Hurricane Matt Palm damage

[IHB1979]

Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by IHB1979

[doranakandawatta]

46 minutes ago, IHB1979 said:

Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So sad pictures, But I can't avoid thinking that it could have been worst, as it was announced; gladly you're still here with us.

I see that you'll have some work to do in your garden, hopefully you didn't loose the rarest species.
Maybe you got a new space for planting species you dream of?

[hbernstein]

To return to the subject of Bismarkia: I think that they aren't very wind-resistant. I wonder if some of that root fragility has to do with the amount of rain and irrigation they can get in a Florida landscape; surely more than they would get in habitat. Perhaps the large size of their canopies can be supported by fairly small and fragile root systems when they are getting a lot of water.

[Gonzer]

The pool shot really sucks.

[Really full garden]

It is amazing how quickly most palms recuperate from moderate wind damage. In my old garden we had incredible wind ( 50- 70 mph) every year during the dry season. These winds could last for days. 

[palmfriend]

Those pictures are hurting! Especially those from the fallen bizzie.

But as mentioned before by others, the most important thing is that none of you got hurt! 

It will take time to repair the damages or to grow new trees - maybe even a new or better idea

comes to mind - but it can be done!

On 2016年10月10日 12:40:02, Yunder Wækraus said:

 

Pix of damage. I think the palms did well. The two fallen trees are another story 

 

 

My currently tallest coconut palm almost looked the same after one of our typhoons three years ago - 

and now it is strong and healthy like a young bull. As long as nothing is really broken - usually heavy rain

softens the ground and prevents the young tree from significant damage in the root system - it will

survive! Maybe some supporting elements to hold the tree in position for a while would be my advice,

at least for my one it worked very well...

best regards

[Yunder Wækraus]

20 hours ago, palmfriend said:

Those pictures are hurting! Especially those from the fallen bizzie.

But as mentioned before by others, the most important thing is that none of you got hurt! 

It will take time to repair the damages or to grow new trees - maybe even a new or better idea

comes to mind - but it can be done!

My currently tallest coconut palm almost looked the same after one of our typhoons three years ago - 

and now it is strong and healthy like a young bull. As long as nothing is really broken - usually heavy rain

softens the ground and prevents the young tree from significant damage in the root system - it will

survive! Maybe some supporting elements to hold the tree in position for a while would be my advice,

at least for my one it worked very well...

best regards

Should I try to bend it back in place or just leave it alone?

[palmfriend]

2 hours ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

Should I try to bend it back in place or just leave it alone?

Yes, I would bend it back! Soften the ground with a few gallons of water, move the tree slowly back in place -

if nothing is broken (trunk/root area) it will do fine - and install some sticks to keep it in position.

Here is my "baby", right after the typhoon (it hang loose at almost the same angle - I was quite shocked

and felt not good about it):

2013: I stabilized it with some plastic fiber sticks and a rope, added some earth on top (pressed it down gently) gave some extra fertilizer....

2014: As it became taller I switched to wooden sticks...

2015: ...and always adjusting them to give the tree space to move slightly in the wind and

to let the young trunk grow.

2016: And here is "my baby" now - trunking, flowering and looking pretty well.

My lesson: cocos nucifera are tough ones as long as nothing vital got damaged - and I think

yours is definitely a hopeful. I would try it and as long as new spears are coming up, the tree will be fine!

best regards

PS@all: I did not intend to hijack this thread, my apologies if someone thinks so!

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2016‎ ‎5‎:‎13‎:‎10‎, Yunder Wækraus said:

Royals are also amazing for their size.

I think you are right, Royals are more resilient than they are given credit for, including their cold hardiness.  They don't however, like salt spray.  I remember a lot of them near A1A in South Florida that looked pretty bad where they are exposed to salt spray, but the ones on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway looked great just a few blocks inland from the beach.  The same thing is true in South Padre Island.  The ones exposed to salt spray look pretty bad, but the ones that have a little protection or on one the Laguna Madre side of the island look good.  And here at North Padre Island, there are none within about 3 blocks of the beach, because we have such high winds here about half the year that carry too much salt spray a good .3 of a mile inland from the beach.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Mr. Coconut Palm

[Yunder Wækraus]

1 hour ago, palmfriend said:

Yes, I would bend it back! Soften the ground with a few gallons of water, move the tree slowly back in place -

if nothing is broken (trunk/root area) it will do fine - and install some sticks to keep it in position.

Here is my "baby", right after the typhoon (it hang loose at almost the same angle - I was quite shocked

and felt not good about it):

2013: I stabilized it with some plastic fiber sticks and a rope, added some earth on top (pressed it down gently) gave some extra fertilizer....

2014: As it became taller I switched to wooden sticks...

2015: ...and always adjusting them to give the tree space to move slightly in the wind and

to let the young trunk grow.

2016: And here is "my baby" now - trunking, flowering and looking pretty well.

My lesson: cocos nucifera are tough ones as long as nothing vital got damaged - and I think

yours is definitely a hopeful. I would try it and as long as new spears are coming up, the tree will be fine!

best regards

PS@all: I did not intend to hijack this thread, my apologies if someone thinks so!

Thanks. I know it's hard to tell from my photo, but mine is already about the size of yours in 2015. 

[naraj]

On 10/8/2016, 7:47:29, DoomsDave said:

Ouch!

But it could have been worse. Bizzies grow fast, and can be replaced as much of a bummer as I know it will be.

Since they're from Madagascar, which doesn't get storms, it's not surprising they don't take them well.

Still, sad to see, but glad you left when you did and you're safe.

 

Madagascar gets plenty of hurricanes, FYI. I think Bismarck crowns just catch too much wind and break instead of (fronds) bending.

[Yunder Wækraus]

On 10/11/2016, 12:16:07, IHB1979 said:

Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My rainbow eucalyptus was only half as tall as yours, but I decided to top it and remove the upper third. It had survived the hurricane winds, but its roots were seriously loosened, and once winds began to come in from other directions, it began to shake at the base. I didn't want to stake it (I don't think that's the way to strengthen it for the long haul), and topping it seems to have removed all the wind stress for now. (Also, I've decided I don't want any non-palms over 20' tall after this storm, and topping it now will make it easier for me to keep it's trunk under 20' in the future. 

[Zeeth]

15 hours ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

Should I try to bend it back in place or just leave it alone?

You could really do either. Coconuts tend to lean anyway so it shouldn't matter too much. I've read that the only consequence of leaving it would be that it won't develop as thickly at the base as if it were righted. 

[Palmaholic John]

A few miles South of Cocoa Beach here Satellite Beach...look at my Royal cleanup.  Lost a couple specimens along the fence from falling Royal leaves but that's it....very thankful.

[doranakandawatta]

12 minutes ago, Palmaholic John said:

A few miles South of Cocoa Beach here Satellite Beach...look at my Royal cleanup.  Lost a couple specimens along the fence from falling Royal leaves but that's it....very thankful.

Gladly you explain it's a Royal cleanup, so it's not too much a disaster.

I notice one of them is developing many aerial roots, I see the same on our R. oleracea.

 

[SEVA]

We had some damage in southeastern Virginia, mostly from flooding.

The car floated out of the driveway from the strong current.  It was stopped by the sago by the driveway; the car rested on top of it.

[SEVA]

Here is the sago after the car was removed.  It had about 2 ft of trunk.

[SEVA]

I am going to attempt to protect this queen this winter.  I had it in a pot for years and decided to just plant it.  I had to place a stack of bags of mulch on one side to straighten it back up.  The winds and the current caused it to lean.  This was before the water came into the house.

[SEVA]

My pindo palms were under water.  The one on the right is slightly over 6 ft tall from the ground to the tip of the tallest frond.

[SEVA]

I have two Sabal Birmingham palms beside the live oak.  They were completely under water.

[SEVA]

In the first picture, my pumpkins were floating (a few floated away).  Also, there is a shed in the back to the right; the doors were under water.  The second is where the road should be.

[SEVA]

A rescue boat arrived at the house.

[SEVA]

This was after we evacuated.

[doranakandawatta]

Welcome on Palmtalk Dominic,

Gladly you're safe, but I am very sorry for the bad time you have had.
Hopefully most of your palms may recover.

[SEVA]

Thank you.

Most of the palms look fine, but the newest spear on one pindo palm looks like it has some rot from being submerged.  

[DoomsDave]

On 10/12/2016, 3:20:10, Yunder Wækraus said:

Should I try to bend it back in place or just leave it alone?

In keeping with the other suggestions, bend it back, gently, sooner instead of later, before it roots into its new position.  If need be, get some 2 X 4s and make a frame/stake/prop for it.

I've righted many a tweaked palm, including a fairly large roystonea that a doofus (me) knocked over, including one with a dead Crown Victoria of Doom. Pushed them up (uumph!) tied to stakes, watered and waited and in a few months, good as new.

The great thing about palms, coconuts in particular, is how resilient they are in the face of the wind.

And, I'm glad you ran away, to right the palms another day.

Let us know what you do, and the progress you make.

[DoomsDave]

On 10/16/2016, 2:31:26, Palmaholic John said:

A few miles South of Cocoa Beach here Satellite Beach...look at my Royal cleanup.  Lost a couple specimens along the fence from falling Royal leaves but that's it....very thankful.

Show us a pic when it's all cleaned up.

Inspire us to fight on in the face of disaster. . . . .

Your collection looks marvelous, love the Hyophorbe!

[doranakandawatta]

2 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Show us a pic when it's all cleaned up.

Inspire us to fight on in the face of disaster. . . . .

Your collection looks marvelous, love the Hyophorbe!

Yes, actually which Hyophorbe species is this ? the Hybrid "Sherry bottle Palm" or H. verschaffeltii? 

Again, I am glad that we see only physical damage and that none of you (floridian Palmtalk friends) lost his life or his house.
Before Matthew comes to your land, the news we got in Europe (it means with the week precision of information due to the distance) made me very anxious, fearing it could be a huge disaster (that kind of natural event I know since the tsunami).
I am sorry to say that I was relieved after the last news.

[DoomsDave]

Dominic:

OUCH

But, glad you were okay.

Is your car going to be usable? I've heard so many stories about cars submerged.

 

[SEVA]

Thanks.

The car was ruined; it had to be replaced.

I do have some good news though.  I found a few of my potted palm seedlings in the woods that had floated away.