Digital Raingardens Message Board Archive

I live in San Diego. My question is: Should the old bark be peeled away from the trunks of my Queen Palms as the tree grows? Peeling away the old bark leaves a very nice appearance, but I don't know if it is healthy. Thanks

• Re: Queen Palms - Robert Lee Riffle 12:13:59 6/25/100 (0)

  Pull off only the old dead leafbases, the large, triangular remains of old leaves. Do not cut or pull off any other parts.

I have a Royal Poinciana tree which did not bloom this year. But it has lush new foliage and the branches have grown 2 feet longer this spring. I have kept it well fertilized and watered. What do I do to insure that it will bloom next year?

• Re: Royal Poinciana - Robert Lee Riffle 13:01:57 6/24/100 (0)

  Do not fertilize or irrigate in late winter or spring.

I am looking for information on growing bananas that have edible friut in newjersey , is there a variety out there that i can put out in the summer and bring in during the winter or is there a way to store them dormant in my basement until the following spring. I tried dwraf cavindish which did very well during the summer but died shortly after being brought in doors. Any info would be appreaciated thankyou ERIC

• Re: Growing Bananas In Northern Climates Info Needed - Gary 15:23:42 6/22/100 (0)

  I used to live in Yonkers, NY, and now live in San Francisco. I successfully got a dwarf cavendish to fruit back there. It took some experimentation to figure the key is to keep the plant warm and provide as large a container as you can and as much sun as you can. The sun part is critical during the colder months when the plant needs to be kept indoors. Bananas slow down considerably if the night temps dip into the 50's. The plant needs to be kept in a south facing window especially during the meek winter light of Nov to Feb. Dwarf cavendishes are quite big for an indoor plant. I'm using a 16" clay pot for the one I have now and I should move it into a larger pot. If you don't have big south facing windows, or the indoor space, try a super dwarf cavendish. If you want to know more, go to http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html
• Re: Growing Bananas In Northern Climates Info Needed - Jeff 15:19:41 6/22/100 (0)

  Try Dwarf Orinoco. Its quite hardy. You'll find it at ...www.stokestropicals.com Jeff Earl modesto, Ca

There are several of these beautiful trees near my house and the flowers are all over the ground but I dont seem able to locate the seeds.Does anyone know where they are and how they look like?i want to save the seeds for a friend.thanks.

• Re: Rosea Tabebuia- Pink Poui - Bart 02:23:54 6/20/100 (2)

  hey nesa, tabebuia's flower (in spring in Los Angeles) and if some of the flowers were pollinated they form long fuzzy seed pods like pea pods right where the flowers were, which should be left on the branch to develop if you want the seeds or remove the pods if you want the leaves to grow faster...I have 3 ten foot high, small umbrella yellow tabebuias in containers, and would like to trade seeds with the pink one as I have yet to find a pink one around here.... let me know if seeds develop...

  • Re: Rosea Tabebuia- Pink Poui - Nesa 21:51:21 6/21/100 (1)

    You're on.But I have to see first if I can get seeds.What do they look like, are they brown?

    • Re: Rosea Tabebuia- Pink Poui - Bart 03:21:01 6/25/100 (0)

      the yellow tabebuia produces a light to medium brown, velvety fuzzy, 6"-10" or maybe longer seed pod (resembling a pea pod). Wait till the pods grow long and fatten up as if they had small peas or lima beans inside, then the seeds should be developed and ready for planting. They are produced just after flowering, just as the leaves begin to grow, right where the leaves are sprouting out of the branch, it will probably take a month or two for pods to develop...

While at Leu Gardens in Orlando FL this weekend, I saw what appeared to be a species of Tibouchina different from the two usual types available at most nurseries. Its unique characteristic was the very large leaves, much wider, more round and blunt than the usual types, and a spike of purple flowers. Each individual flower was smaller than those of the usual common types. I have searched the net and have come up with not leads. I must clarify that I am assuming it is a Tibouchina sp. based on appearance. If it is not a Tibouchina, it almost certainly is some member of Melastomaceae. For anyone familiar with Leu Gardens, it was located where the walk along the fence covered with various flowering vines makes the transition into the flowering tree garden. Any help with ID and nurseries that offer this plant would be greatly appreciated. I must have this plant! Thanks!

• Re: Tibouchina ID - Robert Lee Riffle 11:05:12 6/21/100 (1)

  Been a while since I was at Leu (maybe Eric Schmidt will see this and respond) but your description rather sounds like it's T. grandifolia.

  • Re: Tibouchina ID - Susan 21:06:22 6/21/100 (0)

    Yes! That is it! In my search on the web for possibilities, I was confusing T. grandiFLORA with grandiFOLIA. Now all I need is a source for this plant. Thanks! Susan

Can anyone give me guidance on growing Jacarandas from seed? I've tried several times and have failed. I've tried planted fresh seeds, seeds a year old, seeds that have been refrigerated. I've tried presprouting them on paper towels. The only thing I haven't tried is using Gabrillic Acid. Anyone have any suggestions? What am I doing wrong? Please respond to me directly through email (CherrylM@AOL.com) THANKS!

• Re: Sprouting Jacaranda and Tabebuia seeds - bart 02:36:28 6/20/100 (0)

  hey cherryl, in Los Angeles both sprout easily right out of the ground, planted 1/4" deep, the tropical palm germinating experts recommend placing the medium over a light bulb or on top of a wall furnace for added heat, short of a more elaborate setup, try adding a little warmth to the soil....

I just purchased a white bird of paradise which I mistakenly overwatered the first few days I had it. As a result, a few of the leaves have turned brown/yellow. Should I remove these? If so, what is the best way to do this and at what point of the stalk should I remove it? Note: This is my first attempt at plant care. :)

• Re: White Bird Of Paradise trimming - Bart 02:12:25 6/20/100 (0)

  hey chris, basically I cut out the cancer, meaning remove brown parts or segments leaving a small brown margin on the leaf or you might be enviting some bacterial disease, saving as much of the green parts for photosynthesis, this is debatable, that is a general rule with delicate tropicals. Birds of paradise are very hardy and you can hack off the whole segment, leaving a few inches from the base for asthetics if you want... my experience is that two and a half leaves grow faster than just two.....

Help, I don't know what to do. I re-potted my Christmas Cactus about a month ago and it was doing so well and growing like a weed. Just recently, I don't know if I watered it too much or had been putting fertilizer in each week but now the leaves are just dropping off, any slightest touch will make them fall. At the base it seems a little darker than usual. Does anyone know what I did wrong to make this happen? I don't want this to happen again so I'm asking for help. Thanks

• The same thing happened to me - P.J._in_MD 13:34:31 6/20/100 (0)

  Linda, Several years ago, I transplanted a Christmas Cactus, the leaves began to fall off, and it eventually died. I never tried growing another but I wonder about the soil I used. Christmas cacti like two parts soil/peat moss to one part sand/vermiculite. I don't believe I created a well-drained soil that the plant desires. Also, I'm not sure where you live, but it prefers high light but in a relatively cool environment (temps around 60-65 degrees). It also prefers high humidity and a moist (not wet) soil. As much as I know of them, they can withstand regular feeding during the summer months so I don't believe you over-fertilized. Hope that helps and good luck. - P.J._in_MD

Hey all. we just got a purple Bismarkia but I haven't been able to find any info on it anywhere. Firstly, is it a different species from the nobilis or just a cultivar? I'm assuming it's a cultivar since everything I read says Bismarkia is monotypic. Also, same cultural conditions as the nobilis, and same spread etc? Any info would be great. Thanks! -Bruce

• Re: Pruple bismarkia - Jana 09:42:04 6/14/100 (4)

  Hi Bruce, I'm willing to wager a guess that your purple Bismarckia is young? I know the color you're referring to. It's quite remarkable. If the blue leaves of the adults were any less remarkable, I would say that it's a shame they lose the purple cast. The picture below is one I took at the Montgomery Botanical Center in Florida. Bismarckias are incredibly beautiful palms. I hope you live in a warm enough climate to see them reach maturity!

  • Re: Purple bismarkia - Bruce 10:40:29 6/16/100 (3)

    You're right, it's young and in a 15g can. Im' bummed! Not that I don't like the mature color but I was really excited about a huge purple leaved palm. Thanks for your help!

    • Re: Purple bismarkia - Bart 02:00:30 6/20/100 (2)

      hey bruce, that is the standard color of a young bismarkia nobilis, reddish purple, I have hundreds of rare tropical palms growing well in los angeles(half indoors), but my bismarkia which is in a ten gallon pot, grows alot slower than even a licuala grandis, which puts out a basketball size leaf every 3-4 months or so(indoors), but the bismarkia in the past maybe puts out a basketball size leaf a year, and the last six months the spike seemed to grow a wopping 1/4 inch, I wonder how fast yours is growing or anybody's else's?, mine is outdoors now, but the first year grew a large leaf outdoors and has stunted for some reason, ralph veliz has a monster the size of a vw bus growing outdoors 30 miles south of Los angeles, but mine is slooooow, I have never got any feedback on how fast juveniles grow in the states, I wonder if I should move it back inside now or let it try to acclimate this summer? I have lost a few tropical palms raised indoors for 3-4 years, moved outdoors only to stunt, moved back indoors to 90 degree days and 80 degree nights to see them die immediately, I guess from back and forth shock? It has two leaves with brown tips slightly smaller than a basketball and a 5 inch spike languishing, not yet rootbound in a ten gallon pot with good drainage, getting watered heavily every four days and foilage misted a few times a day, it has been getting into the low 60's at night, and mid eighties during the day here in LA, any advice would be greatly appreciated...

      • Re: Purple bismarkia - Jim Dorsey 16:43:54 6/20/100 (1)

        Hi Bart, I planted a 12" Bismarckia in the ground and in a year and a half it only grew 12". Then the next year and a half, it grew 60". Total growth from sprouting in 3years, 3 months; 84". Bismarckia sprouts left in pots in 5 years are just now approaching 60" in height. Seeds were sprouted in 3 gal pots, potted up to 10 gal pots when about 18"-24" tall. I have noticed a marked halting of growth if the roots are cut or damaged when potting up to a bigger pot. Also, if the roots grow out thru the pot drainage holes into the ground and then get broken off when moving a pot, the plant may suffer a long halt to growing. Possibly even a decline and stunted leaves for a while (6 months?). Here in south Florida, I noticed almost all of the growth in Bismarckia palms occurs from May to Nov. with little or no growth the remainer of the year. I measured the growth rate of many of my palms monthly for about 7 years. Plotted out, the growth curve looks like stair steps. In 6 months the growth rate is great, then for 6 months, nothing. Best, Jim Naples, Fl.

        • Re: Purple bismarkia - Bart 04:01:58 6/25/100 (0)

          Hey jim, thanks for the feedback, I imagine your low temps in florida might be higher than here in southern california, here it dropped down to the low 40's 10-15 times this past winter, I imagine that accounts for the stunting, the spike has grown an inch in the past few weeks here at the end of june, i am very meticulous about the roots on all plants and they did not suffer damage of that nature, I have a handful of tropical palms that act erratic, here in the end of june most seem finally to be pushing spikes. An hyphorbe vershaffelti, 6' high, softball size trunk, went almost a year without a new spike only to finally start pushing a spike about 5" a day, can't figure, the only one still languishing at the moment is a roystonia regia in a fifteen gallon pot, only one leaf about 14' tall, 3" dia trunk, again not a new spike for about a year and a half I hate to say, but is very green with green leaf tips, probably languishing from the few 40 degree nights. I guess i'm very spoiled, using my living room as a lab, 90 deg days and 80 deg nites year round, things explode in growth, but probably go a bit deeper in shock when they are relagated to the great outdoors, compared to most peoples transitional setups. I'm jealous of your bismarkia growth rate, at my current pace it may take 10 years to get 60" tall, in pots anyway, unfortunately my thousand rainforest plants are all in pots due to the fact i'm still in an apartment, about 250 in my living room and bedroom and the latter in a 10x15 chain link fenced area, stuffed to the brim, one gallons on top of 5 and tens on top of 15's, under a chorisia, bauhania, tabebuia and fern canopy, with vines all over and #$@$#%@. It's great to talk to people who share the same interest, as around here people think I have completely lost it...thanks again...

I planted two pineapples approximately 3 years ago in my backyard (Central Florida) and they are growing well. But I have yet to see any fruit.... Is there something I should be doing to get fruit?? Someone told me I need to grow a male and female pineapple next to each other in order to get fruit. Thought this sounded strange. How do I distinguish a male from a female pineapple. Please HELP!

I just bought two maui ixora plants in containers. Can you tell me what is the best way to care/feed for them and if they do better in containers or in the ground? Sun or shade? I live in a very hot and dry area of southwest Texas.

Has anyone ever heard of either a Black Palm or a Black Jade? I was given this plant about a year ago, the guy gave it to me called it a Black Palm. I have never been able to find any information on it at all. Recently I was at a nursery in So. California and I saw one and asked what they called it and they said it was a Black Jade. It has a trunk very similar to a Pulmeria but has no flowers like a Pulmeria. Instead it has big (about 3 to 6") black flower shaped clusters. I have looked everywhere for any kind of information on this and have not been able to do so. If anyone has any information it would greatly be appreciated

• Re: Black Palm or Black Jade? - Mike 21:09:06 6/08/00 (0)

  Hello Walt
  The black palm is from Aussie drop me a line and I'll let you know more regards Mike
  
  

I recently got a Pygmy Date Palm, and it has some very well developed suckers on it finally. I wish to divide it, but before, I pulled the new growths out of the dirt, and planted them in new dirt. They still don't seem to be doing well, though I kept them in shade and took off all the fronds. But my question is, do I:

A.) cut them apart, like, take a knife and just cut their roots down the center? or pull them apart?

B.) Should I keep them in their original soil? Is the shock of being put in totally new soil too traumatic for them?

I'm a little confused. . . HELP!! -Lindsey

• Re: How do you Divide a Pygmy Date Palm? - Gary (South Texas) 08:34:44 6/08/00 (2)

  
  

  • More information on Pygmy Date Palms

  
  

  • Just wanted to make sure. . . - Lindsey 11:05:36 6/08/00 (1)

    I've heard that Pygmy DP's don't clump. . . I'm confused now, because this one gardening index says that they do. I don't doubt your word, though.

    I've done everything you've said. I appreciate the advice, becaus every time I've divided pygmys, they all dry up and die. I thought that it was perhaps severe transplant shock. But this time, I've tried to keep as much of their original soil with their roots as possible.

    How much should I water them? I've wondered if I have over watered some past palms that didn't make it.

    The palms I separated were two who had a few new spears coming in. . . how long before the palm will start to grow again? What should I look for as a sign that it is ailing/surviving?

    And lastly, What should I do if the fronds begin to dry up and get spindly? Someone said to cut off all the fronds when you transplant, but that seems to me that it would make it harder for the plant to survive. Any suggestions?

    Your help so far has been absolutely wonderful. THANKS!!

    Lindsey
    
    

    • Re: Just wanted to make sure. . . - Gary (South Texas) 05:14:08 6/10/00 (0)

      Hi Lindsey,
      Answer to your questions are....
      1) How much should I water? Water to keep plant moist but not saturated and do not allow the soil to completely dry out.

      2)How long until the palm starts growing again? That depends on the general health of your plant and your growing conditions. It might take a week or two or even longer before the plant starts to re-grow, if the root system wasn't damaged too much. I would never try to either transplant or divide a plant that is not healthy to begin with. Do not fertilize until new growth starts.

      3) should I look for as a sign that it is ailing/surviving? If the palm looks bad and the leaves dry up or the new growth shrivels up, than I'd say your in trouble. If the plant just sits there and doesn't seem to grow, but the overall appearance hasn't changed, than I'd say you have a chance, just give it some time.

      4) Someone said to cut off all the fronds when you transplant. You might want to remove some of the leaves but NOT All,(and never top it! The plant must first grow some new roots in order to start new growth. I have transplanted Phoenix with out any leaves only the growing tip without any problems. By removing some of the leaves you cut down on the (transpiration) the lose of water through the leaves.

      
      
      

I have a 16' or so ponytail palm that previous owner's planted against the pool deck. I would like to move it if possible before it does structural damage to the pool. It's a twin with the base now about 3' x 5'. How big and deep can I expect the roots to be and how big of a ball should I expect to keep?

• Re: Transplant? 20' ponytail - Jim 19:00:40 6/05/00 (0)

  : I have a 16' or so ponytail palm that previous owner's planted against the pool deck. I would like to move it if possible before it does structural damage to the pool. It's a twin with the base now about 3' x 5'. How big and deep can I expect the roots to be and how big of a ball should I expect to keep?
  Hi Mike, I have only transplanted a few pony-tails, the largest being about 10 feet tall. When dug out of the sand here in Florida, all the soil falls off the roots. There are very few roots. After digging, I laid the stem horizontal to the ground and rolled the nut (like a wheel on an axle) to its new location. Water in thoroughly. Haven't lost one yet. Best, Jim
  
  
  

i have just relocated to florida, and need help pruning my sago palms. do i just cut the fronds on the bottom off, and if i do will they regrow? i have been looking at how they are trimmed, but obviously do not want to damage them. help, i have a brown thumb!

• Re: sago palm - Jim Dorsey 19:17:57 6/05/00 (0)

  : i have just relocated to florida, and need help pruning my sago palms. do i just cut the fronds on the bottom off, and if i do will they regrow? i have been looking at how they are trimmed, but obviously do not want to damage them. help, i have a brown thumb!
  Hi Kate,
  Only remove the dead fronds. As long as the leaves are green, they are supplying energy to the plant. The more green leaves a plant has, the healthier it will be.
  Sad to say, but there are MANY ignorant professional lawn maint. people and companies in Florida. It is a common and wide spread practice to remove most fronds from Sago's and Palm's, leaving only a little poof of fronds on the very top. I've often wondered why they don't also prune pines, oaks, maples, cypress,mahogany's and other trees the same way. Take almost all the leaves off, just leave the topmost ones on.
  Sorry to rant on so, but ignorance and stupidity by supposedly professionals is inexcuseable to me. Best, Jim
  
  
  

I know that you can divide Areca palms, Pygmy date palms, and Nanthea Bella palms, and you can also plant seeds (which take forever to germinate.) But can you take cuttings? If so, how do you do this, and under what conditions do they need to take root?

• Re: Is there any other way to propogate palms beside seed and division? - Robert Lee Riffle 14:51:22 6/02/00 (0)

  Very few palm species can be propagated by cuttings. A few small Chamaedorea species can be--C. elegans (Neanthe bella) can usually be done this way, but the plant FROM WHICH the top is cut will usually die--actually the procedure is usually to air layer it rather than rooting a cutting.

One of my botany books lists Dracaena as being a palm, but I have always thought of it as being a yucca like plant. It's not, is it?

By the way, how do you pronounce it? Anyone have a phonetic spelling?

Many thanks!
Marie

• Re: Dracaena is not a variety of palm. . . .is it? - Robert Lee Riffle 14:47:13 6/02/00 (0)

  Marie--there are two main divisions of the flowering plants. Palms and dracaenas are in the same division (monocots) but are notin the same families. Dracaena are now in their own (depending on whose taxonomy oneaccepts) family (Dracaenaceae) while the palms are in Palmae or Arecaceae. The other main division of the flowering plants is the dicots which includes oaks, hibiscus rubber trees (Ficus), etc., etc. The dicots far outnumber the monocots in number of families and species, which include the immense daisy family (Compositae; but the monocots have the orchids (Orchidaceae) which have the greatest number of different species of all plant families. (Some taxonomists put Dracaena into the agave family, Agavaceae.) I suspect the botany book you saw was using a common name for the Dracaena genus which, because of the growth form, some people refer to as palms--they also do this to many species in the Yucca genus (which is put into Agavaceae by most botanists. "Dracaena" is pronounced "dra-SEE-na."

CRDB (The Cold-Rating Data Base) claims that Cycas revoluta 'rubra' is hardy to -20F or zone 5a. Does anyone know if this information is correct. Where is a source where these plants can be purchased?
Thank you

• CRDB

• Re: Cycas revoluta 'rubra' hardy to -20 F? - Gary (South Texas) 00:23:02 5/28/00 (1)

  Hi Allen,
  Although there are about 40 to 50 species of Cycas, I have never heard of Cycas r. 'rubra', and I seriously doubt that if this is a (valid name), it has survived temperatures to -20F. But if someone does know please let me know! Maybe Robert Riffle can shed some light on the subject! BTW, I did see it posted on Peter's CRDB.
  

  • Greenthumbs Garden Image Gallery

  
  

  • Re: Cycas revoluta 'rubra' hardy to -20 F? - Michael 14:36:12 6/01/00 (0)

    Hallo,
    I've spoken with the gardener who posted this message on the CRDB and he told that the rating was correctly to -8°C. There isn't a Cycas to Z 5a. Michael
    
    
    

Is there any palm species that is hardy to zone 7? I want that palm tree effect on my patio and there is no room to nanny one through the winter indoors. Any help appreciated! I will go to reasonable effort to give winter protection. Thanks.

• Re: Palms hardy in Zone 7 - Alan Brooks 04:14:47 5/28/00 (0)

  Try one of these:
  Minimum USDA
  Genera Species Temperature Zone
  Butia bonnettii 9°F (-12.8°C) 7b
  Nannorrhops ritchiana grey-green 7.1°F (-13.9°C) 7b
  Rhapidophyllum hystrix 5.5°F (-14.7°C) 7b
  Sabal louisiana 6.1°F (-14.4°C) 7b
  Sabal minor 5.5°F (-14.7°C) 7b
  Sabal minor(NE TX ecotype) -8°F (-22.2°C) 6a
  Sabal umbraculifera 8.5°F (-13.1°C) 7b
  Sabal xtexensis 4.8°F (-15.1°C) 7a
  Trachycarpus fortunei 9.1°F (-12.8°C) 7b
  Trachycarpus latisectus 1°F (-17.3°C) 7a
  Trachycarpus nanus 7°F (-13.9°C) 7b
  Trachycarpus takil 5.3°F (-14.9°C) 7b
  Trachycarpus wagnerianus 9.5°F (-12.5°C) 7b
  I found them at CRDB
  Also check out http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/palmferndc/palms/index.html
  www.thecooltropics.com

  Some sources of the plants:
  www.coldhardypalms.com (online catalog)
  www.exoticfruit.com (you must order and pay for their catalog, but its worth it, very unusual)
  www.netropic.com (online catalog)

  Good Luck

My husband and I live in Grand Prairie TX, just south of Dallas. Approximately 8 weeks ago, we planted 3 Texas Windmill and 3 Robolini palm trees around our swimming pool. We have these trees and a mixture of other plants in a large bed with sand rather than mulch. We have 2 Robolini's that really look bad. They have few palms and the ones that are in, have turned brown. Some people have told us they are in shock and to use root stimulator, miracle grow and Consan/Confin on them. We have done all of this and still the 2 trees look pitiful. Do you have any suggestions or advice.

• Re: Robelini Palms - Gary (South Texas) 21:31:23 5/23/00 (0)

  Hi Joe and Karen,
  The problem might be the sand, although I have seen a number of P. roebelenii growing in sand, I believe that a certain amount of soil amendments were used to provide the sand with some body, and the ability to hold water and nutrients. The pygmy date palm likes lots of water and little extra nitrogen to look thier best. Did you acclimate the palms before planting? I would not fertilize until palms have stablized and show signs of new growth.
  

  • Phoenix roebelenii information

  
  

I am located in Santa Barbara, about 4 miles inland (Sunset zone 23/24). I have a Ravenea Rivularis as a houseplant and it does well. My garden is in full sun until 3PM, when full shade hits. I have 2 P. Roebelenii doing well (although they yellowed a bit their first 6 months they are fine now), as well as hibiscus (whitefly not withstanding) and bananas. I would like to clump together 3 Ravenea Rivularis (or are they R. Glauca?). Since they are widely available for only about 12 bucks as houseplants it is a fairly low risk venture, but...
- What can I expect size-wise in 5 years? 10 years? Will they be 40 meter giants? How long before the trunk begins to form?
- I have read that yellowing occurs in full sun situations. What other migitating factors might there be regarding yellowing? Is there some nutrient that I can use to prevent this - I use Peter's on young plants 2-3X per year.
- I have never seen Majestys for sale as landscaping plants. Any tips on sun-hardening one bred as a houseplant?

• Re: Landscaping with Majesty Palms - Robert Lee Riffle 10:50:58 5/23/00 (0)

  Ravenea are true water lovers. In their native habitat they are only found at the edges of streams/lakes. They are also fast growers with water and good soil. As for the yellowing it won't occur (except maybe in hot tropical deserts) if the palm gets enough water and nutrients. A complete palm fertilizer with trace elements is best. Under optimal conditions a 5-gal palm should have a trunk of two to three feet in five years. In nature the things grow 60-ft. trunks and their crowns are well above any surrounding vegetation-- this means they can deal with full sun; but they can also look very good in partial shade, especially when young.

  Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK

. How deep (or invasive) are the roots on an older Oleander plant? Do they spread out more toward the surface, or go down, or both? I'm asking because I thinking of planting near a septic line.

• *TONY'S (tropical) CORNER*

• Re: Oleander Roots - Robert Lee Riffle 10:44:21 5/23/00 (0)

  Tony, in general oleander roots are more near the surface than, say a mimosa tree. However, as with all landscape subjects, root mass depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is rainfall/irrigation: if regular watering occurs the roots won't go nearly as deep as they will (must) in their native habitats (dry areas of the Mediterranean/ Middle East). The septic tank poses a different problem: if it leaks in any way ANY plant other than small, herbaceous thangs will sense (the root hairs will sense) the moisture beneath, and seek it out. So it depends on how deep the tank is and how much moisture it emits.

Anyone know what a samaan tree is,as a mate brought some seeds back from Tobago,also how does one germinate them?

• UK Exotics and Cold Hardy Cacti

• Re: Samaan tree? - Robert Lee Riffle 09:47:10 5/20/00 (1)

  Lee, the saman tree is an Albizia species (formerly in its own genus (Saman): Albizia saman. It is similar in overall appearance to what's called "mimosa" (Albizia julibrissin) in the States; but it grows very much bigger and is infinitely more beautiful. At maturity it is one of the glories of the tropical plant world attaining a height of about 60 feet and sometimes twice that width, with one of the most beautiful shapes of any tree (to my mind). It is not cold tolerant (hails from tropical America, including Trinidad/Tobago) and is somewhat marginal in USDA zone 10a.

  Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK

  • Re: Samaan tree? - Lee 13:20:37 5/23/00 (0)

    :Thanks Robert,I have your book which is excellent!
    
    

    • UK Exotics and Cold Hardy Cacti

Greetings,
We've just inherited a lovely (though slightly wild looking) pencil tree from a friend who moved from town. Unfortunately, he left no handling instructions for the feeding and caring of this beauty. It is out on a shady patio at the moment; and is putting out new leaves. Do they prefer shade/sun? How well do they do in dry hot climates like ours here in southeasten New Mexico? Can it be pruned? When? How much? Thanks for your help. Your site is wonderful.

• Re: pencil tree (euphorbia tirucalli) question - Robert Lee Riffle 00:50:01 5/20/00 (2)

  Nancy--Euphorbia tirucalli is native to fairly dry regions of central Africa and is, therefore, tolerant of drought conditions. It also grows in full sun in its native habitat. Under container cultivation the soil/medium should be watered when the top inch of same is completely dry. As implied above, it is quite happy in full sun--BUT do not place ANY plant that has been shade-grown into full sun without acclimating it gradually to same: ANY plant (even cactus) will be severely damaged by such transference. Also be sure to bring the plant into frost sheltered area when threat of freezing comes.

  Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK

  • Re: pencil tree (euphorbia tirucalli) question - Jana 23:17:17 5/20/00 (1)

    If you decide to prune, be careful of the milky sap. I don't know this from personal experience, but I've been told that the sap will cause severe pain and even blindness if it comes in contact with your eyes. Ours is doing great and seems to be racing with the palm trees, each one wanting to be the tallest.
    

    • Green Thumbs Gallery -- pencil cactus
    • Re: pencil tree (euphorbia tirucalli) question - Nancy Phillips 21:07:56 5/22/00 (0)

      Thank you Robert and Jana, all of your comments are so very helpful. We are off in search of your book Robert!
      Sincerely,
      Nancy
      
      

Just received seed of Bombax malabaricum, Red Silk-Cotton Tree from India. I grow plenty of tropicals but am completely unfamiliar with germinating seed of the Bombaceae. Has anyone sucessfully grown from seed....or have any tips? I appreciate any and all info -- Thanks! Mike

• Re: germinate Bombax malabaricum, Red Silk-Cotton Tree seeds? - Robert Lee Riffle 00:44:40 5/20/00 (0)

  Mike--They are easy to germinate given warmth and moisture. Bombax ceiba (the latest name for B. malabaricum) produces flowers and sets fruit at the end of the dry season in monsoonal parts of southeastern Asia. After the young tree is established it is fairly drought tolerant, but does best with regular amounts of moisture.

  --Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK

I have sprouted fresh seeds of langsat (Lansium domesticum), a SE Asian fruit. Has anyone tried to raise this before, or have any further information on it? Thanks!

• Re: requirements for langsat? - Tom 10:15:20 5/19/00 (0)

  
  They can't take temperatures much below 42F.
  
  

I have this beautiful sago. It is about 5 years old. It now has produced this large golden egg pod. What is it? Can I reproduce another plant from it, if I can it off and plant it? Can anyone tell me whatbit is?

• Re: RE: Sago Palm Golden egg Pod>>what is it??? - Jim Dorsey 20:59:42 5/14/00 (0)

  Hi Carla,
  Sounds to me like you have a male Cycas revoluta (King Sago)that is producing a cone. Cycads are either male or female. The female produces a round cone, while the male's is elongated. I have read that the pollen of either the male or female should not be inhaled. Check out Tom Broome's website on cycads at: Cycadjungle.8m.com. He also has a bulletin board there on cycads. Best, Jim
  
  

I have a new China Doll plant, kept in permanent shade but good light. Location = S. California. Understand it has problems re. overgrowth and turns "leggy". Apparently nipping new growth prevents this. Can any one explain exactly how to prevent this please? The tree is about 4.5 ft high and I would rather it did not start to manically grow and lose it's $80 charm!!

It is a beautiful plant and I worry that I have purchased something that requires considerable care!

Thanks for any advise shared.

• Re: CHINA DOLL (radermachera sinica) - Gary (South Texas) 21:55:01 5/13/00 (0)

  CM,
  Just pinch off the tops of the plant. They can and do get leggy, ours is growing in full sun and in the ground, one trunk is about 20 feet in height with 2 about 10 to 15 feet. There are 5 or more new stems (suckers) that will, if left unchecked, grow into thick trunks to about the same height. If plant gets too tall just cut it back it will regrow the from stem or from the base of the plant.

  • Radermachera sinica (China Doll)

my sago palm has yellow areas on the leaves. what causes this? what can be done?

• Re: sago palm - Carla 15:05:08 5/14/00 (0)

  Ron,
  Do you feed your palms food?It sounds like they might need nutrients.I suggest that you feed them every other month. My palms are now 5 years old and have tripled in size. You can buy palm food at any nursery.
• Re: sago palm - Carla 14:48:20 5/14/00 (0)

  My Saga Palm has this beautiful new growth on it. It looks like a golden egg. Is this a new plant? Can I cut this new growth offf and transplant it. Can any one tell me anything about it? Thank you

I live in San Bernadino County (California). My wife and I just returned from Maui. She wants a Cook Pine tree. Does anyone know if it will survive in this mostly desert climate? If so, does anyone know where in the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange or LA I can get one? Thanks.

• Re: Cook Pine Trees (Araucaria columnaris) - george in bandon,oregon 01:18:31 5/10/00 (0)

  pacific tree farms in chula vista, 619-422-2400 lists the species in their catalog. hard to tell about how well it might do in the desert. would probably want a protected, cool, and semi-shaded spot with plenty of water in the of water in the summer.

Does anyone have information re: camito fruit from Philipeans? I have access to tree and seeds.

• Re: camito (sp?) from Philipeans - Robert Lee Riffle 01:13:10 5/06/00 (0)

  The tree in question is Chrysophyllum cainito, most often called "cainito." It is not native to the Philippines but rather the Caribbean and Central America. It grows to about 50 feet in cultivation (with time) and has a dense crown of strikingly beautiful leaves that are green on top and a silky cinnamon benetah. Its fruits are similar to pomegranetes and are sweet when rifpe but astringent when not. The plant can stand but a touch of frost and needs full sun, warmth and lots of water (ina well drained site) during the long growing season (summer).

  Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK

This is a tree/bush the grows profuselly in BRasil and I wonder if anybody had seen it here in the USA. It releases a wonderful perfum at night (jasmin like).
Thanks.

• Re: Cestrum nocturnum - have you heard of? - Steve 21:22:31 5/26/00 (0)

  I'm curious if anyone has grown a ylang-ylang indoors or in a conservatory.
  Will they bloom indoors, and how big/how old before they begin blooming?
  Also, how fast do they grow?
  Like others on this board, I'm in love with the scent and would love to grow this plant.

  Good growing!

  Jim Freeman
  
  
• Re: Cestrum nocturnum - have you heard of? - Esteban 12:51:20 5/11/00 (0)

  We have this plant if you are interested.on a scale of 1-10 C.nocturnum is a 5-6 in Puerto wheras the Brunsfelsia americana is a 9 and Murraya paniculata is a solid 10
  The Epiphyllum oxypetalum is also a 10.She throws a 8-10" flower at night and is gone by noon the next dayAs Riffle states she is called "Reina de la Noche".B.americana is "Dama de la Noche"
  Esteban McGrath
  Loresco Tropical Plants
  San Juan,Puerto Rico
  
  
• Re: Cestrum nocturnum - have you heard of? - Robert Lee Riffle 01:13:16 5/05/00 (0)

  Adriana--
  It's actually a very commonly grown plant in all regions of the globe that do not have cold winters; and is not native to Brazil, but rather the Caribbean Basin. It's easy to grow in only a "decent" soil with good drainage and at least half a day's sun. TWO of its common names are "lady of the night" (!) and "night- blooming jasmine;" although the former monicker is also used for at least two species of night- blooming cactus and the cestrum is, in no way, related to either cactus species or true jasmines. It's actually related to the tomato/potato/ nightshades.

I would like to have a couple coconut palms grow in my yard. For that reason, I have planted some coconuts, hoping they will germinate. My question is, how fast/slow does the trunk grow? I would like to see their trunk at about 5 to 6 feet in height. How many years do I have to wait ? Thank you.

• Re: How fast/slow do coconut palms grow? - Jim Dorsey 20:12:29 5/01/00 (3)

  Hi George,
  I hope you planted your nuts in the shade. I have never had a coconut sprout in full sun! I have had nuts sprout within 3 weeks of planting and some take 8-9 months to sprout. Nuts I planted beside my driveway 10 years ago are now bearing nuts for the second year. They are about 30 feet tall. The largest one's trunk is 80 inches around and has about 6 feet of clear trunk. From seed, I got an average of 3 feet of growth each year. They like a lot of water when it is hot and plenty of fertilizer. Best, Jim
  
  

  • Re: How fast/slow do coconut palms grow? - Andy 11:54:55 5/05/00 (2)

    I share the information about germination time frame, some come in a short time ( I guess they have pre-germinated on the tree....), others can take up to 8 months. 8 years to bear fruit?? Hm... that must be a tall variety. Most 'dwarf' varieties bear fruit in about 3 - 4 years, with about 2 - 3 ft of clear trunk.

    One issue I don't agree on: Planting a coconut in full sun is a pratice here in Florida... ( I do it, others do it), and they seem to sprout quite quickly this way, provided the planting medium is adequately moist!

    Regards.

    Andy

    • Re: sprouting in sun vs. shade - Jim Dorsey 18:36:43 5/05/00 (1)

      : Andy
      Hi Andy,
      As a hobbyist grower, I planted 60 nuts in full sun. Not one sprouted. While visiting Palmco Nursery (one of the largest growers of Coconut palms in Fl.)on Pine Island I noticed they had literally thousands of nuts in the shade. Since then I have always planted in the shade. I am not so concerned about speed of germination as I am with rate of germination. I was getting 0% now I get 65 - 100% germination. I have visited most nurseries in Naples and Fort Meyers as well as many on the South-east coast. I have never seen coconuts being sprouted in full sun.
      Andy, I don't mean to imply that I am arguing with you. Not at all. I am only relaying my experiences and observations. Best, Jim Dorsey

      • Re: sprouting in sun vs. shade - Andy 19:19:41 5/08/00 (0)

        I am sure both ways work fine, even if you don't produce as many seedlings in the sun as in the shade.I was thinking about it.. maybe it has to do something with the level of moisture? To germinate a coconut seed, the medium has to stay nicely moist thruout the germination time. This can be done so much easier in the shade than in the sun. My coconuts are being misted once a day, so my planting medium is nicely moist which makes for easy penetration of the husk.

        Also, I looked up some old reference material.. and I quote from Dave Romney's book "Growing Coconuts in South Florida", on page 10, it states "Seed germination should be done in the open sun. The lower temperatures under shade slow down germination; seedlings grown under shade grow more slowly and become etiolated." Thought I'd share with you all :)

I was reading your message board,(very helpful) and a guy asked about a Pygmy date palm. I was going to ask if anyone knew about how to divide/propogate an Areca Palm, but now I have more questions!

I have a healthy Areca Palm with many little suckers, and have read very vague instructions on how to propogate them by dividing. How do you do this? Just pull them out?

Now I was wondering about this: That one guy asked about his palm, and you told him that what he should do is remove all the leaves from the plant when it is repotted. Do I do that here? What should I do?

• Re: How do you propagate an Areca Palm? - Jim 20:04:22 5/01/00 (0)

  Hi Betsy,
  If you can remove a sucker or sprout (from the mother trunk) with roots on it, it may grow. Without roots, it is highly unlikely to grow. In either case, it chance of survival are greatly improved if you remove ALL leaves, place it in the shade and keep moist but not wet.
  BTW, if you have a mature plant, why not just plant seeds? They sprout in less than 2 months. Best, Jim Dorsey Naples, Florida
  
  
  

We have six of these plants and would like to know something about them. Where do they come from? How do they grow best? How often do they fruit? Can we grow them in the North Island of New Zealand?

We are hoping this is an untapped market in New Zealand.

• Re: Tell us about Guanabanas - Esteban 13:01:14 5/11/00 (0)

  Annona muricotta...grows best in Tropical conditions @ 350-750 alt.to avoid the insect pressure assosciated at sea level.They love a pH of 6.6 -8.0 or so.A 4 yr old tree will start to set some poor fruit,but until you have the fruit on a 5-8 yr old tree,make tea from the leaves .At least that is what we have done.The tea cures every thing from flat feet to Gonarea.And tastes excellent with cinnamom,clove and limon together.
  If you want fresh seed in commercial lots,I can supply.but be advised you will need a phyto and thats about $50.00 to start with.
  
  
  

I am in zone 5b, northern Indiana. There is a man in northeast Ohio that claims he has a banana tree hardy to -20*F. His has two offshoots, but will not be ready for sale until next year. I was really looking forward to getting one this year. He said it gets 10'-13' tall in one season and will set fruit if mulched good enough. Does any one out there have any such banana tree for trade? Please send any suggestions to woodyworker1@yahoo.com Thanks.

• Re: Banana hardy to -20*F - Lee,Chester,UK Z9 14:22:43 4/27/00 (0)

  Sounds like Musa basjoo to me,widely available in the states,go to www.banana.com
  
  

  • UK Exotics and Cold Hardy Cacti

I've had a very hardy, vigorous, "two-trunk" P. selloum for maybe 15 years now, adn kept it thriving in No. KY by taking it in under lights every winter and giving it a bigger pot every few years. It is now quite large, with the trunks being about 2 feet high (lots of aerial roots) and seems ready for a new pot. I bought a 55-gallon oak wine barrel with the idea of using this (the whole barrel!) as a new pot. I'm wondering if it would be OK to bury some or all of the trunk into the new soil when I repot, so as to promote root growth (?) from the trunk and produce an even stronger plant, with less height. I don't want to rot the trunk, but it would fit more neatly into the barrel if I could bury the trunks and set the new dirt level at the point the leaves are currently taking off from the trunk. I don't want to rot it, however... Any experts out there who can tell me if this plant will throw roots out of the trunk if buried, or whether it will just rot the trunks??? Appreciate any help with this.

• Re: Philodenron selloum taking over!! - John 14:24:05 4/27/00 (4)

  Get it in the ground!
  
  

  • Re: Philodenron selloum taking over!! - SUNDANCE 21:51:40 4/29/00 (3)

    Wish I could, but it wouldn't survive the winter here in Northern Kentucky. My question is whether burying part of the stem, where the leaves have fallen off and left callouses, and aerial roots are coming out, will cause the stem to rot, or encourage more root development from the stem itself. Anyone have an answer (or even an opinion)?
    
    

    • Re: Philodenron selloum taking over!! - Lee,Chester,UK Z9 13:51:16 5/02/00 (0)

      I wouldn't think it would cause the stem to rot.do you have cold damp winters,I have mate a few miles away who has overwintered his small plant OK.
    • Re: Philodenron selloum taking over!! - Dave Poole (Torquay UK) 23:47:31 4/29/00 (1)

      Considering the severity of your winters, I suspect you are quite right to overwinter indoors. Philodendron selloum may manage to cope with moderate levels of frost, but prolonged freezes could and probably would do a lot of damage.

      As to burying the trunk deeper, you can safely do this right up to just below the leaf bases if you want. The existing 'air' roots will quickly adapt to a subterranean existence with the buried portions of the trunk sending out more roots. In time, the lowest parts may die away, but the upper parts will be growing so strongly that you won't notice.
      
      
      

      • Re: Philodenron selloum taking over!! - SUNDANCE 20:38:01 4/30/00 (0)

        Thanks for the response, kind sir! Braced by your assurances, I tackled the monster today, and sank it deep into the oak wine barrel (just short of the existing elephantine leaves). Crikey! The whole assemblage must have weighed 500 pounds (no exaggeration). The oaken barrel was a good 150# (with a layer of pea gravel), the plant itself an estimated 80-100#, and I added 12 20# bags of potting soil. Had to add air to the tires on my hand cart to move it into the backyard! Anyway, the project's done, and I appreciate your advice. I'll trust a Brit for gardening advice any day! (My mother-in-law grew up near Devon, and lives in Phoenix now.) Anyway, the P. Goliathus is now happily ensconced in new quarters, and we'll see what new heights the summer will bring. Thanks again!
        
        

I divided my Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix Robellini) around March, which is the ideal time to divide and repot this speices of palm. I propogated some by dividing the plant and potting the rooted offsets. All went well for about a week.

The mother plant is seriously ailing, all of its fronds dried up and wilted, drooping down. The new spikes in the center appeared to be doing well, but are now drying up. All of the new plants that I have propogated did well for a while, then died. I am a little concerned, because I'm not sure what I did wrong.

Did I overwater? Or are they just suffering from transplant shock? What should I do?

Any help would be great!! THANKS!!

-Patrick

• My site on how to grow Henna Plants (Lawsonia Inermis)

• Re: What's with my Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelinii)? - Jim Dorsey 17:52:45 4/24/00 (6)

  Hi Patrick, My first question is: how big it this palm? Secondly, Pygmy's typically are not clumping palms. Are you sure it is a Pygmy? When dividing palms, it is a good idea to remove ALL fronds except the emerging spear, keep in the shade, and don't water the stem only the soil. Also, if the roots were seriously cut, do NOT fertilize as the roots may burn. Hope this helps.Best, Jim

  • I'm sure it's a Pygmy Date Palm . . . - Patrick 20:17:13 4/24/00 (5)

    Thanks Jim for the information!

    My palm is (was) about 2 1/2, 3 feet in height before I divided it.

    I'm sure that it is a Pygmy Date Palm, as it was the name on the pot that it came with, and it matches the pictures in this one time life guide to house plants. The guide I have talks about how you can separate the suckers as they appear, and propogate from them. Mine sure had suckers! (about 5 or 6 of them!) Is what is happening to my palm normal from repotting/propogating?

    THANKS!!

    Patrick

    • Re: I'm sure it's a Pygmy Date Palm . . . - Jim 19:51:30 4/25/00 (4)

      Hi Patrick,
      It is my understanding that the clumping pygmy was only recently discovered. Maybe 3 years ago. I got some seed from that initial shipment. My clumping pygmy is now only about 1-1 1/2 feet tall.
      My guess is that what you have is either a senegal date (reclinata) or a cross of a pygmy and a reclinata. When I worked in a nursery, we would receive a shipment of several hundred pygmy sprouts. With out fail, in every shipment several would turn out to be reclinata. The easiest way to tell is when they clumped. Also, reclinatas grow faster and have heavier thorns (spines).
      Now, back to your plant. Have you removed all fronds from the plants? Very important to do this. When a palm suffers a severe root loss, it no longer has the ability to take up enough moisture to replace the moisture lost through the leaves. The only moisture available to the leaves is the moisture stored in the stem or trunk. When that moisture is used up, the plant dies. By removing the fronds, you are helping the plant prevent water loss. Once the palm has sprouted out new leaves, that is a indication that it now has roots to supply them with moisture. By keeping the plant in the shade, the stem will have less stress and water loss as well. Once new fronds start to emerge, the plant is then save to move back into the sun. By not watering the plant, you reduce the risk of mold, mildew and fungus while the plant is trying to recover. The SOIL should be kept moist but not wet. But don't water the plant itself. Also, it is important to keep the plants warm. 80F - 90F. It appears palms slow their growth rate considerably when it is cooler. BTW, where are you located? Hope this helps. Best, Jim Dorsey
      

      • Re: I'm sure it's a Pygmy Date Palm . . . - Patrick 16:15:49 4/26/00 (3)

        Jim,

        THANKS AGAIN!!

        I didn't know that you should remove the fronds from the plants!! I did now, though. When you say "Don't water the plant itself" do you mean, set the pot in a dish of water and let it take up the water on its own, or water only the soil, taking special care not to get the trunk wet?

        I am in Western New York around Buffalo. My palms enjoy the humid summers but are kept indoors on days which are cool.

        I will do as you say, and I thank you again!

        Patrick
        

        • Re: watering a Pygmy Date Palm . . . - Jim Dorsey 17:00:47 4/27/00 (2)

          Patrick, I think either method you've suggested will work fine for watering. My biggest concern was, that if you were in south Fl. , with our heat and humidity you may have problems with the stem getting too wet. Best, Jim

          • Home Depot Pigmy dates - Belinda 15:35:18 5/01/00 (1)

            I believe I read that somewhere in a tropical plant guide as well as asking the horticulturist on hand ata nursery near my home. I have successfully split these palms and been successful but you got the right advice earlier about keeping them in the shade. Belinda

            • Re: Home Depot Pigmy dates - Jim 20:19:15 5/01/00 (0)

              Hi Belinda' I really don't mean to belabor this point but, Those pygmys are planted 2 or 3 or 4 plants to a pot. a true clumping palm comes from one seed. I used to plant them that way in a nursery for resale. We would sprout up the seed. grow them until they were larger, then combine several plants together into one pot. Adonidia merrillii(Christmas palm, Manila palm) are grown the same way. Same with Chinese Fan palms. Best, Jim

I received three seeds last year from Hawaii. These seeds (pinto bean size)were dark brown with a lighter brown tiger striping. They are growing well, lots of sun and water. They have almond shaped, light green leaves, and the trunk is getting woody. These plants have also developed thorns. Any help as to what they are?

• Re: seeds from HI - Gary (South Texas) 16:28:32 4/22/00 (3)

  Sounds like a Coral tree (Erythrina sp.)Leaves are light to dark green, 3 lobed ovate leaves on prickly branches (also some of the leaves have thorns) Does the woody trunk look like cork? There are about 100 species and most grow in tropical to subtropical regions but some are very hardy and can regrow from roots if frozen back. Flowers are spectacular! Erythrina crista-galli

  • Re: seeds from HI - trina 21:37:04 4/22/00 (2)

    Thank you for your answer. I will look into these trees. P.S: bark does look like cork

    • Re:Coral Tree - Trina 10:06:29 4/28/00 (1)

      Hi. I've been surfing, the pictures of Erythrina crista-galli L. certainly look like what I have. So what now? How do I care for these guys in CO? Any advice is deeply appreciated.

      • Re:Coral Tree - Gary (South Texas) 06:46:48 4/30/00 (0)
        

        Hi Trina,
        Erythrina crista-galli (Coral Tree) is Hardy to low 20s or below and trees with large woody trunks have recovered from a 14-degree freeze back in 1983, in the coastal bend area. They like lots of light and water especially in the warmer summer months. They are Deciduous although, here in South Texas, they can remain evergreen if freeze is light and soil is kept wet, they also can flower all year round if right conditions are met. Coral trees can grow to 30 feet, but if frozen back will more likely become a large shrub. Inflorescences can vary from pink, orange to red and bloom in cycles of about every six weeks. In colder/cooler climates and where the ground freezes, (not sure how hardy the root system may be) I would guess 20 degrees, you might want to plant them in large containers or pots, keep plant pruned to form a nice looking shape, and beware of thorns! If you decide to plant them out, find a southern sheltered area with full sun and mulch heavy in the winter. Good luck!

        
        

        • Tropical Image Gallery 2000
        
        

You have said for the Majesty Palm: "I use 50% potting soil and 50% small bark nuggets" We've got ours set up indoors. How do you set up the pot? Potting soil in first with nuggets on top? Thanks

• Re: Majesty Palm soil--attn: bart - bart 05:22:19 4/22/00 (1)

  Hi Frank, Majesty's, as with most palms, love or thrive in a near rootbound condition their whole "container" life, so plan to pot up about every two years. Make sure you see about 75% roots when you pull out the plant to inspect the palms root mass, before potting up, and generally into pot about 2-4 inches wider 4-8 inches deeper than original . Then get a bucket or whatever you have, even the ground, pour equal parts potting soil and mini bark nuggets and mix together for a short time to get an even consistancy of medium. Put about 1" of plain bark or bark nuggets into the pot first, to keep drain holes open for the two year period, then put at least 2"-3" of soil/bark nugget mix into pot, gently set palm into pot, gage depth so the root/trunk divide is about two inches below lip of given pot, hold palm in place, and with other hand gently fill in with soil/bark mix, gently pack on top and push fingers gently along sides, lightly packing soil. Water heavily and add a little more mix to keep soil and base of trunk at about 2" below lip of pot, you may need to pull up a little, and repack to get it at the right height. If the mix is 50/50 you should be just about able to direct the hose into pot without it ever overflowing due to good drainage. With a 50/50 mix, water about every 4 days when temps are 60-80 degrees, every 3 days when 80-90 degrees, and every day when approaching 100 degrees, to avoid any leaf burn, leaves burn when the soil is zapped of moisture which can happen in a day at high temps.

  If you can only water once a week use a higher percentage of potting soil in your mix to hold moisture longer. I have come full circle after experimenting with countless soil mixes(vermiculite,perlite- which floats away, soil retentitive soils- which kill everything by never drying out at regular intervals, and countless high end expensive soil ideas I have read about, or been told about by numerous curator friends around the world. They all will work, but my success rate is much higher using 50/50 potting soil and mini bark nuggets. One additive I still have great success with, dare I mention, which is definitely not necessary, is pine tree dung. Which is the soil that has composted under pine trees under the fallen needle layer, this "dung" is a super additive, however is not available in stores, as far as I know, but can be found wherever a pine grove can be found. Supplement the pine mix from the potting soil (usually a large handful for a 5 gallon pot), with 50% mini bark. Hundreds of species of tropicals seem to benifit with this additive, but could be troublesome to find. I have about a 95%success rate with all tropicals with or without pine dung, with specimens in a 4" container or larger. SEEDLINGS are a different story. Honestly, I have only about a 25% success rate with "tropical grass blades" or seedlings, due to rot, which hurts, seeming never able to master a technique with the tender species, hardy types have a much higher percentage, but the challenge is small and I really do not try or have space for them. I hope this helps everybody......

  • Re: Majesty Palm soil--attn: bart - Frank 15:03:48 4/22/00 (0)

    Thank you, bart! You can give your hand a rest, now.

I'm curious if anyone has grown a ylang-ylang indoors or in a conservatory. Will they bloom indoors, and how big/how old before they begin blooming? Also, how fast do they grow? Like others on this board, I'm in love with the scent and would love to grow this plant. Good growing! Jim Freeman

• Re: cananga odorata under glass - Esteban 12:22:14 4/21/00 (0)

  Jim,I grow these trees for urban reforestation.My advice from the Tropics would be to grow Artabotrys uncinata the Ylang-Ylang shrubby vine before the tree.Although were you to micro grow Cananga....somewhere between a field crop and a Bonzai it should set flowers within 4-5 years.

While doing my first general garden pruning of my new house, I decided to trim most of the leaves on a Sago Palm which no one appeared to have ever trimmed. While doing so, I realized the size of the trunk was much larger than I had imagined (roughly 1' diameter & 2-3' tall)! Then as I was raking away debris from the base area, I found some honeydew sized bulbs that appear to have chutes or something ready to spread out like new leaves? I later found out that these bulbs are "pups".

I know that my sago is about to produce new leaves because I can see the large chute in the middle, is this the wrong time to pull the pups off of the base? And if I decide to wait on the pup removal, do the pups produce leaves of their own while afixed to the main trunk of the "mother" tree? Finally; If sago's are either male or female, and a female's flower needs the pollen from of male's cone to pollenate, and then produce seed to later germinate, How is it that MY plant has pups with no other sago around in miles? Thank you in advance for any advice/knowledge (everything I know about sagos is only from one evening's "sago-surf" on the net).

• Re: Cycas Revoluta Pups - Jim Dorsey 19:03:43 4/17/00 (3)

  Hi David, Check out Tom Broome's site: cycadjungle.8m.com He is an expert and grower of cycads. At his site, he also has a cycad bulletin board. Many plants sucker. Pollen isn't required for that. All pups will be the same sex as the parent. To get seeds is when pollen is required. Best, Jim Dorsey Naples, Fl.

  • Re: Cycas Revoluta Pups - David J in CA 23:41:16 4/17/00 (2)

    Thank you, the site has some really detailed info on cycads! David J

    • Re: Cycas Revoluta Pups - bart 01:48:42 4/20/00 (1)

      cycads, especially revoluta are dinosaurs that have been around forever and can survive just about anything, decades of drought, major fires, probably even an atombomb!. Pups can be ripped off at anytime and just put into soil and watered moderately in well drained soil, virtually a one hundred percent success rate can be expected, in due time!. They will languish for months eventually forming a large root mass before any visable leafs, perodically pull out the football(pup)to inspect progress of roots.(a friend was in the vietnam war where they had to cross a wash with jeeps, their only recourse was to hack down some cycads 15 feet long 1 1/2 dia trunk, to drive across, they hacked off the roots and leaves. He actually tied the logs to the back and they dragged them twenty miles to there ship, tied them to the outside of his ship, floating in the water for about 6 months literally, upon returning to long beach, he took the logs and planted them, they rooted in 6 mos, and are doing excellent, maybe hundreds or thousands of years old, surviving who knows what in their life time.) Short of poison I doubt very seriously if you could kill off cycads, easily recovering from the dormant stage, if the pups are large and already rooted, you might want to make an incision first half way and let them recover, then cut a little deeper and finally remove pup with roots, to speed the root recovery process(however frequently even with a surgeons touch, they will defoliate and loose roots only to start over again), some recommend removing all roots first so the new roots are aclimated to your conditions and will begin to grow as fast as they can, as unaclimated old roots may cause the plant to languish longer than a derooted cycad. Personally, I try numerous experiments including different soils, light etc., some get water once a week some get flooded daily in my rainforest setting(with good drainage: half potting soil, half mini bark nuggets).Some full sun, some full shade, all are doing excellent. cycads are the easiest plant challenge around, however they generally grow super slow, the challenge would be to gage the proper moisture/sun ratio,for optimum growth. You really don't need it,but good luck.

      • Re: Cycas Revoluta Pups - Dave J. CA 22:32:24 4/20/00 (0)

        Woahhhhh!....Now that's a story to prove resiliency! I really appreciate the info, it gives me great courage. I have already gone home and carefully removed my pups. One cool thing, besides the two large pups, and the two medium pups, there were THREE more plum sized pups! I know this must be normal for other people, but I've only learned about Sago's recently and this is pretty fun. I plan to plant all of the pups in a couple of days. Thanks for the info. Dave J...sago happy in the sierra foothills CA

I have a healthy Texas sabal palm tree, but I don't know much about maintenance. Should I cut off the lower branches as they yellow? Do I ever need to fertilize the tree? Also - I have 4 sego palms, and 2 are not doing too well. They are transplants from the Gulf coast area and are partially yellow. They are planted in the ground in mostly sunny areas. Any advice?

• Re: Palms in Austin - Adriana 20:30:18 4/25/00 (0)

  Hi Laura, I'm also looking for information about growing palms in Austin, I just moved here. I'm planning to grow a tropical looking garden on my new backyard. I'll send you information if I get any. Good Luck.

Here in St Augustine Fl there are many native "Cabbage" palms that bear countless seeds. Is it practical to plant these seeds - and if so how would one go about it? Thanks, RW

• Re: Planting Sago (Cabbage) palms from seeds - Mike in Houston, z9a 01:26:30 4/14/00 (0)
  

  They sprout quickly during warm weather. Plant them about 1/2 inch deep in a good sandy loam. If you like you can start them first in 'community' pots by planting many seeds in one pot. After they sprout they can be transplanted to individual pots. But since they sprout so quickly, you might want to just plant them in one-gallon pots to start.

  Keep the seeds well watered and warm. They are seemingly slow starting out, looking more like grass than palms, but after a couple of years the small grass like leaves begin to mature and form characteristic palmate leaves. The tree does not form a trunk until the leaves have reached full size, then it begins to grow up. This may be 3 to 5 years.

  Because Sabal palms are slow to mature and so common in the Florida countryside, they are seldom sold at nurseries as small plants. They are however attractive when small and one surely feels a sense of accomplishment when a little seed forms a full-grown tree. I have done just that and some of my Sabal palmettos are 25 feet tall now.
  
  

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I've just picked up one and would appreciate any information/cultivation on this banana.

• UK Exotics and Cold Hardy Cacti

• Re: Musa Rajapuri - Gary (South Texas) 17:08:58 4/12/00 (0)

  Hi Lee,
  Rajapuri, is a very hardy banana, that is easy to grow as the plant is small (1.8m to 2.4m). Is somewhat wind resistant, with a very stout base. Fruit is very sweet and about medium sized. They fruit every year for us here in South Texas. It's one of our favorites!

  
  

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I have read your advise on giving Majestic Palms plenty of water, but at the same time not to let them sit in soggy soil. How do I prevent this? I try to water often, but my plants stay so moist all the time that I am afraid that I may be hurting the plant. Are brown tips and yellowing an indication of dehydrating, over watering, or something else. I can still save these two beautiful plants. Please help !!

• Re: Majestic Palm - Water, Soggy and brown-- Oh my ! - bart 02:11:06 4/20/00 (1)

  Randall,
  If their in pots yank em out, if their in the ground yank em out. replace soil with good drainage (I use half potting soil, half mini bark nuggets, works fantastic on about everything.) In the ground you should dig up a large area and replace with the same said mixture, now brown tips usually means lack of proper water, where the salts(hard compounds or minerals in water)are not flushed out with enough water, usually in potted specimens, that are watered slightly. If they are in the ground, and the ground is a clay like substance or not draining, you may need to mound up, or set root mass on level ground and put copius amounts of properly drained soil all aroud so when you water, it can drain away from plants, a hole in a claylike soil is basically a coffin and will soon cause the plant to rot and wither away...
  Good drainage and lots of water, brite filtered lite, warmth and no frost equals fast growing majesty's or just about all rainforest plants,palms and trees, good luck...

  • THANKS BART !! GREAT ADVISE - Randall C. Decker 21:17:26 4/26/00 (0)

    THANKS BART !! GREAT ADVISE !! A couple of weeks have gone by and they are still doing well. I will work on the potting solutions this weekend.

    • Re: Majestic Palm - Water, Soggy and brown-- Oh my ! - Gary (South Texas) 06:07:43 4/12/00 (0)

      Hi Randall,
      I take it that your palms are in pots or containers. Water only when top of soil is dry to about an inch down. When temperatures are cool plants will not take up the water as fast as opposed to when temperatures are hot. Never let palms get soggy always let them dry out before water. Yes brown tips and yellow leaves can be a indicator that your giving it to much water. When Ravenea rivularis (Majesty Palms) are planted out and in the ground it is next to impossible to over water. Make sure the pot/container has good drainage, Also when growing and when temperatures start to warm up give plenty of fertilizer.

      
      

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I bought a kentia palm about 6 years ago with 4 stems from about 3 to 5 feet tall. It was doing just fine for about 3 years. Then one winter, one of the taller and older stems started turning yellow. This yellowing progressed gradually so that in about 3 to 4 weeks the entire stalk was all brown, dry and dead. So I cut it off and the rest of the plant was fine. However, the next winter the same thing happened to the next tallest stem. About a year later, it happened again to another stem. Currently I just have one stem left, the smallest and youngest. It seems to be healthy and even has new growth. But I've gone from a nice tall and full kentia to a smaller thinner one. Since I've had the plant, I've always kept it in the same location where it gets low to medium light. No direct sun. It is near a south window but well off to the side. I water once about every 1-1/2 weeks, normally waiting till the top soil has dried out. I have average house temps, but live in the NE so it's dry in winter. This plant was expensive and I would like to avoid losing the remaining stalk to the same fate that took the others. I'm figuring the problem is 1) underwatering, 2) too small a pot (it's currently in about a 13" container), or 3) some sort of soil condition the plant doesn't like such as an improper pH or a nutritional deficiency. But I really have no strong clue as to the problem and would appreciate some diagnosis and advice. As for pot size, I was going to repot the plant around the time I lost the first stem, but after I lost it I figured the plant would have less need for water due to its reduced size and held off. As the plant kept losing stems, I continued to hold off potting it up to a larger pot ... Thanks!

• Re: Kentia Palm - Robert Lee Riffle 23:16:49 4/09/00 (1)

  Pat, it most likely has not been getting enough water. Are there drainage holes in the bottom of the pot? If not transplant immediately to a container WITH holes. The kentia should be watered when the top half-inch of the soil is dry. Now that there is only the one small plant left it's possbile to overwater; so it might be best to repot in any case. It definitely was not potbound. Another possibility is that there IS some pathogen in the soil; but this seems unlikely if the palms did well for so long and then suddenly started dying. I thinl repotting is in order. And, when you do so, look for insects, a nasty odor, etc.

  • Re: Kentia Palm - Bart 03:59:41 4/20/00 (0)

    pat, sounds like nasty soil. kentia's are very hardy, can be grown in brite filtered light or in deep shade. "Palms", in containers, love to be in a near rootbound state their whole container life. They will stunt or croak when overpotted, pot up to the nearest size: 1gal to 5 gal to 15gal or 1" liner to 2" liner to citrus pot etc. In your case, treat it as follows: lay pot on side and gently press sides till plant pulls out easily.

    Gently remove all soil and remove dead plant parts and roots, trying not to damage solid roots, after 6 years in the same soil I would even flush roots with water to get rid of mushy soil. Next make a mixture of 50% potting soil and 50% mini bark nuggets, put into a pot that is a fairly tight fit for good roots, careful not to snap roots. First, fill bottom 1/3 with said mixture, gently insert plant, hold upright and gently fill in said mix, leaving soil level and crown about 1 1\2" from top lip of pot. Let grow into pot and should be rootbound or have 75% visable roots (when plant is gently removed to inspect roots)before the next "pot up" session, usually every two years.

    Now that you will have proper drainage, water copiously in a kitchen sink , on the porch, in the bathtup etc. (maybe keep on a saucer and drag saucer to porch, lift out of saucer and deep water every 3-4 days, let drain for hours in filtered sunshine, then put back on saucer and drag back to desired spot. Now a big problem would be to try to water slightly at the indoor spot, keeping drain water below saucer level, as this is not enough water and will allow salt or hard minerals to accumilate and cause leaf tips to"brown tip".

    If you are only able to water once a week use 75% potting soil and 25% mini brk nuggets.(50-50 grows fastest). I built several 1'deep containers (some out of stainless steel, some out of large plastic cement mixing tubs) covered with wire mesh so I can water heavily indoors and pump water out the window with a cheap circulating pump,the standing water also adds lots of humidity and enables you to grow about any tropical plant. Also try to hand mist the palms at least twice a day. 10-20 times a day if you have the heater on.

    I sucessfully grow hundreds of tropical palms and rainforest plants (rare heliconia's etc) indoors with said conditions and never bother to examine ph levels, however I pot up with fresh mix every two years. it's also very important to feed palms with a palm fertilizer(near 3-1-3 ratio)preferably in a time release form, every 3-4 months or per directions, all year round when growing indoors. Paradise palms are very beautiful and even with said ideal conditions take about ten years to outgrow a house, which then can be planted into ground in spring and then they will explode into hyper growth, and when mature and seeding can generate 5-10 thousand dollars of supplemental income per year in easy seed sales.(.05cents per seed) constantly seeding all year long when mature. good luck

Hi. I just bought a wash. palm in Florida, and I live in Augusta, GA. I cannot seem to find any good info on where to plant, soil, water etc. Will these things really grow to 80 ft? Can it survive here? Thanks for any help. Norma

• Re: Washingtonia palm - Robert Lee Riffle 23:10:37 4/09/00 (0)

  Norma, it depends on which species of W. as to whether or not it will, firstly, grow to 80 feet and, secondly, survive the winter in Augusta. W. filifera will probably survive but will not grow to 80'; W. robusta will grow to 80' under optimum conditions (so.CA, far south TX., so.FL)but is likely to die if the temp goes below 18'F. for very long.
  Robert Lee Riffle, author of the award winning book, THE TROPICAL LOOK
• Re: Washingtonia palm - Gary (South Texas) 10:44:22 4/09/00 (0)

  Hi Norma,
  Washingtonia robusta and or W. filifera can grow in just about any kind of soil, they are hardy to around 18 degrees and sometimes even lower. There is a very good group of excellent and knowledgeable palms enthusiast in your area. BTW I was stationed for a few months in Augusta, while in the service back in the 60's and I do remember seeing a few palms growing in and around the area. You may want to join SPEPS (Southern Palm and Exotic Plant Society you'll find some members living in Augusta. SPEPS

I have a 3 foot tall Chaina Doll plant. The leaves keep falling off. They are not yellow or blackish. Pland is otherwise healthy. What do I do to keep the leaves on?

• Re: China Doll House plant - Linda Haines 11:29:42 4/08/00 (1)

  When I wrote you, I neglected to tell you to try nourishing with plant food. Ever since I have been putting plant food in the watering can, it seems to be thriving and staying greener. I use: Peters Professional All Purpose Plant Food

  • Re: China Doll House plant - Gary (South Texas) 10:24:48 4/09/00 (0)

    Linda is correct, in that Radermachera (China Doll) does like fertilizer and water especially when the temperatures start to get warmer, they also need some humidity. During the spring mine start to drop the bottom branches for whatever reason, this stops, after about a month, during the course of a year they may drop a few branches but usually not many. Inside (house) and also container plants, may grow differently than those growing outside and in the ground.

Gary, South Texas:
When you stated that you start the China Doll by seed, do you have to buy seed in packet or does the seed come from the plant itself? Putting the cuttings into water doesn't work so I want to re-start plant to keep it as a small plant rather than the large one that I do have now. Thank you.

• Re: China Doll as Houseplant - Gary (South Texas) 06:53:50 4/09/00 (0)

  Hi Linda, Our China Doll has never flowered (maybe this year?)