Palm Pot Depth Growth Rate Experiment

[floridaPalmMan]

So I've read in multiple places (and heard from a few youtube videos for what that's worth) that pot depth is the secret to accelerated growth of palm seedlings rather than pot width.

Not sure if this is well known or has already been proven/disproven. Any input would be appreciated. Anyway...

This is an experiment to see the difference in growth rate and health of 3 palms purchased as seedlings at the same time and exposed to the same conditions.

The three plant selected are a few silver queens I purchased off of etsy.

All three are around the same height and were all germinated/planted/harvested/shipped and repotted at the same time. All came from the same parent palm.

They are planted with 4.5", 6", and 8" soil depths.

In 1 year we shall see who has grown the most.

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by floridaPalmMan

[Fallen Munk]

Cool experiment.  In order to get any scientific value out of the experiment beyond just interest, pots should be somewhat close to the same diameter as well.

[Palmfarmer]

cool i will repot my trachy seedlings to some soda bottles as well. 

[floridaPalmMan]

2 hours ago, Fallen Munk said:

Cool experiment.  In order to get any scientific value out of the experiment beyond just interest, pots should be somewhat close to the same diameter as well.

Well here is one thing I didnt mention... One retailer made a claim that the diameter doesnt matter.

Since the pots are only 2" in diameter, would there be enough nutrients if the pot was 4" deep?

Im honestly asking. Ill take input if you think we should change the controls in the experiment.

If it can be done better or different lets do it.

Edited January 1, 2021 by floridaPalmMan

[Fallen Munk]

1 minute ago, floridaPalmMan said:

Well here is one thing I didnt mention... One retailer made a claim that the diameter doesnt matter.

Since the pots are only 2" in diameter, would there be enough nutrients if the pot was 4" deep?

Im honestly asking. Ill take input if you think we should change the controls in the experiment.

If it can be done better or different lets do it.

Probably not worth repotting unless you had a bigger sample size to account for genetic variability.  You are probably well aware that out of any batch you will have some that take off like a rocket and some that are runts. 

[floridaPalmMan]

54 minutes ago, Fallen Munk said:

Probably not worth repotting unless you had a bigger sample size to account for genetic variability.  You are probably well aware that out of any batch you will have some that take off like a rocket and some that are runts. 

Im not aware at all lol. Moved to Florida from Wisconsin about a year ago and have no idea how to grow palms of any kind.

I can try to cut up a few smaller smartwater bottles at different heights.

I think that might help the experiment like you suggested. Do you think??

[floridaPalmMan]

But Im expecting differing results like this video. 

 

It looks like even with genetic variance there is a hell of a difference no?

[floridaPalmMan]

@Fallen Munk again just to reiterate, Ive never grown a palm from seed to adulthood so take everything I say with a large grain of salt

[NOT A TA]

I've done some similar experiments with palms as well as other plants. You'll find that different types of palms have widely varying results. Some really like the depth while others don't seem to care. If you want to add some controls to your experiment, try to keep the soil moisture and temperature of each pot the same. If your three pots are outside the soda bottle one will cool off quicker each night this time of year because there's a greater outer surface area compared to the mass of the soil. It low temp may also get colder by daybreak also which might have an influence.

 

[Fallen Munk]

1 hour ago, floridaPalmMan said:

Im not aware at all lol. Moved to Florida from Wisconsin about a year ago and have no idea how to grow palms of any kind.

Well if you watched the video you posted, he talks about picking the fastest growing ones out of the community pot, to pot up individually.  That's what I'm talking about when I mention faster and slower ones.  That's why sample size is important.  And you can go overboard on pot size.  If you take a seedling and put it in too big of a pot, chances are good that you will overwater it because all of that soil takes too long to dry out.  What that video really demonstrates is when to pot up to the next size because if you keep it in a small pot too long, it stunts the growth.  Best of luck with your experiments.

[Fallen Munk]

I should probably mention that some species of palm don't care how deep the pot is so much rather the total amount of soil, and others the pot depth is the most important thing, like with Bismarckia and others that get a long tap root.

[floridaPalmMan]

2 minutes ago, Fallen Munk said:

I should probably mention that some species of palm don't care how deep the pot is so much rather the total amount of soil, and others the pot depth is the most important thing, like with Bismarckia and others that get a long tap root.

Yep, it was also specified that certain species will like the depth while others will not even notice.

I guess this experiment will come down to the few controls and random genetic variation we have available.

Time will tell. And so will the champaign bottle I just drank for new years.

Good night and good luck in 2021 everyone. Live life!! I love you all.

[floridaPalmMan]

55 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

I've done some similar experiments with palms as well as other plants. You'll find that different types of palms have widely varying results. Some really like the depth while others don't seem to care. If you want to add some controls to your experiment, try to keep the soil moisture and temperature of each pot the same. If your three pots are outside the soda bottle one will cool off quicker each night this time of year because there's a greater outer surface area compared to the mass of the soil. It low temp may also get colder by daybreak also which might have an influence.

 

I do have a heater in the greenhouse so the soda bottle should only be a few degrees cooler at the most even when at the lowest of lows.

The hope is that even though the soda bottle might have less surface area and cool down faster, the depth is what will make the ultimate difference.

Even if I have to add more water to the soda bottle palm, more growth should theoretically happen.

Not going to lie though... Kinda drunk, hard to text. Gatta go! Happy new year!!

[NOT A TA]

Looked to see if I had pics of any of my weird pot experiments and came across this one first. I'd started a batch of Papaya seeds because I wanted to use them for quick canopy in certain areas because they grow fast here. I had more than I needed and so when I planted the ones I wanted for canopy I left the rest in pots thinking if one or more of the ones I planted didn't make it I'd have spares I could replace them with. Here's a pic of one planted and one of the left overs that remained in a pot. They were all about the same size initially and this pic is a few months after in ground planting. Quite a difference eh?

 

[floridaPalmMan]

On 1/1/2021 at 11:15 AM, NOT A TA said:

Quite a difference eh?

Wow yea... just a tad bit of a difference there.

This makes me think... I have a 4th silver queen about the same size. Maybe I'll put that one into the ground in the spring just to see how it does in comparison to the other 3 in pots.

Thanks for sharing