Polar Vortex vs. Large Palms in Zone 9a

[zootropical]

Jean-Michel....I'm not right on the beach..about 200 meters back. Here is a pic around Christmas20131208_113918.jpg

That's a very nice place. Thk you.

JM

[NorthFlpalmguy]

I have an uncovered washingtonia robusta in my yard that is 6-7ft of trunk and I am hoping it lives. If not I have quite a few to replace it. I tell you what I do when the spears pull out of my container palms- pull them and shoot a small spray of insecticide/fungicide mix down it. I hardly ever lose a pindo but the windmills are hit or miss. The windmills seem more susceptible to fungi.

[Alicehunter2000]

I have an uncovered washingtonia robusta in my yard that is 6-7ft of trunk and I am hoping it lives. If not I have quite a few to replace it. I tell you what I do when the spears pull out of my container palms- pull them and shoot a small spray of insecticide/fungicide mix down it. I hardly ever lose a pindo but the windmills are hit or miss. The windmills seem more susceptible to fungi.

Yes, that is a good thing to do. I will probably use H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) as I've had pretty good success with this as well. Windmills are touchy in North Florida...almost too much heat and humidity for them. Nevertheless, I will be planting some in the future...especially after this cold winter.

JM....funny thing about our area...some people call it the "Redneck Riviera"....as we have alot of people from the Southern U.S. that frequent our beaches. How about a picture of the "Real" Riviera.

[stevethegator]

I have an uncovered washingtonia robusta in my yard that is 6-7ft of trunk and I am hoping it lives. If not I have quite a few to replace it. I tell you what I do when the spears pull out of my container palms- pull them and shoot a small spray of insecticide/fungicide mix down it. I hardly ever lose a pindo but the windmills are hit or miss. The windmills seem more susceptible to fungi.

Yes, that is a good thing to do. I will probably use H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) as I've had pretty good success with this as well. Windmills are touchy in North Florida...almost too much heat and humidity for them. Nevertheless, I will be planting some in the future...especially after this cold winter.

JM....funny thing about our area...some people call it the "Redneck Riviera"....as we have alot of people from the Southern U.S. that frequent our beaches. How about a picture of the "Real" Riviera.

Sorry to hear about how much damage you got! Hopefully most things will recover! This winter has been a wild one.

As far as trachys are concerned, have you thought about some of the other species, such as oreophilus, maritanus, latisectus, etc.? Some are from subtropical locations and much better adapted to heat and humidity, while also retaining a lot of hardiness.

I know what you mean when you say t. Fortunei is hit or miss in Fl. When I lived in Gainesville the best ones looked average and most looked awful. The only place in Fl I've seen nice ones was Tallahassee.

Edited January 31, 2014 by stevethegator

[Tropicdoc]

Weird, there are awesome 30 and 40 foot trachys with clean trunks all around here

[Tropicdoc]

And we are HUMID

[stevethegator]

Weird, there are awesome 30 and 40 foot trachys with clean trunks all around here

Good to know! Maybe the ones I've seen in N. Fla doing poorly weren't heat related. They're worth a try anywhere since they're readily available, fast growing, low maintence, and suuuuuper hardy.

The ones here in Atalanta do well too, also very hot/humid. But it cools off substantially at night even on the hottest days due to elevation/being further inland

[zootropical]

I have an uncovered washingtonia robusta in my yard that is 6-7ft of trunk and I am hoping it lives. If not I have quite a few to replace it. I tell you what I do when the spears pull out of my container palms- pull them and shoot a small spray of insecticide/fungicide mix down it. I hardly ever lose a pindo but the windmills are hit or miss. The windmills seem more susceptible to fungi.

Yes, that is a good thing to do. I will probably use H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) as I've had pretty good success with this as well. Windmills are touchy in North Florida...almost too much heat and humidity for them. Nevertheless, I will be planting some in the future...especially after this cold winter.

JM....funny thing about our area...some people call it the "Redneck Riviera"....as we have alot of people from the Southern U.S. that frequent our beaches. How about a picture of the "Real" Riviera.

Oups. I don't have a single picture of our french beachs.

But you could have an idea with this page

JM

[_Keith]

And we are HUMID

Humidity is not a factor, heat is. We have plenty of them in Louisiana. The ones that get some shade look the best.

[Tropicdoc]

Which trachy do you think is best suited for sola? I like them as far as fan palms go. Somewhat like a coccothrinax

[_Keith]

I had a wagnerius [spelling] that was really cool looking. planted it in the wrong spot, too wet. I would love to find another one.

[stevethegator]

PM me! I may be able to help as far as the wagnerianus is concerned

[Alicehunter2000]

A small ray of hope has occurred recently.....one of the C. alba's has started pushing a spear. This is in mid-July .....approx. 6 months after the Vortex!

[Alicehunter2000]

The A. wrightii is coming back strong from the base. It will still take 3 years probably to get back to what itwas originally.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

You got all that growth in just 6 months? Wow! I should just put mine out of its misery, it's not growing much. There's a fellow who had a big one here in Santa Cruz which is why I thought it would grow. But I've been less than impressed by how well mine grows. This is a Florida palm allright.

[Alicehunter2000]

The snark is almost unbearable...I'm just shocked it is still alive. If I didn't pay so much for them, I would dig it out...however, at this point, just going to take it as a personal challenge to see if I can grow a palm out of a stump. The other one is even worse....has not started growing yet.

[Alicehunter2000]

Or were you talking about the A. wrightii....that one actually has grown fast...it was nothing but a stump 3 months ago!

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I am talking about the stump that looks like it's coming back to life with a vengeance. That'a a lot of growth since the Winter. At least that's what it looks like in the picture. More growth than I would ever see on a paroti palm here.

Your previous post about some snark left me scratching my head, I have no idea what you were trying to say.

[Alicehunter2000]

I was talking about the little nubin' coming out of the Copernicia alba stump. It's crazy it is still alive....but not much growth in six months....I thought you were just ribbin' me.

Your right ..... great growth on the A. wrightii

[_Keith]

You guys do know the Polar Vortex kind of never went away. Crazy weather further north off and on this summer. We are having out 3rd cold front this summer, which is unheard of. Low tonight of 69, in the 3rd week of July. This will tie our all time record low for this date. Highs won't even break 90 for next few days. I got a bad feeling we have not seen the last of the Polar Vortex.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

You guys do know the Polar Vortex kind of never went away. Crazy weather further north off and on this summer. We are having out 3rd cold front this summer, which is unheard of. Low tonight of 69, in the 3rd week of July. This will tie our all time record low for this date. Highs won't even break 90 for next few days. I got a bad feeling we have not seen the last of the Polar Vortex.

Yeah, I saw some articles regarding some more polar vortex patterns showing up over the Summer with lows in the lower 40's throughout upstate NY.

El Nino has fizzled, most of the Pacific waters are going back to neutral conditions. Here in California this Summer is showing a very similar pattern to the drought pattern of the 1970's with abnormally strong monsoon flows across the State. Not sure what all of this means for this coming Winter. Days are getting more noticeably shorter as we head into August, so it's probably a good time to start planning for the coming Winter.

[Tropicdoc]

Keith I also had heard that these strange summer "cold" fronts are an indication of an impending cold winter. Agggggh! Not again!

[Tropicdoc]

Maybe we should get a thread going in weather about this

[smithgn]

You guys do know the Polar Vortex kind of never went away. Crazy weather further north off and on this summer. We are having out 3rd cold front this summer, which is unheard of. Low tonight of 69, in the 3rd week of July. This will tie our all time record low for this date. Highs won't even break 90 for next few days. I got a bad feeling we have not seen the last of the Polar Vortex.

I saw something on the weather channel about this briefly before I had to head into work. We're getting down to a high of 83 and 84 over the next few days, certainly unheard of around here. I was really hoping I put my first dreadful winter season as a palm grower behind me (and my first winter as a palm grower ever!) Bad timing, I guess.

You guys do know the Polar Vortex kind of never went away. Crazy weather further north off and on this summer. We are having out 3rd cold front this summer, which is unheard of. Low tonight of 69, in the 3rd week of July. This will tie our all time record low for this date. Highs won't even break 90 for next few days. I got a bad feeling we have not seen the last of the Polar Vortex.

Yeah, I saw some articles regarding some more polar vortex patterns showing up over the Summer with lows in the lower 40's throughout upstate NY.

El Nino has fizzled, most of the Pacific waters are going back to neutral conditions. Here in California this Summer is showing a very similar pattern to the drought pattern of the 1970's with abnormally strong monsoon flows across the State. Not sure what all of this means for this coming Winter. Days are getting more noticeably shorter as we head into August, so it's probably a good time to start planning for the coming Winter.

Doesn't sound good... And don't worry, I've already started planning and that leads to this question:

Besides wrapping your palm tree in Christmas lights, is there another way to keep your palm warm, like putting an electric heater to blow air on your palm while its wrapped underneath a frost blanket? I was thinking the frost sheet would keep the heat in and at the same time, I would have my heater turn on and off intermittently throughout the night so it wouldn't get to be 200 degrees. Is this crazy? Or are there better ways out there as far as sending heat onto a palm while underneath a blanket or protection of some sort?

[Tropicdoc]

there is a thread in palmtalk describing how Walt keeps a coconut palm alive in zone 9b using electric pipe heating tape and movers blankets. I use temporary greenhouses. They work great until the palm gets too tall! One day, I will try heat cables and bio-fleece covers.

[smithgn]

there is a thread in palmtalk describing how Walt keeps a coconut palm alive in zone 9b using electric pipe heating tape and movers blankets. I use temporary greenhouses. They work great until the palm gets too tall! One day, I will try heat cables and bio-fleece covers.

Interesting. I still have yet to do my research on heating tape... I'm still trying to fashion my cold weather protection around building a frost blanket "igloo" and having some heat source within it to cycle on and off throughout the night.

Right when we were start to get all doom and gloom, here's a little something to cheer us easterners up:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/midwest-east-august-summer-heat/31371993

Edited August 2, 2014 by smithgn

[Alicehunter2000]

Need to post an update on everything.....soon

[Xerarch]

Need to post an update on everything.....soon

Yup, better post updates now before everything gets blasted again this winter, we'll keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.

[_Keith]

We got off to a nasty start with 3 unprecedented freezes in November, but now seem to have settled in to a beautiful Indian Summer. Weather in last week and a half has been wonderful, and nothing bad on the horizon for the next 10 days. Keep it up Mother Nature, please, please.

[Ed in Houston]

I was just thinking that the polar vortex has taken a vacation, atleast for a while. The 10 day Houston foercast is for about normal temperatures. It looked for a while in early and mid November that it could be a tough winter but now we have had a spell of normal temps. We did not get hit quite as hard as points east from the polar vortices. Much of Houston has not seen a freeze or frost yet and the tender vegetation like bannas and alocasias still have their summer attractiveness. All this is well and good but I am still anxious about the bottom dropping out temperature wise.

Ed in Houston

[Xhoniwaters1]

Just a friendly update from Pensacola Beach, we were lucky to escape the freeze a little while back with a low of only 35. Bananas and tenders are still cruising. In town was hit mid to upper twenties a few times, seemed like the November mild waters of the bay and the gulf kept the temps for us out of the red zone, even though the north winds were ripping through like it did with the vortex. Seemed a lot colder than it was and I had to keep checking my thermo to make sure I was seeing it right. Hope this warm weather lasts.

Tyler on Pensacola Beach

[Alicehunter2000]

Yes Tyler....seems like your peninsula location really helped you out on that one....I gotta make it over your way and check out your garden one day....if you will have me.

Here is the big P. Sylvestris/canary hybrid. ......it has only regained about 60% of its crown .....I hope it speeds up next year...a little surprised it is not further along

[Alicehunter2000]

Here is the big Sabal causiarum. ....slow....still showing damage. ..the interesting thing about this palm is that I don't think it was ever in any danger of dying...every single petiole remained green.....but all of the fronds/leaves got toasted....very slow.

[Alicehunter2000]

The A. wrightii got totally froze to the ground....check out the growth of the new trunks....that's my size 14 flip flops for scale

[Alicehunter2000]

Livistonia saribus has made a fantastic recovery. ...a nice surprise

[Alicehunter2000]

The small S. urseana has recovered 3 leaves .....it will survive....but slow

Washies completely recovered after total defoliation.

[Alicehunter2000]

3 Livistonia decora all back to about 60 %.....hope these speed up as well.

[Xhoniwaters1]

Yeah David feel free swing on by if you ever in the area, not much to look at though...as of yet. Planted out a small Dypsis ambositrae in the spring.. trying to get it acclimated to the sun. My little Parajubaea sunkah came back nicely after a spear pull last winter. My little mules are starting to shape up into lookers, give them a few more years though. Planted out a small hardier bizzy that replaced the one that died. My small Dypsis decipiens had fried foliage but came back without any problems. Birds of paradise and crinums came back.

[Alicehunter2000]

The A. wrightii got totally froze to the ground....check out the growth of the new trunks....that's my size 14 flip flops for scale20141203_081945.jpg

Geez.....really need to go to the optometrist....my eyes are really getting worse....this is one of the L. chinensis that did really well under canopy. Will post the A. wrightii later.

Sounds good Tyler...thanks for letting me invite myself...lol

[Xerarch]

All in all I'd say the results are encouraging, you had newly planted palms and very bad freeze but things are recovering nicely, even if slowly.