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When iam finished, or at least I think I have with my old propagation medium, I usually tip it out on the potting bench and just use it as any other additive for my soil mix. And usually there are old or what I think are dead seeds in that mix. They say never give up on old seeds but sometimes you just have to move on to new seed. So it’s a wonderful surprise when they start popping up in the potted palms. Especially licualas, not sure what these varieties are it iam sure something good, and another physokentia is most welcome in the collection. The seed is one way of getting an identification. I just tip the pot upside down and simply remove the seedling!

I was able to force this color with 23 degrees but i don't think I’ll be able to maintain this look.

Up here you can drive from coconuts thriving to temperatures in the teens within a 30 min drive. It is horrible. Goes from a 9a climate to a 10a in like 10 miles or less

One thing I noticed about this winter is some of the models going doomish fast, and pretty much staying consistent well before the event, then proving true when most winters those outliers are safely disregarded. Those models are saying a possible light freeze and frost in late February, which is completely possible here, so I expect that to pan out with water temps going up too. 85 yesterday and near 80 so far today, so hopefully that warms everything up for the usual quick drop and recovery. Anyone that avoids a frost or freeze should be good until next fall I think 🤞.

From what I've been told Bismarckia are extremely intolerant to having their roots disturbed in anyway. I think this might be one of those palms that can't be moved, unless you can get ALL of the roots.

Today it caught my eye that I could take a photograph of my palms when it’s raining and see the raindrops in the photograph.

Here’s the Greenhouse I forgot which one in Cincy forgot to post this! Man, that is a huge queen sago palm!!

Figured everyone could use some good news. Pritchardia thurstonii was able to weather the storm under coconut canopy and shielded from wind slightly by the lanai. It is opening the damaged leaf in the photo and the another spear is coming out. That said, we do have another front coming and that might finish it off. At least it is still in the game, though.

@sacts those look a lot like my 5 big Alfredii. I didn't have much if any damage in the past 7 or so years, down to ~27F several times with heavy snowlike frost. Mine took mostly light leaf burn at 24.4F and frost, and did take nearly a year to totally grow a new crown from that. I'm guessing they are going to look kinda ratty through mid summer. I fertilized mine 2 weeks ago, hoping for quicker recovery. I also did hydrogen peroxide and then Daconil into the crowns, but not copper...yet. I will probably cut off the lower fronds in a week or two. That's partially for looks, and partially to make sure there's good airflow and sunlight into the green bit left in the center.

Copper is a great fungicide too. I wouldn't worry about liquids mixed with the fungicide, but I wouldn't pour or spray water into the crown without the fungicide. Hydrogen peroxide is a great fungicide too, and degrades to water and oxygen in the presence of fungus (thus the bubbling). One reason people suggest H2O2 is because it bubbles up, and you can easily see if fungus is present. I think a good squirt in there occasionally is a good safety measure. I used about 5 x 32oz bottles of H2O2 and then ~2.5 gallons of Daconil mix on the 6th (I think) an am doing another dose next week.

I just keep on buying seeds, I have another 5 orders out at the moment just waiting to get into the country and clear customs, and one in the Australia post system that should be here on Monday. Richard

I sprayed a bottle of bonide copper fungicide in the crown, around the crown, and on some of the lower frond areas yesterday. I have to admit I do have concern spraying so much liquid in and around the crown wondering if it will negatively affect it at all as far as the dampness. Although I guess it gets soaked when it rains anyways, and it was around 80 in full sun today. Today I also added some 5-1-1 fish emulsion in with my moral watering. Good idea on marking the spear, I’ve done that in the past to will do that tonight would you still recommend after a bit putting some peroxide in there periodically?

Rhy. gigantea, var. illustre. A rescue from one of Home Depot’s 1/2 dead 1/2 price shelves. Purchased in FL 2 years ago. Been a long, slow nurturing process. First time blooming for me. Humidity in the house is very low in winter and am surprised it bloomed. Life is better for this orchid in the summertime, where it can luxuriate outdoors, in all the humidity and balmy air.

One of my Dendrobium speciosum is close to full bloom. I moved this one and another under my patio cover to protect them from the rain, wind and wind borne debris. It was a good call. Chrysalidocarpus pembanus leaves have come down in various parts of my garden, a banana stalk loaded with a bunch of almost ripe bananas came down and several snapped leaves on other palms.

Don't touch it! It will come back. Maybe give it some extra water when you can. If you try and move it, it's almost a guaranteed death sentence. aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Yah, what Chester said. They are thought to be extremely intolerant to root disturbance. Here in SF a tree crew hired by the city "maintained" my Howea in the same way. It died.

The first four Sabal lougheediana are GONE! Stay tuned as we hope to get more in the coming weeks, but as was said, it's not a guarentee as to when we get them and how many.

I love those kind of surprises. Harry

Most of the ones I cut down are a little shorter than that . I cut one or two stalks every year or so. I have four clumps around the house , so there seems to be a flowering trunk or two every year. I like the look of them and it isn’t too hard to cut them . I do have one clump out front that gets large , probably over 15’ . I cut two trunks a couple of years ago and they had to be cut in sections. I can understand , they certainly are not self cleaning . It is more than just a trimming to have to cut trunks down . The one I tell people never to plant in their yard is Caryota Urens , they have a really bad habit of falling over! Mine fell and it never flowered. Harry ‘The C. Urens towers above the C. Obtusa . It fell over . Luckily the neighbor had left for work so no damage . It had just opened a beautiful dark green frond , no inflorescence ever appeared.

Chambeyronia hookeri, variegated rhapis ayanishiki.

All seeds are spoken for thank you regards Richard

Yes , the flowering stalk will die . It will start pushing out smaller fronds and inevitably start looking bad. If it is near anything that can be harmed if blown over by strong winds , I would cut it down soon. The “pups” will continue to grow and eventually replace the flowering stem as the cycle continues. I have Caryota Mitis clumps that are almost thirty years old . I have cut many stalks down , some very tall. Harry

They get even more as they get bigger. Harry

Seconding the Foster BG recommendation, along with an impressive assortment of palms, they have a beautiful cycad collection which contains an impressive specimen (or two) of Encephalartos woodii. Lyon is a must as well, huge palm collection and beautiful location in the back of Manoa Valley. Highly recommend grabbing a meal (Off The Hook Poke or Morning Glass Coffee are favorites) at Manoa marketplace, then eating up at the arboretum in the gazebo down the hill from the parking lot. Tell the person in the little shack at the entrance that you’re going to Lyon and they will waive the $5 fee for visitors parking to hike Manoa Falls. If you’re the adventurous type, bring your own pair of hiking boots and ask the front desk at Lyon about the hike to Aihualama falls inside the arboretum. Not as manicured or impressive as nearby Manoa Falls but a lovely and authentic stroll through the thick rainforest beyond the more curated grounds of the garden. For both Lyon and Hoomaluhia, you’ll have the best time if you come prepared with a rain jacket and shoes/clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Bug spray too if the mosquitoes are fond of you. One of my favorite nurseries in town is Kawamoto Orchid. It’s tucked in the back of a valley and there’s endless shade houses to wander. If you find something special, I believe they have the facilities to pack and ship with proper ag forms so you can have a little piece of Hawaii back home. The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle problem is quite real here. Not much you can do yourself but as you look at our landscape, take in the coconut palms. They may not be there the next time you visit. In fact, the pest is beginning to target palms more broadly, so take a moment to appreciate any palms you get to enjoy as the future is uncertain. As @Rick Kelley pointed out, the angular cutouts in the leaves are quite distinct, especially if you are a palm aficionado. Once you see it, you’ll notice quickly notice how far it has spread on Oahu. Finally, can’t recommend a visit to Hilo enough. Honolulu/Oahu is the CITY (I grew up here) and Hilo will transport you back to an old Hawaii that is quieter and full of all the little quirks and traditions that make these islands so special. Oh and of course the abundance of tropical gardens (I’ll let our Big Island folk point you in the right direction). Have so much fun! And as always, share pics!

I just got done watching the Palmcast with @Sabal Kingand @teddytn talking about experimenting and not listening to people say what will and won't work and immediately throw out a feeler because I read these hate swamp. The seeds are slowly popping so I'll keep a couple but priorities are priorities....

Inverted "v" 2/15/26

My B. Alfredii palms after the recent florida freeze. I'm in Orlando. Had these in the ground for about 9 years. Not very cold hardy if you ask me. I went to lucas nursery and they have several that seemed burned as well. They trimmed all of theirs fairly aggressively after the storm. Most of them have 4 or so fronds on them now. Anyways, I sprayed copper fungicide on the center spear more so into the center of the crown. Hoping that helps. Most worried about appearance since these have been sloooooow growing so will take forever to replace these crowns.

The wind made the difference this time. 23F is one thing, but couple it with 30-40MPH winds... 🥶

I just love the diversity in palm seeds, I have a collection of old germinated or dead seeds on the table in a dish, better looking than a bowl of fruit.

Temperatures in the Orlando area this go-round were ~24F in most spots. Hope for a full recover for all of them.

Love buying some cold tolerant palm seeds off of @Bigfish. Great experiences buying off of him and speaking with him at meetings when he's able to come.

@Golden10 I like the idea of the hydrogen peroxide and Daconil crown treatments too. A simple squirt from a $2 bottle of H2O2 could prevent [or cure] aa crown fungal infection. Since the crown is only a foot off the ground, it's easy to reach. I'd also mark the new spear horizontally with a sharpie, across it and the fronds next to it. That way you can easily see if it is growing. It may not move much for several moree weeks, but generally should be steadily growing. Even if it is only 1/16th of an inch per week, some steady movement is a good sign.

I also had a couple copernicia that were potted and infected, one fallaensis and one hospita had spear infections. They were fine till I put them in a shady spot. Dew is everywhere here for a good part of the year. Sun burns the dew off, if its direct for several hours. I treated them and moved all my potted copernicias into direct sunlight and they responded with good healthy growth. I have one cuban copernicia in mostly shade, a macroglossa and it just sits there barely grew in 4-5 years. A second same sized one I put in direct sun 8 hrs and it is 3x the size. My experiences with the cuban copernicias( I have eight) is they hate shade plus being frequently wet with dew. Wet soil, they are fine, wet leaves/bud is a no in shade. Some of mine near irrigation sprinklers have mold spotted on oldest leaves. They love rain but they also want the crown to dry out. Once they get some size up off the ground, dew is less an issue, and they may be fine. But overhead water, lack of sun and incessant dew in florida has led to spear pull on mine. Overhead water is not a problem when in full sun, as the bud consistently dries out.

Guidance has trended colder in the past 36 hours or so. This is shaping up to be a freeze for the Panhandle. NWS currently forecasting a low of 33F for Monday night. Looks like it may warm up pretty quickly after that before getting cool again to start the month of March. Being cold in Florida multiple times during the winter season is not a new thing. Y'all have gotten lucky more than anything in the past decade down south. I would be grateful to live in the areas of central Florida thats been trashed on so much in this thread. I am still thankful to be located in NW FL, where many palms can be grown. Sometimes it pays to just be thankful for what you have instead of being upset about what you cant have. My Queens are fried, my bizzy might not make it, my lady palm spear pulled, my washies are burnt, but... here is my super mule, looking like winter never happened: For that, I am thankful.

I would surely add Lyon Arboretum in Manoa to your list. The arboretum adjoins a trail hike to a waterfall via a bamboo - Sinobambusa tootsik - forest , plus lots of heliconia and lush tropical looks abound.

Pretty much most of what you see , botanically speaking , is going to be things that won’t grow in the desert . The islands I have visited do have some desert areas but most areas are high humidity and warm trade winds bringing tropical rains . The growth rate of tropical or some temperate plants is about 3x the growth rate even here in Southern California . I have never been to Oahu , other than a stop over , so I can’t recommend any specific gardens . I am sure you will see plenty of palms and tropicals . Some nurseries will sell orchids and small palms , with certs, that you can bring home . The palms I brought home from Maui were growing in shredded paper and came with import certificates . They are still living in my garden 25 years later. Enjoy your trip! Harry This Pritchardia was a seedling that I carried home in my back pack! Not pictured is the Chambeyronia I brought home that is now flowering . I think I paid less than $5 for each seedling in 2002. Harry

White triangle

By the looks of it,they'll probably revert back to that ugly blue color... 🤷‍♂️😆 Not necessarily a bad thing.👍 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Oh, Joy! Mid-80s Sunday. Mid-30s Monday. Rinse. Repeat. I was just noticing some of the burnt Royals were already putting out new fronds, as was expected and hoped for. This will be a fine, "howdya do"?

Yes I can do that for you 20 seeds not a problem address and name please.

Happy early birthday 🥳🎈

This sheet is preliminary since a lot of the stations haven't reported their final numbers yet. We do need something to refer to for the time being, so the attached sheet is the available numbers NOAA has compiled for the dates 01/30/2026 - 02/08/2026. There are two sheets in the file - one that is mostly sanitized and the second sheet that has all of the available stations with any reports since the beginning of the year. Sheets like this are how the impact freeze maps are created as well. beta_Feb2026_AdvectiveFreeze.xlsx

Yeah, Tennessee and North Carolina's climates are pretty similar (except by the Coast) The only major difference is you guys lack North Carolina's maritime influence. My area of appalachia I would say is pretty interesting we are borderline Dfa/cfa and we are also the beginning of the Hickory- oak- pine forest ecosystem which is part of the Southeastern mixed forests So we are pretty much the gateway to the south. We live in a pretty borderline area lol.

It's so dry that just a small fire can burn out of control in a few seconds: https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/bartow-high-school-teacher-arrested-after-backyard-debris-burn-causes-5-acre-brush-fire-sheriff/

Yes I can do that for you.

The larger Borassus here is B. flabellifer, then smaller stunted one is aethiopum.

Just don't over fertilize.

You are ultimately correct on the Rockies protecting us. Our arctic cold never comes from the north, only the east. Which the Sandias/Central Highlands offer us some protection. But when that arctic air is on the plains to our east, and a low pressure system to our west, we can get our coldest(east winds). The cold is "sucked" thru and over the Sandias.

Merry Christmas Eve!