Girls just want........a pressure sprayer

[PalmatierMeg]

Ok, all palmlovers in FL want/need a pressure sprayer.

I am devoting this week to preparing our back lanai, which houses my potted palms, for the upcoming winter. Starting Sunday afternoon I moved all small plants outdoors, along with their groady shelves. After a hot, humid summer of bountiful rain, the lanai's concrete floor was coated with algae, mildew and assorted yuck. I didn't take a before photo because I didn't want to ruin anyone's appetite. Fortunately, we have had no cold nights yet. But soon.....

Potted palms outside as seen through lanai screen

Only my two largest palms, a lipstick and a dwarf catechu, remained on the lanai. My husband built the Areca the cadillac of dollies. I rolled them out of the way for cleaning.

We borrowed an electric pressure sprayer from our niece. Monday afternoon I went to work. Before spraying I first had to soak the scum with buckets of bleach water. Some areas had to be bleached & sprayed 3 times to remove the offending microbes. But, wow, the results were spectacular! I cleaned about 2/3 of the concrete. Then I went to work on the shelving and finally, some of the dollies before it got too dark to see.

Today/Tuesday I cleaned the rest of the concrete, then oiled the wheels of the dollies. I finished the morning by treating all the potted palms in the back yard with gallons and gallons of Merit to fend off mites, scale and other assorted nasties for the next 3 months or so.

After lunch I freed the palms I had held captive in the house during this project. I treated them with Merit and considered spraying them with mancozeb to combat cold weather fungus. Instead, I hand-showered each palm (and myself). The mancozeb can wait till tomorrow.

Clean, happy palms!

That's all for today. I got to have a pressure sprayer.

[Sabal Steve]

Your palms look super healthy. You take after them well.

[edric]

Good job Meg, Ed

[KennyRE317]

looks great, when I see these lanais I almost wished I considered covering my patio

[redant]

Nice, I'm sure it won't be long before my family room and garage are filled with palms dodging the cold.

[MKIVRYAN]

Nice collection. I know now what to get my wife for Christmas. I will have her PM you when she is not thriller about her new pressure washer

[PalmatierMeg]

Nice collection. I know now what to get my wife for Christmas. I will have her PM you when she is not thriller about her new pressure washer

Better yet, have her send it to me.

[LilikoiLee]

Aloha Meg,

I am beginning to understand how much work and dedication it takes to grow palms in climates that have cold winters. As someone noted yours look very healthy so must spend a lot of time caring for them even in the warmer months. I hope you will post again next spring so we can all see how they after their winter 'vacation'.

Also good to hear about the time, efffort and love another female palm fanatic puts into her palms. There don't seem to be many women on PT but the percentage here no doubt exceeds that of the general population. I've been meaning to ask Dean if he can calculate the actual percentage but keep forgetting to do so.

How about it Dean?

Lee

[Peter Pacific]

Hi Meg, I've seen your lanai...that's a lot of work!!!

It's not only the girls who need that pressure washer...hmm, maybe you can rent that thing?

Best wishes for a not-to-cold winter,

Peter