It’s Alive!

[Harry’s Palms]

So I bought 5 Wodyetia last fall that were not the happiest I’ve seen but too good to pass up . I knew at least two would pull through if I gave them a good place to winter down. I was concerned because , as luck would have it , we had an especially wet year. It was more than double our normal rainfall , and Wodyetia don’t like extended wet conditions . I posted in an earlier thread that two are now in the ground and growing fine . The other three were sad and showed no signs of growth. The fronds turned brown but the spears remained green . I checked every time I thought about it and they were dormant . Imagine my surprise when I was working around the garden and saw this . The fronds died weeks ago and I cut them off. The other two ( you can see one in the background ) are just sitting . The spears are green but no growth, I refuse to give up! Harry

[MJSanDiego]

A few months ago several local Home Depots here got a bunch in. 10 gallon pots. 6 ft tall. Super nice big healthy specimens. $109.  So I got two about 2 months ago and planted in the ground. Clay soil but I did some 50/50 amendment a bit around the root ball. The new spears have grown about 12 inches so far and they look fine but not growing as fast as I would have expected. The info tag says 30F+ zone 10

[Harry’s Palms]

I have lost two over the years , they can be hit or miss. I had one for several years and it was doing very well….until it wasn’t. The other one died a year after planting. I have learned a lot since then and realize that they like warm , if not hot , place in the garden . Also not too much water . I hand water now so I think with the two in the ground , I can keep them happy . Also the ones I’ve seen that do well were planted close to a wall for warmth. HarryThese have been in the ground for a few weeks and are growing well. This spot gets full sun and reflective heat until about 1 pm. The Rhapis get a bit more shade in the corner as does the Microspadix. I paid $10 each for them. Harry

[MJSanDiego]

I also have them in full sun sunrise to sunset up on slopes. I hand water them. They seem to have stalled a bit after growing néw spears quickly. We will see! Hope yours do well

[FlaPalmLover]

3 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

and Wodyetia don’t like extended wet conditions . 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have lost two over the years , they can be hit or miss. I had one for several years and it was doing very well….until it wasn’t. The other one died a year after planting. I have learned a lot since then and realize that they like warm , if not hot , place in the garden . Also not too much water . I hand water now so I think with the two in the ground , I can keep them happy . Also the ones I’ve seen that do well were planted close to a wall for warmth. HarryThese have been in the ground for a few weeks and are growing well. This spot gets full sun and reflective heat until about 1 pm. The Rhapis get a bit more shade in the corner as does the Microspadix. I paid $10 each for them. Harry

Hi Harry I don’t want to be the one to tell you but they are way to close to that wall especially the one near the copper pipes your call but I would remove them asap.

Richard 

[happypalms]

Good growing Harry try to give your foxtails a raised mound to plant in they like super good drainage in the wet season they grow so easy in my soil they take quite a lot cold in my area temperatures in the 0 degrees Celsius.

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

5 hours ago, happypalms said:

Hi Harry I don’t want to be the one to tell you but they are way to close to that wall especially the one near the copper pipes your call but I would remove them asap.

Richard 

I am hoping they will be ok. They have some room , about a foot in either direction. The soil in that particular spot is fast draining , also the warmest spot with the protection of the courtyard. The other ones will be planted out on the south side of my yard with quite a bit more room. If those ( one or both) survive they will be like my Pritchardia that hugs the wall on the other side of my house . HarryIt is hard to see but the trunk is actually closer to the wall than the Wodyetia I just planted . The trunk just curved out a bit . I never expected it to live as long as it did as I was told they wouldn’t survive my climate . It was just a very small seedling that I brought home from Maui many years ago. I think it has endured with the help of the protection of the house. Harry

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I am hoping they will be ok. They have some room , about a foot in either direction. The soil in that particular spot is fast draining , also the warmest spot with the protection of the courtyard. The other ones will be planted out on the south side of my yard with quite a bit more room. If those ( one or both) survive they will be like my Pritchardia that hugs the wall on the other side of my house . HarryIt is hard to see but the trunk is actually closer to the wall than the Wodyetia I just planted . The trunk just curved out a bit . I never expected it to live as long as it did as I was told they wouldn’t survive my climate . It was just a very small seedling that I brought home from Maui many years ago. I think it has endured with the help of the protection of the house. Harry

That’s a nice pritchardia and you imported it even better I see you have kentia palms so it can’t be the cold weather that kills your foxtails if kentia live there so it must be a drainage situation which becomes a problem in the cool wet weather cold wet feet even us humans dislike cold wet feet raised beds might be the go.

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

Richard , I am pretty sure I overwatered them plus it was on the North side of the house. Yes , lots of Kentia and one Venezuelan Royal , Chembroynia , Ravenna ,  etc. They all do well ….. but them darn Wodyetia!  Harry

[MJSanDiego]

@Harry’s Palms isn't that robusta type fan palm way too close to the house? One frond is already mushed against the wall. I would move it before its too late?  The two Wodyetia I got from Home Depot were actually 8 ft tall with 4 to 5 inch diameter trunks!!! Pretty impressive stock and the roots were not root bound in the 10 gallon pot and they are doing well so far. I hardly see any around but I think they are gorgeous, graceful and get more impressive as they mature. I'm hand watering. I think they need lots of water first season from nursery pot to ground to get them going and healthy 

[MJSanDiego]

On 7/26/2024 at 9:41 PM, FlaPalmLover said:

 

Clarificatiion please! It seems from the reaction in the short video clip from FlaPalmLover that he is surprised by Harry's comment and perhaps insinuating that Wodyetia DO like extended wet conditions? Or am I not reading the video clip correctly?

[Harry’s Palms]

@MJSanDiego yea , hard to read ,not sure , but cute! Also the Robusta type fan palm is a Pritchardia and it is slowly growing out and over the pathway it is next to . It has been there over 25 years . When I planted it , there was no canopy and it needed the house to help it survive for the first several years as it was so small. It is a fairly slow growing palm with a small trunk. If it were that big when I brought it home from Maui , it would’ve been planted somewhere else. I have been known to do some unconventional planting . When I bought the house new I had many potted palms that came from my old house . There was no canopy at all and I live on a south facing hillside , I had to do some creative planting for the survival of my babies , for the most part it is working out ok. Harry

[Merlyn]

4 hours ago, MJSanDiego said:

Clarificatiion please! It seems from the reaction in the short video clip from FlaPalmLover that he is surprised by Harry's comment and perhaps insinuating that Wodyetia DO like extended wet conditions? Or am I not reading the video clip correctly?

Here in Floriduh they grow great pretty much everywhere that isn't actual swamp.  Ample water seems key to fast growth.  The soil here is fast draining sand but generally cointually moist below about 1 foot deep, at least on my lot with a 6 foot water table.  CA clay might require different watering.

[MJSanDiego]

@Merlyn Okay thanks I am a bit concerned about the clay. Queen palms love the nutrient rich clay!! But if Wodyetia prefers sandy or loam I might run into trouble. The good news is they are planted high up on slopes so water runs down so no drainage issues. The problem is getting the water to penetrate the compacted clay deeply enough as the roots penetrate into the clay. Plus sometimes water just flows into a crack by a rock underneath and trickkes down and never saturates the roots. I gotta admit I'm not a real fan of this clay and granite rock soil. I prefer the loam soil I had years ago in the CA High desert but up there it was zone 8a which sucked for planting anything except Trachycarpus Fortunei, Filifera and Chamaerops humilis. I'm concerned I may be unsuccessful with Wodyetia but I try my best