washintonia robusta Washingtonia Robusta

[RobustaEnvirons]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum. I thought I'd open up a discussion on the Washingtonia Robusta. Its my favorite palm (of all palms). Here in Northwest Ohio, not many greenhouses have knowledge on palms. I love palms though myself. Reading about the Robusta's ability to grow almost anywhere, drought resistance, rapid growth, and self propagation among other things I'd say its amazing. I've personally just gotten into palms (have been for 4-5 years); learning about the various different species, attributes, and etc. The Trachycarpus Fortunei (or possibly Trachycarpus Wagnerianus) I would say is my 2nd favorite, due to its cold hardiness. 

The Washingtonia Robusta is quite a resilient palm. I recently bought 2 on ebay (1 from Nevada, 1 from Florida). My first Robusta (Nevada) is a seedling, and my second is decently-sized (Florida). I got them both a week or so apart, back in August/September. At first I didn't know if they both were going to make it. I potted them both in MG Cactus & Palm potting mix, MG Perlite, and Sand, immediately after unwrapping. I watered them liberally at that. Despite my efforts, both had almost all their fronds brown and drop off. I've been told it was "transportation shock" that they went through.

My large Robusta arrived with 6 fronds, and now only has 1 (but has a 2nd re-growing very well now). My seedling Robusta arrived with 3 fronds and again all but the centermost frond browned and died. I decided to re-pot it in a Powerade container instead of a 14 inch pot that I initially had it in. It seemed to take off soon after re-potting. Now it presently has 1 frond and a new one is coming through.

They both seem to be coming around very nicely. It took 3-4 weeks for them both to rebound after potting up. I have them in my living room bay window (which is both South & Southwest facing). Now with Fall here and Winter soon upon us, I'm interested to see how they do. I have a lot of confidence they'll be ok. Seeing how they sprung back to full life after being shipping USPS across the country, they are a decently tough palm. I'm impressed.  

What do you guys think? For overall hardiness, rapid growth, selp propagation, and etc does the Washingtonia Robusta stand among few others?       

Edited November 19, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[PalmatierMeg]

Welcome to PalmTalk. I forget at the moment the lowest temp W.r. can take but certainly down into the 20s. They are totally hardy here. And it can take hot, humid, rainy summers. You can put it outdoors much of the year. And if one of yours doesn't make it you can easily get another. Also consider trying them from seed; they germinate readily and grow very fast. I pull up seedlings by the 100s all over my yard. It is a great beginner's palm that will give you confidence to try less common species.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Hello RobustaEnvirons.  Yes, W. robusta is a resilient palm.  Its sister, W. filifera takes more cold, but doesn't like a wet "head".  In dry climates out west, both take hard freezes and recover, even if their leaves turn brown.  However, in OH, the cold is too long, and once they get too big for the house (and that can happen pretty quickly), they'll quickly outgrow most folks ability to protect them.  I'm adding another picture for you to ponder.  This is a needle palm, Rhapidiophyllum hystrix growing in Smithton Illinois.  The thermometer read -10F when my father snapped the image.  Its been in the ground since March 2007. The winter image was January 2014, the summer image June 2015.  So it recovered from a really tough winter.  Now in NW Ohio, I think it'd still need some additional protection.  Smithton doesn't get as cold, or stay as cold as NW OH.  But it gives you a species that might be coddled through outdoors.  Sabal minor is another (especially those from Southeast OK, McCurtain County). 

[RobustaEnvirons]

- PalmatierMeg Thank you for the warm welcome! I appreciate it. I had my Robustas out in the sunroom during the Spring/Summer but had to bring them around mid-late September. I agree that W.Robusta seem like a beginners palm, that's why I tried that. I actually tried to grow some T. Fortunei (for a few years) from seed, and had absolutely zero luck in getting anything to happen. I got tired of wasting money on ebay, so I just bought one already started. With the Transportation Shock of buying online (the only real way to get one in NW OH), Its a challenge to get them.  

The T. Fortunei I bought on ebay a couple of years ago had no such shock. It took right off. In 2017, I'm planing on moving to Orlando, Florida. So I will be in a warm climate then. I won't be here forever thankfully. 

[RobustaEnvirons]

- Keith in SoJax

Thank you for the information. I had heard of the Needle palm. I think its supposed to be one of the top cold hardiest palms around. That does look like it recovered well, especially for being in this region. A couple years ago I had tried growing a T.Fortunei from seedling. I had it going a little over a year and then killed it from over-watering. I think I remember reading that the Needle Palm is even hardier than the T.Fortunei I believe.  

As for my Robusta, I know planting them that they grow fast. I've planned on stepping them up to larger pots at they need it. I have always planned to keep them inside or in my sunroom. Although, I guess I could always move them outside for the Spring/Summer, but I don't want bugs getting in the soil (they'd be in the house in Fall). I've kind of always planned on having them act as an indoor specimen, even though I understand they grow so fast. Before I got them I called quite a lot of nurserys in Los Angeles and across Florida to ask questions on how to care for them. One nursery told me that because its in the pot, it will grow slower and be many years before it is either too heavy or too tall to be in the house. That's what they told me anyhow. 

In 2017 I plan on moving to Orlando, Florida. At least at that point I'll be in a climate they'll like. So if they get too big for my apartment there I could always give them away I suppose. I'm hoping it'll be many years before I can't lift them (of they hit the ceiling). 

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

1 hour ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

- Keith in SoJax

Thank you for the information. I had heard of the Needle palm. I think its supposed to be one of the top cold hardiest palms around. That does look like it recovered well, especially for being in this region. A couple years ago I had tried growing a T.Fortunei from seedling. I had it going a little over a year and then killed it from over-watering. I think I remember reading that the Needle Palm is even hardier than the T.Fortunei I believe.  

As for my Robusta, I know planting them that they grow fast. I've planned on stepping them up to larger pots at they need it. I have always planned to keep them inside or in my sunroom. Although, I guess I could always move them outside for the Spring/Summer, but I don't want bugs getting in the soil (they'd be in the house in Fall). I've kind of always planned on having them act as an indoor specimen, even though I understand they grow so fast. Before I got them I called quite a lot of nurserys in Los Angeles and across Florida to ask questions on how to care for them. One nursery told me that because its in the pot, it will grow slower and be many years before it is either too heavy or too tall to be in the house. That's what they told me anyhow. 

In 2017 I plan on moving to Orlando, Florida. At least at that point I'll be in a climate they'll like. So if they get too big for my apartment there I could always give them away I suppose. I'm hoping it'll be many years before I can't lift them (of they hit the ceiling). 

 

Washies gro ok here, but aren't as happy as in CA.  There are a number of diseases that get them, plus lightning, and hurricanes.  Trachycarpus die of nematodes - and summer - quickly here,. But there are tons of other palms that thrive.  Needle palms are hardier than Trachycarpus.  The will take both lower temps, and longer duration cold.  Even the toughest Trachycarpus are generally damaged below 10f.  At zero most are dead, especially if it stays below freezing for more than a few days,. I grew them in zone 7 NC (just north of CHARLOTTE), but had damage most winters.  But to the best of my knowledge, they are still there.  The needles and Sabal minor were essentially unfazed by the weather. 

[knell]

W. robusta are truly amazing, especially the skydusters in southern california.

I have about ten or so of them, and so far Ive learned that they are very forgiving, and will surprise you with their resilience. Even the ones i have in shallower biopots in my bedroom are looking similar to the ones i went above and beyond for.

I would order some seeds if it is your favorite, as they are very cheap and you will get to enjoy them longer before they beg for vertical real estate. They sprout readily and will amaze you with their root growth.

Glad to meet another robusta fan! My favorite is the one on my desk at work, planted in a decorative rusty can, which i named Rusty the Robusty

[Pal Meir]

Even in pots you can grow Washies a fairly long time; this one was 9 year old when the photo was taken:

[RobustaEnvirons]

37 minutes ago, Pal Meir said:

Even in pots you can grow Washies a fairly long time; this one was 9 year old when the photo was taken:

That's what I'm talking about! Nice. That's actually what I hope to achieve for my Robustas. I want enjoy them as long as possible, so I just sustain them in a pot (which is like an artificial environment for them). My aunt even has a house with 15-20 foot ceilings and a big giant south-facing window. If it came down to the worst, I could always give a Robusta to her (here in Toledo OH). 

I myself plan on moving to Orlando Florida in 2017, so I will then be in zone 9 or 10 I believe. 

[RobustaEnvirons]

9 hours ago, Keith in SoJax said:

Washies gro ok here, but aren't as happy as in CA.  There are a number of diseases that get them, plus lightning, and hurricanes.  Trachycarpus die of nematodes - and summer - quickly here,. But there are tons of other palms that thrive.  Needle palms are hardier than Trachycarpus.  The will take both lower temps, and longer duration cold.  Even the toughest Trachycarpus are generally damaged below 10f.  At zero most are dead, especially if it stays below freezing for more than a few days,. I grew them in zone 7 NC (just north of CHARLOTTE), but had damage most winters.  But to the best of my knowledge, they are still there.  The needles and Sabal minor were essentially unfazed by the weather. 

That bites, nematodes huh? Geez, Never heard of those (being from up north). Florida seems to have everything to kill ya. Lol. 

I saw a whole road chalk full of Washingtonia Robusta and Canary Island Data Palm (another of my favorite palms) in Orlando Florida. They've lined the road to look just similar to Hollywood Boulevard or something. It's an awesome road. It's called "Hollywood Way". It's the the main road to get into Universal Studios (so that makes sense I guess). 

Here's what I mean:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yAiPRBQGam0

I see that in Florida W. Robusta do at least pretty well. They are somewhat skyscrapers there on "Hollywood Way". 

[RobustaEnvirons]

What kind of sunlight requirements do W.Robusta have? I've read "Full Sun", but I have mine in my bay window. Everyday that there is sun (which seems to be fewer per week now that it's fall/winter) it only gets sun after around 12:30pm until 5-5:30pm (when the sun goes down). So it gets maybe 4.5-5 hours of sunshine through my bay window a day (if we have a Sunny day). 

My bay window is south/southwest facing, so it does get the sun. Here in Toledo Ohio, we only get an abundance of sunshine in Spring,Summer, and early Fall. Winter can sometimes be a giant cloud cover of clouds. Because I live with family members, I don't have the option of a sunlamp. 

Both of my Robusta have been doing phenomenal, but I just wondering if they slow there growth or hybernate during winter months.

They haven't shown any signs of problems yet though, even with cloudy days of no sunshine. We'll have 1 pure sunshine, and then 2 cloudy days in a row (no Sun at all). It goes in that pattern it seems. 

[PalmatierMeg]

They like full sun if possible. Because you have them indoors watch for spider mite infestation from indoor dry central heat.

[RobustaEnvirons]

But, what if they don't get Full-Sun? I think with the bay window they aren't getting Full-Sun anyhow since the sun doesn't reach the window until 12:30pm-1pm. And like I said, we don't get sunshine everyday (let alone full Sun) here in the Fall/Winter. In the Spring/Summer we get Sun everyday though. Just Winter seems to be the down time. Nevertheless, they seem to be unfazed. They're growing nicely. I just wondered if they could get along with cloudy days. 

[cm05]

Robustas are my #1 as well, although P. dactylifera is a very close 2nd. I grew my robustas from seed earlier this year, my largest is nearly 6 months old and is the size of my 4 year old Trachy's, it's already opening up its second mature (fully split) frond with the third one coming up, that's 9 leaves in total in less than 6 months. My palms don't mind not having full sun, they get it when it counts (summer), but it's November, full sun (6+ hours of direct sun) is hard to come by. They should be fine with cloudy days, they're still getting sunlight.

And Hollywood Way is definitely an eye catcher, I have a picture I took of it as my background.

[trioderob]

I hate them.

come out here and you can dig all you want for free  -they are weeds out here

plus they are almost imposable to kill if you want to get rid of them

had you asked i would have given you a 15 footer for free  -all you would have needed to do is come get it - heck i would have paid you a $100 to take it !

Edited November 20, 2015 by trioderob

[PalmatierMeg]

34 minutes ago, trioderob said:

I hate them.

come out here and you can dig all you want for free  -they are weeds out here

plus they are almost imposable to kill if you want to get rid of them

had you asked i would have given you a 15 footer for free  -all you would have needed to do is come get it - heck i would have paid you a $100 to take it !

Now, now. Remember where you live vs their location, then be glad. Their choices are much more limited. If they were to move to FL or Cali their horizons would expand exponentially. My Washy seeds all over the back yard but my queens were worse. A beginning palm lover has to start somewhere and this is as good and tougher a species than most.

[Darold Petty]

Richard, welcome to Palmtalk ! 

[RobustaEnvirons]

32 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Richard, welcome to Palmtalk ! 

Thanks! This is really a very helpful , and fun forum. Its nice to have a site devoted to talking about peoples interest in palms. I'm glad I joined. It seems a little more active than GardenWeb (Houzz). 

Edited November 20, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[Brad Mondel]

Redlands, CA: 

[RobustaEnvirons]

26 minutes ago, Brad Mondel said:

Redlands, CA: 

That's a nice picture of W.Robusta! I like it. They only seem to grow that tall in California/Arizona. I don't see them that tall in too many other places. I like them the most when they get that tall. 

Edited November 21, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[RobustaEnvirons]

10 hours ago, cm05 said:

Robustas are my #1 as well, although P. dactylifera is a very close 2nd. I grew my robustas from seed earlier this year, my largest is nearly 6 months old and is the size of my 4 year old Trachy's, it's already opening up its second mature (fully split) frond with the third one coming up, that's 9 leaves in total in less than 6 months. My palms don't mind not having full sun, they get it when it counts (summer), but it's November, full sun (6+ hours of direct sun) is hard to come by. They should be fine with cloudy days, they're still getting sunlight.

And Hollywood Way is definitely an eye catcher, I have a picture I took of it as my background.

Geez, that sounds like it's growing wildly fast. I wish I could see that kind of growth out of my Robustas. Then again, I only bought them in August/September (the end of the growing season). They took about a month to reestablish themselves too. So maybe in the spring I'll see some rapid growth from easch of them. 

I was going to try to germinate a Washy from seed, but years ago I tried that with T. Fortunei and I never got a single seed to do anything. So much money I wasted buying seeds on eBay. I was a novice trying to get the seeds to germinate. Even now I'd say I'm only at Beginner level though. That's why this time around, I figured I'd just skip to buying one already started. It's seemed like a better way to go. 

Edited November 21, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[RobustaEnvirons]

8 hours ago, trioderob said:

I hate them.

come out here and you can dig all you want for free  -they are weeds out here

plus they are almost imposable to kill if you want to get rid of them

had you asked i would have given you a 15 footer for free  -all you would have needed to do is come get it - heck i would have paid you a $100 to take it !

Too bad you hate them. I think they're a very nice palm tree. But, I don't have anything like that here in NW Ohio. So they don't seem very weed-like to me. 

Haha, if I weren't 3,000 miles away I would've definitely come by to get some. I would love to try some from a very young seedling (or from seed) someday. 

I have heard before that they are considered a weed in California. That they grow in the cracks of sidewalks. That's crazy! Around here the only thing that would do that would be Ailanthus Altissima (only in the Spring,Summer,and early Fall of course).

[RobustaEnvirons]

8 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Now, now. Remember where you live vs their location, then be glad. Their choices are much more limited. If they were to move to FL or Cali their horizons would expand exponentially. My Washy seeds all over the back yard but my queens were worse. A beginning palm lover has to start somewhere and this is as good and tougher a species than most.

Thank you. That's the way I see being a beginner Palm enthusiast like myself. I just thought of starting with my favorite palm W.Robusta since its easier and tolerant, and eventually I'll work my way up to harder things. Eventually next I might try a Canary Island Date Palm. 

 In 2017 I do plan on moving to Orlando Florida. Then I can hopefully grow palms outdoors (one day eventually). It would enable me to try different palms and not be set back by a cold climate. For now I live with family, and so I can only do what I can. Not to mention the colder NW Ohio climate. 

Edited November 21, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

1 hour ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

Too bad you hate them. I think they're a very nice palm tree. But, I don't have anything like that here in NW Ohio. So they don't seem very weed-like to me. 

Haha, if I weren't 3,000 miles away I would've definitely come by to get some. I would love to try some from a very young seedling (or from seed) someday. 

I have heard before that they are considered a weed in California. That they grow in the cracks of sidewalks. That's crazy! Around here the only thing that would do that would be Ailanthus Altissima (only in the Spring,Summer,and early Fall of course).

They literally do sprout in my sidewalk cracks. I cut them at the spear and they always come back. I think they look nice when trimmed but the dead skirts of leaves look horrible..

[PalmatierMeg]

Washies have scant chance to get 100' tall in FL - lightning usually nukes them first. Regarding Canaries (CIDP), they are truly a desert palm so here in FL they struggle in heat/humidity and never look good. Check into the silver Phoenix, P. sylvestris. It has a thinner trunk, grows taller, laughs at our climate and is a beautiful silver blue. So much prettier than CIDPs. Another thing: almost all Phoenix grown in FL are hybrids of multiple species so finding a pure one is very difficult unless you obtain seeds from habitat.

[RobustaEnvirons]

Some pictures I took myself when I visited California in April. Does anyone know what kind of palms are in the last picture?

Are they just over-pruned Canary Island Date Palms?

[Ben in Norcal]

Phoenix dactylifera - the real date palm

[RobustaEnvirons]

8 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Phoenix dactylifera - the real date palm

So they produce edible dates? These palms I found planted in a shopping mall parking lot. They went crazy and planted a whole bunch of them. I love to see so many line the street. 

[Ben in Norcal]

3 minutes ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

So they produce edible dates? These palms I found planted in a shopping mall parking lot. They went crazy and planted a whole bunch of them. I love to see so many line the street. 

If there is enough heat they will.

[RobustaEnvirons]

7 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Washies have scant chance to get 100' tall in FL - lightning usually nukes them first. Regarding Canaries (CIDP), they are truly a desert palm so here in FL they struggle in heat/humidity and never look good. Check into the silver Phoenix, P. sylvestris. It has a thinner trunk, grows taller, laughs at our climate and is a beautiful silver blue. So much prettier than CIDPs. Another thing: almost all Phoenix grown in FL are hybrids of multiple species so finding a pure one is very difficult unless you obtain seeds from habitat.

They seem pretty tall in this picture, this is in Hialeah (Miami), Florida. I thought this was California at first when I saw this. But, I agree that overall they don't grow as tall. I had heard that the lightning is not kind to them there. That's really too bad since Florida is synonymous with Palm trees and this is one of the most popular. When I was a kid I used to always think Florida and California were the same. But, of course I eventually discovered their differences.

On the east cast, outside of Florida there are few places that suit W. Robusta. Texas, Alabama (Mobile), Southern Georgia, Coastal SC, and that's it.     

Edited November 22, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[PalmatierMeg]

Those Washies are old and tall. Somehow they have managed to escape being zapped. In FL they tend to lose their skirts, maybe because of wind. A note on true date palms: they need dry heat. In FL they produce inferior fruit because of humidity. And one adult CIDP can fill an entire front yard here in CC. Their spines can be lethal.

[RobustaEnvirons]

4 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Those Washies are old and tall. Somehow they have managed to escape being zapped. In FL they tend to lose their skirts, maybe because of wind. A note on true date palms: they need dry heat. In FL they produce inferior fruit because of humidity. And one adult CIDP can fill an entire front yard here in CC. Their spines can be lethal.

Lethal? Really? Why is that? What do you mean by that? Are you talking about the trunk is lethal? What is the spine? 

Edited November 22, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[RobustaEnvirons]

It seems I'm seeing a common theme here, Florida is not as good an environment as California. That bites, since Florida actually gets warmer in the winter than California. 

So in Florida a true date Palm will not grow well due to the humidity (or produce decent Dates).

Then I guess that only leaves CIDPs as the only thing close to that that'll grow in Florida then I think. I wish Florida could grow palms as well as California. Florida always seems to come in second against California it seems. They don't even get good surf (which is a shame with all those miles of beaches). Florida has more miles of beaches than California, 2 bodies of water, warmer coastal waters (with the gulf stream right off the Florida coast), and definitely warmer winters. 

Florida really seems like it should be a place where you'd think all palms would thrive, but apparently this not so. 

Bummer...

 

 

[Ben in Norcal]

3 hours ago, RobustaEnvirons said:

It seems I'm seeing a common theme here, Florida is not as good an environment as California. That bites, since Florida actually gets warmer in the winter than California. 

So in Florida a true date Palm will not grow well due to the humidity (or produce decent Dates).

Then I guess that only leaves CIDPs as the only thing close to that that'll grow in Florida then I think. I wish Florida could grow palms as well as California. Florida always seems to come in second against California it seems. They don't even get good surf (which is a shame with all those miles of beaches). Florida has more miles of beaches than California, 2 bodies of water, warmer coastal waters (with the gulf stream right off the Florida coast), and definitely warmer winters. 

Florida really seems like it should be a place where you'd think all palms would thrive, but apparently this not so. 

Bummer...

 

 

I live in California, but would not say this is the case.  There's lots of palms that do far better in Florida.  You're just picking a few species that come from environments (desert/Mediterranean) similar to California, therefore they do better here.  Coconuts would be just one of many examples of palms that grow great in Florida, that Californians would kill for (thus all the threads hunting for coconuts that have actually survived more than a couple of years here.)

[Darold Petty]

"Lethal" spines in the sense that the spines can be as much as 10 inches long, they are as sharp as hypodermic needles, the puncture wound causes a dull ache for days, much more so than one would assume based on just the puncture.  There is conjecture that a fungus may favor living on the spines (not a pathogen to the palm) and that the fungus is the source of the unusual level of pain.

Also a Phoenix canariensis grows an adult crown of fronds. 30 feet wide,  before any vertical extension, and therefore the palm is most troublesome in a small area for many years. 

P. dactylifera, like all Phoenix is diecious and requires both genders for fruit production.  The date industry in California is very localized in an area with intense sunshine, very hot temperature, low humidity, and  ample irrigation water.  It is unlikely that spontaneous dates in Florida would be tasty.

  Florida can support many exotic, choice palms that have no chance in California.  Palms are very regular in their growth habit.  It is mostly a function of selecting an appropriate species for one's microclimate.

   Palmtalk, and the many experienced Florida growers can be a resource to select the more choice and less common palms for  your eventual new garden.     

[RobustaEnvirons]

5 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

"Lethal" spines in the sense that the spines can be as much as 10 inches long, they are as sharp as hypodermic needles, the puncture wound causes a dull ache for days, much more so than one would assume based on just the puncture.  There is conjecture that a fungus may favor living on the spines (not a pathogen to the palm) and that the fungus is the source of the unusual level of pain.

Also a Phoenix canariensis grows an adult crown of fronds. 30 feet wide,  before any vertical extension, and therefore the palm is most troublesome in a small area for many years. 

P. dactylifera, like all Phoenix is diecious and requires both genders for fruit production.  The date industry in California is very localized in an area with intense sunshine, very hot temperature, low humidity, and  ample irrigation water.  It is unlikely that spontaneous dates in Florida would be tasty.

  Florida can support many exotic, choice palms that have no chance in California.  Palms are very regular in their growth habit.  It is mostly a function of selecting an appropriate species for one's microclimate.

   Palmtalk, and the many experienced Florida growers can be a resource to select the more choice and less common palms for  your eventual new garden.     

Wow, that's all very helpful information. Thank you. You know quite a lot. I see what you mean now, about different exotic species thriving in Florida. People in California might have a hard time getting a Coconut Palm or Sabal palmetto to grow I suppose. So what you're saying is there are different palms for different environments (with some degree off cross-over). 

[RobustaEnvirons]

7 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

I live in California, but would not say this is the case.  There's lots of palms that do far better in Florida.  You're just picking a few species that come from environments (desert/Mediterranean) similar to California, therefore they do better here.  Coconuts would be just one of many examples of palms that grow great in Florida, that Californians would kill for (thus all the threads hunting for coconuts that have actually survived more than a couple of years here.)

Oh, I see what you mean. I guess I just got hung up on the Desert/Mediterranean palms that are popular. I'm New to the world of palms, so I guess I still have a lot to learn. Lol. 

[RobustaEnvirons]

By the way, I just thought I might throw a question out there to see if anyone can help. Recently (for about a month), I've been dealing with gnats in my W.Robusta(s). I believe it's probably due to maybe overwatering them. So to try to get rid of these pesky things, I just haven't watered it in a while (since 11-13). I figure I'll give it a month to dry out and see how the gnat situation is then (or I might give them longer like 2 months). 

But, just today I saw 2 flying in the vicinity of my large Robusta. So I don't know if it's working. Majorily, I haven't seen too many gnats around. I actually thought it was working. I even applied Insecticidal Soap, but I guess it may not have been effective. I applied it a couple times (in liquid form). 

Does anyone have any suggestions? What should I do? I really don't want to repot it again and upset the roots, especially now that both are thriving. Also, It's winter and I can't do it in the house since I'd get dirt everywhere. I really just want to find a way to eliminate these pesky gnats without repotting it. 

Edited November 22, 2015 by RobustaEnvirons

[Darold Petty]

Fungus gnats are mostly a symptom of excessive moisture in the pot medium.  Try letting the medium dry off a bit more, no worries for a Washingtonia ! 

[RobustaEnvirons]

19 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Fungus gnats are mostly a symptom of excessive moisture in the pot medium.  Try letting the medium dry off a bit more, no worries for a Washingtonia ! 

That's what I thought it could be! I do have a tendency to water things a lot. I will just give it a lot of time then. It's good to know W.Robusta  isn't bothered too much.