How many members did we loss??

[chris78]

Some members that were regulars before the cold this past winter are rarely seen now. As many count there losses in palm killed. How may loss memebers do palm talk suffered?

[peachy]

I wouldnt worry too much Chris. They are probably still busy removing the dead stuff and out shopping for new palms to replace their losses. Palm people are very hardy and resiliant once the initial shock wears off.

Peachy

[epicure3]

I'm still here.

[BS Man about Palms]

Ray from Tampa DID go to the Biennial...

[Dave-Vero]

I wouldn't want to be selling palms in the next county north right now, at least not on the mainland. Funny how being offshore from the mainland protects Satellite Beach and the Melbourne beaches. My neighborhood has seriously fried coconut and Veitchia merrilli and the Dypsis lutescens look unhappy. My two Satakentia lliukiuensis are reduced to producing downsized leaves. But the carpentarias and archontophoenixes are thriving. So is Ptychosperma elegans, Dypsis plumosa, and, of all things, Dypsis carlsmithii.

Ixora bushes, which looked fried, are surprising their owners by covering themselves with new leaves. Plumeria are flowering.

[Jeff Searle]

I'm still alive and kicking. Even though I lost a handful of palms ( Pelagodoxa, Calyptrocalyx spp. Areca ipot Cyrtostacys renda and C. glauca ), the garden is looking pretty nice. Many of the orchids on the trunks have been flowering I have been planting lots of croton varieties and soon, many new palms.

[tikitiki]

I'm still here as well. My yard took a beating as I knew it would eventually. I'm spending the weekends getting everything looking nice before I replace the trees I lost.

[PalmatierMeg]

I'm still trying to beat the odds. Got Bentinckia nicobarica, Hydriastele beguinii and Areca vestiaria replacements two weekends ago. Some people never learn.

[gsn]

I'm also still here, in a sea of brown fronds...

But I have LEARNED to accept where I LIVE!!

P.S. The horrible winter of 2010 is NOT the only reason for member losses!

[paulgila]

intriguing.what are these "other reasons?"

[Kim]

Is it possible that adverse conditions could even increase participation? More people online looking for answers? Needing sources and information to determine if palms will survive or to replace palms? It seemed like that to me after the last major California freeze event; in fact it brought about a whole new section for the forums, Freeze Damage Data.

For some reason right now the statistics at the bottom of the main forums page is really big on my screen, and it shows more than 90 participants online in the last 30 minutes. Not such a quiet place, I don't think.

[TikiRick]

I'm here as well! I must say I lost not nearly as much as some of the folks just to my north and west, but I did lose some important palms for me. Coconut, Pinanga, Licuala, Drymopholeus, and surprised with the tenderness of Ptychosperma schefferii. My lowest was 34, but it really was the extended cold temperatures, not the lowest low.

Most would visit my place and not recognize anything out of place...but I do. I miss my coconut already!

[TikiRick]

I'm here as well! I must say I lost not nearly as much as some of the folks just to my north and west, but I did lose some important palms for me. Coconut, Pinanga, Licuala, Drymopholeus, and surprised with the tenderness of Ptychosperma schefferii. My lowest was 34, but it really was the extended cold temperatures, not the lowest low.

Most would visit my place and not recognize anything out of place...but I do. I miss my coconut already! It's the coconut in my avatar to the left....

[epicure3]

intriguing.what are these "other reasons?"

Stirrer-upper.

[palmsOrl]

Jeff, I bought one of those two Cyrtostachys glauca you had for sale in the fall. I kept it in the greenhouse in a large bucket fitted into a 2 foot deep hole to accorodate its height. Unfortunately, the cold pooled into that hole and it started to decline, but I saved it just in time with some systemic fungicide and giving its roots warmth. Last week, the main, tall truck succumbed to rot (despite efforts to save it) but all of the suckers are still alive and beginning to push new growth. I wonder if, after this terrible winter I have the only living one in Florida?

-Michael

[paulgila]

intriguing.what are these "other reasons?"

Stirrer-upper.

i submit that you are stirring things up by pointing out my stirring up.

[Kai]

I'm still here, thought I haven't had much bother from any Florida freezes...

I must say that last winter was very mild for my palms, i didn't even protect any of my Trachycarpus and Chamaeropses. They didn't even suffer any leaf damage!

I'm sorry, a bit off topic, just had to get this off my chest

Cheers!

[ErikSJI]

I wouldn't want to be selling palms in the next county north right now, at least not on the mainland. Funny how being offshore from the mainland protects Satellite Beach and the Melbourne beaches. My neighborhood has seriously fried coconut and Veitchia merrilli and the Dypsis lutescens look unhappy. My two Satakentia lliukiuensis are reduced to producing downsized leaves. But the carpentarias and archontophoenixes are thriving. So is Ptychosperma elegans, Dypsis plumosa, and, of all things, Dypsis carlsmithii.

Ixora bushes, which looked fried, are surprising their owners by covering themselves with new leaves. Plumeria are flowering.

The freeze has actually helped our business. Mule Palms are selling like hot cakes. Still nice and green.

[BeerPlant]

Is it possible that adverse conditions could even increase participation? More people online looking for answers? Needing sources and information to determine if palms will survive or to replace palms? It seemed like that to me after the last major California freeze event; in fact it brought about a whole new section for the forums, Freeze Damage Data.

For some reason right now the statistics at the bottom of the main forums page is really big on my screen, and it shows more than 90 participants online in the last 30 minutes. Not such a quiet place, I don't think.

Bingo! Personally speaking the freezes brought me to this board and I know of a few others. Formerly growing plumeria which knocked my patch down to the ground for the last 2 years and knowing zero about palms I have been seeking out alternatives. What better place to start then with the experts here! Also purchasing from and getting to know forum members has been a pleasure! Of course my participation will increase when I actually learn something so that will come with time.... Thanks for all of the great info!!! Bill

[Exotic Life]

I'm also still here, not from Florida but the other side of the big blue sea. My garden has been beaten for the second time after eachother. Winter from 2008-2009 was horrible, but the last winter 2009-2010 was even worse then the winter before. Got some big loses the last two winters, and cannot even create a great garden in one year that need time again. Some plants that already where in the garden when I started with exotic gardening are dead after the last two winters and they don't grow that fast enough to create a garden like 2008-2009.

I would be planting only very hardy stuff, and loads of pot planting this year. Normally they say cold winters are coming in parts from 2, but you never know maybe this time mother nature say we going do a part of three. If next winter would be the same again like I used to, i'm going to do new experiments again.

Otherwise, not thinkin about winter right now... first i'm going to enjoy from our spring and hopefully and long warm sunny summer!

Robbin

Edited May 13, 2010 by Exotic Life