Planting my 23 year old Kerriodoxa elegans in the ground

[happypalms]

A special moment when you have a palm for 23 years and you finally get around to planting it in the garden. I purchased this palm from Rich Trapnell, Rosebud Farm whim we all knew who sold not only the best palms in Australia mail order. We will never see another great flood of exotic palms at such a great price and so many varieties of plants and palms. Thats where I got most of my original collection from rosebud farm and I purchased around 10 Kerriodoxa elegans plants with now only 5 of that 10 left and there doing pretty well. I had a group of 2 elegans so why not make a group of three, for reasons well know why seed production in the years to come your bound get some sort of male female ratio. And with them been all as old as each other they may decide to flower after 23 years one day. What is the age of a Kerriodoxa has to be to set flower? But it’s been through a lot this palm seeing how old it is in the collection it’s always been a one of my all time favourite palm to grow such grace and beauty all in one. Time for her to grow in the ground with complete freedom this palm and I have seen a lot together she will always be my friend lots of love Vicky I miss you ma6 you grow in peace.

[Harry’s Palms]

I have a couple of palms that have been in pots for over 25 years . A few  Metallica sit on my porch , probably 7’ tall , including the pot . My friends were over for dinner a week or so ago . They also collect palms , they have Metallica in the ground , but could not believe how tall they can get over time. They asked how old they were and I had to admit that I didn’t know . They were 3’ tall when I got them. I have no where in my garden with enough protection to plant them out. Harry

[Central Floridave]

Pretty palm and photos.  I love these.  They grow pretty good for me, but real slow.    

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have a couple of palms that have been in pots for over 25 years . A few  Metallica sit on my porch , probably 7’ tall , including the pot . My friends were over for dinner a week or so ago . They also collect palms , they have Metallica in the ground , but could not believe how tall they can get over time. They asked how old they were and I had to admit that I didn’t know . They were 3’ tall when I got them. I have no where in my garden with enough protection to plant them out. Harry

The best bit is you love them like they have just come into the collection. No matter how old they are. Keep them in the container and hand them down to family. Or move to Hawaii Harry plenty of Metallica grow weather there. 
Richard 

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Central Floridave said:

Pretty palm and photos.  I love these.  They grow pretty good for me, but real slow.    

I love them I have another 700 in pots for good reason one day a mass planting of 300. In the ground they move a bit faster given good water and warm soil.

[Tyrone]

I have a potted Kerriodoxa from Rich at Rosebud. It must be about 20 years old too. It will remain potted unless I build my hothouse where it can then get big in there. 

[Brad52]

Mine is a bit shy of 4 years from a 3 gallon pot, planted in dry conditions that have all but killed the joey nearby.  It was slow for 2 years but has picked up momentum in the last 18 months.

[tim_brissy_13]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

I have a potted Kerriodoxa from Rich at Rosebud. It must be about 20 years old too. It will remain potted unless I build my hothouse where it can then get big in there. 

Do you think it wouldn’t grow well in the ground outside Tyrone or just want to keep it in a pot/hothouse to keep it looking pristine? I would’ve guessed in your climate it would do ok under good canopy protecting from occasional frost and the worst of the wind. I did plan to plant out my small one in the next couple of years but if you can’t get it to work then I’ve got no hope. 

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, Tyrone said:

I have a potted Kerriodoxa from Rich at Rosebud. It must be about 20 years old too. It will remain potted unless I build my hothouse where it can then get big in there. 

Nice one and from Rich as well. We might be trading pollen one day if  they flower in years to come. Iam pretty sure there in Sydney botanical gardens. You need to get a few seeds from rps that way you throw a few around to see if they live WA then you can confidently plant your big one.

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, Brad52 said:

Mine is a bit shy of 4 years from a 3 gallon pot, planted in dry conditions that have all but killed the joey nearby.  It was slow for 2 years but has picked up momentum in the last 18 months.

That’s the grow conditions in Hawaii for you perfect. They do tolerate a little dry soil and still grow reasonably well but definitely prefer to drink as much water you can give them. And that’s one nice specimen you have there lucky Hawaii growers.

[richnorm]

15 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Do you think it wouldn’t grow well in the ground outside Tyrone or just want to keep it in a pot/hothouse to keep it looking pristine? I would’ve guessed in your climate it would do ok under good canopy protecting from occasional frost and the worst of the wind. I did plan to plant out my small one in the next couple of years but if you can’t get it to work then I’ve got no hope. 

I tried and will try again. The centre is dry and frazzled but won't pull so haven't given up commpletely as have seen this on Pritchardia sp a few times with full recovery.

[Brad52]

8 hours ago, happypalms said:

That’s the grow conditions in Hawaii for you perfect. They do tolerate a little dry soil and still grow reasonably well but definitely prefer to drink as much water you can give them. And that’s one nice specimen you have there lucky Hawaii growers.

It’s so nice to find plants that can thrive on their own here, in each photo of my elegans you can see the edge of a burned joey leaf,  that joey is about 1/3 the size of when planted, a nearby M amicarum has died (I was going for a ‘look’ with the three palms adjacent to each other and only the K elegans remains) and I killed six of six marojejya nearby leaving the K elegans alone to contrast nine pinanga that are also thriving.  So me likes Kerriodoxa!  …and Pinanga…

[Tyrone]

20 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Do you think it wouldn’t grow well in the ground outside Tyrone or just want to keep it in a pot/hothouse to keep it looking pristine? I would’ve guessed in your climate it would do ok under good canopy protecting from occasional frost and the worst of the wind. I did plan to plant out my small one in the next couple of years but if you can’t get it to work then I’ve got no hope. 

Obviously they don’t like wind, and at 35S this place has too much wind and from every direction you can think of. The other thing they don’t like is dry air, which I have less of a problem down here than I did in Perth. They just love humidity. The area they come from in Phuket is just super humid and they grow in a stream valley right next to the stream surrounded by tall canopy on every side. It’s hot humid and very protected. Mine is in a 45L pot on my north facing patio where I’ve got my beehive ginger that flowers every year. It’s not pristine but it’s alive and continually growing. A hot humid tunnel house would be to its liking. My soil which is peat would probably be OK too as it looked a bit like the stream bank in Phuket but the area it comes from also has that red mud which is SE Asian volcanic fertile soil that grows anything. 

[tim_brissy_13]

55 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Obviously they don’t like wind, and at 35S this place has too much wind and from every direction you can think of. The other thing they don’t like is dry air, which I have less of a problem down here than I did in Perth. They just love humidity. The area they come from in Phuket is just super humid and they grow in a stream valley right next to the stream surrounded by tall canopy on every side. It’s hot humid and very protected. Mine is in a 45L pot on my north facing patio where I’ve got my beehive ginger that flowers every year. It’s not pristine but it’s alive and continually growing. A hot humid tunnel house would be to its liking. My soil which is peat would probably be OK too as it looked a bit like the stream bank in Phuket but the area it comes from also has that red mud which is SE Asian volcanic fertile soil that grows anything. 

Yeah makes sense Tyrone. I’ve seen them in habitat too. True tropics; it’s amazing they are known to have any cool tolerance at all. 
 

Wind is hard to avoid here too. We recently had about 100kph winds which blew over my back fence and launch my neighbours roof tiles into my backyard 8-10m away from their starting point. Once my canopy gets more dense I might consider planting my Kerriodoxa but until then sounds like it wouldn’t end well if I tried. I planted a L peltata var sumawongii a few year back with no canopy in an east facing spot and it hated life until it gave up a year later. I imagine Kerriodoxa would be similar in requirements. 

[happypalms]

14 hours ago, Brad52 said:

It’s so nice to find plants that can thrive on their own here, in each photo of my elegans you can see the edge of a burned joey leaf,  that joey is about 1/3 the size of when planted, a nearby M amicarum has died (I was going for a ‘look’ with the three palms adjacent to each other and only the K elegans remains) and I killed six of six marojejya nearby leaving the K elegans alone to contrast nine pinanga that are also thriving.  So me likes Kerriodoxa!  …and Pinanga…

Six marojejya killed the did the palm police visit killing six 😭 If you find a palm that’s perfect for your environment plant heaps of them. My Kerriodoxa and Joey palms from 23 years ago all held up through a lot living to this day. From that observation about 3 years ago I germinated 2000 joeys and 1000 Kerriodoxa knowing they survive through thick and thin. 

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Yeah makes sense Tyrone. I’ve seen them in habitat too. True tropics; it’s amazing they are known to have any cool tolerance at all. 
 

Wind is hard to avoid here too. We recently had about 100kph winds which blew over my back fence and launch my neighbours roof tiles into my backyard 8-10m away from their starting point. Once my canopy gets more dense I might consider planting my Kerriodoxa but until then sounds like it wouldn’t end well if I tried. I planted a L peltata var sumawongii a few year back with no canopy in an east facing spot and it hated life until it gave up a year later. I imagine Kerriodoxa would be similar in requirements. 

Don’t be fooled by the hot dry winds and heat I  get them as well that you can fry an egg on rock at my place. Not consistent like WA but hot dry winds I fear a bushfire in and my ones have not looked  back. Find a place or create a wind free environment install sprinklers and plant  them in the ground I say!