Palm Torture in the Mooseland

[Moose]

This morning at sunrise I was making a saunter around the Mooseland when I heard a faint voice calling to me ... "Help me, help me ..."

Looking about I detected that the voice was eminating from my Hydriastele dransfieldii. This poor palm has been held captive in its three gallon container for years. Undecided as to where to plant it but not wanting to step it up because "I'm gonna get it planted next weekend" it was bound and tortured in its small pot.

It was so root bound, I had to cut the container off. There was very little substrate left in the pot. You can see that it has already started to trunk.

[Moose]

This palm has an overall height exceeding 5 foot (1.75 meters).

[Moose]

The crown and petioles are covered with interesting chocolate colored scales that has a rough texture,

[Moose]

Moose's Hydriastele dransfieldii: "Daddy made his Moose Soil Mix for me. It has peat moss, composted oak leaves, screening sand, perlite, and composted bark. Then he put me into a tub of collected rain water and got my new soil nice and saturated."

"Next Daddy gave me a nice feeding of Atlanticote Palm Special for containers. Yum, yum - that 12-4-12 analysis with all the minors was just what I needed.

"Then my Daddy gently poured the rain water over the top of the soil. This was to get rid of the air pockets and start feeding me some much needed mineral salts. He left me in the tub for another half an hour to make sure that all the organic material got nice and moist. "

[Moose]

"After alot of Daddy's grunting, my heavy 7 gallon container was placed in the plant cart. I'm moving to a new area in the garden. Under the Mango tree, the mangos would fall and beat me up. The mangos are already growing on the tree. They will start falling in about three months. My new place will be a nice shady area beneath the giant Jacaranda tree."

[Stevetoad]

Amazing you can grow such a nice looking palm with out any soil...

[Moose]

"Here I am in my new place. Wow look at all my pretty neighbors!"

"I don't feel like a neglected and tortured palm anymore"

[Moose]

Oh no - not another voice calling to me. Its my Hydriastele beguinii. This palm acquired from a South Florida Palm Society Meeting auction. It was grown by PT Forum Member Ellis Brown. In a 4 inch container when I got it, it was stepped up into a one gallon container 6 months ago. Now it has roots protruding out the drain holes. Not wanting to let it be tortured like my Hydriastele dransfieldii, I decided to give its roots some soil to expand into.

[Moose]

Now in a three gallon container using the same soil mix as the H. dransfieldii, it gets a good soaking in the tub of rain water. Water is poured over the soil surface to to settle the substrates and eliminate air pockets.

[Moose]

Yummy, yummy - a feeding of Atlanticote Palm Special is added.

[Moose]

After soaking for about half an hour, the Hydriastele beguinii was placed under the shade of my Jacaranda tree adjacent to the Hydriastele dransfieldii. Both palms seem very happy.

[Moose]

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

[BS Man about Palms]

Those are cool Ron! nice work!!!!

[Jeff Searle]

Nice Ron,

The palms are going to do really well in their new pots, but I would of like to seen you planted at least the H. dransfeildii in the ground. It's final home. It was certainly big enough.

[Trópico]

Nice container ranch

[Mandrew968]

Moose, you're weird... anyways... LOL--you should plant both of them already. Is there any reason not to? I am not too familiar with dransfieldii but beguinii will grow well for you, which leads me to think dransfieldii will be fine as well. Why dig a bigger hole, in the end?

[PalmatierMeg]

I hear them saying, "All right already, Daddy, just plant us." Palms that lovely deserve nothing less in your climate.

[Moose]

Hmmmm - do the Hydriasteles do well in rocky calcareous soils? Anybody got these in the ground in South Florida?

[Mandrew968]

Hmmmm - do the Hydriasteles do well in rocky calcareous soils? Anybody got these in the ground in South Florida?

Moose--YES. Listen you your boy, Jeff and get them in the ground! Amend the soil a bit, if you want, but they will be fine--I have seen two beguinii fruiting size, in the ground and they are very healthy(one was in the Grove and the other is in Palmetto Bay).

[Moose]

It is amazing how quickly the Hydriastele dranfieldii has responded to a little bit of loving. Looking at it this morning I found the emerging leaf spear looking whiteish. It is pushing so fast that the chlorphyll development is not able to keep up. Photos taken about 10 minutes ago.

[Jeff Searle]

That a boy!

[Moose]

Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

My Tahina spectabilis has been in its 5 gallon citrus container for years. Most of its organic material had decomposed where it was sitting down in the container, Roots were coming out the drain holes. Yesterday I added soil to the bottom with palm special fertilizer. It also got a top dressing. The roots should have filled in the new soil by the end of May. Then I will plant it just as our rainy season begins. Unfortunately my only area to give it proper sun exposure and room for growth will be out by the road. I am collecting logs right now to have as a barrier to protect this palm.

[palmislandRandy]

Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

>>Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

My Tahina spectabilis has been in its 5 gallon citrus container for years. Most of its organic material had decomposed where it was sitting down in the container, Roots were coming out the drain holes. Yesterday I added soil to the bottom with palm special fertilizer. It also got a top dressing. The roots should have filled in the new soil by the end of May. Then I will plant it just as our rainy season begins. Unfortunately my only area to give it proper sun exposure and room for growth will be out by the road. I am collecting logs right now to have as a barrier to protect this palm.

Ron, The citrus pot makes me think your Tahina came from Bill Deboe. Mine also came from him via a seller in Connecticut & I also left it in the citrus pot before repotting last week. I'm going to plant mine in one of the community areas in the development I live in. Your's also needs to be in the ground.

[cobra2326]

I really love that palm (H. dransfieldii). I grew one to a ring of trunk then somehow killed it. I still think about it from time to time...

[PalmatierMeg]

I have an H. dransfieldii in a pot on the back lanai. When it gets too tall I may have to plant it, which I dread because it is cold-sensitive. I, too, wonder if it can survive in my calcareous sandy soil, which has been enriched with layers of mulch.

[Moose]

Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ...

>>Tahina spectabilis.JPG

Then another voice was calling out to me ... :be

mused:

My Tahina spectabilis has been in its 5 gallon citrus container for years. Most of its organic material had decomposed where it was sitting down in the container, Roots were coming out the drain holes. Yesterday I added soil to the bottom with palm special fertilizer. It also got a top dressing. The roots should have filled in the new soil by the end of May. Then I will plant it just as our rainy season begins. Unfortunately my only area to give it proper sun exposure and room for growth will be out by the road. I am collecting logs right now to have as a barrier to protect this palm.

Ron, The citrus pot makes me think your Tahina came from Bill Deboe. Mine also came from him via a seller in Connecticut & I also left it in the citrus pot before repotting last week. I'm going to plant mine in one of the community areas in the development I live in. Your's also needs to be in the ground.

Randy - I actually got this from someone (can't remember who) from the Central Florida Palm & Cycad Society at their Christmas Meeting several years ago in a "tube container". So it had to get stepped up into the tall citrus container.

Unfortunately, the previous resident of this container was a Dypsis ambositrae that didn't make it.

[Moose]

Randy (Palmisland) stopped by this morning for a little CRA. Both of us being heavy into palms, it turned into a PRA combo. Randy stands 6 ft. for scale.

Here is the Tahina spectabilis updated photo. Got planted Memorial Weekend. Its opened two spears and is pushing a third since getting into the ground. I think she may be very happy to be out of her container.

[Moose]

Here is the same Hydriastele beguinii from earlier in the thread. From a one gallon to very happy in a three in just less than 9 months.

[waykoolplantz]

Looks good Moose...that Tahina will take off now that it's in the ground. It does love water

[Cindy Adair]

Both great palms growing amazingly fast! I have lots of favorites, but my tinier versions of these are certainly on the list! I can't wait to see more updates as they continue to leap!

[Cindy Adair]

Any H. dransfieldii update? Here's mine, including the cow chew marks from last Spring.

[_Keith]

Nice photos Moose. Been missing you in the chatroom, too.

[Moose]

Any H. dransfieldii update? Here's mine, including the cow chew marks from last Spring.

Embarassingly the Hydrastele dransfiedii is still in its container. Randy and I looked around the Moose Land to try and figure where I should plant it. That never got resolved ...

Here is Randy yesterday with a happy looking H. dransfieldii. Unfortunate for the palm, it has not been emanicipated from its container.

[waykoolplantz]

Ron...lookin at all that grass around Randy and the 2 of you couldn't find a place to plant it...?

[Moose]

Any H. dransfieldii update? Here's mine, including the cow chew marks from last Spring.

Cindy - here is the Hydriastele dransfeldii update as requested. It got stepped up into a 15 gallon container rather then making a commitment to getting it planted. The palm grew until any decent wind action would topple it over. It was getting pretty beat up, this poor palm has suffered so much. Finally got to it in mid October. 4 hours chipping out limestone to make it happen.

[Cindy Adair]

Hi Moose!

Thanks for the update!

A very nice palm. I think I neglected to photograph mine in Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving, but remember seeing it and thinking it looked fine. I'll try to take a portrait next month and post it here.

[kevin m]

the moose land is going to look great with that tahania in the ground

[Moose]

the moose land is going to look great with that tahania in the ground

Thanks Kevin, I am enjoying observing its progress.

Here is its newest leaf, the palmate area measuring over 5 ft across

Pushing a new spike. I've noticed an accelerated growth with this palm in the last year.

Kevin - it was nice seeing you at a couple of Holiday Parties. Would love it if you could post some photos of your Tahina. Looking at your latest picks on your smart phone is hard on my old eyes. I've seen some big ones around but yours could be the largest in South Florida.

Best regards,

Ron

[Moose]

Found this on the trunk of the Hydriastele dransfeldii yesterday. It will surely abort but future ones may hold.

[NApalm]

MOOOOOOSE!!! Awesome