Replacement plantings after Hurricane Ian

[PalmatierMeg]

Last week my husband and I traveled to the Bradenton area to visit Tom Blank (@sonorafans) who generously donated several of his extra palms to replant in our Garden Lot after Hurricane Ian pretty much destroyed the yard. We also got to see Tom's gorgeous tropical-themed garden - the Satakentia and Copernicias baileyana and fallaensis were awesome. Tom gave us a 5g Sabal causiarum and 3 more seedlings in 14" pots, plus two Dictyosperma album, rubra and conjagutam, and a nifty teddy bear palm.

This week we planted the 5g Sabal, one Dictyosperma and the teddy bear in now-barren patch of the Garden Lot. The second Dictyosperma is waiting its turn and we potted up the seedling causiarums to hold until spring for planting because the yard needs so much work. My husband wanted to jump start growth on the big Sabal so we planted it and the two other palms where they would receive irrigation during dry season. That wide open space also provides the room and daily sunshine this palm requires.

Thanks again, Tom!

Photos

Sabal causiarum, Cape Coral, FL, Oct. 2022

Dictyosperma album, Cape Coral, FL, Oct 2022

Dypsis leptocheilos, Cape Coral, FL, Oct 2022

View of all 3 replacement palms

[Looking Glass]

My leptocheilos were about that size 18 months ago, now I can walk under their tallest fronds.   They are pretty happy here.  I give them a lot of water, palm fertilizer and extra langbeinite for potassium.   Grow pretty consistently even in cooler weather.  Dictyosperma are pretty happy here too.   Have high hopes for my potted conjugatum.  Some in a parking lot nearby grow with no fertilizer or irrigation.   My neighbor has a big rubrum that grows well with little care.   

[peachy]

Hi Meg, 

          When I moved here mid 2021, I only had mud and builders rubble (and no money) so I grabbed a tiny Teddy,  a King bangalow and a Trachycarpus.  I knew I would have to amend the soil on every square cm of the place before I planted anything but took a risk, got 3 holes big enough to bury a VW, put amendment stuff around the edges and filled the holes with fancy store bought garden soil, then stuck them in. They all grew at an amazing rate,  I have never seen anything like it.  I posted photos a few weeks back if you want a look.  9 months after more ground was amended I planted a foxtail. malay dwarf coconut, a bottle, a spindle and some coloured dracaenas with similar results. It looks like I have lived here for decade. ( I won't mention the Veitchia Johannis that looks like me first thing of a morning)  Originally the soil here was so dead,  not even worms and only the toughest of weeds. Different story now. Nearly everything thrives in the amended beds. This photo was near the end of winter (a nasty one this year) but everything has grown another 40 cms since it was taken. I am so sorry to learn you copped it badly from the Hurricane. Remi wanted to show you his Halloween bed and being a proud mother I had to included a gratuitous kid photo.

Peachy