Help with Euterpe oleracea

[GMann]

I planted two of these Euterpe oleracea before Christmas. Both had one large trunk and 2 suckers on each. The 2 main trunks seem to be surviving, even though the older leaves turn brown very fast. But the suckers seem to be doing very bad. On one plant both of the suckers are brown and looking basically dead to be blunt, and on the other one of them is brown and dead looking and the other is surviving and growing. (Pics attached)

I think when I bought them the guy told me something about along the lines of "if the suckers die because of cold damage then just chop them down to the ground level and they will grow back again". At the time I wasn't really paying attention because I did not believe that they could possibly get cold damage in South Florida and I think this winter has been pretty mild.

But maybe they have succumbed to cold damage? Or maybe they are just too dried out? They get sprinkler water every other day but my soil is very sandy and well drained so maybe they just need more water??

 

Anybody have any advice or ideas?

 

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by GMann

[PalmatierMeg]

Where in FL are you? I tried this Euterpe and a couple others in 2008-09. The winter of 09/10 wiped them out. In general this genus is quite cold sensitive. I don't know of any that have survived long term in Cape Coral - Sanibel-Captiva or Pine Island maybe but I haven't heard of any in either place.

[GMann]

I am way down south: Hollywood in Broward County. I don't think it has been a cold winter. It is more likely just transplant shock and dry soil.

Does it look like the suckers are dead? If so perhaps I should just chop them at ground level and maybe they will grow back??

[User00]

Euterpe oleracea is so sensitive to transplants shock,travel stress,some of my seedlings were dead after transplant