Lean into it

[Tracy]

"Lean into it" seems to be a popular phrase right now, but in this case it is meant quite literally.  Years ago, when I planted my Bismarkia nobilis I thought I had left sufficient spacing between it and the Dypsis pembana (same with the D lutescens to it's left in the second photo.  As you can see, my plant spacing was a bit off.  Yes, the Bismarkia's lean is causing a kink in the D pembana.  I couldn't get the correct angle to capture a similar event with some of the trunks on the Dypsis lutescens, but the same thing is occurring.  Hopefully this can be a lesson on plant spacing.  Not sure if that Dypsis pembana is going to survive, as it was a multi when I resided in the house.  I think with the B nobilis leaning into the D pembana and a gardener caring for it, it doesn't get the love it did when I lived there.

Lesson to pass on:  plant spacing is important if you want everything to survive.

[Steve Mac]

I have been cramming things in too close together for 40 odd years, I don't think that I will ever learn. :-)

[DoomsDave]

@Tracy and @gtsteve you are not alone.

Here’s a shot of a Cocothrinax dussiana with a bend in it and I don’t remember why.

[akamu]

That's funny I was just talking to Dennis Willoughby earlier about his prestoa Montana doing a lien because of a similar situation with a fan palm but he cut off some of the fan palm fronds  and it straightened out. Just a thought maybe this could help. I have a coccothrinax doing the same thing reaching for  sun around  around  a teddy bear.  Its ok to trim a fan frond but I  don't like to trim a pinnate fronds until it's done I have given it some boron just in case here is a pic kind of dark due to it is nighttime 

[WaianaeCrider]

Yea, I've done stuff like that too.  20 years ago I planted an Arenga pinnata and a Wodyetia bifurcata about 8' apart.  Lucky for me the Foxtail grew fast and it's crown is above the top of the Arenga fronds, but both are HUGE.  Will try to get photos up tomorrow.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I’m totally guilty of it too but I rather enjoy watching the competition and the result years later. The ohotos show a Foxy Lady, Roystonea borinquena, and Wodyetia bifurcata just inches apart all planted the same time as tiny one gallon plants almost seven years ago. The Foxy Jady has powered upward with the Wodyetia in second place. The Rotstonea produces two leaves per year. The photos are about a year old. I did remove and transplant the Thrinax radiata in the photo last fall. 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Jim in Los Altos

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Of all my landscaping mistakes, spacing is the one I am most frequently guilty.

 

For this reason I have decided that the spacing is not bad, just the timing.  If I had planted the second palm a few years later, all would be well.

[Tracy]

Just now, Jerry@TreeZoo said:

Of all my landscaping mistakes, spacing is the one I am most frequently guilty.

 

For this reason I have decided that the spacing is not bad, just the timing.  If I had planted the second palm a few years later, all would be well.

In this case, I did plant the Pritchardia (no id on species) years after the Hyophorbe indicas.  It was a little plant down at their "feet".  Well not anymore and it is pushing on the red form H indica as you can see.  I may have to follow Adam's advice above and trim a leaf off the Pritchardia until it is over the H indica's crown.

[joe_OC]

What I'm learning is that fan palms are bullies.