Desperate Times

[MattyB]

Case 1.

Case of the frozen Jubaeopsis

BS Man gave me a beautiful, and valuable, Jubaeopsis caffra as a house warming gift 4 years ago. The following Spring, in March 2008, I planted it out and a full sun spot out on the hillside. Here it is at planting time.

[MattyB]

It grew quickly and thickened up nicely that Summer and then at some point it it decided to flower! A huge inflorescence emerged right out of the center of the palm. I knew that this was a bad sign so I tried to cut off the flowers as they emerged so it would abort the flowering process and get back to growing leaves. Well, it didn't. For the next 2-1/2 years it stayed in suspended animation looking like this.

[MattyB]

Being a suckering palm I thought for sure that a dweezle ( Dave Bleistein) would pop up next to the main stem and the palm would continue to live. But no luck. Well, after over two years of nothing, I decided to dig it out. I put it in a pot and will water it well to see if somehow it can recover but it doesn't look too promising, does it?

[MattyB]

The good news is that I got to plant that Jubaea I've been looking for a spot for.

[MattyB]

Case 2.

Case of the rotting Onily

This Dypsis onilahensis was one of the first palms I ever bought. It was a two leafer in 2004 from some vendor on ebay for just a couple of bucks. It grew slowly but steadily in it's pot and finally a couple of years ago I planted it out in a grouping of other Dypsis onilahensis types. Once in the ground it fattened up quickly and produced a sucker. But the following Winter the spear on the main stem turned white, rubbery, and pulled out. After repeated fungicide applications the main stem finally succumbed and died. But the sucker kept growing and eventually it fattened up and started to look nice.....until last year when it's spear turned white, rubbery and pulled out. Last Summer it pushed a new spear out through the hole and I thought it was out of the woods. Until this past Winter the spear, you guessed it, turned white, rubbery and pulled out.

[MattyB]

It's been like this for about 5 months, with that wicked witch of the west curled inwards crownshaft....not a good sign.

[MattyB]

So I thought that this was the time to employ my "off with it's head" technique! Old, lower leaves are no good if the apical meristem is rotting out and sometimes the only way to get in there to treat it is to start cutting! You can see that after quite a bit of cutting that the concentric layers have an air gap between them where rot is occuring. Also that weird curling in of the growing point is visible. I wonder if it's because this palm is just predispositioned to rotting like this because it kept happening over and over again. Within minutes you can see that the palm is still alive and the new growth begins to push upwards out of the center. This is literally about 15 minutes after I cut. A good sign.

[paulgila]

this is alot of words & spelling,for you.

[MattyB]

I was not happy with that air gap; it should be solid, so I went in for more until it was solid.

[MattyB]

Here it is at the end of the day, about 7 hours later.

This technique has worked for me in the past so we'll see if it works again.

Cases closed.

[Jeff Searle]

I would seriously move.....

[Trópico]

Looks like you'll be eating bananas by the end of the month.

[realarch]

Wow! That's some serious surgery. An interesting experiment though, that meristem must go way down to the base. Good luck.

[Kumar]

Interesting. I wonder how this affects the shape and structure of the palm as it matures. Any deformities?

[MattyB]

If the palm has a good amount of clear trunk then I assume that there will be some constricting of the trunk, but on the ones I've done it to they have little to no trunk and the base swells again like normal, after a slow recovery.

[BS Man about Palms]

I feel your pain... NO movement on the Rhopy... I shall be chopping it more soon...

[Walter John]

That's a great read Matty, I got into it and actually forgot it was about palm trees for a while.

As for the tragic loss of the J.caffra, I remember thinking that palm species may be a tall order for you there.

Regarding the Onilahensis palm, you mention doing this slashing to others, a la Dypsis the 13th style, what species were they, how are they now and was there anyone with you at the time of the incident?

ps.I think you should consider adding to the "Are You A Writer?" thread in the Ohana Nui.

[Al in Kona]

Matty, especially sad to see that Jubiopsis caffra removed. That palm should grow for you as it grew fine in nearby Lemon Grove as well as many other SoCal locations. It's a beautiful palm, you should try another sometime.

[MattyB]

Wal,

I finally got around to taking a pic for you. This is one of the palms that I beheaded about 3-4 years ago. If you look closely you can see the horizontal cut off line and the new crown emerging up out of it. It's still not completely recovered but it's almost there.

[MattyB]

Here's an update on the Dypsis onilahensis, about 9 months after completely beheading it and treating with hydrogen peroxide. This technique has worked great for me. I think it's a fatal mistake to allow a rotting palm to sit there with all that rotting material down in the growing point. Cut it out, treat with hydrogen peroxide and let it be reborn!

[DALION]

I think since Matt can make near dead, beheaded palms come back from the grave that he might actually be the Messiah!

[DALION]

On a more positive note, great job on getting those palms to grow. I have done similar resurrections on cycads but never thought it could be done on palms.

Leo

[MattyB]

I am not I am.

[Gonzer]

Here's an update on the Dypsis onilahensis, about 9 months after completely beheading it and treating with hydrogen peroxide.

Matthew, does that mean it's now a D. onilahensis 'blond form'?

[Got Palms]

Good work Matt, i tried this on a Chambeyronia with about 2 feet of clear trunk last year after seeing this thread said palm is doing well now, Thanks for taking risks!

[QUINNPALMS]

good stuff! i had a jubaeopsis 1gallon that flowered its last flower as well. such a shame cause they are slooooow !.

[BS Man about Palms]

I have tried this now a couple times.. problem is I need to make the decision to cut sooner so it could be successful!

[Jeff Searle]

I have tried this now a couple times.. problem is I need to make the decision to cut sooner so it could be successful!

We've all done this thousands of times to our palms. But I'm sure Paul has his own story forthcoming.

[Moose]

I have tried this now a couple times.. problem is I need to make the decision to cut sooner so it could be successful!

We've all done this thousands of times to our palms. But I'm sure Paul has his own story forthcoming.

The Palm Doctor?

[Phoenikakias]

[Moose]

Wow! That's some serious surgery. An interesting experiment though, that meristem must go way down to the base. Good luck.

Curious as to which ones survived ?

[KennyRE317]

wonder if the onilahensis stayed alive and how large it is right now

[MattyB]

As you'd expect that Jubeopsis died pretty quickly, but I think it was dead already.

The Dypsis onilahensis has made a full recovery and has several inches of fat trunk and a nice crown.

[DoomsDave]

J-opsis are trickier than they might appear.

They need LOTS of water; I've killed one and nearly killed others by not watering them enough. (Yeah, yeah, they're riparian! I get it! )

(deep breath)

Matt's situation is just plain weird. I've never had a palm go juvie early pubie like that.

As for the beheading, I did that once with a Caryota mitis - by mistake! - and it popped right back, and now it wants to marry me. It didn't need beheading, but it's none the worse for wear now.

[MattyB]

hahaha, "...and now it wants to marry me". pretty funny Davey-O

[grant b.]

nice historical reference Dave

[buffy]

Per somebodies recommendation on here, I beheaded my Yatay Queen to the ground after the Winter of 2010. That palm is now 10' tall.

[MattyB]

Here's the onily today

[Stevetoad]

I behead my d.onili this spring due to rot. It now has a goofy leaf but looks healthy. Beheading works. Matt your onili looks perfect!

[Jastin]

I've beheadded some stuff too, the all survived. I sometimes just behead stuff for no reason, just to watch it grow back