Growing palms , its an incurable disease.

[rooikop]

I do think collecting palms is an incurable disease, I have had it now for almost 40 years , it began 11 years  after I developed terminal orchid syndrome ,

I have been fortunate that my wife is a horticulturist like me . so we can share our love of plants .As we have travelled the world we have collected seeds and plants and started our garden In Panama. How you start your palm journey is find the seeds, plant the seeds and start planting them when they get big. we have planted over 5000 palms , some have done well others died , Its experimental , just like life,  Here is my my prop area , Its a tempary  one while I construct a new bamboo structure, We collect the seeds , clean them , some we soak and put in plastic bags and hang them up to germinate them .others we plant in shallow trays , it depends on size.The last photographs are of me finding a young Desmoncus orthacanthos  its a native climbing palm , very similar to Calamus .The palm grows up through the canopy , covers the canopy..

[Cindy Adair]

So interesting!

Loved hearing a bit of your story plus seeing the photos. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Thank you for sharing. Quite the journey and although different paths , we end up here obsessing over palms , watching the growth , and looking for something different to put in our collection , finally , keeping them alive. I started in 1990 when I wandered into a nursery to buy a palm to put by our pool . The manager was a palm collector and IPS member. He introduced me to folks who sold seedlings and I was hooked! Watching the little ones grow , learning their needs , and enjoying the journey. Harry

[flplantguy]

I have a similar start.  Orchids first then palms, but i dont have the orchids i used to. I will grow the ones i could before in a greenhouse with some of the cold intolerant palms eventually. I doubt i will get to 5000 plantings but who knows? Mayne one day.  Nice setup you have!

[peachy]

As a child I was always asking the neighbours gardeners about plants. They would give me seedlings or cuttings and tell me how to look after them.  Slowly my childhood interest grew into full blown Phytophilia,  with Palms and Aroids being the main symptom of the disorder.  You might be a Rooikop but your collection is lekka.

Peachy

[rooikop]

On 7/4/2024 at 8:21 AM, Cindy Adair said:

So interesting!

Loved hearing a bit of your story plus seeing the photos. 

I have lots of stories and photos.

 

[rooikop]

22 hours ago, peachy said:

As a child I was always asking the neighbours gardeners about plants. They would give me seedlings or cuttings and tell me how to look after them.  Slowly my childhood interest grew into full blown Phytophilia,  with Palms and Aroids being the main symptom of the disorder.  You might be a Rooikop but your collection is lekka.

Peachy

Haha, yes it all starts with just a few sweeties, than a craving, I started in Durban,

 

[rooikop]

On 7/4/2024 at 9:09 AM, flplantguy said:

I have a similar start.  Orchids first then palms, but i dont have the orchids i used to. I will grow the ones i could before in a greenhouse with some of the cold intolerant palms eventually. I doubt i will get to 5000 plantings but who knows? Mayne one day.  Nice setup you have!

Thank you, its ongoing and I hope to be found dead in my garden one day .its a passion.

[rooikop]

On 7/4/2024 at 9:05 AM, Harry’s Palms said:

Thank you for sharing. Quite the journey and although different paths , we end up here obsessing over palms , watching the growth , and looking for something different to put in our collection , finally , keeping them alive. I started in 1990 when I wandered into a nursery to buy a palm to put by our pool . The manager was a palm collector and IPS member. He introduced me to folks who sold seedlings and I was hooked! Watching the little ones grow , learning their needs , and enjoying the journey. Harry

I know that feeling, If I see a palm ,I always look for seeds, its the first thing I notice, My wife is just as bad , so its a good match, I am looking at the property opposite .lots of clear land, ready for planting.