Before and after - 6 months apart.

[Chester B]

As some of you may know I have moved to a new place in Houston, Texas. Things have grown pretty well considering I only started planting about 6 month ago. These Washingtonia actually did grow looking back at older pictures. The one in the middle is a little taller than me now. 

[Chester B]

Bonus photo from the leafy garden. Photos are 5 months apart. 

 

[Chester B]

Photo disappeared 

[ChrisA]

Looking great Chester! It’s exciting to watch them all growing, got a few more months of growth to go for the year. You’ve got me curious on the elephant ears and I’m wanting to work some of those into my landscape. Waitin for the foundation crew to finish up so I can get the yard back in shape.

[Chester B]

The two bits of advice I can give about the elephant ears is probably pretty obvious. 
 

1.  Afternoon shade makes all the difference in how they look.  Pretty essential I would say. 
2. Water, water and more water. 

[Swolte]

Thanks for sharing, looks like things are filling in quite rapidly! Did you irrigate those spots? 

[ChrisA]

I can definitely manage the afternoon shade as I’ve got a grove of 4-year old filfera/hybrid which will provide afternoon shade and an oak which gives a bit of morning shade.middle of the day they’d bake though for a few hours. 

[Xenon]

looking good looking good 🌴👍 more more more

[Chester B]

12 hours ago, ChrisA said:

I can definitely manage the afternoon shade as I’ve got a grove of 4-year old filfera/hybrid which will provide afternoon shade and an oak which gives a bit of morning shade.middle of the day they’d bake though for a few hours. 

They definitely want sun. but it's a fine balance.  I have read the black varieties like more sun,  and I have a few types but they're too small to plant right now.

 

10 hours ago, Xenon said:

looking good looking good 🌴👍 more more more

I'll try and get photos of the big island beds, they are harder to photograph.  I had a 10' tall and 15' wide Senna alata, that was looking amazing, but it snapped all over due to the weight of the limbs.  It grew too big too fast, so I have a major hole in one spot now.

[Chester B]

Bismarckia garden bed 4 months since planting. 

[Meangreen94z]

Looking great. You should put the Sabal uresana in, they’ll probably grow into December.

[Chester B]

10 hours ago, Meangreen94z said:

Looking great. You should put the Sabal uresana in, they’ll probably grow into December.

I've been thinking about where is the best spot for the two of them.  When its the sort of palm/plant you can't move you really need to be sure.

They are doing well now, that they aren't being neglected.  The new fronds are opening up, and I've been watching the newest spears closely.  

[Banana Belt]

On 9/21/2024 at 5:17 PM, Chester B said:

I have moved to a new place

Moving to a new place and then establishing a new garden would suggest you plan to stay for some time.   You probably think about your old place and the plants you put there.  The utilization of Time in growing plants is something very difficult to manage, as we never know how long we or the plants have, but looking foward with positive thoughts helps greatly as it has the power to make dreams come true.  Great Job.

[Chester B]

@Banana Belt thank you.  Time is the most precious resource.  I don’t know if I heard this somewhere but I always remember that all the truly great gardens are the old ones.  
 

Here’s a few more photos of the first pictures from a different view from the back of the garden bed. I know it all looks small but it’s actually very deep. The central palm is 7+ feet tall now. I’m happy with that growth.  

[Meangreen94z]

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

I've been thinking about where is the best spot for the two of them.  When its the sort of palm/plant you can't move you really need to be sure.

They are doing well now, that they aren't being neglected.  The new fronds are opening up, and I've been watching the newest spears closely.  

I can definitely understand that. I put palms in ground in far out corners of my yard to start, hoping to get early root development for the year. Then as the yard developed realized several things that should go in a corner now are obstructed by something right in the middle. 

[Chester B]

47 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

I can definitely understand that. I put palms in ground in far out corners of my yard to start, hoping to get early root development for the year. Then as the yard developed realized several things that should go in a corner now are obstructed by something right in the middle. 

These are two palms that I really want to highlight as part of my overall landscape, so they need to be in a prominent spot.  I'm putting them closer in the yard more away from the fences.  I can use background plants behind them to hide the fences.

[Banana Belt]

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

I know it all looks small but it’s actually very deep

That is so true with pictures.  I suppose 3d pictures would give a better perspective and I suppose some day all of our 2d photos will go the way of the Black and White.  But all this high tech stuff will never replace the actual physical of being there.  Again great job and beautiful garden.

[Robert Cade Ross]

What are you feeding the Bismarck lol ? Not even mine are growing that fast 1 hour south of you 😹

[Chester B]

27 minutes ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

What are you feeding the Bismarck lol ? Not even mine are growing that fast 1 hour south of you 😹

My yard is very hot and sunny.

[Xenon]

I think I see some rootstock suckers coming up on your citrus (the trifoliate leaves), all of them need to be removed yesterday. The Hibiscus acetosella is a nice touch. Can't tell if you have improved ornamental varieties but I used to grow it for the sour tasting leaves.

[Chester B]

Just now, Xenon said:

I think I see some rootstock suckers coming up on your citrus (the trifoliate leaves), all of them need to be removed yesterday. The Hibiscus acetosella is a nice touch. Can't tell if you have improved ornamental varieties but I used to grow it for the sour tasting leaves.

Yes I know, its on the to-do list!  I've had an ankle injury for almost 3 weeks so I've been really limited.  Its a Cara Cara Orange.  I do have some sucker preventing spray that should help keep them from coming back. 

The Hibiscus looked better, they got so heavy and fell over, and the bugs really love them.  No flowers on them yet.

[Robert Cade Ross]

20 minutes ago, Chester B said:

My yard is very hot and sunny.

maybe mine want more water lmao 

ignore the butchered robsuta in the background it had some fungus all over the fronds lol 

[Keys6505]

On 9/23/2024 at 9:02 AM, Chester B said:

Bismarckia garden bed 4 months since planting. 

 

 

Not much growth on the Tetrapanax?

[CaryElTucson]

What’s been your experience watering the Bismarcks right after planting?  I’m in sunny Tucson AZ and I just put one in the ground last weekend.  It will be fairly warm during the day until about December.  I’ve read they need a lot of water to get established.  So do we aim for the ground to be fairly wet for a few weeks?  Or just water and let it get to the point where the ground is nice and saturated and wait a few days to water again? 

[CaryElTucson]

Bismarck in the Tucson desert

[Chester B]

1 hour ago, Keys6505 said:

Not much growth on the Tetrapanax?

Almost nothing.  They seem like they want more shade and some sort of insect likes eating the leaves.  Maybe they need a year in the ground to really get moving?  I've never had them grow so slowly, usually they're rockets.

42 minutes ago, CaryElTucson said:

What’s been your experience watering the Bismarcks right after planting?  I’m in sunny Tucson AZ and I just put one in the ground last weekend.  It will be fairly warm during the day until about December.  I’ve read they need a lot of water to get established.  So do we aim for the ground to be fairly wet for a few weeks?  Or just water and let it get to the point where the ground is nice and saturated and wait a few days to water again? 

When i had it in the pot I watered almost every day.  In the ground I didn't water much, but up until August we were getting a ton of rain.  Right now I probably water it once a week, but I think its a palm that enjoys water even though it seems pretty dry in its native habitat.

[Chester B]

1 hour ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

maybe mine want more water lmao 

ignore the butchered robsuta in the background it had some fungus all over the fronds lol 

I use Espoma Biotone organic starter when I plant.  I have actually noticed a difference between the palms I did and didn't use it on.  I also add in compost and grit to the native soil and all of my garden beds are slightly raised.  I've also fertilized twice with PalmGain.

Your palms look good and healthy though.

[Xenon]

11 hours ago, Chester B said:

Almost nothing.  They seem like they want more shade and some sort of insect likes eating the leaves.  Maybe they need a year in the ground to really get moving?  I've never had them grow so slowly, usually they're rockets.

Time to replace with indestructible selloum/split-leaf philodendron 😝. Fatsia does ok but it's not quite as vigorous

[Chester B]

25 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Time to replace with indestructible selloum/split-leaf philodendron 😝. Fatsia does ok but it's not quite as vigorous

I do have the T selloum, but these are Tetrapanax not Fatsia.  Most people warned me against planting them here because they would be so vigorous!

How much sun can the selloum take?  I have one in shade but its getting too thin.

[Xenon]

14 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I do have the T selloum, but these are Tetrapanax not Fatsia.  Most people warned me against planting them here because they would be so vigorous!

How much sun can the selloum take?  I have one in shade but its getting too thin.

Selloum thrives in full sun when sun grown and/or acclimated. Definitely not a delicate shade needing thing. At least 6 hours would probably be ideal.

I meant Fatsia does ok but I've never seen Tetrapanax here (probably a reason why), both are from E Asia but I'd bet Tetrapanax is not as heat adaptable as Fatsia. Or maybe it's the nematodes? Absent from Florida too 

Castor bean has a similar look and it's a monster grower here. Short lived perennial. Papayas grow like weeds too as long as they get decent drainage. 

[Chester B]

19 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Selloum thrives in full sun when sun grown and/or acclimated. Definitely not a delicate shade needing thing. At least 6 hours would probably be ideal.

I meant Fatsia does ok but I've never seen Tetrapanax here (probably a reason why), both are from E Asia but I'd bet Tetrapanax is not as heat adaptable as Fatsia. Or maybe it's the nematodes? Absent from Florida too 

Castor bean has a similar look and it's a monster grower here. Short lived perennial. Papayas grow like weeds too as long as they get decent drainage. 

I know Tetrapanax in warmer climates can stay evergreen, but I don't know if those areas get heat like we do.

I have Castor bean that are about 4 months old.  I've never seen them the size of ones I have - absolute monsters.  I'm starting to think I may want to remove them soon before we actually get a frost, they're starting to get woody.  I used them as filler, but I wasn't expecting them to get much more than 6 feet.

I've got one sad papaya in a pot,  that will probably get planted in March.

 

I just ran out to look and I’d say the Castor bean is 10’ tall and 6+ feet wide. 

[Xenon]

The castor often lives for a few years here and becomes almost a small tree 

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, Xenon said:

The castor often lives for a few years here and becomes almost a small tree 

I had a maroon leaf castor bean in SA that became a small tree in short order.  I think I planted it as a seedling after the 2018 freeze and it died in the fall of 2020 about 2 or 3 months before Palmageddon.  It made a ton of volunteer seedlings that I was constantly pulling up.  The seed pods would explode and shoot the seeds a few feet away - many landed and sprouted in my container ranch!  Unfortunately I didn't keep a seedling prior to its demise so I don't have one here.

[Fusca]

16 hours ago, CaryElTucson said:

What’s been your experience watering the Bismarcks right after planting?  I’m in sunny Tucson AZ and I just put one in the ground last weekend.  It will be fairly warm during the day until about December.  I’ve read they need a lot of water to get established.  So do we aim for the ground to be fairly wet for a few weeks?  Or just water and let it get to the point where the ground is nice and saturated and wait a few days to water again? 

 

17 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

maybe mine want more water

Bismarckia does well with lots of water in the extreme heat of summer which is what it experiences in habitat.  I'm not sure about how much water it needs right after planting particularly if it's planted in winter.  I can say that it does OK with minimal water but not grow much.  I planted mine here in 2020 before I moved here and it didn't get watered much while the house was rented.  It's doing better now that it's getting better attention. 

[Chester B]

4 hours ago, Xenon said:

The castor often lives for a few years here and becomes almost a small tree 

Uh oh.

[Robert Cade Ross]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

 

Bismarckia does well with lots of water in the extreme heat of summer which is what it experiences in habitat.  I'm not sure about how much water it needs right after planting particularly if it's planted in winter.  I can say that it does OK with minimal water but not grow much.  I planted mine here in 2020 before I moved here and it didn't get watered much while the house was rented.  It's doing better now that it's getting better attention. 

They are in an interesting spot I guess my backyard is very “boggy” in the winter tends to stay saturated for weeks at a time due to how low of elevation it is. 

[Keys6505]

22 hours ago, Chester B said:

Almost nothing.  They seem like they want more shade and some sort of insect likes eating the leaves.  Maybe they need a year in the ground to really get moving?  I've never had them grow so slowly, usually they're rockets.

I had the same issue when I moved here from NJ.  The ones at my old house got huge, I gave my dad a runner (also in NJ) and he got it to like 18' in one season.  I've tried 3 times now in TX and they've all stayed small like yours and slowly sputtered out and croaked.

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

They are in an interesting spot I guess my backyard is very “boggy” in the winter tends to stay saturated for weeks at a time due to how low of elevation it is. 

Ouch!  That might be problematic if you've got the gumbo clay.  They don't like their feet wet in cold weather (probably in cool weather either).  I lost the first one I ever planted back in 2014 in Houston after a 25°F low.  I was puzzled expecting more cold tolerance.  When I dug it out I realized that it had been in a low spot as the shovel hit water!

[Robert Cade Ross]

16 hours ago, Fusca said:

Ouch!  That might be problematic if you've got the gumbo clay.  They don't like their feet wet in cold weather (probably in cool weather either).  I lost the first one I ever planted back in 2014 in Houston after a 25°F low.  I was puzzled expecting more cold tolerance.  When I dug it out I realized that it had been in a low spot as the shovel hit water!

I have them elevated slightly so hope for the best ?!