Parajubaea Torallyi care

[Palmfarmer]

What is the care for these. Are they bad in clay or do they like water like its cousin Butia? I red that watering during the hot season is bad for Parajubaea is there truth to that? Rougly how fast does it grow in my climate, is it fast?  

[Jim in Los Altos]

They’re not particular about soil. Your climate is conducive to good growth since your summer nights cool off nicely. I’ve had my P. torallyi palms for 18 years from tiny three inch seedlings to monsters. They get watered year round either by winter rains or summer irrigation regardless of temperatures. I’ve never held off watering during particularly shot weather. 
 

 

[Fusca]

  On 12/7/2023 at 3:31 PM, Palmfarmer said:

I red that watering during the hot season is bad for Parajubaea is there truth to that?

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Jim's correct, shouldn't be a problem for you with cooler nights during the summer.  Watering when summer temperatures are 35-40C during the day and 25-30C at night seems to cause issues.  I lost a Parajubaea sunkha in San Antonio in June one year with similar temperatures after an unusual stretch of rain.  It did fine in similar conditions the previous summer when it was dry and I wasn't watering.

[Tyrone]

What are your normal minimums and maximums in summer? 
 

Im growing all 4 species here, but I’m in a mild climate that may peak in the 40C range once or twice every few years, but in summer I’ve never recorded a minimum over 20C roughly. It always cools down at night. Like Jim I get plenty of cool season rain and they are kept moist all summer and do fine. My soil is mainly peat with a bit of clay. The property here is essentially a swamp. 
 

As others have said if you cool off at night Parajubaea are happy. 

[Jim in Los Altos]

  On 12/7/2023 at 11:15 PM, Tyrone said:

What are your normal minimums and maximums in summer? 
 

Im growing all 4 species here, but I’m in a mild climate that may peak in the 40C range once or twice every few years, but in summer I’ve never recorded a minimum over 20C roughly. It always cools down at night. Like Jim I get plenty of cool season rain and they are kept moist all summer and do fine. My soil is mainly peat with a bit of clay. The property here is essentially a swamp. 
 

As others have said if you cool off at night Parajubaea are happy. 

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Here’s his averages. Very cool nights year round. 

[96720]

Mine is in Phoenix we don’t cool off at night and it seems to grow ok for me it is extremely slow it is at lest 10 years old probably older when I read a thread like this I shake my head glad I new nothing about palms when I planted it!! It is planted right next to my pond and I’m sure the pond leaks so it gets plenty of water!!!

[Tom in Tucson]

  On 12/7/2023 at 7:20 PM, Fusca said:

Jim's correct, shouldn't be a problem for you with cooler nights during the summer.  Watering when summer temperatures are 35-40C during the day and 25-30C at night seems to cause issues.  I lost a Parajubaea sunkha in San Antonio in June one year with similar temperatures after an unusual stretch of rain.  It did fine in similar conditions the previous summer when it was dry and I wasn't watering.

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My single non-hybrid Parajubaea sunkha performs the same way. When the night temps get above 75° it goes into a sort of coma. I tried watering under that condition, and the leaves started to contract in width. I thought that withholding water completely during the summer would cause it to completely dry out, but it just "hunkers down" until the nights get cooler. Since late September it's once again resumed growth with lows of 40°-68°. Incidentally. there is an old cluster of winter growing Oxalis tubers adjacent to the palm. When they resume growth, I know the palm is ready to grow again too.

Hi 80°, Lo 44°

[Fusca]

  On 12/8/2023 at 5:58 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

My single non-hybrid Parajubaea sunkha performs the same way. When the night temps get above 75° it goes into a sort of coma. I tried watering under that condition, and the leaves started to contract in width. I thought that withholding water completely during the summer would cause it to completely dry out, but it just "hunkers down" until the nights get cooler. Since late September it's once again resumed growth with lows of 40°-68°.

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Exactly how my sunkha acted.  It is the most humidity-tolerent Parajubaea but apparently it has its limits.  I wouldn't dare trying one here where I am now.