know.

With all the rain you folks get, storing it for later use would be a great idea.
If I ever build another house ( 🙄 doubtful), I'd like to incorporate a greywater system for bathroom sinks and tubs...what a waste of water when soapy water goes into the septic (and sewer) systems when it could be used in gardens.

Re water storage, just a note about a years-ago trip to Bermuda.
All the houses had white roofs, (I thought to deflect the heat.)
We were told by a local that residents paint a lime "whitewash" on their roofs because they
are collectors for their drinking water and the lime keeps water sweet! Rainwater
goes goes down the drain into huge tanks in basement (or somewhere).
There's apparently no other fresh water on Bermuda, so it's a necessity.

What a good idea!
Cheers.
Barb.