Planting bare root palm question

[James B]

Hi all,

I am being delivered a 3 gallon Carpoxylon Macrospermum that is being shipped from Florida bare root without soil.

I have never ordered a palm this way before so my question is can I plant this palm in ground under canopy upon receiving or would it need to go into a pot?

I am well aware Carpoxylon will be a zone pusher here for me and since I was crazy enough to plant 2 Clinostigma Savoryanum a could weeks ago, I felt this was worth a try.

The palm will be under canopy and will receive filtered morning sun and mostly shade all day under various Archontophoenix here on the cusp of 9B/10A.

Thanks!

[The Gerg]

Hey James,

Best of luck with the Carpoxylon macrospermum. I would be quite impressed if you pull it off. I think it will prove much more difficult than the Clinostigma savoryanum. I have a Clinostigma savoryanum coming along ok. I ordered a couple Carpoxylon macrospermum from Floribunda a couple years ago (which come bare root) and ultimately they didn’t make it. They were one gallons so they went straight into a pot, not the ground. Maybe your 3 gallon will be hardier. I think I would put it in a pot so if for no other reason you can see how it likes the location you choose for it and perhaps move if it doesn’t look happy.

Please let us know how it goes. If you have success perhaps I’ll try again. I’m cheering for you.

Greg

[James B]

11 minutes ago, The Gerg said:

Hey James,

Best of luck with the Carpoxylon macrospermum. I would be quite impressed if you pull it off. I think it will prove much more difficult than the Clinostigma savoryanum. I have a Clinostigma savoryanum coming along ok. I ordered a couple Carpoxylon macrospermum from Floribunda a couple years ago (which come bare root) and ultimately they didn’t make it. They were one gallons so they went straight into a pot, not the ground. Maybe your 3 gallon will be hardier. I think I would put it in a pot so if for no other reason you can see how it likes the location you choose for it and perhaps move if it doesn’t look happy.

Please let us know how it goes. If you have success perhaps I’ll try again. I’m cheering for you.

Greg

Ah! thanks for the input! I'll put it in a 5 gal pot and see what happens. Perhaps give it until August then maybe plant it?  I'd like to plant it in ground at least 12 weeks before winter sets in to get its roots in good otherwise I would have to keep it pot bound until next spring. Which would be an exercise in patience but it would give me the benefit of bringing it inside when the nights get below 40.

[James B]

How big is the Clinostigma you planted?

Here are the 2 I planted:

Edited April 18, 2020 by James B

[-2 brian]

3 hours ago, James B said:

Hi all,

I am being delivered a 3 gallon Carpoxylon Macrospermum that is being shipped from Florida bare root without soil.

I have never ordered a palm this way before so my question is can I plant this palm in ground under canopy upon receiving or would it need to go into a pot?

I am well aware Carpoxylon will be a zone pusher here for me and since I was crazy enough to plant 2 Clinostigma Savoryanum a could weeks ago, I felt this was worth a try.

The palm will be under canopy and will receive filtered morning sun and mostly shade all day under various Archontophoenix here on the cusp of 9B/10A.

Thanks!

Hope the Carpoxylon works out for you. Both those species are cool looking palms, the clinostigmas look great m there new home!  

[The Gerg]

The first pic shows about when I planted it. October 2017. The second pic is how it looks today. It’s not looking it’s best coming out of winter cold. It tends to start looking better in summer. I just gave it a little palmgain about a week ago. Not quick for me by any means. I believe it really had a setback two winters ago also when we here in So. Cal had our unusually cold winter temps. Seems to be right about the size of yours. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by The Gerg

[James B]

1 hour ago, -2 brian said:

Hope the Carpoxylon works out for you. Both those species are cool looking palms, the clinostigmas look great m there new home!  

Thanks again Brian! So far they seem happy no issue with transplant shock. Both have new spears that are growing. I look forward what they will look like in a few years.

[James B]

1 hour ago, The Gerg said:

The first pic shows about when I planted it. October 2017. The second pic is how it looks today. It’s not looking it’s best coming out of winter cold. It tends to start looking better in summer. I just gave it a little palmgain about a week ago. Not quick for me by any means. I believe it really had a setback two winters ago also when we here in So. Cal had our unusually cold winter temps. Seems to be right about the size of yours. 

Winter 2018: Especially January and February of 2019 were brutal here too. I have only been in this house 6 years and it was about 5-7 degrees colder than usual. I hope I don't see those temps again soon. I saw 31 degrees for sure, possibly as low at 29 for a couple hours on the coldest night. This year's winter by comparison did not drop below 36-37 at the absolute night time low which is more the norm for me. How much sun is yours getting? I have mine very well protected as my sun this far inland can burn Archontophoenix so I did not want to risk direct sun. So far I have not seen any signs of burn from the filtered light they get.

[The Gerg]

It gets almost all day sun. It handles it fine. I’m maybe about two miles from the beach as the crow flies. It’s the cold that it struggles with more than sun.

Yours looks in good shape in its sheltered spot.

Didn’t mean to get this too off topic with regards to your arriving Carpoxylon. I’m not the type off gardener that has a lot of patience with giving marginal palms the TLC they need. It would be fun to have in a greenhouse, but unfortunately I don’t have one. 

 

[The Gerg]

Now @GottmitAlex can give you tips on keeping a marginal palm alive. He’s the king at giving TLC to his Cocos. Far more patience than I.

Edited April 18, 2020 by The Gerg

[DoomsDave]

7 hours ago, James B said:

Hi all,

I am being delivered a 3 gallon Carpoxylon Macrospermum that is being shipped from Florida bare root without soil.

I have never ordered a palm this way before so my question is can I plant this palm in ground under canopy upon receiving or would it need to go into a pot?

I am well aware Carpoxylon will be a zone pusher here for me and since I was crazy enough to plant 2 Clinostigma Savoryanum a could weeks ago, I felt this was worth a try.

The palm will be under canopy and will receive filtered morning sun and mostly shade all day under various Archontophoenix here on the cusp of 9B/10A.

Thanks!

YOU ARE NUTTY!

And love ya for it!

I’d plant the Carpy in a nice 3-5 gallon pot of potting soil and keep warm and moist in your house or garage if you have to. Out of the sun and out of the wind.

DONT PLANT IT OUT BARE ROOT.

If you already have, I say pull it out and pot it.

Sorry been a long week but we’re rooting for ya over here!

You want to be able to control your new baby’s environment.

Sounds like you have a great spot for it. But don’t hurry. Keep in the pot till it’s well rooted in, i.e., you nudge the base with your excited finger and it’s nice and solid in the dirt. 
 

Even then I’d plan planting out in 2021. 

And keep us apprised of progress.

[James B]

18 minutes ago, The Gerg said:

It gets almost all day sun. It handles it fine. I’m maybe about two miles from the beach as the crow flies. It’s the cold that it struggles with more than sun.

Yours looks in good shape in its sheltered spot.

Didn’t mean to get this too off topic with regards to your arriving Carpoxylon. I’m not the type off gardener that has a lot of patience with giving marginal palms the TLC they need. It would be fun to have in a greenhouse, but unfortunately I don’t have one. 

 

Cool I wish I was as close to the beach as you are lol. Id have the option to grow more than what I can here. I think the only palm in my garden that might prefer being this far inland is Roystonea since they love the 100 degree days and bright summer sun I get.

[James B]

13 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

YOU ARE NUTTY!

And love ya for it!

I’d plant the Carpy in a nice 3-5 gallon pot of potting soil and keep warm and moist in your house or garage if you have to. Out of the sun and out of the wind.

DONT PLANT IT OUT BARE ROOT.

If you already have, I say pull it out and pot it.

Sorry been a long week but we’re rooting for ya over here!

You want to be able to control your new baby’s environment.

Sounds like you have a great spot for it. But don’t hurry. Keep in the pot till it’s well rooted in, i.e., you nudge the base with your excited finger and it’s nice and solid in the dirt. 
 

Even then I’d plan planting out in 2021. 

And keep us apprised of progress.

Thanks Dave!

It sounds like my best chance is to take the conservative path and give a year in the pot to toughen up and adapt to my climate which is far less humid and rainy than Florida a climate I quite well living in the Orlando area for 15 years.

[DoomsDave]

Just now, James B said:

Thanks Dave!

It sounds like my best chance is to take the conservative path and give a year in the pot to toughen up and adapt to my climate which is far less humid and rainy than Florida a climate I quite well living in the Orlando area for 15 years.

YOU GO !

[James B]

Came today. I have put it in a 5 gallon pot where if things go well it will root in over the next 11-12 months and if it survives I’ll plant next spring.

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, James B said:

Came today. I have put it in a 5 gallon pot where if things go well it will root in over the next 11-12 months and if it survives I’ll plant next spring.

I will be agog with delight if you can keep that thing happy up there against the Rock Horror Mountains!

You’ve inspired me to try a couple!

[joe_OC]

2 hours ago, James B said:

Came today. I have put it in a 5 gallon pot where if things go well it will root in over the next 11-12 months and if it survives I’ll plant next spring.

Good luck, James!  My large one has opened 2 fronds for me since I planted it last fall.  I never let the soil dry out.  

[The Gerg]

9 minutes ago, joe_OC said:

Good luck, James!  My large one has opened 2 fronds for me since I planted it last fall.  I never let the soil dry out.  

Pictures???

[James B]

43 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

I will be agog with delight if you can keep that thing happy up there against the Rock Horror Mountains!

You’ve inspired me to try a couple!

Haha thanks!  If I have inspired you Dave it’s like the student inspiring the master lol. I know the odds may be long against me but we’ll worth a try.

[joe_OC]

3 minutes ago, The Gerg said:

Pictures???

I have a post for it on PT.  Planted it in May 2019.  So, almost a year.  It gets morning sun until 11.  Here is one of the pics:

 

[James B]

15 minutes ago, joe_OC said:

Good luck, James!  My large one has opened 2 fronds for me since I planted it last fall.  I never let the soil dry out.  

That’s awesome Joe! At least it shows Carpoxylon has some hope in SoCal.