Christmas Palm Growth Rate

[WalkerLovesTheTropics]

Hey everyone, I am new to the forum.

 

I am sorry if this has already been discussed but I was wondering how fast my christmas palms will grow. I just received them in the mail today, the first is about 18" and the second one is about 13". I live in New York, so the growing season is fairly short. I think the growing season for theses palms in New York would be about 4 months. Then I would bring them inside. I have a spot where they can get full southern sun in the summer, and then I have grow lights for the winter.

 

I was just wondering about how much I should expect them to grow in the 4 months that I can keep them outside, if they are in Temps of about 85f during the day, and low 70s/mid 60s at night, and full direct sun. Thanks, Walker.

[PalmatierMeg]

They should do well outdoors as long as lows stay above 55F and highs >80F. They need high heat and humidity, which Eastern summers supply in abundance. Gradually introduce them from full shade to mostly sun over the course of several weeks so the leaves don't sunburn. It's possible but I don't think likely they will go pinnate before your autumn cuts off their gravy train. The problem you will have with them is when you bring them indoors. I've said this 1,000+ times but northern houses are too cold, too dark and too dry for tropical palms, esp. Adonidia merrillii aka the cutesy monikered Christmas Palm, which is cold/cool sensitive on a par with the tropical of tropicals, the coconut palm, aka Cocos nucifera.

You should use the next few months to formulate a plan for supplemental lighting, increased humidity and extra heat, i.e., days of 80-90F or greater and nights >65F. When I lived in NO VA we kept our house at 68F during the day and 60F at night in winter. Those temps would have killed any Christmas palm or coconut in a matter of a few weeks. They want high heat and 68F is not even very warm. You should keep the humidity >70%. Low humidity will turn leaves yellow, brown, then crispy. Throwing water at your palms will lead to root rot, not green foliage. More palms die from overwatering than under watering. You will have to settle on a location, i.e., spare room or basement for your efforts if you don't want to turn your whole house into a conservatory.

I suggest you do some searching for topics specifying what PTers in the far north of the US and Canada do to keep their tropical palms. Lots of good ideas and photos of their setups because these people are serious palm lovers, bless them.

 

[WalkerLovesTheTropics]

4 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

They should do well outdoors as long as lows stay above 55F and highs >80F. They need high heat and humidity, which Eastern summers supply in abundance. Gradually introduce them from full shade to mostly sun over the course of several weeks so the leaves don't sunburn. It's possible but I don't think likely they will go pinnate before your autumn cuts off their gravy train. The problem you will have with them is when you bring them indoors. I've said this 1,000+ times but northern houses are too cold, too dark and too dry for tropical palms, esp. Adonidia merrillii aka the cutesy monikered Christmas Palm, which is cold/cool sensitive on a par with the tropical of tropicals, the coconut palm, aka Cocos nucifera.

You should use the next few months to formulate a plan for supplemental lighting, increased humidity and extra heat, i.e., days of 80-90F or greater and nights >65F. When I lived in NO VA we kept our house at 68F during the day and 60F at night in winter. Those temps would have killed any Christmas palm or coconut in a matter of a few weeks. They want high heat and 68F is not even very warm. You should keep the humidity >70%. Low humidity will turn leaves yellow, brown, then crispy. Throwing water at your palms will lead to root rot, not green foliage. More palms die from overwatering than under watering. You will have to settle on a location, i.e., spare room or basement for your efforts if you don't want to turn your whole house into a conservatory.

I suggest you do some searching for topics specifying what PTers in the far north of the US and Canada do to keep their tropical palms. Lots of good ideas and photos of their setups because these people are serious palm lovers, bless them.

 

Thanks for the reply. My house stays at 50-60% humidity, and roughly 70-73F in the winter. I have an Ikea Milsbo plant cabinet that I keep other plants in, so the humidity and temp stays pretty high in there. That will only work though while they stay small.  I will look into other options once these guys get larger (if they do well and make it that long).

[PalmatierMeg]

On 5/4/2024 at 7:51 PM, WalkerLovesTheTropics said:

Thanks for the reply. My house stays at 50-60% humidity, and roughly 70-73F in the winter. I have an Ikea Milsbo plant cabinet that I keep other plants in, so the humidity and temp stays pretty high in there. That will only work though while they stay small.  I will look into other options once these guys get larger (if they do well and make it that long).

Too dry and too cold. Adonidias are extremely tropical and want humidity > 70%, daytime temps of 80-90F, nights above 65F, full sun or supplemental lighting. This species is both cold and cool sensitive and you will have trouble keeping one alive during your winter unless you take steps to meet its needs for heat, sun and humidity. You have 3-4 months to plan how you will do that. Or you can treat them like an annual and replace them every spring.

[SeanK]

We had some of these in large pots in indoor malls about 20 years ago. They never seemed to grow but some leaflets would dry out. Maybe too cool and too dry.

[mnorell]

They make better houseplants than Coconuts…I kept one as a houseplant in Natchez, Mississippi for some years, outside in a courtyard March-Thanksgiving, then inside the dry heated house for winter. This was in a 15 Gal and it grew to about nine feet with the container…didn’t mind a month or so of cold nights in Nov and March, and never complained about humidity. Gave the plant to the new owners when we sold the house and I don’t know its fate. I also used to see them years ago in indoor malls in L.A. In wretched cold A/C and they seemed to at least survive. I grow them here in the Palm Springs area and they don’t complain. I lose seedlings or young plants if in a winter-shady northern exposure but otherwise fine in dappled sun/shade even at 5% RH and 123F. Typically slow however until they have a rung of trunk or so. When I grew these in the Keys they were also rather slow except during their teenage years when they grew at a modest pace. So I think you can make it happen on a terrace in Manhattan as long as they have good light in winter and temps as you describe. Don’t expect very fast growth but you will notice growth over time, and put them in the largest practical container. You can grow almost anything even in a place as far north as NYC if you’re determined enough…if you fail, you’re out the cost of the plants but you’ve received an education!

[SeanK]

9 hours ago, mnorell said:

They make better houseplants than Coconuts…I kept one as a houseplant in Natchez, Mississippi for some years, outside in a courtyard March-Thanksgiving, then inside the dry heated house for winter. This was in a 15 Gal and it grew to about nine feet with the container…didn’t mind a month or so of cold nights in Nov and March, and never complained about humidity. Gave the plant to the new owners when we sold the house and I don’t know its fate. I also used to see them years ago in indoor malls in L.A. In wretched cold A/C and they seemed to at least survive. I grow them here in the Palm Springs area and they don’t complain. I lose seedlings or young plants if in a winter-shady northern exposure but otherwise fine in dappled sun/shade even at 5% RH and 123F. Typically slow however until they have a rung of trunk or so. When I grew these in the Keys they were also rather slow except during their teenage years when they grew at a modest pace. So I think you can make it happen on a terrace in Manhattan as long as they have good light in winter and temps as you describe. Don’t expect very fast growth but you will notice growth over time, and put them in the largest practical container. You can grow almost anything even in a place as far north as NYC if you’re determined enough…if you fail, you’re out the cost of the plants but you’ve received an education!

I think yours did better b/c they went outside in the heat and humidity for 9 months of the year.

[mnorell]

3 hours ago, SeanK said:

I think yours did better b/c they went outside in the heat and humidity for 9 months of the year.

I very much agree. It's the only way I've ever been able to keep a healthy houseplant, by alternating outside/inside...plus I'm lazy and forgetful with them and forget to water for long periods. I think the secret in a warm climate is to have two and swap back and forth. In a cold-winter climate, of course, your only choice is to keep it out as long as possible, then move it into "prison" for the hopefully not-to-long winter. In much of the eastern half of the U.S., even in winter there are warm periods before a front passes where a tropical plant can spend a day or two outdoors. Of course most people are not as attentive or interested in providing these respites, but I think they are very helpful if you can remember to keep your eye on the weather and are devoted enough to your plants' well-being.

[SeanK]

Harbor Freight sells dollies you can set the planters on.

[WalkerLovesTheTropics]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I got them for 5 bucks each, so if they don't make it, I won't be upset. I thought it would just be fun.