My North Texas Palm story

[FriscoOasis]

Hello All,

We had a new backyard put in and it was finished in March 2020.  Yes, right with COVID started.  We had a beautiful 8ft tall Pindo Palm as the centerpiece and 2 Sabal palms.  I think they are Texas Sabals.   Fast forward 1 snowmageddon and 1 flash freeze of this past winter and it is obvious to me that the pindo is going to eventfully choke and die as each winter the crown that produces anything is getting smaller and smaller.  The Sabals are fairing better but the same thing is happening.   I take great care every winter and go thru a herculean effort before the hard freezes occur.  Multiple layers, heat tape or incandescent lights and layers to trap the heat.  Even at this last temp drop to 5 degrees, it was 40 degrees under the layers around the tree.  Unfortunately I cannot wrap the fronds.  The Pindos fronds are narrow and succumb yearly.   And every spring I have to cut the dead ones off.  Thus narrowing the crown.   Can anything be done to stop this? Best way to trim them and when, to promote faster frond production before the next winter?   Any tree wrapping services I should look into?

 

-Rob

PS. What other businesses in north Texas sell palms? I only know of North Texas Palms. 

[Swolte]

Welcome!

Good question. I think the winters AND summers the past few years since 2021 have been excessive for any plant to get acclimatized (winters and summers!). Yours, sir, did not get a break! I wouldn't give up on them yet. Keep the soil moist and fertilize when you see some growth. Cross your fingers and hope the we catch a break this upcoming winter.  This has to end sometime, right?

Note that palms draw nutrients from fronds that are 'dying' so only cut them when there's not a speckle of live color left. It looks like you're doing that but just making sure. 
 

~ S

[Chester B]

Yeah, bad luck or bad timing. Hopefully they get a break this winter, and can recover.  I'd probably be diligent with fertilizer and water this year, and hope for the best.

[5am]

18 hours ago, FriscoOasis said:

What other businesses in north Texas sell palms?

I've seen a handful of Sabal palmetto ~6ft trunk at Fossil Creek Tree Farm in Saginaw. There were also some shorter pindos and trachies near the entrance. That's not a recommendation because I've never bought anything from them. 

[FriscoOasis]

Is "trunk cutting" something that would benefit in order to make the crown wider or is that for some other case?

[JLM]

17 minutes ago, FriscoOasis said:

Is "trunk cutting" something that would benefit in order to make the crown wider or is that for some other case?

Trunk cutting would only be necessary in the event that the palm’s center spear comes out and you get no growth despite treatments. Trunk cutting is usually a last resort, at least for me. 
 

The crowns on these palms will grow larger over time, especially with any water and fertilizer you add. It may take a couple of years to get them back to the way they were before this streak of bad growing conditions brought on by the good ole Texas climate.

[Sabal King]

Awesome!  I'm down the road in Oak Point and have tons of seedlings (continuing to grow them out and at about 15 varieties at the moment).  You're always welcome by, just let me know!  Congrats and welcome to the community..

[FriscoOasis]

5 hours ago, Sabal King said:

Awesome!  I'm down the road in Oak Point and have tons of seedlings (continuing to grow them out and at about 15 varieties at the moment).  You're always welcome by, just let me know!  Congrats and welcome to the community..

Growing seedlings of which tree?

[Meangreen94z]

2 hours ago, FriscoOasis said:

Growing seedlings of which tree?

He’s the Sabal King.

[Sabal King]

12 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

He’s the Sabal King.

Lol…. 👑 love me some Sabals.